 
# **Contents**

Title

Dedication & Acknowledgments

Introduction

The Process For Residency in the Kingdom

Truth Defined

The Nature of Truth

The Parable of the Sower Revealed

The Sword of Truth

Possess What You Love

Lest They Turn and be Healed

Lest They See What He Saw

Thy Truth is the Final Word

Appendix

Notes
**For The Love Of Truth**

**Possessing Your Eternal Life**

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Dedication & Acknowledgments

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This work is dedicated to the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;

And without Him...I would still be called Lo-Ammi.

To my selfless wife Rivkah:

You have been my strong support, encourager, editor and sounding board throughout all of my writing ventures. Because you stood by my side and never gave up on me; I never gave up on me either. Your richness in Abba, and the passion you exhibit to know Him, gives me the inspiration to write another day.

Thank you!

For The Love Of Truth | Possessing Your Eternal Life

Copyright © September 4, 2015 by Derek Townsend

The Well Trodden Road

www.thewelltroddenroad.org

3rd Revision, January 19, 2016

Please feel free to reprint and distribute this study in order to help spread the Truth of His Word. If you plan on using any part of this material on your own website, social network and/or blog; please provide proper credit as seen below:

Townsend, D. (2016). For The Love Of Truth | Possessing Your Eternal Life (3rd Rev.). Fort Worth: The Well Trodden Road.
Introduction

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"He who does wrong, let him do more wrong; he who is filthy, let him be more filthy; he who is righteous, let him be more righteous; he who is set-apart, let him be more set-apart." - Revelation 22:11

Oh my, what 'comforting' words. Hymnal material? Probably not. Popular? Definitely not! Yet, this passage is used to introduce four very powerful words; "...behold, I come quickly..."

No other time in history have the words in Revelation 22:11 been more appropriate as they are today. For the wicked; a haunting cry to continue in the rhythm of 'no peace'. For the righteous and set-apart; a cheer to the finish line.

For those marching to the sound of their own drum beat, this passage is the declaration that seals the judgment right before the sentencing is to be carried out. This passage speaks finality. Though the words have been repeated in times past; this time...it will be the last.

If we rewind history, the same words were spoken by the Spirit of Yahuweh through the prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah) and beloved Sha'ul (Paul). The words spoken exhibit the nature of a Father who has cried out to His children time and time again; only to be ignored. There comes a time when even He...has had enough...

'Go ahead,' He says, 'do what you have loved the most. I called to you to turn in repentance, yet you have become as deaf and blind as the idols you worship. You may think I am cruel when I will no longer hear you. I am only returning to you as you have done so to Me. If being wrong is what you prefer, then do more of it. If filthiness is what you possess, then possess more of it. I have extended you the ability to repent and turn back to Me, yet you have loved your wickedness even that much more. Therefore, I give you over to what your heart has loved the most. I make you deaf, so you do not hear because you had ears to hear Me, yet refused to listen. I make you blind, so you do not see because you had eyes to see Me, yet refused to see. I make your heart dull, so you do not understand because you had a heart to understand Me, yet refused to perceive My Words. I do these things so you do not turn to Me and repent. I do these things to keep you from My salvation, lest should I deliver you, you would only fall away from Me again. For My heart to be relieved of the grief I should not have to bear, I solemnly grant you what you want, so that you will not ever want to turn to Me again. I loved you but you would not have Me. I gave you My Word in Truth and you would not possess a love for it. Therefore, I allow you to be what you have already chosen to be. My Son is coming soon, and woe to the one not loving His appearing.'
The Process For Residency in the Kingdom

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The heart of the Father grieves over His people who have not loved what He loves. They do not love Him nor what He loves because they do not know Him.

How do we really get to know someone if we do not spend any time with them? This is exactly what Messiah Yahushua was attempting to get across to the Yehudim in Yochanan (John) 8:31-32. In fact, the entire chapter could serve as the backbone of this study, as Messiah Yahushua enters into a unique dialog with the Pharisees, Scribes and Yehudim of His day.

Yahushua points out to them, that if they were of His Father Elohim, they would do the works of His Father. And if they were of His Father, they would love the Son whom He had sent. It was obvious that what Yahushua was speaking about, was something very foreign to them.

Time and time again, Messiah speaks in plain truth concerning Himself, yet they did not seem to get it. Apparently, there were some of the Yehudim that did believe the words Messiah spoke to them, yet by the time the conversation ended, they were ready to stone Him. Though the truth was being spoken, they were unable to comprehend it. They became angry.

This is foundational in understanding how Messiah's words actually fulfilled what the Prophet Isaiah was commissioned to do. This is evident in some of Yahushua's words to the Yehudim: "Why do you not know what I say? Because you are unable to hear My Word. And because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me." The truth Yahushua spoke shut the eyes of their understanding and their ears from being able to hear anything He said.

If truth is spoken, yet not revealed in the understanding, like the Yehudim, it will invoke anger in the ears of its hearers and a desire to destroy it will rise up.

How do we do the works of our Father if we do not know Him? If we do not know Him, we will never be able to please Him. We do not know what pleases Him because we have not spent time with Him. And if we do not spend time with Him, our residency in the Kingdom is at stake.

In John 8:31 it says, "So Yahushua said to those Yehudim who believed Him, "If you **stay** in My Word, you are truly My taught ones, and you shall know the **truth** , and the truth shall make you free."

The word ' **stay** ' in the Greek is 'meno' meaning to abide as in remaining at a residence. It means to lodge as in living in a house.

Luke 21:19 " **Possess** your lives by your **endurance**!"

The word **endurance** is the Greek word 'hypomone' which has a compound meaning: hypo "under" and meno (remain, abide, stay, lodge). Staying in His Word is where we live (the where), whereas endurance denotes the length of time we stay there. Hypomone literally means to be steadfast.

Here is an example: "I am staying at the cabin and I am staying there a month"

Matthew 24:12-13 "And because of the increase in lawlessness, the love of many shall become cold. But he who shall have **endured** to the end shall be saved."

The equivalent Hebrew word for endurance is **qavah**. It is the root word for miqveh, which means to abide. Both of these words have a sense of waiting, expectation, and hope. The root word qavah means to 'bind together' as in twisting; similar to a cord or rope would be twisted. It also means to collect, and gather together as in a large body of water or a pool. When there are multiple streams and rivers flowing into one body of water such as a lake, or eventually into an ocean, there lies a collection of strength and power. Think of many streams merging together into one river, flowing with tremendous force. This word is the same word used in Genesis 1:9 where the waters were gathered into one place.

All of these meanings have some relation to each other. To bind together as in a cord or rope, doesn't mean much until you think of its function. A rope secures something. There is security when there is a gathering together or a collection of something. The more of whatever it is you have, the less likely it will be moved, dispersed or scattered. For example, a great collection of water, such as in an ocean or sea, if one were to 'pull the drain cord,' it would take a very long time to drain that much water. Picture a rope that is staked to the ground on one end, while attached to the corner of a tent on the other. Its function is to hold the corners of the tent tight in order to prevent it from moving; keeping it firmly established as to not blow away, or collapse in on itself.

The Hebrew word qavah provides a much more graphical representation of the word endurance. Because of the length of time to drain such a large collection of water, or the security that a rope provides a tent from moving and being shaken loose in turbulent weather, the word endurance denotes unmovable security, even through the roughest of trials and persecution. It remains steadfast because of the power gained from gathering unto itself a great collection of forces, binding it together into one abiding and unstoppable presence. This is endurance, and this is how we 'secure' are eternal life, regardless of what is thrown at us. We possess our eternal life because we have the unstoppable power to simply...remain.

"We too, then, having so great a cloud of witnesses all around us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with **endurance** the race set before us, looking to the Princely Leader and Perfecter of our belief, Yahushua, who for the joy that was set before Him **endured** the stake, having despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim."

The only way Messiah Yahushua was able to endure the stake, and sit down at the right hand of His Father, was by the empowerment of the unstoppable, abiding presence of the Spirit of Yahuweh. There was no other way possible. He could not do it alone, nor can we. The endurance I am speaking of, in order to finish our race and secure eternal life, can only come from the powerful force and working of the Spirit. Without Him, we will never endure to the end...never!

The word **possess** 3 in the Greek means to acquire (by any means; own), obtain, as in gaining something; purchase

The Hebrew word **qanah** has a comparable meaning: to get, acquire, attain, provoke to jealousy, possessor, purchase. A primitive root; to erect, i.e. Create; by extension, to procure, especially by purchase.

The word is actually used in Ruth 4:10 where Boaz 'acquires' his wife Ruth. Notice the root meaning, to erect as in create by extension, procuring and/or by purchasing, and how it sheds a whole new light on how we are to 'possess' our eternal life.

Our eternal life isn't handed to us on a silver platter. We are not given a completed house, but plans to use to erect it. If we are to build such a house, we must consider what it will cost us. By no means, does our salvation come by our purchase of it, for we could never afford such a gift. And that is what our eternal life is; a gift. It is how we 'erect' it and our endurance on the project that determines if we will get to live in the dwelling we erected. In other words, what we do with the gift we have received, determines our final positioning in the Kingdom.

We are not only given the plans, but a downpayment of the Spirit to help us understand how we are to use them. We do not 'purchase to procure' our house (salvation) by our works, but in following the example of how Messiah 'purchased' us through putting to death the deeds of the flesh in His own body. As Messiah condemned sin in His flesh to purchase us for ownership, we 'own' what He purchased (salvation) by the price we pay in laying down all to condemn sin in our flesh. The cost is extremely high, however He is our example to follow.

To possess means to own. To own means to work at what you own, maintaining it, increasing it, building it, expanding it. If we possess a house, we take care of it because we own it. For the man who buried his talent; he failed to possess what he owned. He had not increased it one bit, so what he had was taken from him. This is how we must view our eternal life.

Another meaning of qanah is to 'provoke to jealousy'. We should 'provoke to jealousy' everyone around us by what we do with what we possess. Who's interested in a life that is no different than those of the world? If our 'house' looks just like our neighbor's house, how will we stand out? Who is interested in 'cookie-cutter' houses? We are called to be different, separate; building our house with the 'custom' plans we were given. As citizens of His Kingdom, this is what our lives should be; different, standing out and not blending in with the world's 'neighborhood'. The world will never be jealous of the eternal gift we possess if we fail to show the joy in possessing it.

If we are going to possess (build to own) our eternal life (house), we must choose to stay (remain) in His Word (the plans), enduring (securely fixed to the project regardless of the length of time it takes to complete)—to the very end

The walk of salvation is actually our application for permanent residency within His Kingdom (His House). The reason why someone does not know the Father is because they have failed to identify themselves as His child. The beginning section of our residency application is just that; identification. It is through Messiah the Son that we become children of the Father. For some, the right to become children of Elohim was not given, because they did not receive Him. We see this example above concerning the truth that blinded the eyes of the Yehudim; those of His own.

"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But **as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of Elohim** , to those believing in His Name..." - Yochanan (John) 1:11-12

When the Father, by His Spirit, reveals His Son, the Word, Who is Truth, to those who have been given the understanding to receive, there is an identity change. The Truth sets them free from serving their old master of sin in order to serve their new Master of Righteousness. Messiah said a servant does not stay forever in a house, but a son stays forever. It is because of the goodness we have received, that we do not ever want to leave.

Those who choose to 'stay' in His Word, will become taught ones (disciples) of His Son. And if we are taught ones, we will know the truth that gives us the freedom to remain as sons in His Father's house. The freedom to remain is in our choice to remain free from serving sin. If we are to continue to stay in the Father's house, we must be actively keeping the temporarily dwelling place of His Spirit clean; our body and spirit. When we remain in His Word, His Word will remain in us, transforming our vessels of flesh into something that is set-apart; something that is acceptable to the Father. The act of pursuing set-apartness by remaining free from serving sin, IS the active pursuit of possessing (acquiring) our permanent residency within His Kingdom.

We cannot expect to dwell in the Father's house (The Kingdom), if His Spirit cannot dwell in our earthly house due to unfit living conditions (sin and uncleanness.) We must keep our house dusted and swept clean from all defilement.

We must prove to Him that we will be good residents of His Kingdom by how well we treat His Spirit's residence in our 'kingdom'—keeping our body set-apart from sin and our spirit portal to His realm open for communication.

Set-apartness to Elohim begins with receiving a love for all that He stands for and all that He is; Truth. Without set-apartness to Him, no one shall see Him (Hebrews 12:14). For those to whom the love of the truth is given, they must pursue set-apartness that is in accordance with the love they have received. If the love of possessing the truth of His Word is not found greater than the love of serving sin, even the little truth that is possessed will be taken away. And what is taken away does not leave itself empty as the void within must be filled up with something.

If truth is thrown down, it will be taken away and replaced with a delusion to believe falsehood. There is never such a thing as not believing in anything. Even atheist believe in something; themselves.

To receive a love for the truth is to receive a love to complete the journey of salvation. Without the steadfastness to finish our course, the love of the truth will quickly fade. Without the truth, lawlessness will abound. And the only delight people will have, will be in their own unrighteousness.

The Garden scenario is ever increasing daily as more and more rebel against the truth, abandoning it for the delicious knowledge to be 'like' the Most High, yet without His nature, ways and thinking. The people of the earth will become formless and empty, as the darkness spreads over them. Only the few who have separated themselves unto the Light will remain untouched. For the One Who spoke the words, 'let there be light', is coming soon in the Light of His presence to separate all light from darkness forever!

What will happen when the earth becomes filled with a love for falsehood? Will there be anyone left to uphold Yahuweh Elohim's standard of truth and righteousness? What about those to whom the truth was never revealed? Does Yahuweh intentionally keep people from seeing His truth? Does He privilege some to know the secrets of the Kingdom while others are not so privileged? What about the desire of Elohim that 'none should perish but that all should come to repentance?'

All of these questions and more will be addressed in the following study. As you study these things on your own, ask the Spirit, Who is the Teacher, to guide you into all understanding and truth. Some of the things discussed in this study were very difficult to document. Truth is never easy to swallow while we are gagged with religion and the false belief systems of man.

Please read all of the Scripture references. Sometimes, you may have to go back and read them in context, as I did not list out entire passages in order to minimize the length of this study.

A love for the truth is a love for what is on the heart of the Creator. If we do not purposely align to what is on His heart, we will purposely or unknowingly align to something else; falsehood. And any applicant found falsifying information when applying for residency in the Kingdom, shall have their application stamped void and be denied entry.

All Scripture references were taken from:

The Scriptures - Institute for Scripture Research (ISR) - 2009 Edition
Truth Defined

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**T** ruth, what it is?

The __ word truth has about as many meanings as there are people on the planet. It seems that all people, down through the ages, in all walks of life, culture, race, age and religion, have pondered this one question and have at least formulated some idea as to what it means. Remember, Yahushua was asked by Pilate, "what is truth?" Even if the question is not asked directly, people still form their beliefs either on the truth they perceive to be right, or the truth that someone else said was right.

No one seems to be able to define truth, because as soon as something is established as truth, the definition changes. Why does it change? Because the reality of one is a misconception of another. Truth is not truth if it changes. Truth is faithless if it changes. If truth changes, how does one know if the new change is correct? If the new change evolved from a previous definition of truth, then how does one know if that definition was absolute?

Here are two quotes from philosophynews.com:

"Ironically, every definition of truth that philosophers have developed falls prey to the question, "Is it true?"

"Coming up with a definition of truth falls under the discipline of epistemology or the study of knowledge though some philosophers categorize it as a study in metaphysics--the study of what is real."

For the world, the quest to define truth seems to be never ending. The answer to the question of what truth is can be answered with another question. What is the one commonality between every person that has ever wondered and/or expressed interest in knowing what truth is? The answer is quite simple and in fact, answers both questions.

The one commonality is people. As long as human beings are involved in determining what truth really is, there will continue to be multi-billions of definitions. Why is this so? Because of the love of wisdom and knowledge. Throughout time, many of the philosophers, occultists, religious, poets, and writers have interpreted the phrase, "knowledge is power," in many different ways. However, the basic concept is the same. To possess knowledge is to possess the power to command allegiance to the one who holds that knowledge.

It is the phrase, knowledge is power, that cements the impossibility of ever arriving to a conclusion of what truth is. As long as humans exist, there will continue to be a thirst for knowledge because he who holds knowledge holds power. And he who holds power holds the rights to truth.

Here is the problem. Human beings die, and the power they held in life to command the allegiance of others to conform to the standard of truth they possessed, disappears into future generations where the standard is thrown back into a constant flux of interpretations of newly discovered knowledge.

As long as people are involved, the definition of truth will always exist in a state of change. As people change, so does the definition of truth. And if the definition of truth changes, how can a standard be set for people to follow? As long as there is no standard, what people believe to be true is truth to them. Truth becomes what people make it to be, thus people become their own standard.

This is why there are so many religious denominations in existence today. With so many interpretations of the Scriptures, it makes it easy for people to pick and choose what they want to believe and where they go to assemble together with those like-minded. Truth is divided which divides the people. As long as the Spirit of Truth is ignored, people will continue to separate themselves from others who do not share the same interpretation as they. It seems too easy to ask the Spirit of Truth what something means; after all, He is the One who wrote it.

What made Pilate ask Yahushua the question, "what is truth?" It was what Yahushua had just said to him when he asked, "You are a sovereign, then?" Yahushua answered, "You say it, because I am a sovereign. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. **Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice**."

As long as the standard of truth continues to proceed from the voices of human beings, the standard of truth remains relevant to the one speaking it. If a good king establishes the laws of his kingdom, based upon his own authority to uphold those laws, he has essentially defined his own standard of truth. What is right is determined by his own interpretation. Now, what happens if the good king dies, and is replaced by a bad king? What happens to the laws of the Kingdom? More importantly, what happens to the interpretation of those laws?

Herein lies the ultimate dilemma of deciding what truth really is. As long as humans are subject to death, truth remains open for interpretation.

However, there is good news! The Creator of the universe has already established the standard of truth by His own authority. The reason why it is good news, is the standard of truth will exist as long as the Creator exists. And because He is eternal, never to die, the standard of truth will never change! Messiah Yahushua, the King, came into the world to bear witness to this standard. He came to deliver to us the good instructions, laws and commandments by which we can conform our lives to.

We can listen to His voice and trust what He says is true. He IS Truth. He speaks only what He has heard from His Father. Because His Father cannot lie, what He speaks is the truth. What He says and bears witness to is truth that is alive. Truth that is alive is the foundation upon which we can wholeheartedly put our trust in and believe. Why? Because it never changes, because it never dies.

With that said, I want to answer my original question of; what is truth? Yahushua said, " **Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice**." Because I have chosen Yahushua to be my standard of Truth, His voice speaks to me all through His Word and clearly defines what truth really means.

And without further delay...

**T** ruth is defined as...

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**"The standard of authority, as set forth in the Name of Yahuweh Elohim, the Creator of the universe, by the breath of His Spirit; witnessed to Himself; the interpretation by Himself; brought forth of Himself, the Spoken and Written Word, Yahushua Yahuweh, His only Son, through Whom the execution of His will and good purpose, without variation, established the boundaries of His eternal laws, instructions and commandments, all of which are inherent to the creation and sustainment of life" **

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In short...

