Showing posts with label Keeping God's Commandments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Keeping God's Commandments. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

KEEPING CHRIST'S COMMANDMENTS TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BE FOUND WORTHY


PLEASE NOTE: This article is the answer to my 10-8-2017 Prayer Request post on Facebook where I was seeking to know why God had placed a spirit of heaviness and sorrow on me in the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles, which is about expressing our overwhelming joy in the knowledge of our Messiah's love for us, and the gift of His salvation. ~ Helena Lehman
When I first became a born again believer in 1987 at the age of 30, the first thing Yahshua did after I felt my initial joy in knowing Him was to lay a spirit of heaviness and sadness over me that lasted for weeks, and that I came to understand as Christ's sorrow over all the people in the world today that have rejected Him, and do not know Him by His Spirit because they are not born again. This tragedy provoked the sorrow in me, and over time, its memory motivated me to really want to reach out to the lost, and lead them to a saving knowledge of Yahshua Ha Mashiach, or Jesus the Christ.

This same sort of sorrow overtook me again on October 8th, 2017, which I now know was no accident, for the date is significant. This is because "Octo" actually means "Eighth", as October was the Eighth month on the old Roman Calendar, which began the year with the Spring Equinox in March. It was also the eighth day of the month, and the "17" in 2017 adds up to 8, making the date 8-8-17, and a symbolic 888, which is the number of the Name of "Jesus" in Greek. Incidentally, my home phone number ends with the number sequence 888 also, which I really find appealing.

Getting back to the point of my story, I wanted to know why I was feeling this sorrow because it was very tough to handle, especially since it was right in the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles, when we are commanded to express our joy in our salvation. So I asked for prayer on Facebook because of it. Then, as my prayers mixed with those of my brethren and reached God's ear, I felt the sorrow lift slowly as God revealed why He had overwhelmed me with it.

The reason God sent me this manifestation of His feelings was to show me that He is very sorrowful over the terrible nay-saying and backbiting going on right now among His children. So many believers are currently actively and even voraciously mocking those who thought the Rapture might occur this September 20th through 30th, 2017 based on the incredible Heavenly Signs that appeared then in Leo and Virgo.

Even with the mockery they are experiencing, however, many believers (like me!) are continuing to watch, and are now looking at the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles on October 12th, and the eighth day assembly after it on Friday the 13th as possibly tied to the Last Trump of the Rapture. But the mockery those who are watching are receiving from those who are not is in direct disobedience to Yahshua's command to not call one's brethren "fool" or "idiot" lest they want to face judgment and possible Hell-fire. As Yahshua said:
Matthew 5:22 ~ “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.”
This does not mean that Yahshua never called anyone a fool. In fact, He did call people who were not keeping God's Commandments fools in Matthew 23:16-19. This suggests that Yahshua pointed to the foolishness of the Foolish Virgins in the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 because they will be found not keeping God's Commandments when Yahshua comes for us in the Rapture, and so they will be left behind. The term "virgins" in that Parable indicates that these were all people within the Church who professed to have accepted Yahshua's righteous blood covering over their sinfulness, but that the foolish ones among them were not truly committed to Christ, and were therefore not dead to the world and living for Him by striving to follow His Commandments.

