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IN THIS ISSUE:
If you are
truly remaining current on world events, you know that this week could prove
to be a very trying time for the children of Judah abiding in the
covenant land of Israel...
The suicide
bombing attacks upon the people of Israel, by the Palestinian Authority's
warring factions and the militant arms of many radical Islamic groups, have
increased significantly in current weeks, and the threat of substantially
increased terrorist attacks on the nation of Israel have been promised for
the Passover period that begins at sunset on Wednesday (this week).
Not by
coincidence, the Arab League of Nations is holding a summit in Beirut,
Lebanon this week - also beginning on Wednesday... Say what they
will, the true agenda for this meeting is to determine whether the
time is right for an all-out assault upon Israel - and, therefore, it's
allies as well. I will not speculate here about this though, because
this is not the focus of this note...
The intent of
this brief editorial is merely to remind you that the children of Israel are
under siege today, and with the Passover celebration approaching, they need
our prayers... The world needs our prayers...
We stand at
the brink of a tumultuous time; a time long prophesied! May our hearts be
strengthened in the knowledge that Yahshua will be returning soon - and in
that strength, may we have the courage to abide in Him; for the praise of
His glory.
Pray for
Israel, beloved - because it is This Tree to which we have been grafted!
Somewhere in The Letters, I know that I can
hear myself saying something about the fact that even though a disciple may
not identify a particular gift of the Ruach - to be in their personal
arsenal today - that does
not mean that they may not be
given that gift at some later point in their walk with Elohim... Little did
I know when I penned that thought, just how significant that truth really
is.
Somewhere else in The Letters, I know that I
have also stated that my gift
of discernment was lacking and - that
at that point in my life and walk with Yahshua, that quite possibly
- that this was a good thing!
Well, beloved, the times are changing...
As we grow in our walk with Yahshua, and as we
seek to abide more closely to Him, in Him and with Him, He responds to that
growth and faithfulness in ways that expand our capacity to serve Him.
He has shown me the truth of these things recently, as He has not only
increased my capacity to discern the spirits - but also to exhort His
children in ways that I never before really comprehended.
The teaching that we
set forth on Exhortation in The Letters (Letter 16) is a solid presentation
- offered by an individual with little first-hand knowledge. In
reading that teaching today, I am impressed by the fact that the Ruach moved
me to include the truth that being an exhorter is, oftentimes, difficult.
Little did I know though, just how truly difficult the act of exhortation
really is!
Our Master has shown me the fullness of these
matters recently though, and I am moved to share these findings with you
today, because many more within the Body are going to be anointed with this
gift of exhortation - very soon. As
is customary in His workings in my life, along with this new-found
capacity, I am being moved to share these findings
with the Ekklesia, so that His
Body will be prepared for the
labor that He is setting before us.
Being able to discern a false teaching, or to
discern the workings of Babylon in the lives of the children of Yahshua, has
been with me for a long time. Much of the burden I have in my heart
for the Ekklesia is a direct outcropping of this discernment. In the
past, however, my gifting has been such that I would offer a teaching (like
those found in The Letters) in a general / passive sort of approach, and
would then pray that the Ruach would open the
eyes, ears and hearts of His children to the fullness of the Word of
Truth!
In recent months though, our loving Master has
moved me beyond a general / passive approach, and has called me
to speak out forcibly to some of His children, in a very direct and
confrontational manner - in a very concerted exhortational tone. And
each time, the bottom line has been a call to repentance from dead works
- with the results thus far, being
the seeming loss of a brother or sister in my life!
Although I have never shirked from a battle,
and although I have had my share of confrontations in life, exhorting a
child of Elohim, on behalf of Elohim, is quite different than confronting a
co-worker over some area of dispute, or confronting a mate or child over
some area of concern. The primary difference that I am being shown
today, is that when we approach a child of Elohim, on behalf of Elohim, the
outcome of that confrontation has eternal ramifications! We are not
discussing dirty rooms, or the investments of time, assets or energy in the
workplace. An exhortation that is truly being extended from heaven -
to a particular child of Yahshua - is laden with eternal ramifications,
because in each instance, the purity of the faith (or
the Gospel itself) is at issue...
In the cases that Yahshua has called me to
participate in thus far, the
knowledge of the eternal ramifications,
that the recipient might receive, has been shown to me, thereby increasing
the burden to exhort His child with urgency - and in His love. In
other words, the weight of the punishment or loss that the one I have been
led to exhort, has been shown to me - and the weight of these revelations
have acted as an impetus / motivator on my heart, to not only insure that my
presentation be made quickly, but that whatever the presentation is, that it
be laden with the love and truth of our Master!!!
I have always known through the Holy
Scriptures, that a prophet must deliver whatever message he has been
entrusted with, or else the message will burn in that prophet's heart,
making it impossible for him to not speak forth. I did not know that
this same searing applied to one charged to exhort... It does!
Over the past month's, our Master has laid a
burden on my heart for a number of His children, and in each instance, I
have been so moved in the rendering of the exhortation, that I have
literally prayed for days - in order to obtain His instructions on what to
say and how to say it... And, in this time of prayer, I have lost countless
hours of sleep - as He would awaken me with the searing and gut wrenching
move in my spirit, to speak forth the
truth that He had placed in my heart.
To date, the four individuals
that He has burdened me to speak to,
and the sins that were spoken against, remain unrepentant!
Personally, although the evil one wants me to feel as a failure, I know that
the Qodesh Ruach was my ultimate guide in the writing and presentation of
the exhortations that have flowed from my heart. Each instance has
stretched me well beyond my comfort zone, because each instance has demanded
that I (a mere man) must tell another soul, that they must repent from what
they are doing or saying, or not doing or saying!!! And, that unless
repentance is forthcoming, the hand of extreme discipline from our Father in
heaven was going to visit them...