**"...Thy Word is Truth"**

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**Yochanan (John) 17:17**

NOTE:

Any attempt to define 'truth' outside the standard as set forth by Yahuweh Elohim,

will be discarded as a treasonous endeavor to usurp the authority of the Creator

with 'ideas' that are merely relative to one's own interpretation
The Nature of Truth

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The cold, sharp, jagged edges of the saw blade lay across his abdomen, preparing to divide in half one who had spoken undivided truth. As the blood began to flow, one final memory passed through his mind of the day His eyes had seen the Sovereign, Yahuweh of Hosts and his lips were purged by a live coal from the altar. From unclean lips to 'here am I, send me', no other man in history was so favored as to declare the riches of truth; spread across eternity past to eternity future. His name...Yeshayahu (Isaiah).

From the fall of Lucifer to the Suffering Servant, to a renewed heavens and earth, Isaiah would speak the Words of Yahuweh in a shrouded message for those who were never meant to understand. "How long?" he cried, "until when?" Yahuweh answered, "until there is nothing left but a stump who will overcome My burning by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and by loving their lives not unto death."

Isaiah 6 is the whittling process, Yahuweh's sifting method to get down to a family, a remnant that would never again be uprooted from the Land. From the time of the exile of the House of Israel by the Assyrians, to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BCE, to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, to the purging of two thirds of modern Israel; a stump will remain.

"But still, there is a **tenth part** in it, and it shall again be for a burning, like a terebinth tree and like an oak, whose stump remains when it is cut down. The set-apart seed is its stump!" - Isaiah 6:13.

A 'tenth', which is the Hebrew meaning of the English word 'tithe', according to Leviticus 27:30 is the part that is set-apart to Yahuweh. Yet, even within the tenth part, a further refining will come until there is nothing left but what cannot be shaken. The set-apart seed is the stump, that one day soon will flourish throughout eternity where death and tears are no more! Oh Yahuweh...we long for that day!

The words of Yahuweh, through the prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah), were given to make 'fat' a people in order to cause heaviness of ears and blindness of eyes. How long? Yeshayahu is still preaching his message today, still making those who have not received a love for the truth; deaf and blind. Yeshayahu was given the secrets of the Kingdom of Elohim, and only the remaining stump will understand them.

It is no coincidence that the name Yeshayahu means, 'Salvation of Yahuweh'. Yeshayahu literally points to Yahushua, whose Name means, 'Yahuweh is Salvation'. The only difference between them is that Yahushua carries His Father's name at the beginning and Yeshayahu carries it at the end. The entire book of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) points to Yahushua; from eternity past, His first and second coming, to eternity future, when He delivers up the Kingdom to His Father.

The nature of truth is to divide—itself being indivisible. It was for the message of truth that Yeshayahu was divided in half. Because those who performed that brutal act were the very ones whose hearts had been made calloused.

"Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and shall turn and be healed." - Isaiah 6:10

"...and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved." - 2 Thessalonians 2:10

"And He said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the reign of Elohim, but to the rest in parables, that 'Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not understand." - Luke 8:10

In Matthew 13, the disciples asked Messiah Yahushua, "why do you speak to them in parables?" Messiah proceeds to answer them by explaining that He was continuing in the same calling as Isaiah—to "make fat" the heart of the people. After all, why give the secrets of the Kingdom of Elohim to those for whom it has not been given? Messiah explained to His disciples that the plain truth about the Kingdom was only meant for them, and that the words of Isaiah were being fulfilled in them through the parables He spoke.

It is for the purpose of understanding the secrets of the Kingdom that led me on this passionate journey for truth, so that in the end, I will not be deceived by delusional teachings. Truth is as nitroglycerin. In the hands of those who do not know how to rightly handle it, it is deadly.

The secrets of the Kingdom are only given to those for whom it has been prepared. The Creator of the universe has an agenda for the salvation of His family. He must protect it from the eyes and ears of those who otherwise would attempt to overthrow it for the complete destruction of His set-apart ones. Who is it that is listening? Who is it that is looking? Who is against Messiah? Those wicked rulers in high places that would attempt such a usurping of the Creator's will; perhaps to alter their own judgment. For had they known the secret plan of Elohim, they would not have impaled the Master of esteem.

If the crowds of people, rulers, leaders, tax collectors, Pharisees, Sadducees, and others, who were standing around and listening to the parables of Yahushua, would have had the eyes of their understanding opened, putting the prophecies of Isaiah together, and coming to the conclusion that He was the promised Messiah, there would have been no call to ever crucify Him. If this had taken place, the lost sheep of the House of Israel would have never found salvation and the entire plan of redemption ruined.

It was truth veiled, hidden in the secret place that caused the hardening of the hearts of those who had the power of influence to put to death the innocent One—Messiah Yahushua. The secrets of the Kingdom of Elohim are only revealed to those, whom before the foundation of the world, were given to receive. Kepha (Peter) received the revelation that Yahushua was the Messiah and it was Father's Spirit Who revealed this truth to him.

Does this mean that Elohim is an exclusivist? Does He not desire all to be saved and none to perish? Here is the clincher; If He saved all, would He really get the loyalty He is after? If there is no burning, there is no stump. How long should He have to wait for all to be saved? Look what happened in the days of Noah. If He waited on mankind to decide to obey and follow Him, so as to be saved, He would be waiting for eternity. Elohim grieved so much about creating mankind that He limited his days to 120 years. If He had it in mind to save all, He would have had Noah tack on some additional rooms in the ark.

This is why Adam was removed from the Garden so as not to live forever in a damned state. This is why He limited mans lifespan to 120 years so as to not allow him the time necessary to completely corrupt himself again. This is why Judas Iscariot was never 'destined' for salvation, but to be delivered up to destruction in order to usher in salvation.

Elohim is after more than cheap salvation. He respects mans will and the choices he makes. Elohim does desire that all be saved and not perish, but he does not want robots. If He did choose to override mans will, and save him regardless of a repentant and loyal heart, He would only end up with a complete apostasy on His hands.

Remember, His thoughts and ways are not ours. He sees the end from the beginning and therefore knows what He is doing. Only the Creator of the universe knows how to rightfully handle the truth, using His wisdom to form light, create darkness, cause good to come, as well as disaster and adversity—all for His own good purpose.

It was not for Isaiah to understand why he was ordained to preach a message that would harden the hearts of the people. Isaiah was to simply obey. We are not tasked with guiding the hearts of men, but to open the way for Yahuweh to do it. His will, plans and purposes are done in the earth by His trusted servants. Moshe (Moses) and Aaron were His trusted servants to deliver time and time again, the same message to Pharaoh, whose heart would time and time again be hardened.

We will never understand the plans and purposes of the Creator until we understand that our human rationale does not fit with the Spirit of Wisdom. Yahuweh is after the cream of the crop; nothing more. He is after what cannot be shaken. He is after what remains after the burning—the stump. Yahuweh is looking for quality, not quantity. Lucifer wants quantity, not quality. He is looking to take down as many as he can; for he knows his time is short. Yahuweh is seeking those who are in like nature with Himself, and that alone eliminates the majority.

Over the course of this study, I want to share with you some revelations regarding the reasoning as to why Yahuweh and Yahushua would want to "deter" people from turning to Them. Through this, I pray that we all begin to see the critical state we are entering into as the coming of Messiah is imminent. Yahuweh and Yahushua are not calling out 'come one, come all', but are calling the ones which have been chosen, the select few that will accomplish His desire in the earth. As it is documented throughout the Word, Yahuweh never needs very many to do His great exploits. All He is looking for is obedience and those who think and act like He does. Read Judges chapter 7.

There are two primary characteristics and/or distinguishing factors of those who have been called and chosen before the foundation of the world: **possessing a love for the truth** and **knowing the cost of possessing the truth**. To those who have been called and chosen, a gift for the love of the truth has been given to them. Those who have been called will accept the gift based upon prior analysis of the cost to possess such a gift. If the cost to possess the truth is not considered, it will end up in the street.

"For many are called, but few are chosen." This 'famous' verse out of Matthew 22, is part of the summary that Messiah Yahushua makes after telling the parable of the wedding banquet. We see that the king's servants went out to call those had been invited, yet they all disregarded the invitation. Finally, the last call went out, but only to those on the street corners and highways. The invitation was accepted and they showed up wearing their wedding garments. However, there was the one who did not put on a wedding garment, thus was not (chosen) to stay. We must answer the invitation (the calling) by putting on our wedding garments, or else we will not be (chosen) to remain.

1 Kepha (Peter) 1 and Romans 8 are just a few of the passages that speak about the calling and choosing of Elohim. Predestination and foreknowledge is out of the scope of this writing but just know that it is kind of important for Yahushua to know how many will be attending His wedding and the wedding banquet. All of the RSVP's to the invitations have not all come in yet, but it is very close.

Many of us, as Westerns believers, were never taught about the cost of discipleship; let alone the pure truth of the Word from Genesis to Revelation. We were taught salvation was a free gift with no responsibility for that gift. Salvation is free, in that we cannot earn this precious gift, yet what is required of us who possess it, it will cost everything we have and more. The gift is free; owning it is not free.

How is this? What is the most valuable thing a person possesses? The will; freedom of choice. The flesh dictates what it wants, when it wants, and how much it wants. To lay this down for some gift that we cannot fully appreciate in this lifetime; to some...it is impossible. People want their reward now. We live in an instantaneous world. Sadly, the majority will receive their reward now.

There are three reasons why Isaiah had to preach a 'cloaked' message:

  1. To close the ears of those who had closed their ears to Yahuweh (Zechariah 7)
  2. To harden the hearts of those who **were never** meant to receive the secrets of the Kingdom (2 Corinthians 4)
  3. To prevent a "premature birth" of those who **were** meant to receive the secrets of the Kingdom; yet only at the appointed time (1 Corinthians 1, Romans 10, Matthew 16:16-17)

Sha'ul (Paul) is a good example of reason number 3. He was blinded to the truth about Messiah until Messiah blinded him—opening his eyes to see what was right in front of him all along.

Yahuweh runs the universe on His own time clock; in His own time zone. Yahuweh is an Elohim of exact timing and order. The universe is bound by the extreme measurements and limitations placed upon it by the Creator. His appointed times bring about the purposes of His heart. Too late or too early can cause the total collapse of His agenda, of which He has carefully and tediously written out and planned from before the foundation of the world. I do not have all of the answers as to why He does certain things, and why He allows certain things to happen. It is not for my knowing, but only in becoming a trusted servant, will He slowly reveal His secrets to my spirit.
The Parable of the Sower Revealed

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In Matthew 13:11-12, Yahushua answers the disciples question of why He spoke to the crowds in parables:

"And He answering, said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the reign of the heavens, but to them it has not been given. For whoever possesses, to him more shall be given, and he shall have over-flowingly; but whoever does not possess, even what he possesses shall be taken away from him."

NOTE:

In Matthew 25, we see this same passage being used of the servant who buried his talent. He did not possess, therefore what he had was taken from him. But notice, though he was called a wicked and lazy servant, he was still a servant of the master. The one who buried his talent had been given the same 'gift' as the other servants.

Back to Matthew 13...

Messiah proceeds to explain the meaning of the parable of the sower to His disciples:

**"When anyone hears the word of the reign (Kingdom), and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. **

**This is that sown by the wayside."** 1

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These are the ones whose hearts are calloused and do not understand what they are hearing. The enemy comes in and snatches the seed away. Why? Because the seeds were never meant for the wayside, but for the ground that is tilled and ready for planting.

The seed (the truth) was sown along the wayside, meaning a path, road or highway. The highway of the hearts of these people were not prepared to receive the Word of truth through repentance. They were never called to prepare their hearts for the way of Yahuweh. To these, the truth has fallen in the 'street'.

Interestingly, it is the seed sown by the wayside that the birds (the enemy) goes after because it is an easy target. The enemy is kept busy with these people while the seed that falls elsewhere, have a chance to germinate. Sometimes, the rejection of the Word of truth, due to a lack of understanding eyes and hearing ears, will be the salvation of others who have eyes and ears to perceive and hear. This is exactly the case with the House of Judah and the House of Israel. Because of the rejection of Messiah by Judah, the House of Israel received the preaching of the Good News. And because of the House of Israel being scattered in and among the nations, the nations get to hear the Good News and are blessed at the presence of the House of Israel within their midst.

It was the purposeful rejection of Yahushua, by the House of Judah, through the message of Isaiah that 'made fat' their hearts, that salvation was made available to the House of Israel. However, Judah's blindness will lift at the proper time, and the two houses will become one again. All of the lost sheep of the House of Ya'aqob (Jacob) will be saved! HalleluYah! See Romans 11 and Ezekiel 37

Messiah Yahushua cannot begin the wedding feast until all the guests have arrived. His Kingdom must come at its proper time. Otherwise, if all 'escaped' now, what kind of family would He have if they never had to endure through the refining process of trials and persecutions; necessary to purify garments white? Many do not understand that a wedding garment is not made white without much pressure through the washing process. Salvation is the end result; not the beginning. When one becomes betrothed to Messiah Yahushua, they begin a long process of preparing (working out salvation). They must learn what it takes to be a good wife so that when He returns to take His Bride, she is ready.

When Messiah walked upon the earth as the Suffering Servant, the time to reveal Himself had not yet come. This is why He commissioned so many people He healed not to make known who He was or what He had done for them. However, there will be a time when He will reveal Himself, and all will see Him and bow down to Him as He returns as King of Kings. Then, all the earth will worship Him. Then, all will cry out, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim!'

But for now, He desires a small remnant who will worship Him before they witness Him with their eyes at the revealing of His awesome esteem. We are in the time of choosing. If we do not choose the Suffering Servant now, the King of Kings will not choose us later. If we do not identify with His sufferings now, He honestly will not know who we are later. Those who identify with Him in His sufferings, He will identify to His Father. 'There he is! There is the one who gave me something to drink. There is the one who received persecution because of My Name!" "Look Father, they have come home to Us!"

Isn't that something you want to hear? I do!

Isaiah was commanded to harden the hearts of the people so as to blind them of the truth. Even then, because they had not a love for the truth, Yahuweh gave the people over to a strong delusion until the time of their destruction and scattering. Even Daniel, a trusted and beloved servant of Yahuweh, was not given all understanding of the words He was given. He had to seal them up until the time of the end; all things in the proper time and order shall be made known.

Elohim's plan of salvation is one of extreme order, and must not be prematurely usurped by the enemy. This is why Messiah couldn't reveal Himself to just anyone. He had to call only those whom His Father had picked out beforehand to give Him.

It was before the foundation of the world that Yahuweh chose the ones whom He would call later in their lifetime on earth. The choosing precedes the calling in His dimension and the calling precedes the choosing in our dimension. This is why it says to make firm our calling and choosing in 2 Kepha (Peter) 1. Based upon what He has already seen, He has chosen those beforehand who would eventually choose Him in their lifetime. We must answer the call, confirming that He has made a fine choice in choosing us to be His children.  He chose us because He first loved us. Who then, can separate us from His love? We are more than overcomers through Him Who loved us

Probably the most difficult thing to understand for us human beings is, though He knows the end from the beginning, He still allows us our free will to choose Him. We are walking out what He already knew beforehand. It's about working out His will within the time frame of mankind. Eventually, Pharaoh would let the people of Israel go, yet Yahuweh had to soften and harden his heart many times; until the proper time. Yahuweh does not override our will, but gently influences it so that He will fulfill His good work that He began in us. We must cooperate with Him if His good work will be completed in us.

Thank Yahuweh for His great mercy and patience! Though we cannot see entirely how we will end up; He knows. Remember, though He perceives the decisions we will make as we walk along the road He already knew we would travel, He still requires our dependence upon Him to stay on that road. Our job is not to try and understand how He knows the end from the beginning, but to trust in Him each second of the day, with each breath knowing He is bigger than us – a loving Abba who cares deeply for His children.

When Yahuweh revealed Himself to the Children of Israel at Sinai, how long did it take for them to fall back into their idolatrous ways? Even though they just witnessed a great deliverance, a little time alone to themselves and they easily turned away from Him. After all the times He revealed Himself, their stubbornness to believe that He could take care of them caused many severe trials. They were not ready to serve Yahuweh because they were still serving the Egyptians in their heart. Because of this, they had to endure the wilderness wanderings with no hope of ever entering the Promised Land; save Yehoshua (Joshua) and Kaleb (Caleb). Truly, only the remnant, the stump, will enter the Land.

What does this tell us? Though Yahuweh had performed all the wondrous things He did, and even after Messiah performed all the miracles He did, including raising the dead, the eyes of the people remained shut as to Who He really was. Truth is not born in a person by the things Elohim does, but in whom He chooses to reveal it. The veil of truth is left on for those to whom the gift is not meant. The veil of truth is removed from the eyes of those to whom He has called and chosen to reveal Himself. The truth about Messiah was right in front of the eyes of Sha'ul (Paul) but it never was accepted. Religion blinded the eyes of Sha'ul from seeing the truth, but Yahuweh blinded the eyes of religion to reveal His Truth. Though religion manifested itself as the scales upon the eyes of Sha'ul, it wasn't until the appointed time to receive his true calling, that the scales fell off.

For the Children of Israel, the scales upon their eyes was the comforts of the flesh. Enduring the whips of the slave masters seemed almost tolerable as long as one could go to bed at night with a full stomach. Out on their own, on a new adventure, they often slipped into grumbling and complaining. They would rather have returned to serve the Egyptians and live, than to die of starvation in the wilderness. They would rather have endured the comforts of slavery, than to endure following a new Master into the "miseries" of freedom.

The attitude of the early Israelites who left the land of slavery for a Land of Promise, is much like it is today in those who call themselves believers. People base coming to Yahuweh out of what He can do for them, not out of what He has already done for them. People want the goods without commitment, deliverance without relationship. And when He doesn't give out, the people whine and cry, reminiscing about the life of ease they once had. And when He does give out, He is quickly forgotten until the next time the 'bell' is rung.

Yahuweh is servant to no man, yet religion has made Him so. Yahuweh is nobody's "bellboy", and He will not tolerate being used. He does not fit inside any religious box. He will not be controlled. A little ruffling of theological feathers, a little tribulation, a speck of persecution, and people want to run home to their Egyptian m **U** mmies.

Messiah dropped the plumb line when He asked His disciples, "are you ready to leave too?" He does not want people who truly do not want to follow Him. He is listening for those who would say, "where else can we go? Only You have the words of life!"