Although I have received a great deal of flack from the "Once Saved, Always Saved" crowd for saying this, it seems apparent from the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins alone that keeping the Ten Commandments and the Moral Laws of God are essential if we wish to be a part of the Rapture, as well as of God's Kingdom, especially serving in the coming Millennial Kingdom of Christ, which is going to be given as a reward for the righteous who always strive to love and follow their Messiah and King. But there is another clear statement made by Yahshua that sets the record straight on this, and it is only found in the Gospel of John:
John 14:15-18 ~ “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
Taking Yahshua's words here at face value, and as more important than any teaching based on the words of mere men, Yahshua is clearly saying that there is a prerequisite to being born again with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and that prerequisite is the desire to keep Yahshua's Commandments, which were centered around loving God with one's whole being, and loving our neighbors (i.e. brethren in Christ) as ourselves. In other words, a person cannot be born again of the Holy Spirit or be ready for the Rapture unless they are keeping Christ's Commandments, and not just the two greatest ones, but all of the Moral Law of God that He emphasized in His earthly ministry. When we make the decision to follow Yahshua unto salvation and do His Commandments, we are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit so that we can do so, as it says in Ephesians 1:13-14:
“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”  
In this passage, the word of truth is found in the fact that we all need redemption because we have not kept the Moral Laws or Commandments of God, and we therefore need a perfect blood sacrifice for sin to overcome this obstacle to our salvation, and it can only be found in Yahshua or Jesus, our Passover Lamb. This is the Gospel of Salvation, and those who accept it understand that, though they are forgiven for their past trespasses, they should want to strive to keep Yahshua's Commandments in the future. When they understand this and repent of their sins, believers receive the Holy Spirit as the seal of the promise of their future inheritance and redemption.

The emphasis on loving one's brethren in the faith as an act of love for Yahshua is proven by examining the Commandment that Yahshua was referring to when He said that the second greatest Commandment was that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. This is found in the Book of Leviticus:
Leviticus 19:18 ~ “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
The “children of your people” referred to in this passage means the descendants of Abraham through Jacob. These were the Israelites that dwelt together in the Promised Land. They therefore were fellow believers in the One True God Yahweh Elohim. So the second greatest Commandment is to love your brethren in Christ as you love yourself, while the greatest Commandment is to love “the Lord your God” (i.e. Yahweh Elohim) with your whole being (See Matthew 22:36-40). People therefore need to seek to know God the Father through His Son Yahshua, and to love their brethren with all their hearts. This is how we keep Yahshua's Commandments, and this is what we must do before we can receive the Holy Spirit. This means that the Spirit is not automatically given to just anyone upon the profession of faith in Christ, but only if they have a true change of heart, and die to the world in order to fully serve God and keep His Commandments.

What God was showing me by allowing me to experience His sorrow on October 8th is that there are many Foolish Virgins in the Church right now that are not keeping Yahshua's Commandment to watch for His return, and are actually making fun of the people who are anxiously looking for His return and watching for the signs of His coming. This is why Yahshua reprimanded His Apostles for not being able to watch with Him for even one hour when He went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion (See Matthew 26:37-40). In fact, we are all commanded by Yahshua to watch for His return, as shown here in the Gospel of Mark:
Mark 13:34-37 ~ “It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
Note that Yahshua referred to the doorkeeper, who was commanded to watch for the master of the house to return. We, as servants of Yahshua the King of kings and Master of all, are the doorkeepers who have been commanded to watch for our Master's return. Furthermore, we were given signs of when His return would be near, as listed in the following Scriptures:
Matthew 24:9-13 ~ “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” 
Luke 21:25-26 ~ “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” 
2 Timothy 3:1-5 ~ “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”
We are therefore not only commanded to watch, but have been given the signs that we must watch for in order to be ready when Yahshua comes for His own. All of these signs can be demonstrated to have been fulfilled in our own era, especially over the past 10 years. The exponential increase in earthquakes, storms, floods, droughts, sinkholes, fires, intense heatwaves, extreme cold waves, Blood Moons and Sackcloth Suns from astronomical movements as well as fires, increased solar activity, increasing perturbations in the Earth's magnetic field and polar orientation, false teachers, false prophets, sexual immorality, sexually-transmitted diseases (pestilences), divorce, adultery, homosexuality, transgenderism, rebellion, murder, lying, stealing, disrespect of authority, cannibalism, demonic possession, and many other forms of lawlessness and wickedness are clear evidence that we are living in the very last days of the last days before Christ's return.