And, in three
of the four instances, I have been moved to make it clear that until
repentance is forthcoming, communications between that brother or sister and
myself - must be cut-off... Until repentance is forthcoming, I am not
permitted to communicate with that brother or sister - and this is in accord
with the Word. (Galatians 1:6-10, for instance).
This is hard
for me, beloved! My heart is for the Body of Yahshua... Not
talking through a situation with a brother or sister, and not being able to
reason with the brethren, is painful for me! Somehow, I think that I
am supposed to share the pain of these experiences with you, so that if He
should ask you to do the same thing, you will know that you are not alone...
Nobody wants to be told they are doing anything
wrong, and nobody wants to be disciplined.
When correction is required
though, our Father may elect to
use one of His mature children to
speak to one of His undisciplined offspring. And, the simple fact is, many
of the undisciplined ones simply are not paying attention as the
exhorter speaks. In each
instance that He has shown me thus far, I have been deemed to be
speaking out of pride, arrogance or "book smarts", and the
notion that our Father in heaven might really be trying to get their
attention just does not register - initially... Being shown the
eternal ramifications of an unrepentant heart, however, and knowing that the
disciplinary hand of Elohim is about to fall upon these children, has
allowed me to ignore the puny attacks against
me. Prayerfully, as He calls you to exhort a wayward child, He
will permit you to see these things as well, so that your heart can remain
firm - withstanding the arrows of the evil one!
And, I am not
without the peace of the Ruach, in the knowledge that even though the
initial exhortation may be rejected, that does not mean that HE is not
continuing to work on the heart, mind and soul of Yahshua's children - so
that eventually, they may be turned back to our Master!!!
I think it is
also important for you to know that in each instance, a somewhat long-term
relationship had been established with each of the four individuals - so
that they knew my heart; they knew my motives! It was not as if I had
just burst into their lives, declaring some sin... These brethren knew
me; they had at least read portions of The Letters, and through those
writings, they knew where I was coming from! And, in each instance -
the response I received was an attempt on their part, to try and turn the
tables, so that somehow, I was the one with a problem. The fact that
these brethren were familiar with me is somehow significant to the fullness
of issuing a personal exhortation, though. I think it is important
that you know this also, because the witness you present in your lives -
daily (moment-by-moment, actually) is going to serve you as you serve our
Master.
Surely, we
must remove the log from our eyes, before we tell another to remove a speck
from theirs!
I somehow want
to think that an exhorter, therefore, must be above reproach! But - I
know that I am a sinner... I know that I am not perfect in my walk...
How can our Father use me in this manner, and still bring home His point to
His wayward children? How can He use any of us to accomplish anything
for Him? I can only respond to these thoughts with the very simple
truth that He is placing upon my heart right now: Faithful Prayer!
As I stated
from the outset of this article, in each instance of exhortation that I have
experienced thus far, I have literally lost hours of sleep - as I was
led to pray for the person I was to exhort, to pray for the content of the
message I was to send and to pray for His forgiveness if I should even think
of putting my thoughts or notions into His message...
Many years ago
our Master placed a burden on my heart for His Body, the Ekklesia. As
I have continued to walk with Him, and continued to grow in Him, He has
increased the burden I feel for His children - to the point where I am now
willing to lose all contact with some of His children, in order to insure
the fullness of their faith! The teaching presented in Letter 16
speaks of the difficulty of being an exhorter. I had no idea!
Tammy seeks
prayer for her Mom, who was rushed to the hospital with respiratory
problems.
Christine is
thanking our Master for her new job (which is a 100% commission position)
and is now seeking prayer, that our Father would open doors for the
sale of her products - so that she can earn a living.
Chas is
seeking our Father's guidance in her growth in Him, with the desire to draw
ever nearer to His throne... (This involves dying to self, as you
know, and will therefore require some painful experiences on her part.
So, we need to pray for her strength of faith, as Abba responds to these
requests).
Mike is
praying for a Spirit of
reconciliation in his marriage, and for the provision of a job, so that he
can gainfully care for his family.
Please pray
for the Ekklesia - that our loving Messiah and Master will be glorified in
His body, and that we would all come to the fullness of the faith in our
service to Him... Many false prophets, false pastors, false preachers
and false teachers are out there in this world, attempting to lead many
astray. Please remember to pray for the brethren - that the Truth
would be revealed to all - and that in the discovery of the Truth, that we
would all begin to order our lives aright before our Almighty King!
Charlie and I
are planning a trip to Georgia and Cleveland this summer - and are seeking
our Father's continued provision - and enlightenment, regarding the ministry
work that we are praying to accomplish. Please pray that He would be
glorified in all that we say and do, and that the lives of those we are able
to visit with, will be enriched - for the praise of Yahshua's glory, and our
eternal joy!
If you have any questions about the Bible,
Elohim (God), Yahshua Mashiach (Jesus Christ), The Qodesh Ruach (the Holy
Spirit), the Gospel, Faith or any pressing spiritual matter, please feel
free to contact me. While I may not possess the answers personally, I
know Who Does! Every effort will be made to answer your questions in a
timely and Scripturally supported manner.
Do you have a prayer request? Please
share your needs with us... We will post your needs in our "Prayer
Request" sections, so that we can approach the Throne of God in a
united front on your behalf.
Or, please feel free to mail your thoughts or
requests to:
Larry Vosen
2600 E. Seltice Way, #203
Post Falls, ID 83854
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Thank You, and may Elohim bless you and your
ministry - for the praise of His glory and your eternal joy!