Sha'ul said there is much tribulation to enter life. "...strengthening the beings of the taught ones, encouraging them to continue in the belief, and that through many pressures we have to enter the reign of Elohim." - Acts 14:22

A baby must pass through the birth canal. It is a proven fact, for physiological reasons, that it is much better for a baby to fight and squeeze, leaving the comforts of the womb, than to be taken by a C-section. Why? Because the appointed time to be birthed has come. With Israel, the appointed time had come to leave the comforts of the 'womb of slavery' and what had 'nourished' them for 400 years. Their delivery would bring them into a brand new world of life; no more to return to what had enslaved them. The connecting umbilical cord to darkness would be forever severed by The Obstetrician. Once a person is birthed into the life of the Kingdom, they cannot return to the womb of sin from whence they came. It is a one-way highway; the narrow way that leads to life. Sadly, many do return to the slavery of sin because the ties to the dark Kingdom were never severed to begin with. It is not natural to return and it defies the very course of the nature of salvation (deliverance).

No, a C-section will not prepare us to enter into the Kingdom. Only through the narrow way, entering through the narrow gate, with much pressure, will one come into the Kingdom. Satan would say, "take from the tree, have it all now, buy it on credit! There is instant deliverance available without ever having to go through the birth canal. Only if you worship me, will you have no troubles. You will escape them." For those who are not observing closely, the eyes of their understanding will fail to see that he has his own terms of service...the fine print. I've read it and it is NOT good!

**"And that sown on rocky places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived, and when pressure or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles."** 6

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These people receive the Word of Truth immediately with joy, yet because of the lack of root, they spring up quickly and wither away quickly. They prematurely accepted the Word but did not count the cost for it to be firmly planted. These people did not first remove the rocks from their heart soil and prepare it through self-examination and the plowing of repentance. They immediately received the Word with joy without ever knowing the cost to retain that joy.

This is the category of many believers who receive the Good News as their ticket out of the persecution and pressures of life, yet when they realize that the ticket fails to provide the way of escape they thought it would, they lose heart—stumbling to their destruction. Their unfinished houses are mocked by the passer-by's who ridicule their half-hearted attempts to live righteously. The fruit of their walk is nothing more than hypocrisy; causing others to stumble while they themselves pretend they have enough money to finish the house.

Counting the cost has its reverse effects as well. The people of Babylon failed to consider the cost of building a structure that would make a name for themselves. However, Yahuweh put a stop to the whole thing and scattered the people across the earth; the very thing they had feared the most. Counting the cost should not only be considered when deciding to follow the Lamb wherever He goes, but also in deciding to follow one's own ways and the ways of the world. The latter, Yahuweh will ensure the building does not get built.

What is premature salvation? It is making a 'premature' decision to choose the Savior outside the appointed time of His calling. It is a crying out for rescue with no real intention to follow Him after the rescue. Remember, being 'saved' is not an event based on emotions, but a careful decision to follow the Lamb wherever He goes. True rescue comes when we respond to the Masters call with a genuine desire—a deep and desperate need for Him to become our Savior. True rescue comes with true repentance, and that is when the journey begins. Whether out of shear hopelessness and immediate need, or by the gentle and steadfast calling of the Spirit; when the appointed time is acted upon, it is a decision made in the proper time.

True salvation begins with repentance, and a genuine cry for help and mercy. Remember the man who beat his breast, crying out, "have mercy upon me a sinner!" There are many who "confess" they are saved but have zero fruits of that confession. People can decide all they want to follow the Master, but if their decision is not rooted in true confession and repentance, the vow will end up being just another statistic.

Modern religiosity attempts to make the Savior more appealing to people as though His character needs some fixing up before He can be presented and accepted. Often, He is presented as some 'good ole boy' who loves to party with the best of them; allowing free grace to excuse anyone from the responsibility to His Commandments. Does he want to be liked by His followers? Does He need acceptance by them as though he suffers from a rejection complex? Does he excuse sin, reducing it to simple human silliness, because He fears that He might be cast off as some old meanie? Is He that desperate for friends that He is willing to be re-fashioned into some new personality and advertised as an all around likable kind of guy? Does the Savior have to look and act so much like the world, just to get someone to buy into His offer of salvation?

Sadly, such erroneous methods have been used to try and market the Son of Elohim in ways completely foreign to His nature. I am not being critical, as some of the things I mentioned above have been done out of sincerity and ignorance. Yet at the same time, it is sincerity and ignorance that lead people to deny the Savior.

Just the other day, I spoke with a man who said that he believes that the modern generation will not accept the Savior using old methods of preaching, but new ways to reach them must be invented. Religion is constantly inventing new ways to spice up the old 'boring salvation recipe.' The problem is that people do not need the Savior 'jazzed up' as some cool, hip rock star who fits in with our modern age.

What is the motive behind all of this? A bigger congregation? Popularity? Funding the next big event? I know, I've been to all sorts of churches, including the mega kind. The Messiah of Israel is not preached, nor is His truth taught. People are making decisions all the time to follow this 'made up' savior, and when this non-existent savior fails them, they turn away completely from anything closely resembling religion. Now turning away from 'religion' is not such a bad thing when you realize it is just a bunch of made up rules of man, however, these people who turn away, often deny any existence of the Creator as well. Even recently, I hear of more reports of 'good Christian people' falling away and now they do not even believe that a Creator exists.

A disillusioned savior will have disillusioned followers.

If Messiah Yahushua, the Son of the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is not presented to people in a manner that sets Him apart from all other savior gods, He will never become THE Savior they are seeking. He will be considered as just one of the many options available to find help for their problems. "If my physciatrist can't help me, I can always pray. If prayer doesn't work, I can always ask my friends and family. If that doesn't work, I can always..."

People need to realize that Yahushua IS the only Savior, and not just one of the multiple sources people can go to for support and help. His salvation is total rescue, complete deliverance, and lacks nothing.

Good 'church going folk' die spiritually every day because the shepherds who preach an unrealistic view of the Savior, do so because their theological seminaries have trained them as such. How do they present a Jewish Savior who was never popular to begin with? The true message of salvation is not taught because the leaders do not really know Him. If the real meaning behind what it means to be 'saved' is taught, what would happen to church membership?

A cheapened Savior will have cheapened followers.

Salvation becomes a cheap decision without any cost or responsibility to follow anything Yahushua says. The Savior becomes nothing more than a Facebook page, where millions of His followers confess Him as Friend but have no idea Who He really is. His page has hundreds and thousands of 'likes' yet when He doesn't conform to His followers requests, He is de-friended immediately. The Savior has become nothing more than a social media extravaganza whose followers have decided to accept His invitation, not based out of a love for Him but based on what the majority deems the popular thing to do. Remember, the Savior IS where popularity IS NOT.

People follow Him out of social interest, not real commitment. Herein lies the problem. Without knowing truthfully who you are following, there can never be a real commitment. People say, "I will follow You... **IF**." He says, " **IF** you follow and obey me, I will..." These people have turned Yahushua's conditions for following Him, back on Himself.

People will not follow a Savior Who refuses to do what they say. In this case, who is saving who? The entire Gospel message has been completely tainted and presented as an easy way out. The way to life is presented as the broad way and the way to death is presented as the narrow way. Good is evil and evil is good. It is the enemy who has reversed the magnetic poles of true salvation so that people are repelled by it rather than attracted to it. The real salvation message is not popular, and because of this, when persecution arises, many will abandon the little they do believe.

The initial joy of those who hear the Word and makes a decision to follow the Master, will quickly dissipate and wither away. The intellectual reasoning behind choosing 'religion' as a method to gain salvation was simply based upon a quick fix to the problems of life. People want to identify with a solution, not with the solution Provider. Where is the long term commitment in that? There is no root within them because the hardness of their heart was never softened. The cry for salvation may have seemed genuine at first, yet time reveals what the heart is really confessing. Returning to Egypt seems so much easier than pressing forward to freedom. The thought of salvation seems appealing, but to actually walk it out becomes too much for the flesh to handle. Giving up is popular; pressing forward is not.

For some, escaping the problems of this world for a time seems to be the extent of their understanding of salvation. They do not realize that without a root that dives deep into the wellspring of eternal joy, the temporal happiness they feel will soon wither away. Premature salvation finds difficulty in persevering through and enduring to the end.

It is likened to a marriage relationship. Shallow visions of bliss oftentimes lead people to jump into a lifelong commitment without ever knowing the cost to remain committed. Without knowing the cost, there is no real responsibility to cultivate the type of relationship necessary to produce the bliss they are looking for. If there is no cost to sign up, there is no responsibility to be loyal. And if there is no loyalty, these 'premature' marriages, like 'premature' salvation, will usually end in divorce.

The infant in the womb must be ready to be born. A premature baby entering the world possesses greater risks than those whose term is full. In general, a baby at nine months, ready to greet the world, can begin growing strong and healthy whereas a premature baby, often struggles to survive.

So it is with one who receives Messiah prematurely—accepting Him without first counting the cost of following Him. The woman caught in adultery was forgiven, yet she was commanded to go and sin no more. The cost for her was to cease from sinning. The rich man wanted to follow Messiah as long as he could hold onto his security. Once the call to follow Messiah rested on the fact of selling everything he had, he went away sad. Because the cost of selling out to the Master was more than what he wanted to invest.

Whether a person decides to accept Messiah, based upon careful consideration, or a person instantly cries out to Him to be saved from some desperate affair; counting the cost to follow Him is the same. To follow the Master, one must give up all to do so, regardless of the circumstances that brought them to their knees. It is not how one begins, but how one completes the course that matters. And completing the course requires careful evaluation of the financial situation.

The message of the Good News must be accompanied with the cost of conversion. This is an Eastern concept, not a Western one. Ya'aqob (James) and Yochanan (John) knew that by leaving their father and the fishing business, meant walking away from their family inheritance. They may not have entirely understood what they were walking into, but were quite certain of what they were walking away from.

We may not know where our walk with the Master will take us, but if we have truly left all to follow Him; does it really make a difference? Does it really matter what He asks of us? If we have burned our bridges behind us, there is no turning back. If we have severed the umbilical cord, there is no re-entry into the womb. We may not know the toil that lies ahead,  but we will not put our hand to the plow and look back. We go forward because we cannot go back. That IS counting the cost. Making a determination to leave the past in order to follow Him into the future. The value in that decision is leaving what is familiar to step into the unknown. Knowing you cannot return is the 'money in the bank' that brings the assurance the house will not go unfinished.

For James and John, though it cost them their earthly inheritance, they gained one of eternal value; becoming two out of the twelve judges that will sit on thrones in the Kingdom to judge the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Not to mention the inheritance of becoming two out of the twelve foundations for the wall that surrounds the Renewed Jerusalem. For James and John, a fisherman's inheritance paled in comparison. Yet, until they walked away from their earthly inheritance by faith, they would have never obtained their eternal inheritance.

Typically, in western society, people count the cost for such things as vacations, houses, education, savings, cars, etc.. but leap immediately into making a confession of faith; all without knowing the terms of service (cost analysis). This is what Messiah wanted the rich man to realize. You cannot hold onto two masters. This is what the Children of Israel failed to realize when they agreed to obey the voice of Yahuweh and to guard His covenant. "All that Yahuweh said, we shall do," was the response of the people. They were quick to believe they could follow Him based upon what He had just brought them through. People forget that His acts of loving-kindness are based upon obedience to His Word. When Yahuweh isn't "performing" in the lives of people, they soon forget and lose trust in the One they vowed to 'do all that He said to do.' The question must be asked, "am I ready to change masters?" Oh, it may sound good to do so, yet without determining the cost, people open up a second bank account, attempting to make deposits into the new one while retaining deposit slips for the old one. We cannot split our loyalty cash, dividing it between the two accounts. One account will have to be closed—permanently!

For those who would receive the Kingdom that is prepared for them before the foundation of the world, there is an appointed time set forth. There is a time that is ripe unto harvest for those whom Elohim has called. However, sometimes it involves shutting our understanding down, and making our ears deaf until the time the message can be fully received. Elohim knows who is ripe unto harvest and this plays a critical role in the 'agricultural' plan of His Kingdom. His appointed time of harvest must not be usurped or forced prematurely.

If the fruit is too green, it will be of no use; disconnecting it from the source that supplies it with the right nutrients for proper growth. Sometimes, people need to go through things in order to bring them to a place where they are ready to make a serious commitment to follow Him. If they are disconnected from having to go through anything, it may prevent them from being ripe enough to be harvested into a true new salvation experience. Life has a way it seems, in providing all of the right nutrients a person needs for proper growth.

Fruit that is left on the vine and allowed to rot, will also be of no use. This is why those who would come to salvation and answer the call of Elohim, must do so in His timing. When there is true repentance, humility, and brokenness for sins and the heart is ready to change masters permanently, then the harvest is ripe. For a child who is called by Yahuweh from an early age, for them the time is right for harvesting.

The Children of Israel were not to be delivered from Egypt too early. It says in Genesis 15 that the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet complete, and until Israel served the Egyptians for 400 years, they would be unable to return to the Land promised. Simply put, the Land was not available to conquer until the appointed time of iniquity had made its fill.

Salvation comes in His timing and we must not try and force people to make a decision that may end up causing them to stumble later. We must not usurp the will of Father's timing. When the time is ripe, the Spirit of repentance will move upon them as they weigh the cost of laying down all to serve their new Master. As we are led by the Spirit of the Master Gardener, working with our fellow laborers, we plant where He has prepared, and we harvest what He has grown and is now ripe. As we all work together, some sowing and some reaping, we shall all rejoice together at the bountiful harvest to come.

To do the will of the Father is to cooperate with Him, not manipulate or play the role of His Spirit. As we plant the seed in the ground that He prepared, He will grow the seed with our tears of intercession. As the time comes for harvesting, what has been made ready will be gathered into the Kingdom. Oh what a joy to work in the Master's garden!

People must come to a point in their life where they determine that nothing else can save them; there is no other salvation available but Him. For those whom He has called, He will prepare; and sometimes that may take a whole lot longer than what we are willing to invest. One can be zealous in winning souls, yet it is not within our authority to decide when they are 'won'. Yahuweh is the Master Gardener and He has the master plan. This is highly important when it comes to witnessing to those within the religion of Judaism. If the Spirit does not lead you to share the Good News with them, then don't. Follow His leading as in Acts 1:8. We must have the power of the Spirit, and be led by Him if we are to be good witnesses unto the Master. Over zealousness, without proper direction of the Spirit, often leads to catastrophes.

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**"And that sown among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the worry of this age and the deceit of riches choke the word, and it becomes fruitless."** 16

Once again, these are the people who failed to count the cost of clearing out their thorny and prickly hearts with repentance. People who receive the Word, without first understanding what it will cost them to produce fruit, will easily be choked out by the affairs of the world system. These people, though receiving the Word, failed to find out what it meant to be set-apart unto Elohim. The mixing of the Word in and among the thorns will destroy any fruit that is produced. These people received the Word but failed to possess the Word. Thus even what they had was removed from them; left fruitless.

There is no such thing as getting something for nothing; including salvation. What is "free" about salvation is the fact that it wasn't you or I that hung on the stake that day. We did not have to pay the penalty of sin because we could not afford to pay it. However, because the penalty of sin was paid by Yahushua Messiah, we are "free" to condemn it in our flesh just as He condemned it in His. This is the meaning behind Yahushua's words in Yochanan (John) 8:36.

The payment for sin was paid and thus forgiveness was granted. The only thing this will cost us is our "free" will in choosing to accept it. In receiving this "free" gift of which we did not earn, we are privileged to produce the fruits of possessing such a gift. And one of the fruits of salvation is the ability to release others (forgiveness), just as we have been released (forgiven).

Forgiveness is "free" so long as you make it "free" for others.

The man forgiven much, but could not forgive little; exchanged the forgiveness he possessed for the unforgiveness he once possessed. What was freely given to that man, he charged another for.

No, we can never earn salvation by the works of righteousness we perform, but the working of salvation within us is evident in the works we do. Salvation is not cheap grace. It's a daily sacrifice of the will that keeps the Kingdom alive within us. The Kingdom alive within us is evident by the fruit we produce. For the fruit to be produced, there must be a setting apart from the riches, pleasures and worries (the thorns and thistles) of this world.

The subject of set-apartness is the theme that connects eternity past to eternity future. Without it, no one will be able to see Elohim. Set-apartness to Elohim is the mark of identity that we are His children. We choose to be set-apart because He is set-apart. To do and act like our Father is the sign that we belong to Him.

Though we live in and among the thorns and thistles of this world, we will not allow them to come near our 'set-apart' garden. We are to keep our gardens clear of anything that would attempt to choke out the good Word that has been sown in it.

The worries of life concerning food, shelter and clothing is very real. This is why Messiah taught that we should not worry about these things, but prioritize what we deem is most important; that being, to seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness. Sounds easy right? If we seek Him first then all of these things will be added, right? That's what Messiah said, so why is it so difficult to do?

If we back up a few verses in Messiah's conversation, we will find that the reason He is teaching about worry stems from trying to serve two masters. "Therefore I say unto you," is the transitional statement between Matthew 6:24 and 6:25. Messiah is saying, 'because of, or on account of attempting to serve two masters, I say unto you, take no thought for your life...' To seek first the Kingdom means to eliminate the other master, in which case is mammon (money). If we do not, we will be certain to lose our crop, and the worries of life, represented by the thorns and thistles, will overtake us. Eventually, the garden will become overgrown and all that is left to do is to burn it with fire. That sounds so poetic until we stop and realize that the garden is our heart.

If we are to produce the fruit of His Word in our lives, there must be set-apartness from anything that would attempt to choke it out. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches will eventually overtake the good that was sown. We cannot serve Yahuweh while serving another master. We cannot serve Yahuweh by allowing the cares of this world to remain in our garden. Eventually, serving the master of the thorns will destroy the fruit we bear for Yahuweh. We cannot serve two masters.

It is by our set-apartness unto Elohim, that He is able to help us clean up our garden and to put up barriers between it and the thorns and thistles of the world. Once we are set-apart to Him, and remain that way, we will begin to produce such beautiful fruit. Fruit that is pleasing unto the Father. This IS seeking the Kingdom first because we are not allowing two masters in our life. We are not allowing the cares and worries to overtake us. We have chosen, rather, to be set-apart unto Him, which is seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness.

**"And that sown on the good soil is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields – some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."** 20

This group possesses a love for the truth. It is evident in the varying degrees of fruit yielded. They have counted what it costs to bring in a harvest. These people prepared the good soil of their heart by plowing it under and over in constant self-examination and repentance. The seeds they received fell on soil that was prepared and was ready for planting. By a love for the truth, they cultivated, watered, fertilized, trimmed, pruned and weeded the gardens of their heart. They realized the cost of working the soil in order to bring in an eternal harvest. They have possessed the seed, worked it and produced a crop, over and over again. They shall possess more seed because they were faithful and responsible with the seed that was originally sown. More seed comes by producing more fruit. A love for the truth will keep the hundred, sixty and thirty fold producing—being sustained when all hell breaks loose!
The Sword of Truth

** **

Truth separates; truth divides. As the time draws nearer for Messiah Yahushua's coming, His people must become more and more set-apart.

Revelation 22:10-11: "And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. He who does wrong, let him do more wrong; he who is filthy, let him be more filthy; he who is righteous, let him be more righteous; he who is set-apart, let him be more set-apart."