So the point of this article is to express God the Father's, and my own deep concern that followers of Christ are not showing the proper love, kindness, mercy and respect that they should be showing to one another in these last days, especially in regard to those who are ACTIVELY watching and looking for the signs of Christ's soon return. Those who are not looking at all, or are only giving it a casual perusal every now and then need to start paying more attention to their brethren who are watching, stop ridiculing and mocking them, and give them the love and respect they deserve for truly following Christ's command to “Watch!” Otherwise, those who are mocking and not watching are putting themselves in danger of being left behind, along with the rich and lukewarm believers in the Church of Laodicea, and the Foolish Virgins who are also not keeping God's Commandment to love one another.

MARANATHA YAHSHUA!  OUR
BRIDEGROOM IS COMING AGAIN SOON!
ARE YOU KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS?
IF NOT, START NOW, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE
AND YOU ARE LEFT BEHIND!

With Love and Blessings
From Your Sister In Yahshua,
Helena Lehman of the
Pillar of Enoch Ministry
Scholar, Author and Artist for
The Language of God Book Series, and
Webmaster for the Pillar of Enoch Ministry Site
Ministry Web Site: http://pillar-of-enoch.com

~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~

RELATED STUDIES IN GOD'S MORAL LAW:

CHRIST'S COMMANDMENTS AND
GOD'S MORAL LAW ARE SYNONYMOUS!

GOD IS ALWAYS LOVE,
AND SATAN IS ALWAYS HATE!

ALL SEXUAL SIN LIKE GAY/BAAL
WORSHIP LEADS TO DEATH!

WHY CHRIST IS THE LORD

WHY WILLFUL SINNERS WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN!

WARNING! SINNERS THAT DO NOT REPENT
WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!
TO GET AND STAY SAVED, YOU
NEED TO LOVE AND FOLLOW CHRIST!

The New Covenant of Liberty and Freedom

WHAT COMMANDMENTS MUST BELIEVERS KEEP
UNDER THE NEW COVENANT OF GRACE?
http://pillarofenoch.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-commandments-must-believers-keep.html

IMPORTANT HEAVENLY SIGN
ARTICLES FOR FURTHER READING:

THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE 
AMERICAN ECLIPSE OF AUGUST 2017
Prophetic Analysis of the Amazing
Heavenly Signs in September 2017

WHAT THE REVELATION 12 SIGN OF 
SEPTEMBER 2017 REALLY MEANS!

HOPEFUL HEAVENLY SIGNS ON THE
FIRST DAY OF THE 2017 FEAST OF SUKKOT
http://pillarofenoch.blogspot.com/2017/10/Hopeful-Heavenly-Signs-on-first-day-of-2017-Feast-of-Sukkot.html

WILL YOM KIPPUR 2017 
MARK OUR BLESSED HOPE?
http://pillarofenoch.blogspot.com/2017/09/will-yom-kippur-2017-mark-our-blessed-hope.html

~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~

This Ministry Needs Your Financial Support!
To Help via PayPal or GoFundMe, 
Read The Instructions at the Following Page:

Pillar of Enoch Ministry Home:

Pillar of Enoch Ministry Blog:

Introduction to the
Language of God Book Series:


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

CHRIST'S COMMANDMENTS AND GOD'S MORAL LAW ARE SYNONYMOUS!

Click Image To Enlarge
In my previous articles about the Freedom and Liberty that is given to all born-again believers in Christ, many have attacked my views concerning the freedom believers have from the keeping of the seventh day Sabbath, and the Law of Moses as the Jews do, sullied as they are by the traditions and interpretations of men who did not really know God (See Mark 2:24-28). But this does not mean that believers can ignore the entire Law that God set down for the Israelites. Only the Sacrificial and Priestly Laws were abolished on the Cross, NOT the Moral Laws! In fact, if they are truly born again, believers will feel and hear the Holy Spirit urging them to follow all of God's Moral Laws. This is why Yahshua or Jesus - Who is God Incarnate, the Word of God, and the I AM WHO I AM that spoke to Moses - taught His followers that He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it:
~*~ Matthew 5:17-20 ~*~ “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Indeed, we are called throughout the New Testament to keep God's Moral Laws or Commandments. Nowhere does our Messiah Yahshua or Jesus, the Apostle Paul, or any other apostle or disciple of Christ say that we do not have to worry about them any longer! Examples of New Covenant admonitions to keep God’s Moral Commandments include the following: John 14:15-21; 1 John 2:1-6; and 1 John 5:1-4.   

