October 24th, 2021: THE HIGHWAY OF RESTORATION!
Elohim works through the suffering and rejection of His faithful ones.
The life of Hagar is one example in the Bible, where the rejection that she experienced by Sarah and Abraham, brought her to a place of desperation, where she cried out to the LORD. He heard her cry and personally came down to rescue her, and her son Ishmael.
14 "So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and [d]a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. 15 And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.17 And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” (Genesis 21:14-18)
God indeed kept His promise and turned Ishmael into a great nation - the Arab nation of today!
By the same token, God used the rejection of Joseph's brothers to bring Joseph to Egypt, where the LORD prepared him to take the position of governor, in order to deliver his brothers from the famine. This set-up from the LORD, brought reconciliation amongst the brothers. Joseph then marries an Egyptian woman and has two sons: Ephraim and Manasseh (Yes, they were half Egyptians!). And Ephraim ends up leading the 10 northern tribes of Israel, that were scattered after King Solomon's reign.
This dispersion was a consequence of their idolatry and rebellion against the God of Israel.
"27But if in spite of all this you do not obey Me, but continue to walk in hostility toward Me...33 I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste." (Leviticus 26:27&33)
And so because of this, Ephraim became the 10 lost tribes of Israel. However, the FATHER had a plan of reconciliation for His people that had become "NOT My people (Lo Ammi)": And the LORD said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people, and I am not your God." (Hosea 1:9)
They became the gentiles. However, through Yeshua, Who came for the lost sheep of the House of Israel, He brought reconciliation through the cross!
Where there is reconciliation, there is LIFE!
How does it start? It starts with the physical need that presents the opportunity for spiritual restoration.
Just like the famine brought the brothers out of their geographical location from Israel to
Egypt, so rejection afforded a place of reconciliation amongst the brothers, and brought deliverance from famine for all the tribes of Israel.
YESHUA was the ultimate example of how the FATHER turned the rejection that Yeshua faced by His very own people, into salvation and reconciliation for the whole world!
"For if their rejection leads to the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" (Romans 11:15)
11"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:11-12) The ultimate question is this: Are you willing to say "Here I am!", and face rejection and persecution, so that God's plans can be fulfilled in your life, even in the midst of this evil generation? We are called to stand up - just like Noah did in his generation! Many are being rejected because they do not conform to the pattern of this world. However, many others have fallen away, because they are afraid of rejection and persecution! Therefore, we must CHOOSE THIS DAY WHO WE WILL SERVE!
There is no revival without rejection and persecution. There is no revival that will be watered by the Rivers of Living Waters, unless it's in the valley of deep surrender and repentance. Man can only be strengthened and revived in the valley, and by the shakings of God in their lives. Not in the mountain tops of success. Shakings are necessary in our lives!
The LORD spoke this through the prophet Haggai; “For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:6-7)
And again the LORD says; “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” (Hebrews 12:26-27)
Therefore, ADONAI will shake and empower His remnant, rescuing and removing everything that hinders us from Him. So that we can in turn, help rescue others and bring them to the saving knowledge of Messiah Yeshua as well!
We see this pattern being played out in the life of Abraham, when he was told to get out of his father's house, and go to an unknown land, that the LORD was going to show him. He had to leave everything he knew, behind!
Then, fast track to Jacob fleeing from Esau. Jacob being rejected by Laban, not being able to marry the love of his life: Rachel, but having to marry Leah. All of these major events in Jacob's life was part of the LORD's purpose for creating the 12 tribes - even Yehuda, which is the tribe of our Messiah Yeshua!
Everything has a purpose! Even the rejection of Laban!
Moses, having to be thrown in the Nile river, was then to become the deliverer of God's people in Egypt.
Fast forward to Stephen (in the New Covenant), whose martyrdom was planned by Shaul (before he became the apostle Paul). This was really planned by the LORD; Through this persecution, the LORD was able to get a hold of Shaul, shake him up, and turn his life around to be an apostle fully dedicated to the work of the LORD - more than any other apostle of Yeshua! Apostle Paul was rejected in Jerusalem, he appealed but was denied and was sent to Rome. And through this rejection, his ministry escalated into the nations!
The early believers had to flee from persecution in the Roman Empire. But it was through their dispersion, that the Gospel was spread throughout the nations!
Therefore, STAND in His promises and stand for the truth in this evil generation! Resist the ungodliness and lawlessness of these last days!
There is no holiness without separation, and no separation without rejection. Therefore, in order for us to be holy, we need to understand that we will be rejected by the world.
When we choose YESHUA, we are choosing to be rejected by the world.
18If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.19 If you were of the world, it would love you as it sown. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. 20Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.…"
(John 15:18-20)
The rejection by the Jews was on purpose. A mystery and partial blindness set in place, in order to reach the nations!
All of these things will come together, in the New Jerusalem! A highway of holiness will be built, where all of the nations will come together as ONE NEW MAN, through our MESSIAH YESHUA!!
"8And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. 9No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, 10and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
(Isaiah 35:8-10)
The nations will come to worship YESHUA, at the time of the Millennium. They will be completely separate in holiness unto the LORD.
So, let's PRAY for the final reconciliation of ALL peoples to YESHUA!!
Pray for the Arab nations, the scattered lost tribes of Israel, and the remnant, to be awakened at this time.
All this work will be done through persecution and rejection. But the LORD will redeem the suffering, and use it to unite us all together;
Not in the new one world religion, proposed by the Pope (which is a counterfeit restoration), but through YESHUA HA'MASHIACH!
Amen.
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