As the wrong do more wrong, the hatred for pure truth will continue to rise, and those who have a love for the truth will be greatly persecuted. Even now, the set-apart ones are regarded as paupers by those who possess a hatred for the truth. They are seen as scroungers that go about looking through garbage bins and roaming the streets in search of what the haters believe is useless. The set-apart ones will do anything to find the truth, and embrace it. And one day soon, the truth that has been cast down, fallen in the street, will be picked up by Messiah and His set-apart ones when He returns, and use it to execute justice on those who had discarded it as rubbish.

Rubbish? Why such contempt for the truth of His Word? If the truth has been cast down, then at some point, whoever cast it down must have been holding onto it. But who?

According to Isaiah 59, it was His people who had discarded His precious truth as rubbish. It was His people that once knew the truth, but because of the abominations introduced into the House of Israel by Jeroboam, Israel no longer plead for truth but discarded it for works of wickedness, deeds of violence, bloodshed, idolatry, and tongues that mutter unrighteousness. Jeroboam's newly instituted "religious" festivals would eventually cause such nauseousness in the Land; that it would vomit out its inhabitants into all the earth. The works of Jeroboam and the religious systems of worship he established, became the stumbling block that would cause an entire nation to exchange the loving commandments of Yahuweh into a set of rules and regulations that appeared right, yet were gravely false. Jeroboam set up pagan practices and the people embraced them.

What Jeroboam began, nearly 3000 years ago, still continues on today. Many have embraced falsehood instead of the truth. Young and old have bought into the fallacies and traditions of men based on clever words, programs and unrealistic promises of organized religion. Many of these westernized, Christian organizations and denominations have actually become the 'tempter' in the wilderness, the vicar (substitute) of Satan so to speak. While making promises to the innocent, through sermons and actions that promote the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, they rule the pews by their pulpits, roping the naïve into believing that loyalty to the church and obedience to its leaders are the requirements of living rightly according to the "holy" Scriptures. With these religious organizations doing his dirty work, Satan is free to focus on his final agenda of setting himself up through the 'one' who would call himself; the vicar of Messiah.

It may sound harsh to say these things, but we must come to the realization that the majority of these religious organizations, like Satan, preach what sounds like truth, yet they are using words and unscriptural ideas that will actually turn people away from following the real truth—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is what Jeroboam did when he changed the appointed times of Yahuweh to his own and taught the people alternate forms of worship which included the idolatrous practice of image worship.

To these religious groups and organizations, Yahushua becomes a threat to their very existence. To preach truth is to lose popularity and social status. To preach the Author of Truth is to risk losing the power to run their little money making schemes. Satan will stop at nothing to get people to turn away from the truth in order to serve the false; even masking as a messenger of light, and using 'preachers' to present a false gospel of success. Oh the messages sound genuine, yet they are nothing more than hidden agenda's used to exercise control over the people.

If Satan can convince the innocent sheep to follow these 'shepherds in wolves clothing', thinking they are doing something for 'the Lord', then he has them exactly where he wants them. Once all religion fails and the innocent ones finally see it for what it really is, it will be too late. They will deny anything associated with a 'God' or a 'Creator' and turn to themselves as 'gods'. And because of this, the love of many will grow cold, and the world will become a dark, cold, and lawless place to live. And when that happens, the people of the earth will look for a 'savior' to come and restore order and peace.

The goal of religion is to bring down one innocent sheep at a time to prepare for the unveiling of the 'man of peace'. The great falling away is upon us now. How can there be a falling away if there isn't something to fall away from? How can the love of many grow cold if the love wasn't at one time hot (or at least warm?) I would hazard to estimate that the majority of those that will make up the great apostasy will not be the complete heathen (those that never knew the Savior), but people who once knew the love of the Savior, whose hearts have been broken, crushed, and burned because of the hypocrisy of religion. If you have ever heard the phrase, 'no God I serve would allow such and such...', you will understand why I mentioned, 'the hypocrisy of religion.'

Atheistic mega-churches are on the move in the world right now. Many atheists, once believers, have tuned out because they were turned off by hypocritical religious institutions. Following in the same manner, more and more believers are growing calloused and cold because the hidden gospel of religion is now crumbling under the weight of the very fallacies that created it. Falsehood will eventually collapse within itself because when the shaking begins, all that will be left is what was founded on the truth. Religion will soon give way as the world becomes primed to receive the second half of Satan's plan; installing 'one' who will sit as 'vicar' of Messiah, proving he is Messiah by the signs and wonders that he does. The religions of the world were set up for the purpose of a collapse that would gather the world together again under a single order of worship—the worship of the Beast. What began in Babylon, will end in Babylon.

As he did in the Garden, Satan's greatest mission is to get people to abandon their need for the presence of the Creator. If the presence is gone, so goes the fellowship. If he can get people to believe the lie that they can be 'like' the Creator, yet exist apart from Him as separate gods, then he has won. After all, if people become their own gods, the only commandments they have to obey are the ones they create themselves.

When man was expelled from the Garden, he lost the sweet presence of fellowship with his Creator. It seemed that Satan had won. However, Messiah Yahushua was sent to restore what had been lost. Sadly though, the next expulsion from the presence of the Creator will be the last one. For those that choose to deny the work of salvation by Messiah Yahushua now, will face the permanent expulsion at the judgment. And this time, it won't be to the east of Eden, but into the fiery darkness.

Yahuweh is using Satan right now to set up the world for one final fall, and we who will make it through to the end will truly be saved. Why? Because we have received a love for the truth.

The salvation (wholeness, deliverance) of our entire being is not completed at the beginning of our walk, but at the end of it. It is the stump that will remain to the end. Through all the fiery trials, deceptions and hate, though cut down, the stump will not be cut off. Without testing, who can be proven? If His purging fire does not come, who shall be refined? Fake salvation only leads to apostasy. We are to examine ourselves. Is our salvation fake or real? When the testing comes, we will know.

This is why it is beyond importance to embrace adversity, trials, sufferings, persecution and pain. How else will we know if our salvation was something we acquired just to 'get out of jail for free' or if we received it because we truly wanted to switch Masters. Our salvation must be tested for authenticity...and it will be whether we want it to be or not. It will all come down to this; what we truly believe will be made known through the coming shaking. Truth is solid and will not be shaken. False belief systems, driven by hidden motives of selfishness, will be shaken, exposed and destroyed.

Without judgment there can be no deliverance. Messiah judged sin, and finding it wanting in the balances, He condemned it in His flesh. Messiah came to divide those who love the truth from those who do not. If Pharaoh's heart wasn't hardened, where would we be? If Sodom wasn't destroyed, where's our example of those who choose to live in wickedness? If Judas did not betray, where would we be? Evil may have entered the world to destroy man, yet evil will not have the last word. What was meant for evil, Yahuweh will use (and is using) it for good—fulfilling His prefect plan and purposes.
Possess What You Love

** **

The command given to Isaiah was to speak in 'code' so that those who have been given the key to understand it, will. The heart of Yahuweh is to get down to the stump, which is quite the sifting process. He knew that a little truth was a great weapon in the hands of the enemy. He would rather a person not know the truth at all, than to know it, turn away from it, and through their actions, cause others to do the same. There is severe judgment for those who cause others to stumble.

"...Lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart and turn and be healed."

Truth that is not born in the spirit, revealed in the spirit, made real in the spirit will not take root. Had the crowds received the truth that He was the Messiah, He may not have been delivered up. Ponder upon that...

Isaiah was given an extremely difficult task. His lips were purged to speak the truth in such a way that it would be revealed in the spirit of those who had ears to hear, yet the same truth would cause deafness in those who did not possess ears to hear. In a sense, those to whom were given a love for the truth did not receive a working delusion for them to believe the falsehood.

As in the fundamentals of photography, without contrast, there is difficulty in camera focusing. Without stark contrast between those who have a love for the truth and those who do not, the focus will be lost. I would rather you be hot or cold, but because you are lukewarm (blurry), I will spew you out of My mouth. We are called to be set-apart as Yahuweh is set-apart. As servants of the Light, we are called to be in stark contrast to the darkness; completely removed from all darkness. We are subjects of the Light; not darkness. The darkness is behind us, dwelling in the shadow of the Light we possess. As long as our face is turned toward Yahuweh, we will remain in the Light.

Throughout the prophecies concerning the coming of the Suffering Servant, it is consistently mentioned that He was sent to bear the sins of "many"—not "all." See Isaiah 53:8, 12; Hebrews 9:28 and Hebrews 2:10 for example. What is this saying?

Messiah was offered once, as a sacrifice for sins for "all" time; yet there will only be "many" who will accept the sacrifice offered. For the "many", their sins for "all" time have been atoned for and no longer will an offering be made.

It sounds like I am getting ready to enter into a heavy discussion on the doctrine of "unlimited, or universal" atonement vs "limited" atonement. I am not. However, please bear with me a moment as I explain how this applies to:

"...Lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart and turn and be healed."

For He must "limit" in order to gain the "unlimited".

Just as the sower knows that not 'all' of His sowing will produce a harvest, he does know that 'many' of the seeds sown will produce a harvest.

Yes, the atonement work of Messiah dealt with the wages of all sin for all time, however not all will place belief in what Messiah did. He bore the sins of "many" because "many" took Him up on His sacrifice. For those who do not acknowledge His sacrifice, they will bear their own sin.

The Original Covenant was broken by the children of Ya'aqob (Jacob), yet was renewed in the blood of the Lamb, Yahushua. This Renewed Covenant, according to Jeremiah 31, is between Elohim and His people—the House of Israel, and the House of Judah. Isaiah 53:8 says, "For the transgressions of My people, He was stricken." Matthew 15:24 says that Messiah was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.

John 1:11-13 says, "He came to His own [Judah], and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of Elohim, to those believing in His Name, who were born, not of blood nor of the desire of flesh nor of the desire of man, but of Elohim."

He came to His own... As many as would receive Him...

There seems to be a pattern here. The "many" seems to be indicative of exclusivity. However, what about Scriptures like 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9? Why do these passages seem to contradict the "many" with their "inclusive" statements like, "...Who desires 'all' men to be saved", and "...He is not willing that any should perish?" And what about the classic John 3:16, "....Elohim so loved the world that He gave...?" If He came for the world then why does it say that He was only sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel?

If Elohim desires all to be saved, why doesn't He save all? Is He exclusive or inclusive?

Good questions....lets take a look...

The key to understanding the universal or inclusive "all" and the exclusive "many", is in knowing the desires of the heart of Elohim. Elohim's desire is not for any to perish but that "all" men be saved. However, though He made provision for "all" to be saved, and His desire is for such, yet only the "many" will be. Why? Because they answered His call.

Romans 8:28-30, "And we know that all matters work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are **called** according to His purpose. Because those whom He knew beforehand, He also ordained beforehand to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, for Him to be the first-born among many brothers. And whom He ordained beforehand, these He also **called** , and whom He **called** , these He also declared right. And whom He declared right, these He also esteemed."

Those who would answer His call is something He knew from the foundation of the world. Messiah was sent to call those of the House of Israel, those whom He knew His Father had given to Him. Matthew 24:14 says that the Gospel will be preached to all nations and then, the end will come. If the seed is not sown to "all", it will never fall on the "many". If the seed is not sown to "all", the "all" will not have a chance to reject it. It is a matter of justice that salvation is preached to all in order for the end to come. And the end will come when people exchange their will, their freedom of choice, for the mark of the Beast. At this point, there is no more repentance, because the choice to do so is gone. The will is dead as it is in complete alignment with the evil one.

Here is the difference. Yahuweh will never take away a person's will to choose. Even when their will is wholly submitted to Him voluntarily, do they still retain the right to opt out of serving Him. Once a person's will is submitted to Lucifer, they no longer have the right to choose. Demon possession sets in, and they lose all of their decision making abilities. **In serving Yahuweh, we have the freedom to stop serving Him**. **In serving Lucifer, we do not have the freedom to stop serving him.** Only deliverance, by the working power of the Spirit, can set people free from the grips of Lucifer and restore to them their will to choose. Think of the possessed man from the Gadarenes. That man was restored to his right mind. Praise His Name!

If provisioning is made for salvation, yet no one accepts it, at least "all" have had a chance to receive it. Elohim desires that all come to a knowledge of the truth, though He knows that not all will. So, for the few that do come to that knowledge, to them, Messiah becomes their Savior. How can He save anyone if they choose to remain in the pit of falsehood? To them, He is nothing more than a 'would be' Savior.

For those that choose Him, Messiah's purpose for coming to the remnant of the lost sheep of the House of Israel will be fulfilled, and the restoration of "all" things will come through the salvation of "many".

Elohim's "universal desire" is to restore what was lost due to the rebellion in the Garden. His desire is that it would of never have happened in the first place. He created all things good and called it such. He loves His creation and will work for the good of His pleasure in restoring it.

In John 3:16, it says that Elohim so loved the 'world'. The term 'world' in Greek is Kosmos, meaning 'an orderly arrangement'. His creation is an orderly arrangement. Elohim so loved His creation, He loved 'order' so much that He gave His only Son to redeem back what was lost to Him—order. The world is in chaos now, and not in the orderly arrangement that He created it to function in. The world lies in corruption and through Messiah, it will be redeemed. The world, His orderly arrangement, is all of His creation including: people, animals, plants, fish, the heavens, the earth and the universe. Messiah must come to set things in order again, removing all that is corrupted by the renewing of the heavens and the earth. His first step in the renewal of all things was to remove the corruption of death caused by sin. Through those who would choose Him, would He provide a way for them to be renewed again. Through the rebirth of "many" will "all" creation be renewed in the end.

Elohim loves "all" of His creation. His creation is longing for the day the sons of Elohim are revealed. He loves order. Light in Hebrew means order. Darkness in Hebrew means chaos. He said, "let there be order." Try this experiment. After night falls, try to walk from one room of your house/apartment to the other...with no lights on. I imagine it won't take long before you say, 'let there be light'. In the dark, all things exist in chaos, and only by turning on the light can we see where we are walking.

Only Yahuweh knows how to bring true order out of chaos. He does it by **separating** order from chaos; light from darkness. Lucifer, on the other hand, is well equipped in counterfeiting; masking the chaos (darkness) by an appearance of order (light). That is his nature. This 'counterfeiting' technique will be used to bring the false orderly arrangement that the Beast will establish to convince the people of the earth of his 'peaceful' efforts for all. Chaos is not driven away but is hidden under false order.

When Yahuweh steps onto the scene, all chaos (darkness) will flee and true order (light) will be established. And where there is true order, there is true shalom (peace). This is what Yahuweh's children are longing for now. And as Messiah Yahushua's 7th millennial reign approaches, we delight in preparing for it by keeping the 7th day of rest set-apart. Keeping the weekly Shabbat (the Sabbath, the 7th day) is our rehearsal for the millennial Shabbat, where true order will be kept by the King, Yahushua.

Messiah was stricken for those who were called His people, the people of the covenant. He wants to restore the family His Father lost in the Garden because it was His family that stepped out of the proper order in which they were created. Messiah's work of atoning for the transgressions of His people, opened the door for His people to return to His Father. The narrow door is still open...at least for a little while longer.

Messiah's work of atonement would be of no avail if His people could not be located. His people, the called ones, though they may not know it, dwell in and among the nations. His people were scattered into the four winds of the earth due to their idolatrous ways. Though they lost their identity as the people of the covenant, Yahuweh never lost track of where they went.

When Sha'ul (Paul) was sent out to locate the lost sheep of the House of Israel, and sow the Good News, where did he go? He went into the nations. The place where Yahuweh's people had been sown. Though His people lost their identity, acting like the heathen gentile nations they were living in and among, they still retained their identity to Yahuweh. As Sha'ul preached the Gospel message, those who were once Yahuweh's lost people, became found. Sha'ul's preaching became the alarm clock that would wake up the 'prodigal sons', calling them to return home.

This is what happened to me. When I finally decided to follow Messiah Yahushua, never to look back, I became found. One of the ways I knew I was found was a strong identifying with Israel. Something deep down inside me had a longing to return to the ancient ways of Yahuweh. I knew that when I had discovered my name was a Hebrew name, I instantly fell in love with the Jewish people, the Land, etc. Though I had believed in 'Jesus' all my life, I never knew Him as the Jewish Messiah that He is. I became awakened to the fact that I was one of the lost sheep of the House of Israel, and that I had been found. In the place that Derek was called, 'Lo-Ammi' [not My people], he is now called, My people. And I responded...my Elohim  HalleluYah!

As the Good News is spread into all the nations, calling those of His people back to the covenant, the same 'seed' will fall on those who were never identified as His people. Though the covenant was never originally cut with these 'foreigners', the atoning work of Messiah still applies. For those who would accept Him, He would bring into His family.

In Solomon's prayer of the dedication of the Temple, he says: "Also, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but who comes from a far land for the sake of Your great Name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this House, then hear from the heavens Your dwelling place, and do according to all which the foreigner calls to You for, so that all the people of the earth know Your Name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and to know that this House which I have built is called by Your Name."

Those who are foreigners, should they choose to attach themselves to the covenant, will be called His people either now, or when He returns. Look at Egypt and Assyria in Isaiah 19. Egypt, who once held His people in slavery, will be called 'His people', and Assyria, who once were instrumental in scattering His people across the face of the earth, will be called 'the work of His hands'.

Zechariah 2:11"And many nations shall be joined to Yahuweh in that day, and they shall become My people. And I shall dwell in your midst. And you shall know that Yahuweh of hosts has sent Me to you." See also Isaiah 56:5-6.

Here are two examples of foreigners that chose to enter into the covenant of Israel; Rehab and Ruth. Remember, Ruth, a Moabitess is in the lineage of Messiah Yahushua Himself. It proves that those who embrace the covenant of Israel, leaving behind all of their pagan ways, can be, and will be saved. He is no respecter of persons. It is interesting to see how these two 'foreigners' played such an important role in the history of Israel; especially in the role of the salvation of His people. I believe also, that from the foundation of the world, Yahuweh knew these two and therefore 'called' them to fulfill His good plans and purposes.

Think about this. It was through a foreigner, Ruth, that Yahuweh birthed the Salvation of the entire house of Jacob. His people would be lost except for the fact of this one 'foreigner' who chose to make Israel's Elohim, her Elohim, and His people, her people. While yet dead in her sins, Yahuweh saw Ruth, and chose her to become the instrument for the salvation of many. It goes to show that we are never to underestimate the power of the will of Yahuweh to accomplish His good pleasure in the earth. He will have His family, one way or the other...even if He has to use a foreigner to get it.

Through this, we can see that "universal atonement" is made available because of the calling that went forth to the "many". In coming for the "many", the "all" has a chance to accept Him or reject Him. Messiah's parting words in Acts 1:8 define this pattern exactly. The target of redeeming His family begins at ground zero (Jerusalem), working outward to Samaria, and into the uttermost parts of the earth.

Isn't this what Yahuweh said in Exodus 19 when He chose Israel to be His treasured possession, and that they should exercise their position as a nation of priests to go forth and teach the nations how to follow His Commandments? This is Genesis 12:1-3. This is Matthew 28:20. Through Messiah, we are able to go into all the world and teach all that we have been commanded of Him to teach. And because we do, the nations will be blessed and are blessed. In Messiah the Seed, will all the clans of the earth be blessed.