The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, and the Moral Laws in Exodus 21, Exodus 22, and Exodus 23, which was called the Book of the Covenant, along with the Moral laws in Leviticus, Chapter 18, Chapter 19 and Chapter 20, and in Deuteronomy 18, Deuteronomy 19, Deuteronomy 21, Deuteronomy 22, and Deuteronomy 23 (with the exception of the Laws pertaining to war or slaves, which Yahshua never supported or condoned) summarize the Moral Laws of God. All believers should be aware of, and should strive to keep these Moral laws to the best of their ability. Of course, I firmly believe that the Holy Spirit will remind all born-again believers to follow God's Moral laws - even if they are unfamiliar with them.

In the New Testament Gospels and the Epistles, we are also called to temper ALL of these divine legal requirements with Yahshua's call for love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness. In fact, many of the chapters of Moral Laws that I've linked to in the Old Testament were recalled, reiterated and further elaborated upon in the Gospels by Yahshua or Jesus during His First Advent Ministry, which was primarily directed toward the Israelites living in Judea in the First Century AD. This can especially be seen in His Sermon on the Mount, which is recorded in Matthew 5, Matthew 6, and Matthew 7. Believers who assume that the Moral Laws that Yahshua discussed on that mountain top do not pertain to Christians are completely wrong, for Yahshua's blood covers every believer, and literally makes them an Israelite, priest and king in the likeness of Yahshua.

The Commandments, Laws or Works that were nailed to the Cross with Yahshua in death were NOT the Moral Laws of God, but any and all of those Laws related to the Old Testament priesthood and sacrificial system. This included the Laws pertaining to the tabernacles, temples, priesthood, priests and priestly garments, sacrificial animals and burnt offerings, and the special animal sacrifices on the Feast days (See Hebrews 10:11-14; Colossians 2:13-15). Thus, the Liberty and Freedom that we have in Christ is based on no longer having the need to keep and uphold the sacrificial system and its priesthood, or to honor the unbiblical traditions that sprang up around them.

One major exception to this rule were the tribal assembly requirements that were called for on three of the Seven Feasts of Israel, which were Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles (See Exodus 23:14-17). Born-again believers are also called by Christ to gather together to commemorate His place in our salvation on Passover via the Lord's Supper and Resurrection Sunday. In addition, most believers keep Pentecost as the birthday of the Church.

Many believers also keep Christmas as a celebration of Christ's birth narrative, which encompasses all of the Autumn Feasts of Israel - from the Feast of Trumpets to the Feast of Tabernacles. In addition, Christmas is also directly tied to Chanukah, which was viewed as a secondary Feast of Tabernacles by the Israelites, and it is also the likely time when Yahshua was conceived by the Holy Spirit in his earthly mother Miriam's womb. Chanukah was instituted as a Feast during the Maccabean period of Israel's history, and although it is considered a minor feast, it has a very big prophetic importance to disciples of Christ in regard to the Last Days. See my books "The Language of God in Humanity" and "The Language of God in Prophecy" to read about the many aspects of the prophetic significance of Chanukah, and all the Feast Days.

Even as we are called to commemorate these three yearly feasts in our own way, Yahshua and His apostles and disciples commemorated the Weekly Sabbath  differently than the Jews, who were bound by unbiblical traditions. Stripped of these restrictive traditions, they did not have to keep the weekly Sabbaths in the same way that the Jews do. In fact, throughout His First Advent Ministry, Yahshua showed His followers that they are to view everyday as a perpetual Sabbath with Christ. This means that the Sabbath should be dedicated to loving and helping others by following the lead of the Spirit of God in them.

