Am I Ready?
These pictures were taken the 3rd week of last month. WOW! I took a nice leisurely walk on my normal path through the neighborhood and since I was the only one out there I let Yashar run to his hearts content without a leash. After about 1/2 a mile up the road I ran into a neighbor who stopped to speak to me briefly, obviously a fellow chionophile, and he told me that it hasn’t snowed like this in nearly 20 years. This caused me to think about how my parents are from TN as I remembered all the winters of there being snow and once my mom and I visited during winter when I was 13 and it snowed then. The very reason why I grew up in CA is because my father hated the cold snowy winters. It was in that conversation I realized that TN is going through with snow, what CA is going through with rain; low to none for nearly 20 years. I was speaking to my niece and sister earlier today about the rain they are experiencing now. It’s causing so many issues with flooding and damage but they both are, dry and snug as bugs in rugs with the showers falling all around them. It was the same here in TN. While these pictures are much like winter postcards, this snow had me bound to my home for over a week but guess what? I stayed safe, warm, with plenty of food and water, building a snowman and even tried sledding down my sloped hills (I will purchase me a sled for next time YHWH willing lol). I told my sister that even while everyone is complaining about their cars sliding into ditches, not being able to shovel their driveways, stuck for 10 days and temps ranging from 2 to 0 degrees, I was full of YAH’S joy, provision, safety, warmth and comfort just like the children of Israel eating a Passover meal with joy as He brought down the plagues over Egypt. This is the ELOHIM of whom I serve; HalleluYAH!
Now, to the topic at hand! About a week ago I listened on YouTube as a young woman gave a sobering testimony. She was involved in a car accident and in the midst of it I thought I knew what she was going to say, in that she was going to show her gratitude for how YAHWEH saved her and allowed her to walk away completely unscathed from a car wreck that easily could have taken her life. She landed upside down in the vehicle and while the beautiful souls who stopped was pulling her out of the car to safety, she realized 2 things.
1. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her and she rejoiced in His favor over this.
2. He immediately gave her the gift of realizing that she could have died in that wreck but SHE WAS NOT READY!
As she spoke, it was clear that she is an active member in her church but YAHWEH in His gentle mercy, saved her from pride allowing her to know that regardless of it all, she was not ready. I wondered for myself, back when I was an active member of my church, had this happened to me would I have been pulled from that car believing because I’m a christian and active in my church, that my church affiliation is why YAHWEH saved me? Or, even if He allowed me to be taken at that time, on my way out; would I have been thinking “I’m a christian, I am active in my church, I know Him, so I’m good?” Family, I would not have been ready either. In fact I was in an accident when I was about 22 years of age where my car was hit by a semi truck and went spinning on a major interstate and it stopped aligned with the middle divider pointed in the opposite direction of oncoming traffic. No one else hit me and I hit no one. I landed safely in the shoulder near the fast lane and you know what? I wasn’t ready. I got out of my car without a scratch and all I remember was screaming and crying pointing at the truck that hit me, and maybe I did thank “God” but I barely recall it, and that is such a shame. Even my church affiliation did not come to mind because at that time I wasn’t an active member, I was just a sunday only christian with a severely seared conscience. So no, I wasn’t ready. I was prideful blaming it on the truck that hit me instead of admitting I was driving too fast, because as usual I was running late to work. I ponder my salvation, as I write this and I know my MASHIACH, far better now than I ever have which is exactly why I Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (NKJV)
Life and death circumstances afford us the opportunity to look at what we are doing here, while we still have life on earth and at this time all I can do is cry out to YAHWEH and YESHUA in prayer and ask Them to:
Show me my faults, and to cleanse me in my ELOHIM’S all consuming fire. Remove from me Father YAHWEH all that displeases You. Keep me from pride, vanity, haughtiness, greed and separate me from this world. Let my desires align with Your will for my life and let me not worship You in error. I am so sorry for where I have failed You, lift me up and keep me straightforward on Your narrow path, putting nothing and no one above You. Let me draw near to You so that You may draw near to me. Let me decrease so that Your RUACH HA’KODESH may increase in me. Let all my thoughts and intentions honor You, bringing esteem to Your Mighty name YAHWEH. I am grateful for the sacrifice of Your Son YESHUA, who is my Adon, and my King. Forgive me for all of my comings and goings that were absent of You. YESHUA, do not let me stray from Your ways, or from your Laws as You are Torah. Teach me what You want me to say, put Your words in my mouth so that I may proclaim Your faithfulness to all who will hear. My ELOHIM, may Your Will be done in me, in the name of YESHUA, ahmein.
So you see, what I’m understanding is that it doesn’t really matter how much we think we know our ELOHIM, satan has been at this since the beginning of time and he is always crouching at our back door waiting for an opening. As YAHWEH spoke to Cain in Gen 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it. YAHWEH has given to us as well since the beginning, the ability to take authority over our actions ruling over sin. This can present itself in various ways like social media for example. SM is a great trap for allowing our thoughts to get away from us. It can lead to covetous thoughts, judging others unrighteously, bickering, puffed up prideful conversations and behavior. In cases like this, it’s best to Matthew 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. If SM is a stumbling block remove it completely, the app or the situation causing the problem must be removed from your life; and if for example it’s difficult to abstain from social media, then it is a strong hold required to be removed altogether, immediately.
I personally have given up so much of the world that I was under the impression that I’m good, but our thoughts and hearts can easily take control of our actions. When YAHWEH takes us to a new level, you can be sure that there will be a new devil waiting. 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 says casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of ELOHIM, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of HA’MASHIACH, 6: and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. There is always a spirit ready to attack our minds, placing thoughts in our heads, causing misunderstandings. When negative thoughts enter we cannot entertain them. Those arguments we have with others in our heads, shut them down. YAHWEH will give us the words to say, when we need to say them. Another thing that can get in the way of us living our purpose for YAHWEH is that people tend to get consumed with what others think of them and this can cause anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, or cause one to try too hard to be liked. I don’t believe we should worry about what people “think” of us; it’s none of our business and our concern should be about what YAHWEH thinks of us. For me, I want my obedience in YESHUA fulfilled so that He may He use me as His tool to awaken others to their purpose in the Will of our ELOHIM.
May we all continue on this narrow path, those whom seek to be in covenant with YAHWEH. For those who have yet to choose Him which is literally to choose life, what are you waiting for? If you are reading this, He has most likely called you. Time is short whether it’s the return if YESHUA or if we have more years behinds us than we have ahead of us. In either case, we want to be ready mentally, spiritually and physically. You pray for me, and I will pray for you.
Shalom & Birekoth!
Just a few supporting verses:
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (NKJV)
-Philippians 2:12
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it. (NKJV)
-Gen 4:7
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. (NKJV)
-Matthew 5:29
Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of ELOHIM, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of HA’MASHIACH, 6: and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (NKJV)
-2 Corinthians 10:5-6
Watch therefore, for you do not know what [a]hour your MASHIACH is coming. (NKJV)
-Matthew 24:42
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (NKJV)
-Matthew 24:44
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [a]in which the Son of Man is coming. (NKJV)
-Matthew 25:13
His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (NKJV)
-Matthew 25:21
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (NKJV)
-John 14:3
Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. (NKJV)
-Luke 21:28
Watch therefore, and pray always that you may [a]be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (NKJV)
-Luke 21:36
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching. (NKJV)
-2 Tim 4:2
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. 8: And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9: Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of YAHWEH.” (NKJV)
-Revelation 19:7-9