This is the fulfillment of John 3:16. This is Zechariah 8:22-23. This is Malachi 3:12. This is Psalm 72:11, Revelation 15:4, and so many others. All nations will be blessed in you Abraham. What a beautiful promise of Messiah Yahushua. All men will be saved in the end because only those who have chosen Him, and called upon His Name will be saved - Zechariah 14:16. Those who reject Him will never enter the Kingdom. Yahuweh's will shall be done. His desire will be accomplished! The righteous (those who have come to the knowledge of truth), shall enter life while the wicked perish.

We cannot pick and choose what we want to believe by pinpointing only the verses that support our belief systems. To understand the complete plan of salvation, we have to begin with His Spirit teaching us; from Genesis, and going all the way through to Revelation.

There was a time where I did not completely understand what appeared to be contrasting statements, where Messiah came but for the **lost sheep** of the House of Israel, yet Elohim so loved the **world** that He gave His only Son.

However, in going through Genesis to Revelation, these statements no longer appear 'contradictory' to me. For if all is read in context, we will see that, because of the salvation, the deliverance of His family, many nations will come in and share in the benefits of being part of His people. This is Zechariah 2:11. Zechariah 14:16 IS the fulfillment of Genesis 12:3. His desire IS that all come to the knowledge of truth and that no one should perish. And through the redemption of His family, going out into all the world, the rest of the nations will come in. This IS the fulfillment of Acts 1:8.

In the end, Elohim will get His desire. His desire is not an empty wish, but one of power and might. If His desire, pleasure and will were nothing more than an empty wish, there would be nothing brought into existence.

In the end, Messiah's work of salvation will restore "all" of creation, because the work began with the "many" of whom He called, "Come, follow Me!" And only in the answer of the "many" to forsake all, will the restorative work of creation be complete.

NOTE: As mentioned earlier, this is not a study in predestination, foreordination or foreknowledge. This 'horse' has been beaten enough over the centuries by theologians and the like that have not sought the real passion of the heart of Yahuweh—His restored family. At a later time, a study will be released where I will share a revelation from the Spirit concerning this most puzzling and mind boggling topic. One thing is for certain, there is no such thing as "unconditional salvation" in the sense that regardless of what mankind does or the decisions he makes, in the end, he will be saved. This kind of salvation stems from an unscriptural concept of "unconditional" love that accepts all people without any responsibility to the gift. A free gift to them is just that; freedom to do with it as they please. Somehow, "free" equates to yo-yo obedience or no obedience at all. It should never be 'come as you are' and then stay that way. For that is nothing more than digging a hole and burying what has been given.

For the simple matter that the Day of Yahuweh has not happened yet, should state clearly that not all of mankind will be saved from destruction. This is the theme upon which 2 Kepha chapter 3 is based. Kepha (Peter) is crying out for them [those to whom have obtained a belief as precious as ours by the righteousness of our Elohim and Savior Yahushua Messiah] to be found without spot or blemish, knowing that the fiery day is approaching. "Knowing this then, what kind of people ought you to be...?"

What does it mean to have a love for the truth?

Possessing a love for the truth means that you prefer to obey rather than rebel in an attempt to illegally gain equality with Elohim. 'Lest mankind eat of the Tree of Life and live forever without having a love for the truth.' The serpent said in Genesis 3:5, "For Elohim knows that in the day you eat of it your **eyes shall be opened** , and you shall be like Elohim, knowing good and evil."

When we submit to Elohim and obey His Commandments, He takes delight in us to reveal His truth within us. At just the right time, He will open our eyes to His truth when we are prepared to receive it. The eyes of the servant of Elisha in 2 Kings 6 were opened at just the right time for him to 'see' that they were not alone. The servants of the Most High will see into the truth (the Light), while their enemies are struck with blindness, groping about in darkness.

As with Eve, the serpents slithery voice will convince those who possess not a love for the truth, that if they follow his ways, their eyes will be opened to see how much the Creator is 'holding out on them'. This is the abominable lie, rooted in the core of Gnosticism, and believed by organizations such as the Illuminati and the Masons. They are taught that Lucifer, the 'enlightened one', was the light bearer of wisdom, and that Yahuweh was the one who withheld illumination and knowledge from Eve. Yahuweh is made out to be the deceiver while Lucifer is made out to be the truthful one. This is the basis behind evil is good and good is evil.

As with the man and the woman, when their eyes were opened to see the horror and shame of their nakedness, so it will be for those who have been deceived, holding not a love for the truth. As Adam feared, when he heard the voice of Elohim calling out to him 'Where are you?', so shall they fear, those deceived, holding not a love for the truth, and bearing the shame of their own nakedness.

Elohim said to Adam, "who made you know that you were naked?" Only Father Elohim has the right to open and shut the eyes of mans understanding. Any other way is an attempt to usurp the desire of the Creator and how He runs the universe. Seeking truth outside obedience to His commands invokes the curse of believing what you are seeing is the truth when in all actuality is falsehood. This is the very definition of a delusion. Adam believed He would gain eyes to see that he would be just like Elohim, yet all he gained were eyes that saw he was just like the serpent who deceived him.

Deception lies in the belief that the good that was commanded is really the evil to be overcome.

To eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is to receive the responsibility of knowledge without the understanding to use it (without a love for it). The Fallen Ones took some of the knowledge of Elohim, and without a love for that knowledge, they used it to destroy rather than create. People who have waxed cold are not prepared to handle the truth rightly (righteously), lest they believe they can be saved without obedience and responsibility for that truth. Whatever they have will be taken away because they failed to receive a love (the understanding) to righteously use the truth (knowledge). Those who have waxed cold have the responsibility of knowing good and evil but are without the understanding of how to use it.

This is exactly the nature of the serpent who then deceived Adam and Eve into believing they could be just like Elohim, knowing good and evil, without letting them in on the fact they must have the key to the understanding of that knowledge. The very lie that was told to Adam and Eve was the very same deception that cost Lucifer his position in the throne room of Elohim. Any attempt to be like the Most High, to gain His power and knowledge, without the Spirit of Truth, is a lethal one. Because only the Most High possesses His own Spirit that gives Him the understanding of how to use His own knowledge to create for the good of His own purpose.

Truth is a dangerous weapon in the hands of those who fail to possess a love for it, which is the understanding of how to rightly use such a weapon. The knowledge of Elohim is the truth of Elohim. As the fallen ones (The Watchers) used the knowledge of Elohim to destroy, they also reaped a sentence of judgment from Yahuweh, delivered to them personally by Enoch:

_"_ 1. From the days of the slaughter and destruction and death ⌈of the giants⌉, from the souls of whose flesh the spirits, having gone forth, shall destroy without incurring judgement--thus shall they destroy until the day of the consummation, the great ⌈judgement⌉ in which the age shall be consummated, over the Watchers and the godless, yea, shall be wholly consummated." 2. And now as to the Watchers who have sent thee to intercede for them, who had been ⌈⌈aforetime⌉⌉ in heaven, (say to them): "You have been in heaven, but ⌈all⌉ the mysteries had not yet been revealed to you, and you knew worthless ones, and these in the hardness of your hearts you have made known to the women, and through these mysteries women and men work much evil on earth." 4. Say to them therefore: " **You have no peace**."' - Enoch Chapter 16

Is it becoming clearer now as to the reasoning why Elohim had to put mankind out of the Garden? "Lest after he receives the knowledge (truth) of Elohim, yet possess not a love for it, he should eat of the Tree of Life and live forever..." Mankind would live forever with the same sentence The Watchers received; mankind would have no peace.

Oh praise the Name of Yahuweh who gave you and I a chance by the mercy he showed to Adam and Eve in sending them out of the Garden. Had He not, Adam would have eaten from the Tree of Life thinking that he would live forever; never to die. But what he failed to understand was that to live forever in that state, would be to live forever...without peace.

Lucifer knew that if he could convince Adam and Eve to partake of the truth of Elohim, without the understanding to rightly use it, that mankind would suffer the same fate as the Fallen Ones. This is crucial in understanding why Messiah said that if you do not partake of me, you have no eternal life.

What Yahushua revealed was that through His own sacrifice, we are now able to partake of the fruit of Knowledge, the Truth, the Word, who is Messiah Himself. However, this time, along with the knowledge of truth, Messiah would give us His Father's Spirit, which IS the love of possessing the truth, through whom comes the ability to rightly divide and understand the spoken and written Word. And only by discerning the knowledge of truth (the Son) by the Spirit of Truth (the Father), are we able to call what is good, good, and what is evil, evil.

Through Messiah, we are able to partake of the knowledge of truth, understand it by the Spirit of Truth, and live forever in peace. What Adam failed to realize was that He was already partaking of the Tree of Life, which gave Him access, through the Spirit, to understand all of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam was deceived into believing that he had to break the commandment of Elohim in order to gain something he thought he did not possess. However, Adam's disobedience lost him what he already possessed; life.

Messiah gave us back the right to eat from the Tree of Life, something the first Adam had rights to before he was deceived. Here it is in plain view, "Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city." - Revelation 22:14. As long as Adam obeyed Elohim's commandments, he had the authority to eat from the Tree of Life. As soon as he disobeyed the commandments, the authority was stripped from him. It would take the Second Adam to come and restore the authority that was lost. When we put our belief in the work of Messiah's sacrifice and do all that He commands us to do, we will have the right to eat of the Tree of Life. It was the serpent who threatened the very existence of any of us ever having eternal life.

Wow! If the serpent went to that great of length to destroy eternal life, and Messiah Yahushua went to that great of length to restore eternal life, then what kind of length are we to go to gain that which was destroyed and restored? This is the essence of 'possess your lives by your endurance.'

John 6:53-54: "Yahushua therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Adam and drink His blood, you possess no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood possesses everlasting life, and I shall raise him up in the last day."

This was a powerful revelation to me in understanding why Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden. In regards to the 'letter' of the Torah; they would be forever lost in trying to attain perfection without the One who is able to provide it. The letter of Truth kills, yet the Spirit gives life. Messiah is the Truth, and without a love for Him (only provided by the Spirit), it will kill. Without the breath of the Spirit of Father upon the Truth, there would have been no resurrection and we would have been left with trying to keep the Commandments of a righteous Judge without the power to do so.

Because of Messiah's resurrection, we are able to eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in a perfected state. The fruit of the Tree of Life is the reward for obedience to His Commandments. HalleluYah!

Elohim is echad (two united as one). Elohim is both the Father, Who is Spirit, and the Son, Who is Truth. To receive a love of the truth IS to possess the same love the Father has for His Son. This is a powerful weapon. The unity between the Spirit who gives life and the Truth who sustains life, cannot be destroyed. To attempt to do so, one will suffer the same fate as The Watchers (and Adam/Eve). To attempt to gain the knowledge of Truth (Messiah) without a love for it (the Spirit that brings the understanding), is to reap destruction. How do we become like Messiah unless we have His Father's Spirit that enables us to do so? This is having the ears to hear, yet not being able to hear and having a heart of knowledge, but unable to understand.

With this understanding, we can now see how the Father and the Son worked together to create the universe. The Son, as Truth, could not create on His own without the breath of His Father's Spirit carrying the Words He spoke. "Let there be light" were the words that came forth from the Son, and as the breath of His Father's Spirit carried them along; light came into being. Creation exist solely because of the unity of possessing a love for the Truth; the love of the Spirit of Father resting on His Son; the Father possessing the Son and the Son possessing the Father.

So, to answer the question, "What does it mean to have a love for the truth?" The answer is simple—possessing eternal life. Without a love for the truth, there remains only to possess a working delusion that expects to live forever in peace; yet when the Judgment sits and the word is declared: " **you have no peace** ", the gnashing of teeth will begin.

Repentance is the key to keep from becoming deceived.

If the heart soil is not prepared by repentance (Luke 3:4), and people receive seeds of truth, though sprouting immediately, it will be choked out by shallow, rocky, and thorny conditions. What did sprout briefly will be destroyed and the people will become worse off than they were at the beginning; before they knew the truth.

Repentance is not the same as guilt. Repentance has an end outcome of not repeating itself, whereas guilt remains endlessly locked inside a continuous cycle of unresolved sorrow. Guilt leads to repeating the same pattern—repentance stops the pattern.

Guilt, not repentance, causes people to misinterpret the cost of discipleship. If we do not count the cost to become His follower, we will become followers of someone else—buying into a cheap substitute. If anyone knew what it took to keep from being deceived, it was the teacher of righteousness, Yochanan the Immerser. Yochanan, the man who prepared the way of Yahuweh by the message of repentance, knew a cheap substitute when he saw one—the Pharisees. Yet, he also knew the True One when he saw Him, of whom he cried, "behold, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world." True repentance opens up the eyes to see who is real and who is false—who is of the truth and who is a substitute. This is the identification process that will keep one from being deceived—a process that must begin with oneself. For if we are not aligned to the truth of His Word, we deceive ourselves, making us prey to any and all substitutes. True repentance ensures we are following the right Master.

Much of the truth today is covered over with an appearance of sincerity, though it is quite deadly. Only the Spirit of Yahuweh can make known to us what is truth and what is deception. If we do not possess the Spirit of Truth within us, we will not be able to see truth even when it is staring us in the face. I cannot emphasize this enough. The infilling of the Spirit of Yahuweh is absolutely crucial in the final days in which we are living. We must be able to know the difference between real truth and its fake counterpart. What looks to be so good and promising is typically a mirage of a desert oasis; while it convinces its victims of its sincerity, all that awaits them is the reality of a mouthful of sand.

Question: How do I know what real Truth is?

Answer: Know the nature of the One Who is called the Way, the **Truth** and the Life.

Stop seeking truth on Television. Stop seeking truth at Messianic conferences. Stop seeking the internet for truth. Stop seeking friends, family, neighbors and churches for the truth. Stop seeking the newspapers and magazines for truth. Seek HIM for truth. The Spirit of Truth only knows the Truth...so ask Him. I am not saying that He cannot lead you to one of the sources listed above to find truth on a subject, but to maintain a search for truth outside the boundaries of the Spirit of Truth is asking to be delivered over to a working delusion.

What is the difference between wanting the truth and accepting the truth?

In general, people want the truth so long as it is what they want to hear; especially if the truth is about themselves. However, to accept the truth would mean one would have to exhibit the humility to receive it and exercise the responsibility to do something with it; such as make a change in lifestyle. I am not saying all are like this as there are some who truly have a heart to change; but most enter defensive mode when they are presented with some truth about themselves.

While addressing large crowds, Yahushua would often speak to them in parables. Many times, He would administer healing to those who were sick. Though Yahushua exhibited much compassion on them, it wasn't for them to know the truth as explained to His disciples in plain language. He revealed truth to His disciples because they were the ones He had called to carry His message forth into all the world. Many people make decisions to lay down their lives to serve the Master because of certain events, miracles and/or circumstances.

The decision to follow Him should never be made on a whim, unless the heart has already been prepared by repentance. We are not called to know what is in the heart of man but to give the truth out regardless. Those whose hearts have been prepared will receive the truth, and it will be an everlasting change—a permanent conversion. Those who follow the Master out of what He can do for them, typically will not stick around when persecution hits. Curiosity may appear loyal for a time, yet under pressure, will exhibit its real nature of an inquiry mind. Curiosity has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge without a love to possess it. No love for the truth = no loyalty.

Sometimes, it is His mercy to withhold the truth from those whom the truth was never going to produce fruit to begin with. It would be better to have not known the way of righteousness than to know it and turn away (2 Peter 2:21).

The time is coming soon, where those who possess a knowledge of the truth, will have to give a report to the Judge on how they handled such responsibility. Without a love to understand what we have been given, we will do nothing with it. This is the wicked and lazy servant syndrome of Matthew 25:26.

There is greater judgment on those who have received salvation but have long since lost a love for the One who saved them. This is what happened to the assembly of Ephesus in Revelation 2. They left their first love—The Truth Who reveals the Way to Life.

To receive this Love comes responsibility, and if we go into eternity without having counted the cost, we are like the salt that has lost its saltiness. It is neither fit for anything; even the manure pile. It must be thrown out just as that wicked and lazy servant was. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Yahushua reveals the mysteries, the secrets of the Kingdom to those for whom it has been prepared. As I mentioned earlier, trying to gain fruit by any method other than obedience to His eternal commands, is stealing—thinking somehow that by taking a shortcut, one can acquire the same outcome—to be 'like' Elohim. To possess truth requires great responsibility to the One who has given it.

In Matthew 25, Messiah shares three different stories which are all very real. Each individual story focuses on one primary theme, yet there are certain common elements within each of them that seem to cross pollinate with one another. In the end, it is remarkable to see how Messiah takes all three stories, and weaves them into one centralized message.

Lets take a look...

In the first parable, the foolish virgins failed to possess the extra oil necessary to be **prepared** for the coming of the Bridegroom. Being denied in borrowing oil from the wise, they left to purchase the extra they needed. While they were gone, the Bridegroom came, and the wise who had prepared themselves, went into the wedding feast and the door was shut. Upon returning, the foolish virgins saw the door shut and cried out for the door to be opened. From the other side of the door came the response, "Truly, I say to you, I do not know you."

Because they were unprepared, they were separated from not only partaking of the wedding feast, but from the presence of the Bridegroom Himself. The door will remain shut, separating those He knows from those He does not know. He does not know those who have not prepared. They have not prepared because they failed to possess.

In the second parable, a master leaving on a long journey called his servants to him. When they came, the master delivered unto them his possessions, each according to his own ability. One was given five talents, another was given two talents, and another, one talent. The one who possessed five talents, after working them, earned five more. The one who possessed two talents, after working them, earned two more. The one who **possessed** one talent, instead of working it, he dug a hole and buried it in the ground.

After a long time, the master returned and called for his servants whom he had given of his possessions. The two servants who had worked their possessions, came and presented to their master the extra talents they had earned. With a delight in his heart, the master said unto them, "Well done, good and trustworthy servants. You were trustworthy over a little, I shall set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."

Then came the servant who had buried his master's talent. The servant told his master how he was afraid of him because he was a hard man, reaping and sowing where he had not gathered and scattered. The master's response to his servant was of such surprise, that he said to him, 'Oh, if you truly believed I was this way, then why didn't you invest what I gave you? At least I could have received back what I gave you with interest."

With that, his master took his possession from that unprofitable servant, and gave it to the servant who possessed ten talents. The master then declared, "For to everyone who possesses, more shall be given, and he shall have over-flowingly; but from him who does not possess, even what he possesses shall be taken away." The master then commanded that unprofitable and worthless servant be thrown out into outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Interestingly, this man was a servant of the master. He was entrusted with his master's possession. Though he was a servant, he was wicked, in that his thinking concerning his master was twisted. He was also very lazy, refusing even the minimal efforts necessary to have attained a little something more. For whatever the reason, the servant had a fear of punishment because he deemed his master a hard man with questionable business ethics.