So, rather than resting from all work on the Sabbaths, believers are called to care for one another, and for their livestock and pets as they are called to do on every other day of the week. Instead of not working at all, they are called to spend the day drawing near to God with songs, testimonies, baptisms, prayers and scripture study, and to go out healing the sick, raising the dead, and feeding and clothing the poor and hungry with physical and spiritual food and clothing. In short, born-again believers are called to live as though they are dead to the world, but alive in Christ. Their Freedom and Liberty comes from following Christ rather than the Law and the traditions of men that sully them. This is why born-again believers are free to keep the Feasts and the Sabbaths as they see fit until Christ comes back for His saints.

However, in the Millennial Kingdom, all of Christ's servants will be required to keep Passover, and the Feast of Tabernacles, and most likely Pentecost as well. The weekly Sabbaths will also likely be times for special celebration, fellowship, and spiritual reflection. Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles are the same three feasts mentioned in the Book of the Covenant that required the Israelites to assemble before God, and all believers will likely be called to do so during the Millennium also (See Exodus 23:14-17; Luke 22:14-16; Zechariah 14:16-19).

For further study on this topic, I have written several related studies. The titles and links to these articles can be found below. I pray that these will be a blessing to those who are seeking to know and follow Christ.

Love and Blessings from
Your Sister in Yahshua,
Helena Lehman,
Scholar, Author and Artist for
The Language of God Book Series, and
Webmaster for the Pillar of Enoch Ministry Site
Ministry Web Site: http://pillar-of-enoch.com 
~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~

RELATED STUDIES ON GOD'S MORAL LAW:

ALL SEXUAL SIN LIKE GAY/BAAL
WORSHIP LEADS TO DEATH!

WHY CHRIST IS THE LORD

WHY WILLFUL SINNERS WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN!

WARNING! SINNERS THAT DO NOT REPENT
WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!
TO GET AND STAY SAVED, YOU
NEED TO LOVE AND FOLLOW CHRIST!

The New Covenant of Liberty and Freedom

WHAT COMMANDMENTS MUST BELIEVERS KEEP
UNDER THE NEW COVENANT OF GRACE?

~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~****~~

Please Visit My POEM Ministry Web Site;
 The Home of My Language of God Book Series:

Use This Link To See Book Covers and 
Read Book Reviews, Synopses, and Excerpts:

Use This Link To Purchase My 
Language of God Series Books:

CLICK HERE TO GIVE POEM A DONATION:
 I am in Financial Need and I pray for your support! 

~~****~~***~~****~~

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Thursday, March 05, 2015

GRACE IS FOR THOSE WHO KEEP CHRIST'S COMMANDMENTS!






























Yes, we are covered by God's GRACE (i.e. God's UNMERITED FAVOR) when we do sin. But we MUST come to the Cross, confess our sins to the Father, and ask Him for forgiveness and to help us change with the help of the Holy Spirit for God's Grace to cover us. This is because sin without repentance and without changing one's direction and purpose remains unforgiven. This is why our Messiah Yahshua (i.e. Christ Jesus) said the following, which was so important it was reiterated by the Apostle John, as shown in the following Scriptures:
John 14:15-18 ~ “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” 
1 John 2:3-6 ~ “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
Taken together, these Scriptures tell us that those who are anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit do not need to be taught how to please God because the Spirit of God abides in them, and teaches them how to be righteous like our Adonai Yahshua (i.e. Lord Jesus)! For more study on this subject, check out my Ministry Blog Article about it here:

WHAT COMMANDMENTS MUST BELIEVERS KEEP
UNDER THE NEW COVENANT OF GRACE?

If you take the time to read the article linked to above, I am sure that you will be blessed by it. For a much deeper study of the contents of this article and the one linked to above, read a copy of my 745-page book “The Language of God in Humanity”. I have linked to my ministry page devoted to that book below my closing, where there are reviews of the book, excerpts, and digital and paperback ordering instructions.

Love and Blessings to you all in Christ, and Maranatha!

