Beloved, let's sit together for a moment.
In these days we see so many voices rising up, so many who claim to speak in the name of Our Father, who presents themselves as wounded healers, as semi-martyrs for the Most High. And yet, if we listen with the inner ear, with that quiet spark the Ein Sof placed within each of us, we can hear that something is off. The words may sound holy, but the tenor is all wrong, a distortion bent not toward the Spirit, but toward self.
You know the ones I mean. The false prophets, the charlatans, the con-men, the prosperity preachers, boldly announcing a gospel they themselves devised. And their message is always the same, isn't it? Open your heart by opening your wallet, and I will sell you salvation. Give me something substantial, and I will purchase for you the dismissal of your inequities.
My friends, this is not the Way.
That message knows exactly where to find a tender, guilt-ridden heart. It knows the quickest road to a weary and broken spirit that is just longing to be made whole. And that is what makes it so dangerous. It studies the faithful, our beautiful habits, our sincere longing for Our Father, not to feed the flock, but to draw the lambs away. To dress the wolf's deception in the shepherd's clothing and call it the favor of the Most High.
It is so easy to manipulate a heart that is already heavy. And so easy to mislead a soul that is already desperate to be held.
And there, in that place of holy disillusionment, without true fellowship and without honesty, even those who have tasted the love and peace and promise of Yehoshua, even among His known greatness of abiding love, mercies and grace, can begin to feel hollow. They forget.
But hear this, oh my Tribe of Goodness: Yehoshua has never left you hollow. His presence is not loud and demanding. It is a quiet, abiding guardianship. In it, a peaceful encouragement which comes from pure love. He does not see you as an attendee. You are family, a well-cared for and deeply respected member of His living household. Remember that.
So we must ask ourselves, why would we continue to expose our inner sanctuary to words which are contrary to Ha' Moshiach Yehoshua while in the presence of heretics? When shepherds permit that unsanctified poison to enter the ears and minds of the faithful, it is a sorrow for us all. And when we, as a family, remain silent, when we lack the courage to lovingly speak against it, our silence can be mistaken for permission.
We cannot afford to give credence to blasphemy by saying nothing. That dislocated-holiness, that empty performance, it does not just fade away. It echoes. It rings out in the streets, in our homes, and even within the sanctified halls of Our Father's own house. And it leaves behind apprehension. A lingering mistrust. A deflated faith, even when the truth is being spoken right in front of us by the truly called.
And that brings me to the heart of this, the true Call.
For a moment, think of all those now studying for ministry. So many with a feeling of being called and yet not the inward seal of it. So let us ask, gently and honestly. Who among us can truly testify to an encounter with Ruach Ha’ Chodesh (Holy Spirit)? Who knows the tremendous privilege and the weighty responsibility of being among the elect, those called in grace by Our Father to represent His presence here on earth?
For the truly called, there is no expectation of exalted honor. No desire for special favoritism. To be drawn into the service of the Living One, the Ein Sof, is by the power and glory of the Most High alone. It is not something we choose for ourselves.
What a shameful error it is to claim election as a personal career choice, to become a nominal part of the Body, which IS the living embodiment of Yehoshua and all the goodness He is. The honor is never in the title. The honor is in the walk. Grace is in the deed. Peace is in the quiet emulation of Yehoshua Himself, our Rock, our Redeemer, our Revealer Salvation and Restoration, our source of truth.
The Chosen, the truly elect, do not clock in and out. There is no "Oh, I'm off duty." Their whole life is an enthusiastic engagement with Scripture, with the Good News of our Rock and Redeemer. They are educating, edifying, and aiding others because they cannot help but do so. It is who they are.
How fearful it is when ordinances are weighed out upon the unlearned as a means of dominion and control, blocking everything of Yehoshua which does not fit inside the charlatan's little doctrine. Therefore, the true shepherds of Yehoshua are obligated to shun all things formed against Ha' Moshiach Y'shua.
Our highest calling within the Body is simple, beloved: to emulate the teachings of Yehoshua. We are drawn to let our consciousness be driven by a yearning heart, long for the revelation of truth. And I promise you, when we tread that portion faithfully; our most merciful L-rd Himself intervenes. He casts off the evil that would come among His devoted gatherers.
To distribute falsehood with sleight of hand among the fellowship is like poisoning the community well. False prophets sow a fertile field with sandspurs, and then wonder why the harvest yields only discomfort, discontent, and distraction.
For we who are truly faithful, purity is found in intent. Intent brings to follow sheer goodness of will. We immerse ourselves in acts of love and compassion. That is the truest nature of the unwavering faithful. Our blessed nature is an earned treasure of measured grace as we choose, day after day, to remain upon the path set by Yehoshua, our Rock and Redeemer.
When we give our attention to false witnesses, we risk becoming merely a collection of gathered people, hardly a community at all, a falsely faithful people whose lives dishonor Our Father, behaving contrary to His covenant.
So let us begin at home. That is where we must first model our faith. We must hone our goodness there, so that we have a firm hold and an ample supply of faith, love, conviction, and compassion with which to serve those outside our element, in a manner consistent with the instruction of holy Yehoshua.
Let us turn inward to the trueness of our hearts, to that blessed inherent goodness which Ein Sof has placed in each of us in His great grace and loving design. Let us assert our capability of commitment to His goodness, in our righteousness of faith, and assume our rightful place among the Elect and Chosen of Ha' Moshiach Yehoshua.
For many feel the need to be called, but few are truly chosen. The Chosen Elect were marked for His greatness within the womb, called by Our Father before we ever took a breath.
"Search me, O Most High, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!" - Psalm 139:23
In the election of our faith, wisdom grows beyond our imaginings. In His service we are born, and we must not defy His calling... for in this, beloved, is truly the greatest of graces.
With love in Yehoshua, Pastor Mark