Regardless if the servant meant what he said, or if it was just an excuse, the servant did not find it wise to work, let alone invest the talent he possessed. He thought as long as his master was gone, there was no need to be concerned about earning anything extra. His thinking was that when his master did return, he could just give him back the original amount, without retribution.

Before the master left, he gave out varying amounts of talents which were expected to be worked in accordance with each servants' ability (strength) to gain more than what was received. While the master was gone, he expected his servants to be diligent in their work. Upon returning, he expected a greater amount of talents received, according to his servants' ability to increase. However, the master never expected to receive back exactly what he had given.

Apparently, the wicked and lazy servant did not know the nature of his master. He did not take the time to understand his master's business. After all, if the servant thought what he thought about his master, why serve him?

In 1 Yochanan (John) 4:16-18 it says:

"And we have known and believed the love that Elohim has for us. Elohim is love, and **he who stays in love** stays in Elohim, and Elohim in him. By this, love has been perfected with us, in order that we might have **boldness in the day of judgment** , because as He is so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because **fear holds punishment** , and he who fears has not been made perfect in love."

In the passage above, the lazy servant is described beautifully. **The love of his master was not in him**. He acted out of fear of his master because he did not know his master's business. He played it safe, and buried his gift rather than investing it. **The love of the master was not made perfect** within that servant, therefore he did not hold what his master held as important. Had he done so, he would have invested the gift like the others did.

The lazy servant **did not have the boldness to show forth his accomplishments on the day his master returned**. **Because of his fear, whether it was based on a false perception or not, he did not possess a love for what his master loved**. Therefore, the servant was not prepared for his master's return. He thought he would be ok by giving him back exactly what he had received. The servant's blindness kept him from fulfilling his master's expectations, to exhibit the responsibility to work what he had been given. The unprofitable servant was wicked, twisted in his thinking regarding his master. The unused talent would be taken from him and given to another servant who had prepared. **The fear that lazy servant held for his master, became the punishment he deserved**.

Like the servant in the parable, there are many who have received the Good News, but over time, and without a love to do something with what they received, they bury it, taking no responsibility for it. The gift will become out of sight and out of mind. The Master has been gone a long time, and people who are not preparing for His return, will eventually turn away from Him. They do not possess a love for what the Master has given them to work. They believe by possessing a "ticket", they are assured a place in His Kingdom and a place at the wedding feast. They expect to be rewarded by doing nothing with what they have been given.

Basically, they say, 'Here! Here is the salvation you gave me. I did not find it worth my time to do anything with it. But at least I didn't lose it because I knew exactly where I buried it. That way, when you returned, I would not be empty handed. Here is what you gave me.' And with that, the Master will throw them out into outer darkness. What they had possessed, will be taken from them. The gift of salvation is not something to hold onto and do nothing with it. It is not to be treated as some 'collectors item'. If that is so, when He returns, what has not produced fruit will be taken away; cut down and thrown into the fire.

In the last story, Messiah tells of His return and how He will sit on the throne of His esteem. All nations shall be gathered unto Him to be **separated** based upon how they have treated His brethren. They will be divided as sheep to His right, and goats to His left. To the sheep, those who have accomplished the work of the Good News, the Judge will say, "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom which has been prepared for you before the foundation of the world." While to the goats, those who have not accomplished the work of the Good News, the Judge will say, "Go away from Me, accursed ones, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his messengers."

In so far as those who found it worthy to increase the work they possessed; in doing so unto the least of the brethren, they did it unto the Master. They were prepared and received their Master's return with joy. For them, they entered into what had already been prepared for them.

Now, lets see how Messiah takes the primary theme of each story and weaves it into one very powerful message.

The theme of the first story: The Kingdom is not **prepared** for those who do not prepare for the Kingdom.

The theme of the second story: The Kingdom will not **possess** those who do not possess the Kingdom.

The theme of the third story: The Kingdom will be **separated** from those who separated from accomplishing the work of the Kingdom.

The final message: Those who fail to **possess** the Kingdom will not be **prepared** to receive the Kingdom, and thus will be **separated** from the Kingdom.

Messiah makes it clear in each story, though each story has its own primary theme, that whoever possesses, to him more shall be given; but whoever does not possess, even what he possesses shall be taken away from him. In all three stories what failed to be acquired, led to unpreparedness. And those who thought less to prepare, were rewarded with exactly what they prepared for—nothing.

Counting the cost, considering the outcome of our decision to follow the Master, is the foundational requirement to receiving a love of the truth. When truth is accepted, planted and bears fruit, we know that He will complete the good work which He began in us.

When Messiah preached in parables to the crowds, He was making a separation between the curious and those to whom the truth would be revealed. Curiosity is not counting the cost; for with curiosity, there is no commitment. The curious says, 'I want salvation, just no responsibility to the truth. If He heals and delivers me, what happens when the newness wears off?' It was not long before the Israelites desired to return to their old life in Egypt because the 'newness' wore off.

Salvation is not saying yes one time—it is saying yes, yes, yes, every single day until it comes.

Salvation is not an event on a timeline, but is the timeline itself.

Salvation is a journey whereon we persevere through to the end; for it is at the end of our endurance that we receive the salvation of our entire being (1 Peter 1:9)

The persecuted believers in the third world have a love for the truth because it is something so precious, they are willing to risk their life for it.

You're not willing to risk your life for something you do not wholly believe in, nor love.

If you are not willing to lay down your life for what you believe, you really do not believe.

To those who do not possess, even the little they have attained will be taken away. Why? Because the seed planted (the Truth, the Good News), though it may have taken root for awhile, failed to produce the kind of fruit that is evident in those who have a love for the truth—those who prepared by counting the cost, tilling up their heart soil through repentance, and determining to finish their course no matter what.
Lest They Turn and be Healed

** **

From a heart grieved, broken, angry, and yet full of compassion, came forth the Father's commission to Isaiah—'make the heart of the people fat.'

If after we use our will to disobey the will of the Father; and we are not put out of His presence, we will go on thinking that we can get what we want by our own will, without ever having to submit to His will. It is the classic example of a child who is not disciplined in righteousness and consistency. They will continue to push the limits, trying their parents to see just how far they can go.

Discipline from a heart of compassion corrects the child. A lack of discipline or discipline done in anger, will foster rebellion in the child's heart. As with the secrets of the Kingdom, He only doles out discipline for those He loves; if He does not, we are considered illegitimate children.

It was Abba's mercy that drove mankind away from the Garden, for how can man rightly discern good and evil without the One who grants the understanding? Lest mankind go on living forever in a state 'like unto' Elohim, yet apart from Him. Mankind had to be driven far away or he would have never been able to fulfill the role he was created to function in. Mankind would be permanently lost in an 'out of order' state, wandering aimless, suffering the same fate as the Fallen Ones.

Man became his own god, apart from the One who created him. To have the power to create what is righteous, using the knowledge of good and evil, only comes from knowing how to exercise that responsibility through proven wisdom. Without the Spirit of Wisdom to rightly divide the truth, mankind would end up doing what the Fallen Ones did, creating unrighteousness, without taking any responsibility for their actions.

Truth is a powerful weapon in the hands of those who use it to possess the Kingdom. However, it can also be a powerful weapon in the hands of those who grow cold due to a lack of responsibility to what has been given them. It is better to remain an enemy of the truth, than to possess a little, with no love for it. These are the ones that use it to their own advantage in causing others to turn away from Messiah. They have become a stumbling block for others. Truth is powerful, and if not rightly handled, can become an effective tool against Yahuweh's Kingdom.

The secrets of the kingdom are only revealed to those who will go on further into Abba; such as Enoch. With truth comes great responsibility to rightly use it in a way that brings forth life; turning many away from darkness.

Daniel 12:3 "And those who have insight shall shine like the brightness of the expanse, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever."

Those who persevere to the end will be saved. When all else is burned up, the stump will remain. Because its roots search out the watery secrets of the Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 4:1 "Let a man regard us as servants of Messiah and trustees of the secrets of Elohim."

Amos 3:7 "For the Master Yahuweh does no matter unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets."

In Yochanan (John) 9, we read about the man who was born blind whom Yahushua healed. Afterwards, the Pharisees began to question the man as to how he had been healed. He explained to them how a Man put clay on his eyes and told him to go and wash in the pool of Shiloah (meaning: **sent** ). Evidently it caused such a disturbance that they called in the man's parent's to testify. They confirmed their son was born blind but as to how he was healed, they did not know. "Ask him, he is of age", they said.

Everyone feared the religious leaders of that day because they had the power to cast people out of the congregation. The Pharisees continued with their battering's until finally, they became fed up with this "sinner" who was born blind, and told the man he had no right to teach them anything. At this, they cast him out. Messiah found out what had taken place, and went to the man to ask him if he believed in Him.

Yochanan (John) 9:35-41: "Yahushua heard that they had cast him out, and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of Elohim?" He answered and said, "Who is He, Master, that I might believe in Him?" And Yahushua said to him, " **You have both seen Him** **and** **He who speaks with you is He**." And he said, "Master, I believe," and bowed before Him. And Yahushua said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those not seeing might see, and those seeing might become blind." And those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind, too?" Yahushua said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin, but now you say, 'We see,' therefore your sin remains."

Here is the beautiful parallel between Yochanan (John) 9 and Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 6. The man who was blind asked Messiah, "Who is He, Master, that I might believe in Him?" Yahushua's response to him could have been simply, "He Who speaks to you is He." Yet, His response was two-fold. Messiah made it a point to tell him, "You have both seen Him (eyes to see) and He who speaks with you is He (ears to hear)." And with that, the man who was born 'not seeing', became 'seeing' as he declared, "Master, I believe." The man had eyes to see, and saw the Master, and he had ears to hear, and heard the Master speak to him. The man's 'spiritual' blindness and deafness had been lifted when Messiah revealed Himself to him that day.

Yahushua speaks the purpose for which He came into the world when He said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those 'not seeing' might 'see,' and those 'seeing' might become blind."

In judgment He comes to divide, making a distinction between those who would remain in their sin and those who would choose not to. He came to divide. The light separates and those desiring to remain in darkness will run and hide. They judge themselves. Messiah gives the choice of what side you want to be on now.

The Pharisees then asked Yahushua, "Are we blind, too?" Here is the separation. For those who think they are 'seeing,' they are really blinded by their own sin. For those who do not see, these have no sin because the Son of Elohim has revealed Himself to them; opening their eyes to Who He is. Those who do not 'see' are the ones 'blinded' to pride, as they possess a broken and contrite heart. The secrets of the Kingdom are given to them. Those who claim to 'see', do so with eyes of pride; though 'seeing,' they live in the darkness of their sin and they will not see eternal life. This is what Yahushua meant when He answered the Pharisees' question.

Isaiah 6:5-7, "And I said, "Woe to me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips – for my eyes have seen the Sovereign, Yahuweh of hosts. And one of the Seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your crookedness is taken away, and your sin is covered."

Yahushua 'touched' the eyes of the blind man with clay, and sent him to the pool of Shiloah to wash. And when the man returned from the pool, he came physically seeing. With his eyes now opened wide, Yahushua revealed Himself to the man as the Son of Elohim. And spiritually 'seeing Him', the man believed, and bowed before Him. The man was made clean from both physical blindness and the spiritual blindness of sin.

In seeing the Sovereign, Yahuweh of hosts, Isaiah cried out, "woe to me, for I am undone!" At that moment, one of the Seraphim came and 'touched' the mouth of Isaiah with a live coal from the altar. Isaiah's physical eyes had beheld Yahuweh of hosts, and in crying out to Him, he was made clean of his spiritual blindness; his crookedness and sin were taken away and covered.

And I heard the voice of Yahuweh, saying, "Whom do I send, and who would go for Us?" And I said, "Here am I! Send me." - Isaiah 6:8

As the man born blind washed himself in the pool of Shiloah—meaning ' **sent** '— so Isaiah was washed—cleansed by the touch upon his lips from the live coal. What was Isaiah's response to Yahuweh's question, "Whom do I send, and who would go for Us?" His response was, "Here am I! **Send** me."

The story of the man born blind gives us a clear picture of the calling of Isaiah in shutting the eyes of those who "see", and opening the eyes of those to whom "the secrets of the Kingdom" have been revealed. What esteem is there in opening the eyes of the religious, if their blindness can be used to open the eyes of those who have been called from the foundation of the world?
Lest They See What He Saw

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The word 'lest', used approximately 240 times in the Scripture, is the Hebrew word 'pen'.

The word is used as a connector that indicates a certain consequence should the first statement, situation or request be ignored. For example, Elohim says of the tree in the midst of the Garden in Genesis 3:3, " ...Do not eat of it, nor touch it, **lest** you die." The word lest implies that if the first statement, (do not eat, nor touch) is not followed (obeyed), the last statement will become the end result (death).

Throughout the uses of this word in Scripture, it is typical that if the first situation is obeyed, the second will not take place. The nature of the word itself is to act as a preventative measure so that in order to prevent the second situation from occurring, the first should be observed.

If the first situation is ignored or disobeyed, the second, 'worse off' happening, will take place. The second situation is always in contrast to the first. It is a 'do this or else something worse will befall you'.

If the word lest is used to indicate a worse happening if something is not done or obeyed, then the same meaning must be applied to Isaiah 6:10.

Isaiah 6:9-10, "And He said, "Go, and you shall say to this people, 'Hearing, you hear, but do not understand; and seeing, you see, but do not know.' Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; **LEST** they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and shall turn and be healed."

In reading these two verses, the simple understanding of what is being indicated is that to turn and be healed, is worse off than staying blind. It appears that the negative is the first occurrence and the positive is the second. Doesn't He want His people to turn and be healed? Why would Yahuweh instruct Isaiah to do such a thing? Why? Apparently, Yahuweh is not after the end result immediately, because there is a greater outcome to be considered first. His desire and purpose will eventually come, but first He must set up His master plan.

Elohim opens and shuts eyes, ears and hearts to fulfill His good purpose. This is the job of truth. To drive what is on the inside to the outside. This is what Messiah did with the Pharisees. The truth He spoke brought out their hidden agendas—what was really inside their heart. The truth, like a root, will seek out water no matter what. The truth will continue to drive down towards the source until it taps into it. Truth exposes (draws out) what is inside a person when the person is exposed to reality.

In traveling to other countries, I have witnessed my own people pull the entitlement attitude that expects the culture they are in to conform to their own. And when that doesn't happen, the westerner gets angry or acts out. It is really quite embarrassing. The reality of a different country, language, custom and/or tradition exposes what is inside those who live in a culture of non-reality. I have seen this many times in visiting other countries. What is inside a person who lives in a world unto themselves, non-reality, will purge all that is on the inside of them when they hit reality. This is exactly what Yahuweh desires. If truth does not go forth, it will never separate those who pretend, from those who do not. He uses truth as a purging method in order to find His true children. If what is inside does not surface, it can never be dealt with nor forgiven.

The vision of Isaiah in chapter 6 is something that the House of Judah would never understand. The commission to Isaiah was to make the House of Judah blind to what he just witnessed.

"In the year that Sovereign Uzziyahu died, I saw Yahuweh sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the Temple." - Isaiah 6:1

Hebrews 1:1-3 "Elohim, having of old spoken in many portions and many ways to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by the Son, whom He has appointed heir of all, through whom also He made the ages, who being the brightness of the esteem and the exact representation of His substance, and sustaining all by the word of His power, having made a cleansing of our sins through Himself, sat down at the right hand of the Greatness on high..."

Like Moses, Isaiah witnessed the esteem of Yahuweh. Isaiah was privileged to peer inside the throne room, behind the veil, where the Ark (throne) sat, with the Seraphim over it. The robe that filled the Temple was the esteem of Yahuweh, wrapped in light, and shone throughout; His brightness diffused in the exact expression of the Son, Messiah Yahushua. In verse 8 of Isaiah 6, we see the question asked, "Who will go for Us?" Clearly, this in indicative of the presence of both the Father and the Son united as One (echad).

According to Yochanan (John) 12:41, Yochanan tells us Who Isaiah saw that day.

John 12:37-41 "But though He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Yeshayahu the prophet might be filled, which he spoke, "Yahuweh, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of Yahuweh been revealed?" Because of this they were unable to believe, because again Yeshayahu said: "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they should not see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and turn, and I should heal them. **Yeshayahu (Isaiah) said this when he saw His esteem and spoke of Him**."

Isaiah had witnessed the future Kingdom where the whole earth would be filled with the esteem of Yahuweh. Yet, to those whom Isaiah would address through His 'cloaked message', the Kingdom would not be revealed to them. Isaiah writes, "..who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of Yahuweh been revealed?" The introduction of Messiah Yahushua in Isaiah 53 is what John was referring to when the crowds that followed Yahushua could not believe that He was the Messiah, though He had done so many miracles and signs. They could not believe because they were **unable** to believe.

In passages like Ezekiel 16 and Jeremiah 3, it reveals that the House of Judah had become far worse in their abominations than her sister, the House of Israel. In fact, Yahuweh said that Judah made Sodom and Samaria (capital of the House of Israel) seem righteous. Even though Judah knew of her sister's wickedness, and the punishment she received, she still retained the forehead of a whore. Though Judah knew the right-rulings of Yahuweh, she became quite obstinate against them; continuing on in her lawlessness and idolatry.

Psalm 115:4-8, "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; They have noses, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; They have feet, but they do not walk; They make no sound through their throat. **The ones who make them, shall become like them – All who trust in them**."

The House of Judah became as the idols they worshipped. Though having eyes, they did not see; though having ears, they did not hear. Because of her refusal to abandon what Yahuweh hated, He abandoned her to what she loved.

The House of Israel had been divorced by Yahuweh, but because of the promises made to David that his seed and throne would remain forever, Judah was not divorced. However, Judah would suffer a much greater punishment than her sister would ever experience—blindness. The seventy years of captivity in Babylon and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem would pale in the light of the punishment of blindness Judah would receive—even in part to this very day.

After the House of Judah returned from their Babylonian exile, Zechariah writes a brief summary of her obstinance prior to the exile.

Zechariah 7:8-14 "And the word of Yahuweh came to Zechariah, saying, Thus said Yahuweh of hosts, 'Execute true right-ruling, show kindness and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the stranger or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.' "But they refused to listen, and they shrugged their shoulders, and **stopped their ears from hearing**. "And they made their **hearts like flint** **against hearing** the Torah, and the words, which Yahuweh of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from Yahuweh of hosts. "And it came to be: as **He called and they did not hear** , so let **them call, but I shall not hear,** " said Yahuweh of hosts. And I scattered them with a storm wind among all the gentiles which they had not known. And the land was laid waste behind them, no one passing through or returning, for they made the pleasant land a waste."

The message of Isaiah to the House of Judah, who possessed the Torah yet refused to obey it, had come to pass. Yahuweh explains through Zechariah that, 'because Judah shut their ears to My cry, I will shut My ears to their cry.' Because they possessed ears to hear yet refused to listen, Yahuweh would shut His ears to their cry when punishment was dealt out. When Yahuweh stops up His ears from listening; beware. Judah knew the truth but failed to possess a love for it. Yahuweh would harden their hearts from seeing what Isaiah saw that day—the revelation of the Messiah. From the Babylonian exile to this very day, much of the House of Judah remains with a heart that fails to understand that the Suffering Servant has already come.

