As I stated in previous letters, I think we are being called to enter into a new era in our faith, and based on the responses I have received thus far, many of you apparently feel the same way.

Abba now wants us to come up to a higher level. He wants to raise up a Joseph company in this hour. And He wants to be able to communicate with each of us on a more intimate level.

This Joseph type company will initially seem strange to his brothers, but like their father, the sons of Joseph will nonetheless act as providers and protectors to their brethren. Also, Abba wants his Ephraimite prodigal to return home, and He wants to celebrate with him, because that is what will provoke older brother Judah to jealousy. Celebration is key to making Judah want to come in the house and celebrate. Abba also wants to make the two sticks that represent these two brothers (and their companions) to become one stick in His hand. At this time, YHVH is calling His children to look to our father and mother, to Abraham and Sarah; and to ask for the ancient paths, the good way, and to walk in it (Jer 6:16; Isa 51:2).

To respond to these end-time calls requires us to have greater dedication and determination. It calls for change on our part. However, in case you hadn’t noticed, we humans tend to like the status quo. We resist change. We are like some of our forefathers in this aspect.

Can’t you imagine what it must have been like for them when they were in the wilderness? After wandering for a while the people would pick a site and set up camp. Then they would move again. In discussing this need to always be ready to move on, I once heard a speaker say, “Can’t you just imagine this guy in the wilderness: he gets his camp all set up and pounds his tent pegs in place. Then, one day he is leaning back in his recliner, watching the game, remote in hand, and somebody yells out, ‘The Cloud’s Moving!!!’”

We are often like the fellow in the recliner. It is much more comfortable to remain status quo. We don’t want to miss the end of the game. On and on go our reasons for not wanting to move on. But if we don’t get up when we hear the call, we will wind up being left behind. And in my opinion, though the move may be all but imperceptible at this time, we are now experiencing a move like that.

The Cloud is Moving...

It seems that everywhere I go, I encounter people who are dissatisfied with the present state of the Messianic movement. Frankly, I think if we all knew how many have come through Messianic doors of faith, only to leave to return no more, it would shock us.

People have left for a variety of reasons, one of which is, a lot of people feel that not everything they learned in Church is bad. In fact, some of the principles taught there are very good. Moreover, they leave because those good things seem to be sadly missing in the Messianic movement. Kindness and humility are often lacking among Messianics. Worse yet, we find in its place a lack of regard for the validity fo the New Covenant, and in turn, for the Deity of our Messiah. In addition, there is almost complete disregard for the Holy Spirit, the Ruach HaKodesh.

It is ironic that the Holy Spirit would be disregarded among a people who care about the well-bing of Israel, because the good things the Father promises to do with her in the last days have to do with His Spirit.

Scripture reveals that Israel has been plagued with this sin for a long time. That is why Moses instructed Israel, “Circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.” Our first martyr, Stephen, further explained what was meant by this command when he said to the Israelites of his day, “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did” (Deu 10:16; Acts 7:51).

Israel has a long history of being stiff-necked—of resisting the Holy Spirit.

Selah. Let us pause and meditate on this very important point.

Israel’s biggest problem is that they have always resisted the Holy Spirit. Yet, Zechariah says, “This is the word of YHVH to Zerubbabel, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says YHVH of hosts” (Zec 4:6).

Zerubbabel means “one born in Babylon.” Nonetheless, this one was anointed by the Holy One. In the same way we were all “born in Babylon,” meaning in a place that is far away from the Land of the Holy One. And now we want to return and be anointed by YHVH. However, everything we want done in the last days demands that we yield to Abba’s Ruach:

• We want Israel’s “dry bones” to be raised up and in Ezekiel 36:27 we read, “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”
• We want to see the two sticks of Ezekiel made one in the Father’s hand and He says, “I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, YHVH, have spoken and done it”(vs 37:14).
• We want to see all of Abba’s prophetic promises fulfilled; we want to know Him, to even see His face, but before that happens it will have to be as stated in Ezekiel 39:29: “I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares YHVH Elohim.

The Father says of the last days, “I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28-29).

If Israel is called to be a people upon whom the Holy One wishes to pour out His Spirit, then the people of the Messianic movement need to repent. We need to ask our Father to circumcise our hearts and to pour out His Spirit on us, to even fill us to overflowing. For that is the only way we can move forward and become the people He now wants us to be.

Surely crazy things have been done in the Name of the Holy Spirit, and it is good for us to resist crazy things. But crazy things also have been done in the name of Torah and we do not throw out Torah because of its misuse by some. Similarly, we must not throw out the idea of being filled with our Father’s Holy Spirit because of any previous actions by misguided people.

Instead of resisting His Spirit, let us now pray and ask the Holy One of Israel:

This day Abba, forgive me if I have resisted You in any way. Empower me to see the error of my own ways. Please have Your way in my life and speak to me through Your Ruach HaKodesh. Save me please, from any wrong interpretations and understandings of man in this matter, including my own, and teach me now by Your Ruach and Your Holy Word. Help me to hear and obey Your voice as You say to me, ‘This is the way, walk ye in it...’

In Yeshua’s Name I pray. Amen.

Shalom b’ Yeshua,
Batya

Batya's email address is This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it