Your Sister in Yahshua,
Helena Lehman of
the Pillar of Enoch Ministry
http://pillar-of-enoch.com

~~****~~***~~****~~

To examine the contents of my 745-page book 
“The Language of God in Humanity”, and to learn where to 
purchase a paperback or digital copy, visit my 
POEM Ministry web site page concerning this book here:

“The Language of God in Humanity” - Book
Synopsis, Reviews, Excerpts, and Ordering Options

~~****~~***~~****~~

This Ministry is in Financial Need!
Please Consider Giving a Gift of $10 or more if this
article, and my other books and articles have blessed you.
CLICK BELOW TO GIVE POEM A CASH GIFT: 
http://pillar-of-enoch.com/contact.html

~~****~~***~~****~~


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Monday, September 22, 2014

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER EXPECTS US TO PREACH AGAINST WICKEDNESS!


Once we are saved and born again, the Holy Spirit is there in our hearts to direct us on how to act and what to do in order to please our Heavenly Father Yahweh God. When we are listening, God’s Spirit will often encourage us and build us up when we are on the right path and doing what pleases God. Just as salt and light destroy germs, dispel darkness and decay, and bring life and healing to the Earth and our bodies, we are also called to be Spiritual Salt and Light in this wicked world:
Matthew 5:13-16 ~ “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
But God also rebukes and corrects even His own sons and daughters in ways that are not always so pleasant when we are not heeding the Spirit’s quiet voice within our hearts, and not being the Spiritual Salt and Light that we are called to be in this dark world. As it says in Scripture:
Hebrews 12:3-11 ~ “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: 
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.” 
7 If you endure chastening (i.e. discipline), God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
This Scripture makes it clear that we should expect God to discipline us by allowing us to suffer for our unconfessed sins when we do not comply to God's wishes. If those who profess to love and follow Yahshua continue to sin even though the Holy Spirit is warning that they need to change, believers will suffer from God's discipline and correction, which usually manifests itself as a withdrawal of His divine favor and protection.

As further proof that we need to strive for righteousness and expect it from the unsaved world around us despite persecution, the following Scriptures support this conclusion. They are either our beloved Messiah Yahshua’s own words, or were inspired by Yahshua’s Holy Spirit, and they are notable because they all condemn the actions of unrepentant believers and the unsaved, unrepentant wicked as both viperous and hypocritical, and worthy of the most severe punishment:
Isaiah 1:2-6  ~ The Wickedness of Judah
“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!
For the Lord has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against Me;
3 The ox knows its owner
And the donkey its master’s crib;
But Israel does not know,
My people do not consider.”
4 Alas, sinful nation,
A people laden with iniquity,
A brood of evildoers,
Children who are corrupters!
They have forsaken the Lord,
They have provoked to anger
The Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away backward.
5 Why should you be stricken again?
You will revolt more and more.
The whole head is sick,
And the whole heart faints.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head,
There is no soundness in it,
But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores;
They have not been closed or bound up,
Or soothed with ointment.” 
Isaiah 13:11
“I will punish the world for its evil,
And the wicked for their iniquity;
I will halt the arrogance of the proud,
And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” 
Isaiah 47:9-11
“But these two things shall come to you
In a moment, in one day:
The loss of children, and widowhood.
They shall come upon you in their fullness
Because of the multitude of your sorceries,
For the great abundance of your enchantments.
10 “For you have trusted in your wickedness;
You have said, ‘No one sees me’;
Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you;
And you have said in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’
11 Therefore evil shall come upon you;
You shall not know from where it arises.
And trouble shall fall upon you;
You will not be able to put it off.
And desolation shall come upon you suddenly,
Which you shall not know.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.” 
Jeremiah 5:24-27 
“They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear the Lord our God,
Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season.
He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25 Your iniquities have turned these things away,
And your sins have withheld good from you.
26 ‘For among My people are found wicked men;
They lie in wait as one who sets snares;
They set a trap;
They catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds,
So their houses are full of deceit.
Therefore they have become great and grown rich.” 
Matthew 3:6-10 ~ John The Baptist Condemns The Religious Leaders; John the Baptist Said:  “Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 
Matthew 12:33-36 ~ A Tree Is Known By Its Fruit; Yahshua Said: “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”
Matthew 23:29-36 ~ Hypocritical Religious Leaders Compared To Vipers; Yahshua Said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”
In addition to the condemnation that John the Baptist and Yahshua gave to the religious leaders of their day, the Apostle Paul said this about the deplorable conduct of unrepentant believers toward one another:
1 Corinthians 6:7-10 ~ “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
So it is not just the Religious Leaders (Pharisees and Sadducees) that are being condemned in God’s Word. All unrepentant sinners are being condemned, including those in the Church who do not practice righteousness, who do not turn the other cheek when wronged, and who do not warn others of their coming doom in Hell, or the lake of fire. These people are not listening to God, and are not allowing Him to be the Potter (See Isaiah 64:8-9; Jeremiah 18:5-6). For this reason, they are heaping up judgment upon themselves because they are not allowing God’s Spirit to mold and shape them into the New Creations in Christ that God desires for them (2 Corinthians 5:16-19).