As you read over the following passages where Yahuweh 'hides His eyes' and 'gives a spirit of deep sleep,' realize that the very thing that has been done to Yahuweh, He merely returns 'the favor'. As His people continue to ignore Yahuweh's plea for repentance and turning back to Him, there comes a time when judgment must occur.

Zephaniah 1:4-6 "And I shall stretch out My hand against Yehudah, and against all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and cut off every trace of Ba'al from this place, the names of the idolatrous priests, with the priests, and those bowing down to the host of the heavens on the house-tops, and those bowing themselves, **swearing by Yahuweh** **and** **swearing by Malkam** ; and those who turn away from following Yahuweh, and who have not sought Yahuweh or inquired of Him."

Deuteronomy 29:4 "But Yahuweh has not given you a heart to know and eyes to see and ears to hear, till this day."

Deuteronomy 32:15,20 "But Yeshurun (Israel) grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are covered with fat; So he forsook Eloah who made him, And scorned the Rock of his deliverance." "And He said, 'Let Me hide My face from them, Let Me see what their end is, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom there is no trusting."

Isaiah 1:15 "And when you spread out your hands, I hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I do not hear. Your hands have become filled with blood.

Jeremiah 5:21,28-29: "Hear this now, O foolish people without heart, who have eyes and see not, and who have ears and hear not..." 'They have become fat, they are sleek. They also overlook the deeds of the wrong. They did not rightly rule the cause of the fatherless, so that they prosper. And the right of the needy they did not rightly rule. Would I not punish them for this?' declares Yahuweh. 'Would I not revenge Myself on such a nation as this?'"

Isaiah 29:10 "For Yahuweh has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets. And He has covered your heads, the seers."

Acts 28:23-29 "And having appointed him a day, many came to him where he was staying, to whom he was explaining, earnestly witnessing about the reign of Elohim, and persuading them concerning Yahushua from both the Torah of Moshe (Moses) and the Prophets, from morning until evening. And some indeed were persuaded by what was said, but some believed not. And disagreeing with one another, they began to leave, after Sha'ul had spoken one word, "The Set-apart Spirit rightly spoke through Yeshayahu the prophet to our fathers, saying, 'Go to this people and say, "Hearing you shall hear but by no means understand, and seeing you shall see but by no means perceive, for the heart of this people has become thickened, and with their ears they heard heavily, and they have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn back, and I should heal them." ' Therefore let it be known to you that the deliverance of Elohim has been sent to the gentiles, and they shall hear! And when he had said these words, the Yehudim went away and had a great dispute among themselves."

Romans 11:8 "As it has been written, "Yahuweh has given them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes not to see and ears not to hear, unto this day."

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 "And indeed, if our Good News has been veiled, it has been veiled in those who are perishing, in whom the mighty one of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so that the enlightening of the Good News of the esteem of Messiah, who is the likeness of Elohim, does not shine on them. For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Messiah Yahushua the Master, and ourselves your servants for the sake of Yahushua. For Elohim, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts for the enlightening of the knowledge of the esteem of Elohim in the face of Yahushua Messiah."

The House of Israel had completely abandoned Yahuweh's Torah (His good instructions for right living), yet Judah did not.

Ezekiel 9:4, "...and Yahuweh said to him, Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Yerushalayim, and you shall put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it."

Even with all of the abominations committed by the House of Judah, there remained a remnant who wept because of the things done against Yahuweh and His Torah.

Not only was the place where Yahuweh had put His Name defiled, but the priests had defiled themselves, mixing the worship of Yahuweh with pagan practices. To mix the truth of Yahuweh with the falseness of idol worship, yet saying you are doing it unto Yahuweh (the golden calf experience) is utter and complete whoredom and blasphemy. The House of Israel, as bad as they were in dumping entirely the Torah of Yahuweh for idol worship, were not considered as bad as what Judah did in their mixing truth and falseness. Even today, the House of Judah still practices Judaism—the mixing of truth and the traditions of man—while others are into Kabbalah—a mystical interpretation of the Torah.

The judgment of the House of Judah would be much more severe than that of her sister. As with the House of Israel, Judah would be scattered into all the earth while retaining the blindness of Messiah's first coming. Though Messiah came to His own first, He was rejected. The House of Israel, though scattered throughout the earth, would be the first to come to the foot of the stake, and enter into the everlasting covenant as described in Jeremiah 31. For those of us of the House of Israel, we are eternally grateful for brother Judah. Had a remnant not returned from Babylon after 70 years, where would we be?

Colossians 1:27 "...to whom Elohim desired to make known what are the riches of the esteem of this secret among the nations: which is Messiah in you, the expectancy of esteem..."

The instructions of Yahuweh that were given to Isaiah to go and make the heart of the people fat, was not only fulfilled in Matthew 13, but also in the story of the man born blind. Yahushua came to separate those for whom the secrets of the Kingdom were meant, from those who thought they already possessed "the secrets of the Kingdom."

Isaiah responds to Yahuweh, "How long must I make the heart of the people fat? How long must the message continue?" Yahuweh responds, "until nothing is left but a remnant of those to whom the secrets of the Kingdom are revealed." And the stump is the set-apart seed, the remnant who survived the burning of those who thought they possessed the 'secrets of the Kingdom', yet did not.

Who are the ones who thought they possessed the secrets of the Kingdom?

Matthew 24:24 "For false messiahs and false prophets shall arise, and they shall show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones."

The Pharisees who thought they 'saw', were in reality blind to anything regarding the true Kingdom of Elohim. This same religious, prideful, power hungry and deceptive spirit that Messiah dealt with in the Pharisees of His day, is the same one operating in today's false prophets; those blasphemers who teach others to deny the Messiah. This is the same spirit that will be in operation in the coming 'man of lawlessness'. As the man born blind testified of his healing, the Pharisees persecuted him in their questioning, until finally, they threw him out of their presence. In this same manner, the 'man of lawlessness' will persecute, wear down, and go after anyone attempting to uphold the testimony of Messiah of how He made them 'see'. It is the set-apart ones, the stump, that the enemy is after and he will use the foul spirits of religion, deception and falsehood to bring them to a place of breaking. It is for this, that Yahuweh brings the burning for those who thought they possessed the Kingdom.

And as the man went from the presence of the Pharisees, it caught the attention of the Master. Yahushua went and found the man, and revealed Himself as the Son of Elohim. In this same manner, when His set-apart ones flee from the presence of those desiring to persecute and destroy them, Messiah Yahushua will come and reveal Himself as the Son of Elohim, bringing deliverance for His own but judgment upon those who think they 'see', yet are still blinded by their sin.

The stump will remain, long after the fires of burning die out. However, in the meantime, the set-apart ones must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Revelation 10:7 answers the question as to how long Yeshayahu's (Isaiah's) message will be preached? "...but in the days of the sounding of the seventh messenger, when he is about to sound, **the secret of Elohim shall also be ended** , as He declared to His servants the prophets."

Once the seventh messenger sounds, it opens the bowls of wrath that will be poured out on all those great and small who failed to possess the 'secrets of the Kingdom.' Those to whom the secrets were not revealed and those who once believed yet turned away, will no longer be able to repent. Once the secret of Elohim has ended, the coming of Messiah, with His Father's wrath, is at hand. This is the judgement on those who failed to possess a love for the truth, as well as for those for whom the truth was never intended to be revealed.

He chose a remnant to become a kingdom of priests that would go out and teach the rest of creation His truth. Messiah is the Son. He is the 'builder' of the family. He came but for the lost sheep of the House of Israel, because it would be the House of Israel that would go forth and carry the message of salvation; beginning in Jerusalem and going out into the uttermost parts of the earth.

In the days of Yahushua's time on the earth, the House of Judah were unable to receive Him as the Messiah, the Son of David. If they had, Yahushua would have failed to fulfill His calling in becoming the final sacrifice for sin. The entire plan of salvation would have been ruined, and you and I...would still be lost in our sins.

Just as it was in Sha'ul's (Paul's) day; though many of the House of Judah have accepted Messiah Yahushua as their Savior; the majority have not yet done so. The overall blindness over the House of Judah will not be completely lifted until they say, "Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of Yahuweh!" Until then, the pride of Judah, as exhibited in the Pharisees of Yahushua's day (and ours), will remain until they mourn for Him whom they have pierced.

To this day, the prophecies of the Messiah in Isaiah 53 and other passages remain veiled, blinding those who are not intended to 'see'. Only those whose eyes are opened to 'see' the Mighty Savior will say, "Woe to me, for I am undone!" To these, the veil is lifted and they are cleansed from all their sin and uncleanness.

Isaiah, a man who documented eternity past to eternity future was sawn in two by those who 'did not see' what he had seen. The prideful and religious will continue to wear blinders, dividing in two what they cannot understand. Their hearts will remain fat and unable to comprehend the secrets of the Kingdom; until one day, the veil will be lifted from the eyes of those who are left over from the House of Judah, and they will cry out with a great mourning. Yahushua will be revealed on that day and the final gathering of the two houses that had been divided for so long, will finally be united in the One who was pierced for the transgressions of His people.
Thy Truth is the Final Word

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John 17:17 "Set them apart in Your truth – Your Word is truth. Thy Word is Truth."

Messiah Yahushua is the Word. Messiah Yahushua is the Truth.

The love of the truth is a love for all that Yahuweh stands for. Those who perish do so because they never received a love of the truth; they never received the love of Elohim. They never received Messiah, Who is truth.

The falling away, apostasy and great rebellion against the faith once delivered to the set-apart ones, must occur first in order for the man of lawlessness to appear. The spirit of religion working in those who deceive others, will cause more and more to abandon their belief in Messiah as Savior. This is the spirit of the anti-messiah; the mystery of lawlessness.

1 John 2:18, "Little children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that the anti-messiah is coming, even now many anti-messiahs have come. This is how we know that it is the last hour."

2 John 1:7, "Because many who are leading astray went out into the world who do not confess Yahushua Messiah as coming in the flesh. This one is he who is leading astray and the anti-messiah."

If the serpent can use the same plan as he did in the Garden, deceiving the innocent into getting themselves banished from the presence of Yahuweh, then he can do it for all mankind. This is religion. It is having a form of truth but denying its power. It is attempting to be like the Most High without having a love for the Most High. It is attempting to gain power without the One who gives the power.

Messiah said in Matthew 24:24-25 "For false messiahs and false prophets shall arise, and they shall show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. See, I have forewarned you."

Consider Messiah Yahushua's warning; "...if possible, even the chosen ones will be deceived."

Lucifer fell because he wanted to be as Elohim, like Him, yet without obedience to Him. It is only by conforming to the nature of Yahushua, and obeying His commandments, that we will ever know the Father intimately. To be like Elohim, is to be echad (one) with Elohim. There is only one way to be like Elohim, and that is to be set-apart as He is set-apart. And to be set-apart unto Him is to die to the dictates of the flesh, and live unto obedience to the commandments of Yahushua, the Truth, Who is the Way to Life!

Deceit by religion is one of the greatest and most powerful weapons of Satan's arsenal. If the innocent can be convinced that Yahuweh does not really mean what He says, it will lead to the rebellion of His commandments. "Hath Elohim said?" To deny the legitimacy of the truth of the Creator is exactly what the Greeks did. If doubt can be introduced, it will become the fuse that will lead to the explosion of rebellion. Philosophy is nothing more than the golden calf in disguise, yet with a twist. If people can be taught to believe it is acceptable to worship however they want, while contributing their 'strange' worship as unto 'God', then a great battle has been won. Truth becomes an interpretation of the worshipper, thus what is relevant to the worshipper becomes the accepted form of worship.

The Creator will not accept worship outside of Truth that is not interpreted by His own Spirit.

Lucifer's ultimate goal is to deceive people into believing they can remain in Yahuweh's presence without obedience to the way He expects to be worshipped. This is rebellion. This is religion; once introduced, it spreads like a plague.

Religion is the tool that will bring in the anti-messiah. It is a tool used to distort truth. It is a tool that will launch (and has already launched) the 'great falling away', the great rebellion, the great apostasy. Religion is the root of the secret of lawlessness, or as some versions of the Scriptures say, 'the mystery of iniquity.' Its evil scheme is to divide, and break the unity between the Father and the Son whereby resulting in a departure from the belief. If the Word is separated from the Spirit of the Word, there exists no means for salvation. If the Spirit did not raise Messiah from the dead, we would be lost for eternity.

It was at Messiah Yahushua's baptism (mikvah), that His Father spoke, "This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I did delight." And again He spoke at Yahushua's transfiguration, "This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I did delight. Hear Him!"

Messiah Yahushua, the Son received both the authority backing and approval of His Father in order to carry out His Father's business. If the Son's authority backing and approval is slandered or attacked in anyway by accusations, lies, and/or deception, then Yahushua's position as the Son of Elohim could end up being downgraded to just another prophet, teacher, or 'holy man'. If the Father has approved of His Son, resting on Him with His Spirit, and gave Him the authority backing to carry forth His business in His Name, then no one has the right to challenge the Son in anything He says, or does. However, by the mouths of false prophets, and the workings of religion, the reputation of the Son as deity is ripped apart by the twisting of His own words in the Scriptures. If the Son's reputation as Savior is destroyed, His authority and approval to 'save' anyone is lost. This is exactly what the mockers cried out when Messiah hung on the stake.

"And likewise the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocking, said, He saved others – He is unable to save Himself. If He is the Sovereign of Israel, let Him now come down from the stake, and we shall believe Him. He trusted in Elohim, let Him rescue Him now if He desires Him, for He said, 'I am the Son of Elohim.' " - Matthew 27:41-43

This is the mystery of lawlessness that Sha'ul and many of the 1st century followers of Messiah were dealing with; denying the deity of Yahushua.

Religion was formally 'organized' in the 4th century by the first pope, Constantine, who intermarried pagan rituals, customs, and yes... a little bit of truth. Constantine officially birthed the mother of all religions—Catholicism. Eventually, the Reformists would breakaway and establish other religions, though they still retained many of the traditions and customs of the mother church. Because her daughters never completely severed from her mother, they are being called back home, back to mommy's awaiting arms.

Rome and the Vatican have always hosted the great deceivers. They are masters at perverting the truth, just like their father the serpent. The serpent, Lucifer, the devil, Satan, the Dragon; all of which designate THE father of lies and deception, is hard at work now, doing his dirty work of using religion to bring about an army of deceived people.

Sha'ul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:3,6-7, "Let no one deceive you in any way, because the falling away is to come first, and the man of lawlessness is to be revealed, the son of destruction ( **apoleia** meaning; damnation, destruction, perish, waste.) And now you know what restrains, for him to be revealed in his time. For the secret of lawlessness is already at work – only until he who now restrains comes out of the midst."

The man of lawlessness will not be revealed to the world until:

  1. The falling away (rebellion, apostasy) has first come (verse 3)
  2. 'that which' or 'he that' restrains comes out of the midst (verses 6 and 7)

Once the deception of religion has completed its rebellious work in drawing many away from any kind of belief in the Creator, it will have essentially dethroned Yahushua Messiah as King, (or any other 'savior' they thought would come and save them), resulting in a desire to install a new king; a man of 'peace'.

Religion will always attempt to remove the King that Yahuweh has set up and install its own seat of power. In 2 Thessalonians 2:11-13, the love of Messiah (truth) is thrown down so Yahuweh gives them what they want; a delusion to believe the falsehood that empowers them to worship a new king.

Who is the 'he' that restrains and must come out of the midst? Or what is it that causes the removal of the restraining force that is behind the concealment of the man of lawlessness? In Verse 6, that which restrains is in neuter singular while verse 7 is in masculine singular. The question of who or what has been long asked by many scholars and theologians. There are many possibilities including: Michael, the protector of Israel (Daniel 12:1), Rome, or The Spirit of Yahuweh.

In examining what Sha'ul is saying in verse 7 of 2 Thessalonians 2, there was one (at that present time) that was restraining (holding back) the mystery of lawlessness. Could he be talking about Rome? Some historians believe that the burning of Rome in 64 CE was the launchpad to the great persecution of believers. It is believed that Nero was the one who had the fire set in order to have a reason to exterminate the believers. I do believe that at some point Rome will be burned again, which may be what causes the Pope to set up shop in Jerusalem.

This is good, but I want to look a little deeper.

The mystery of lawlessness is birthed out of religious deception, resulting in the abandonment of the faith once delivered. It is a stumbling block used by false teachers who spew their false religious doctrines that appear right, yet are in reality, deceitful coverings whereby seducing spirits go to work. The result is a deception that leads people to rebel against the Torah, abandoning the truth of Yahuweh's good instructions for right living. This is what Sha'ul spoke of in 1 Timothy 4:1:

"But the Spirit distinctly says that in latter times some shall fall away from the belief, paying attention to misleading spirits, and teachings of demons..."

In contrast to the mystery of lawlessness, Sha'ul takes note of the mystery of reverence (Righteousness) in 1 Timothy 3:16, "And, beyond all question, the **secret of reverence** is great – who was revealed in the flesh, declared right in Spirit, was seen by messengers, was proclaimed among nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in esteem."

The mystery of lawlessness is: belief in Messiah 'let go', while the mystery of Righteousness is: belief in Messiah 'held fast'.

As you read through books like Thessalonians, Timothy, 1st, 2nd and 3rd John, 1st and 2nd Peter, and others, you will begin to see a common theme; beware of false teachers, deceiving and seducing spirits. The truth of the original faith once delivered is perverted by these false teachers, causing stumbling blocks that will ultimately end with a departure from the faith. According to Yochanan (John), this is the spirit of the anti-messiah; the mystery of lawlessness.

2 Thessalonians 2:7, says that the one who restrains will do so until **ek mesos ginomai**.

ek: out from within and to; out from the origin of something - time or place; out of the depths of the source and extending to its impact on the object; Also, denotes exit or emission out of, as **separation from, something with which there has been close connection** 13

mesos: among, in the midst of, middle

ginomai: be brought to pass, happen; properly, to emerge, become, **transitioning from one point (realm, condition) to another.** "to become, and signifies a **change of condition, state or place** "; **come into being/manifestation implying motion, movement, or growth** "

So the literal meaning of verse 7 is 'For the secret of lawlessness is already at work – only until **out from within the middle or source of something, extending to its impact on the object (in action or motion,) to cause to become or to emerge, transitioning from one point to the other; implying motion, coming into being**.'

Whatever is 'holding back' the mystery of lawlessness is something or someone that **must separate and move in motion towards something, as in a transition**.

Now that we have a better understanding using the Greek definitions, let us attempt to reach a conclusion.

What is the great falling away? Rebellion. What is behind the great falling away? Religion. What is behind religion? Deception. What is behind deception? Maybe I should ask, 'who' is behind deception? It is the Deceiver himself—the Dragon.

The source of rebellion is deception. People rebel against the commandments of Elohim because they are deceived into believing that the Creator will not 'notice' nor does He care. However, 'He does see.'

