Denial or Deception

This past week the hunters have been at it again, killing in cold blood 13 people in Paris.  However, what is almost overlooked and treated casually is the slaughter of thousands in the Middle East and Africa.  The Western democratic governments and most of their citizenry are in a state that may be defined as denial. For fear, they do not want to call a spade a spade, neither are they willing to take a look at their own moral depravity, at what the Word of Elohim calls iniquity, and at its consequences that are so clearly presented therein. 

If I may, I would like to tag a scriptural word to the state of denial - “delusion” - “a strong delusion”.  “And for this reason Elohim will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).  Again, “they believed a lie and took pleasure in unrighteousness…“ What is that lie that they are swallowing like poison? It is being persuaded that living in unrighteousness, lawlessness, iniquity and sin constitutes “freedom”.  But the truth is that, this frame of mind leads to bondage and death. 

Scripture states that Satan, the “lawless one”, comes with “all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 emphasis added).   The hunters are on the scene of history again.  Why “again”?  When did they appear in the (recent) past?  It was during the time when YHVH was sending prophets to the scattered stick/nation of the House of Judah.   It was during the time in which the Almighty was about to fulfill His promise, to restore that first stick/nation back to their inheritance in the land of Israel.  However, most of the Jews did not listen. They were caught up in the false idea that living and identifying with the nations was their only hope of surviving as a people, when in fact being vomited out of the land and being dispersed and exiled from their inheritance was one of the worse curse that YHVH placed upon Israel and Judah (see Deuteronomy 28:64-68; Lamentations 5:1-3).  Many of the leaders and elders of the Jewish people were apprehensive and reluctant to get involved in the Zionist Movement.  Why? Simply because they were afraid of stepping out into the unknown.  So, rather than do that, they elected to continue in what they thought would be a predictable, though not always comfortable, form of existence.  Others, were vehemently opposed to being proactive, as they were of the opinion that only the Messiah would restore the Jews back to their home.  

We are now in the beginning stages of the restoration of the “saved House of Joseph” (see Zechariah 10:6). We are hearing the dry bones responding to the Spirit of YHVH blowing on them.  They are clicking together, and the sound of “repent”, return to Shabbat, return to the Torah, return to the forefathers, and return to the national identity and turn away from all unrighteousness can be heard.  There are groups (some officially organized and some not) that are starting to join the bones with sinew, or tendons. But there are many bones that still need connecting, and that means a corporate effort of working together for YHVH’s ultimate purpose of bringing forth the “one new man” in nation-form, with His kingdom rule made apparent.

Concurrently, during these times of the restoration something else is taking place: “The idols speak delusion; the diviners envision lies, and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore the people went [and are still going] their way like sheep; they are in trouble because there is no shepherd” (Zechariah 10:2).  The prophets of old warned that the leaders would lead the people astray (see Ezekiel 34) by declaring that, “it is not time to build or take a chance, as we might be seen as fools”, or as some of the Jews grumbled in the days of Nehemiah: "The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall. And our adversaries said, "they will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease" (Nehemiah 4:10-11).  We too have adversaries, in every realm of the political and religious expressions of this world, let alone in the unseen.  These ones are opposed to a nation who would rise up out of the grave as a mighty army, with the light and the glory of their King resident in and upon them. 

This same king (Yeshua) declared that He is the Good Shepherd and kinsman redeemer of the House of Israel, and that He only came to those lost sheep.  The prophets announced that the true Messiah would bring Jacob back and restore him/them to his/their own land.  We obviously are in those days, the days during which the Spirit of YHVH is turning the hearts and ears of the lost sheep so that they can hear the voice/whistle of the Shepherd.  But these are also days of deep darkness: “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; BUT YHVH will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.  The nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:2-3 emphasis added).  If there is no nation with His light, where will these other nations go?

The call to convene a National Congress of the lost sheep of the House of Israel on the Mountains of Ephraim is meant for solidifying the vision and the call, “Let us return and go up to Zion, to YHVH our Elohim”, and to lay the foundations to our national restoration as the stick/etz of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim.

It will take a united effort for everyone to take the sword in one hand and the working tool in the other, and to faithfully and humbly serve and work together for the glory of our great King and Redeemer.