For those who refuse God’s discipline, there is going to be harsh judgment - even among those who profess to be believers in Christ. Although they may not be sent to Hell, the threat of this exists for those who refuse to repent - whether they claim Christ as their Savior or not. The judgment of the dead, and the condemnation of some to everlasting torment in Hell or the lake of fire is described in the Book of Revelation:
Revelation 20:10-15 ~ Devil Imprisoned, Dead Are Judged; The Apostle John Wrote: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
There are many more passages in Scripture that condemn the unrighteous wicked who will not repent that are not listed here. All of these Scriptures show that our Heavenly Father God is not all warm and fuzzy all the time. He rebukes and punishes both His children and the unsaved when they repeatedly sin against Him without repentance. Though our Father God Yahweh is very merciful and He loves us all, He is also a God of Justice. Therefore, He will be forced to send some of us to Hell forever at the end of time if we do not repent!

Yahshua and the Apostle Paul also made it very clear that those who love Yahshua and His Father Yahweh deeply and do God’s Will by following His Commandments should expect to suffer persecution:
Matthew 5:10-12 ~ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 
Matthew 13:20-22 ~ “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.”
Mark 10:28-31 ~ “Then Peter began to say to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed You.’ 29 So Jesus answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’”  
John 15:18-21 ~ The World’s Hatred of Christ's Body ~ “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.” 
2 Timothy 3:10-13 ~ “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystr - what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
Based on these Scriptures, it's not a matter of if, but when you will suffer persecution - not only for sharing your faith and joy in Christ, but for condemning the actions of the unrighteous. In fact, if you consider yourself a believer but you never suffer persecution, then you had better be questioning your salvation and inquiring of God, asking Him what you are doing wrong! Then, after doing so, read the Scriptures in this article over and over again to convict you of your need to be holy, and to preach the truth to all who will listen, for the time is short, and the End of this Age is drawing near!

 These scriptures make it abundantly clear that those who love God WILL be persecuted, and some may even lose their lives at the hands of the wicked - as those who are dying as martyrs in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and other parts of the world today can attest. But even so, while we still have the breath of life in our dying bodies of decaying flesh, we need to preach the following message to all who will listen:
Romans 6:22-23 ~ “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (i.e. Messiah Yahshua our Adonai).”
For more Bible studies that show the importance of following Yahshua's Commandments, and the great need for believers to live a godly life if they want to be worthy to be included in the Rapture and Millennial Kingdom of Christ, please read the following articles also posted to my POEM Ministry Blog:

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HOLY?

SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS,
THE DESTROYER OF THE CHURCH

GRACE VERSUS ELECTION

DO YOU MANIFEST THE 
FRUITS AND GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Your Sister In Yahshua,
Helena Lehman of the
Pillar of Enoch Ministry
Ministry Web Site: http://pillar-of-enoch.com

~~****~~****~~****~~

This Ministry Needs Financial Help!
To Give Through GoFundMe:

To Give Through PayPal:

Thank You For Your Love, Prayers and Support! 

~~****~~****~~****~~

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)