In Revelation 12:9-10, the Dragon is known as 'that old serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, **who leads all the world astray...the accuser of the brethren** '. Satan, operating in his position of authority in the heavenlies, brings accusations against the set-apart ones, and leads the world astray by deception. For those who hold tight to the faith once delivered, he brings accusations against. For those who dabble in religion, he goes to deceive. If he cannot cause one to fall away by deception, he will wear them down by accusations. He is the master of lies, deceptions and accusations. No wonder Messiah Yahushua told the Pharisees one day that they were of their father the devil.

Once the man of lawlessness is revealed, he wastes no time in what he is to do. In order for him to be revealed to the world, he must be equipped with the power and authority of his master. Until the Dragon and his messengers are thrown to the earth by Michael and his messengers, the man of lawlessness will remain in hiding until the appointed time of his empowerment. Michael's act of throwing Satan to the earth is the kickoff event that will lead to the lifting off of the veil - the 'apocalypse' of the Beast. Once Satan is thrown down, there is an immediate transfer of authority and power to the Beast. Until that time, the Beast will not be revealed. This is 2 Thessalonians 2:9. In Revelation 13, once the man of lawlessness (the beast) receives the throne (power and authority) of the Dragon, the people of the earth will marvel and worship him.

The Dragon operates with his authority in the middle heavens. Once the fighting begins in the heavenly places, it isn't long before the Dragon will be thrown down and **travel with a motion to transition from his realm in the heavenlies to the earthly realm.** Michael actually throws him **out from within the middle or source of his place in the heavenlies, extending in motion to its impact on the object (earth) to cause to become or to emerge, transitioning from one point to the other; implying motion, coming into being**.' Once the Dragon hits the earth (comes into our dimension), he is in a rage, knowing his time is short. He immediately goes after the set-apart ones and by the authority and power he has given to the man of lawlessness, he will soon gather the world for the final deception. In receiving what they have loved, a working of delusion, the people will receive the king they have always wanted.

The authority and power of the Dragon's throne is in his ability to deceive and accuse, which will be relinquished to the Beast. If you notice in Revelation 16, the fifth bowl of wrath causes the people of the kingdom of the Beast to gnaw their tongues for pain. Also, in Revelation 16:13, where do the spirits of demons leap from? The mouth. The Beast and all those that follow him pour forth blasphemies, lies, accusations and deceptions. They are just like their father. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit." - Proverbs 18:21

Once the accuser of the brethren is removed, the time is very short. He goes after the remnant of the seed of the woman, those guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of Yahushua Messiah. The Dragon, through the brief reign of the Beast, will go after the 'stump', attempting to destroy it. However, because the 'stump' was not deceived, it will overcome and see the final destruction of the Deceiver and all his messengers! The 'stump' will behold the reward of the wicked

Interesting, the second Beast in Revelation 13 continues in the same authority as the first beast, doing signs and wonders to deceive the people of the earth into receiving a mark and to worship the image. This deception is not the falling away, as that has already occurred 'before' the revealing of the first Beast. This deception is one of gathering the world in one accord to eventually march against Messiah Yahushua Himself. For those who were already perishing because they failed to receive a love of the truth, they will be given a strong delusion to follow the Beast and take his mark. The world will be lead astray one last time, and will be judged because they failed to take pleasure in righteousness.

Once the accuser of the brethren and great deceiver has been thrown down, his work in using the religions of the earth to deceive is over. The accusations against the set-apart ones will end. All religions will fall at that point and be given up to the worship of the Beast. Once the Dragon falls, what has been in hiding will finally be revealed; the man of lawlessness. At that point, whether Rome/Vatican is still standing or not, it is no longer in business. For the purpose of Rome has been completed with the re-establishment of the kingdom of Nimrod: politically, economically and spiritually—one head over all the earth.

As I continue to study, and as we all continue to study under the tutorship of the Spirit, He will reveal more as the time draws nearer to Messiah's coming. I do believe that the first Beast and the second Beast are echad (two in unity as one). This actually lines up with Daniel who speaks of one Beast.

In verse 11 of 2 Thessalonians 2, the Greek word for strong is energeia, meaning energy, working. The Greek word for delusion is plane, meaning fraudulence. A strong delusion is believing in the energy or working of fraudulence (i.e. signs and wonders) that provides the convincing proof necessary for the people of the world to take the mark. They will be so deceived that they will be called to gather against the Messiah, joining in the great army to 'bring Him down'. The very brief "Armageddon" experience will end with their flesh being eaten by the birds of the air.

Jude 1:3, "Beloved ones, making all haste to write to you concerning our common deliverance, I felt the necessity to write to you urging you to earnestly contend for the belief which was once for all delivered to the set-apart ones."

We must hold on to the original faith, contending for it by making firm our calling and choosing - 2 Kepha (Peter) 1:10.

We must beware of deceivers and the anti-messiah spirit:

2 John 1:7, "Because many who are leading astray went out into the world who do not confess Yahushua Messiah as coming in the flesh. This one is he who is leading astray and the anti-messiah."

2 Peter 2:1-2, "But there also came to be false prophets among the people, as also among you there shall be false teachers, who shall secretly bring in destructive heresies, and deny the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. And many shall follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of..."

1 John 2:22, "Who is the liar, except the one denying that Yahushua is the Messiah? This is the anti-messiah, the one denying the Father and the Son."

1 Timothy 4:1, "But the Spirit distinctly says that in latter times some shall fall away from the belief, paying attention to misleading spirits, and teachings of demons..."

1 John 4:3, "...and every spirit that does not confess that Yahushua Messiah has come in the flesh is not of Elohim. And this is the spirit of the anti-messiah which you heard is coming, and now is already in the world."

2 Timothy 3:5, "...having a form of reverence (righteousness) but denying its power. And turn away from these!"

The spirit of anti-messiah is a lying, deceiving spirit that has, from the time of the Apostles, gone out into all the world to possess those who have no love for the truth. This spirit exalts itself against, and over all that Elohim is. This spirit is the 'I am god' spirit. This spirit denies any claim the Father and Son have on the universe. This spirit denies Messiah came in the flesh, making Him just another man and 'would be' king. However, very soon, this spirit and all who possess it, will be slain with the breath of Messiah's mouth; slain by the Truth they hated so much. HalleluYah!

In Isaiah 6, the eyes, ears and hearts were not suppose to be opened to receive, lest the plan of Yahuweh not be fulfilled. In Isaiah's day, judgement was already eminent on the House of Israel and judgement was soon to fall upon the House of Judah. Yahuweh, at the time of judgment, will blind the eyes of those who never had a love for the truth, but delighted in falsehood. He will hand them over to what they have already loved and preferred...delusion.

Lest people receive what they do not love...

This is the point Yahuweh was telling Isaiah to communicate. Make the people hardened so that they do not turn and receive what they have not loved—for if they do, they would only trample upon it later. There comes a time when Yahuweh stops calling. He will simply back up and let his people have what they have always delighted in—unrighteousness.

Isaiah 66:4 "I shall also choose their punishments, and bring their fears on them. Because I called, but no one answered. I spoke and they did not hear, and they did evil before My eyes, and chose what was displeasing to Me."

Both Isaiah 6 and 2 Thessalonians 2 are written in times prior to judgement, so people will get what they have always loved. Though He uses it for His ultimate good, like Judah's blindness to bring forth the Messiah, nevertheless, He does not take delight in punishment.

If judgement does not come, then the salvation of His people will not come.

If things do not get worse, Messiah cannot come.

Yahuweh's desire and plan will be done. He never rewards us with something that we have not deserved. For the righteous, comes the crown of righteousness. For the wicked, comes utter destruction. So why should those who have delighted in unrighteous, receive the reward of salvation? That would be unjust and Yahuweh is just not that way.

"But we ought to give thanks to Elohim always for you, brothers, beloved by the Master, because Elohim from the beginning chose you to be saved – in set-apartness of Spirit, and belief in the truth unto which He called you by our Good News, for the obtaining of the esteem of our Master Yahushua Messiah." - 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

"...even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be set-apart and blameless before Him in love..." - Ephesians 1:4

Those who have been chosen to be saved were done so before the foundation of the world. Though their lives on earth were not yet in physical existence; their spirit's were. He chose to save us because He saw our end from the beginning. If He did not see it, He wouldn't be Elohim. We are walking out what He already knows, and by our will, we are to make good on His choosing. Though He has seen...we have yet to see.

Yochanan (John) 17:12, "When I was with them in the world, I was guarding them in Your Name which You have given Me, and I watched over them, and not one of them perished except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be filled."

Judas, the son of destruction, received the same title as the man of lawlessness. The deception of power and wealth overtook the spirit within him. As the Dragon entered into Judas, so he will enter into the man of lawlessness.

Though Judas walked with Yahushua, he did not **walk** with Him. He was not part of Him because He failed to receive a love for Him. Judas blended in until the time came to betray Him, essentially denying He was the Messiah. The apostasy of Judas would reach fulfillment at the time of the last supper. Messiah knew what he had to do so He excused him from the table. On the other hand, "And the Master said, "Shim'on, Shim'on  See, Satan has asked for you to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your belief should not fail. And when you have turned, strengthen your brothers." Truly, the Shepherd was about to be struck and the sheep scattered, yet He knew who truly loved Him, the Truth. And because of that, He will ensure that not one of His sheep are lost.

The hearts of people, like Judas Iscariot, who have never truly taken part in Messiah, the Truth, will be made fat and dumb, so that they can be led to the slaughter and reap what they have loved so dearly.

The great rebellion and the revealing of the lawless one always occurs right before judgement. At the last supper, Messiah's judgment on sin was about to take place, so the eyes of Judas, who failed to see the Truth, were blinded and a delusion entered him to believe the falsehood.

It was also the time before the judgment fell on the House of Judah, that Yahuweh would send them a message to blind the eyes of those who failed to possess a love for the truth. The House of Judah was given over to a delusion to reject the truth of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, the Babylonian exile, and the first coming of the Son of David.

The coming judgement and return of Messiah Yahushua is at hand, and the falling away has already begun. Once it has been completely fulfilled, and the people of the earth have abandoned any love for truth, the man of lawlessness will arise. And because of the love of unrighteousness, the people of the earth will receive the mark of the anti-messiah; one they have always loved.

As with Kepha, the Dragon desires to sift all the set-apart ones, yet Praise the Name of Yahuweh, Messiah Yahushua has prayed that our faith fail not.

"But I have prayed for you, that your belief should not fail. **And when you have turned, strengthen your brothers**." - Luke 22:32

It is only by the working power of the Spirit of Yahuweh inside of us, that our faith will remain strong enough to endure to the end. Those who love the Truth, possessing Him with all of their being, will be found faithful. And once the final burning is over, those who have remained faithful will look up to the One coming for His Bride. **She is prepared because she found it worthy to possess a love for her Bridegroom**.

Yochanan (John), the representative of the Bride, the one who laid his ear to the chest of the Bridegroom, echoes Yeshayahu (Isaiah) in Revelation 21:4, "And Elohim shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying. And there shall be no more pain, for the former matters have passed away."

I wonder if Yochanan knew that what he wrote about concerning Yeshayahu, and how he saw the esteem of Yahushua, that one day too, he would be privileged to see the esteem of the Master. Yochanan was not only favored to see the esteem of Messiah on the earth during His transfiguration, but to also witness it while caught up in the Spirit, just before the unfolding of the revelation of Messiah. The very Word He introduced at the beginning of his book, had become a love so deep, that in his possessing, he saw into eternity future.

What Yeshayahu died believing had become Yochanan's reason for living. The love of the Truth had become Yochanan's life. He saw that those who possessed the Son, would possess life. He knew that the spirit of the anti-messiah was already at work. He wrote, little children, keep yourselves from idols. He knew that the one who stays in the teaching of Messiah, possesses both the Father and the Son. He knew that to possess a love for the Truth, was to be prepared for the Kingdom; set-apart from the world.

"Look out, brothers, lest there be in any of you a wicked heart of unbelief in falling away from the living Elohim, but encourage one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened by the deceivableness of sin. For we have become partakers of Messiah if we hold fast the beginning of our trust firm to the end..." - Hebrews 3:12-14

Though he was numbered with them and shared in the ministry, Judas, in the end, failed to become a partaker of Messiah. It is not the beginning of a person's walk that counts, but how it ends. If we are to become partakers of Messiah, we have to possess the love of Messiah, Who is Truth, until the very end. We are never to let go of what has been given to us, but work it so as to present our journey's work to the Master upon His arrival. And with that, those who have counted the cost to travel such a journey, the cost of carrying such a stake, finding Him worthy enough to lay down all for, will He finally say, 'well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master.'

Yochanan 13:35 "By this shall all know that you are My taught ones, if you have love for one another."

Yochanan knew the key to identifying with the Master; having a love for one another. If we have not love for our brethren, we possess not a love for our Master. How does He know who He has taught, if we do not exhibit the very thing we have been shown?

Yochanan, a man whose love for the Master bore him witness to what the eyes of Yeshayahu had seen some 850 years prior. The beloved one knew well the cost of possessing such a love. He knew that without it, no one would remain; yet with it, the 'stump' would flourish again.

He was fully acquainted with the sufferings of the Master, and he knew how far he had to go to possess the life he had been given. He grieved much as his eyes beheld the birth of the spirit of anti-messiah; the beast in the making. He had been plunged in boiling oil in Rome, yet he did not die. He was exiled to the isle of Patmos, yet here, he wrote the scroll of The Revelation.

In all that he saw, and all that he experienced, through persecution and hardships, Yochanan remained faithful to his beloved Master. The passion for the Master, and for His Words of Truth, as well as the grief he bore because of the many deceivers who had entered the world, had brought such weightiness to his messages that he did not want to write them out, but share them face to face.

Yochanan, a man who walked to the beat of his Master's heart, found his own heart beating with the joy of seeing his children living in unity, and walking in the truth. In all of his words, and throughout all of his writings, there was nothing that he wanted more than to see his children possessing a love for one another. He knew that to possess a love for one another was to possess a love for the Truth. And he knew that if his little children would abide in the Truth, holding it fast so as not to become deceived, that when the Master Yahushua, the King of Kings should appear, they would have great confidence, and not be ashamed at His coming.

How far must we go to possess a love for the Truth?

...to the very end

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Appendix

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For more studies and blogs visit: www.thewelltroddenroad.org
**Notes**

**Dedication & Acknowledgments**

1. Lo-Ammi is Hebrew for 'not My people'

**The Process For Residency in the Kingdom**

1. A name given to those belonging to the House of Judah. The 'im' at the end denotes plurality.

2. Here is the difference between Hebrew and Greek; Hebrew concentrates on the functional meaning, while Greek focuses on the abstract.

3. ktaomai - Strong's Greek #2932

4. 2 Thessalonians 2:12

**Truth Defined**

1. John 18:38

2. Pardi, P. (January 29, 2015). What is Truth?. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://www.philosophynews.com/post/2015/01/29/What-is-Truth.aspx

**The Nature of Truth**

1. In addition to Hebrews 11:37, wherein being sawn in two is mentioned, though Isaiah was not specifically named, there are early 1st to 3rd century texts where Isaiah is specifically mentioned as being put to death in this manner. i.e. The Martyrdom of Isaiah.

Further information can be found here in the Jewish Encyclopedia: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8237-isaiah-ascension-of

2. A paraphrase of Isaiah 6:11 and Revelation 12:11

3. 1 Corinthians 2:8

4. Acts 1:16-20

5. Isaiah 45:7

6. Isaiah 59:14

**The Parable of the Sower Revealed**

1. Matthew 13:19

2. John 17

3. Read Romans 8

4. Philippians 1:6

5. Deuteronomy 29:2-4

6. Matthew 13:20-21

7. Luke 14:29

8. Isaiah 5:20

9. Luke 9:62

10. Luke 14:28

11. Matthew 19:27-29

12. Revelation 21:14

13. Exodus 19:8

14. John 4:35-38

15. Isaiah 45:21; Isaiah 43:11; Hosea 13:4

16. Matthew 13:22

17. Luke 17:4

18. Matthew 6:33

19. My paraphrase of Matthew 6:24-25

20. Matthew 13:23

**The Sword of Truth**

1. Isaiah 59:14

2. Read 1 Kings 12

3. 2 Thessalonians 2:10

**Possess What You Love**

1. Hebrews 10:12

2. Romans 8:20-21

3. Romans 8:19

4. Genesis 1:4

5. Hosea 2:23

6. 2 Chronicles 6:32-33

7. Isaiah 19:25

8. Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:16

9. Revelation 4:11

10. 2 Kepha 1:1

11. My paraphrase of 2 Kepha 3:9-14

12. My paraphrase of Genesis 3:22

13. Isaiah 5:20

14. _The Book of Enoch_ , by R.H. Charles, [1917], at sacred-texts.com

15. 2 Corinthians 3:6

**Lest They Turn and be Healed**

1. Hebrews 12:8

2. A state like this is darkness. Light is order. Darkness is chaos.

**Lest They See What He Saw**

1. Exodus 33:18-23

2. The Arm of Yahuweh is Yahushua Messiah

3. Hosea 9:10

4. Jeremiah 2:5

5. Here is partial fulfillment of Isaiah 6:11-12

6. The Children of Israel were not ready to enter the Land until Yahuweh opened their eyes that He had taken care of them all along their wilderness journey. They had finally become His people and He, their Elohim.

7. Fat is representative of being obstinate; heavy and dull

8. Indicative of what Isaiah saw (John 12:41)

9. Yahushua radiates His Father's esteem

10. Zephaniah 1:4-6

11. John 9:34-39

12. Matthew 23:39

13. Zechariah 12:10

14. Zechariah 12:10-14

**Thy Truth is the Final Word**

1. Jude 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:3

2. 2 Thessalonians 2:4

3. My paraphrase

4. Yochanan (John) 17

5. John 4:24

6. 2 Thessalonians 2:3,6-7

7. Matthew 3:17

8. Matthew 17:5

9. Lawlessness simply means 'without Torah'. It is the Greek word, 'anomia'.

10. Greek; apokaluptó meaning to uncover, reveal, disclose as in quickly removing the cover to expose.

11. Jude 1:3-4

12. HELPS Word-studies with Strong's #1537.

13. Thayer's Greek Lexicon

14. Strong's #3319

15. HELPS Word-studies with Strong's #1096

16. Psalm 10:13-14

17. Ephesians 6:12

18. 2 Thessalonians 2:11

19. Psalm 91:8

20. Some versions of the Scriptures list him as the False Prophet

21. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

22. Strong's Greek #1753

23. Strong's Greek #4106

24. Revelation 19:17-21

25. 2 Thessalonians 2:8

26. The inability to comprehend what Elohim says is true

27. Simon, Simon

28. Luke 22:31-32

29. Zechariah 13:7

30. John 12:41

31. Mark 9:2

32. Revelation 1:17

33. John 1:1

34. Acts 1:17

35. This is according to Tertullian; The Prescription of Heretics

36. 2 John 12; 3 John 13-14

37. 3 John 4

38. 1 John 2:28
