LOVE
“YHWH is Love. He that loves not knows not YHWH. Let us love one another.” (1 Yochanan 4)
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Let us let one another know what it feels like to be Loved!
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“Though I speak with the tongues of men & of angels, &have not Love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. & though I have the gift of prophecy, & understand all mysteries & all knowledge; & though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, & have not Love, I am nothing. & though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, & though I give my body to be burned, & have not Love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long, & is kind; Love envy's not; Love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, it does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; Rejoice not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. LOVE never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, & we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. & now abides faith, hope, LOVE, these three; but the greatest of these is Love.” {1 Qorintiyim 13)
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“Who is a wise man & endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with Meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying & strife in your hearts, glory not, & lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying & strife is, there is confusion & every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, & easy to be intreated, full of mercy & good fruits, without partiality, & without hypocrisy. & the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (Ya'akov, James 3:13-18)
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This teaching on Love is regarding admonishment given in Mattithyahu 24:12 speaking of the last days (when knowledge will abound) 'that the love of many will grow cold". May we not let this happen in our lives. I quoted 1 Corinthians 13 to my congregation in Ohio at age 13. I used to wonder what it meant when it said 'love never fails, whether there be prophecies they shall fail.. whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away'. I finally understand. We can't understand many precepts unless we walk through them in first-hand experiences. There are many people full of knowledge & prophecy, full & overflowing ready to share His Word with the head knowledge they have accumulated. The problem is they have so much head knowledge that they have forgotten the way of love.
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Love is foremost in all & must be the absolute intent of the heart. This is the very reason Messiah came- to stop the obedience of Word from a haughty, prideful spirit of "look at me, what I am doing 'right' " which is what many Pharisees were guilty of in Messiah's day. He came to show how to walk in obedience to YHWH's Word from a Heart of Love! Many Pharisees are still walking around us today.
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Without love, all the knowledge poured forth goes right down the drain- it won't be heeded or listened to because it has been given with a Prideful spirit. This is happening in the congregations today through different movements condemning their brethren for not walking in the ways they see as right. This is a religious spirit; it is a spirit of pride. Yet, I love these mishpochah knowing that they too need deliverance from deception to know freedom in Truth. We must realize that everyone one is at a different learning place; we must be patient & gentle so Ruah HaQodesh is with us. I sure didn't understand all of Scripture, but gently precept upon precept the Holy Spirit led me into understanding the Scriptures. He didn't condemn me; He patiently & lovingly taught me. In Yirmayahu (Jeremiah) 10 He asks to be taught gently.
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We all need gentleness, patience & Love. Just like I saw many pastors in a dream shown as fish which were huge and healthy-looking bass, but they were actually dead lying on the river floor in mounds stopping the flow of the water. They were full of His Word, but were forgetting the Father's Way from the beginning and not applying nor teaching it causing the sheep to be scattered. The Word says they will be least in the Kingdom. Then there are those who have come to acknowledge the need to walk in the Father's ways from the beginning, but they have started movements with a prideful spirit that needs to be cast out for there to be any profit. They are condemning their brothers who haven't yet understood many of the truths which were perverted over the generations. This is not the way of Love. I am a believer in Yahshua HaMashiach beloved only begotten son of YHWH the Father Who Is Love! I take no part with a group or sect where therein lays division. No, instead, I am set apart by Yahshua Himself as Ruach HaQodesh leads me in the study of YHWH's Word that it may enlighten me and shine forth through my gates to all those around me.
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I learned of my Jewish heritage and am thankful for my heritage. I was raised Assembly of God & am thankful for my upbringing for it was filled with the Holy Spirit's leading me at a young age to have open ears to His quiet, still voice which I remember hearing at 6 years old. Through the A/G programs I memorized much Scripture through the Missionette & Bible Quiz programs for which I am thankful. Because of committing so much Word to my heart, I could study it, rightly divide it, allow it to be a lamp unto my feet & a light unto my path. It is the oil that lights my lamp so that I will be ready, full of faith when Messiah our bridegroom comes for His bride. I do not condemn those in my upbringing for they love Yahshua and YHWH. However, just as many in the Baptist movement for many years didn't accept the moving of the modern moving of the Holy Spirit that was happening among Pentecostals, so too there are many Pentecostals who have not accepted the amazing wonder of celebrating YHWH's feasts. The Pentecostals are not to condemn the Baptists and vice versa. Rather we are to accept and pray for one another knowing that we are reading the same word and worshipping the same messiah.
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Many have come to worship Him with His Greek-given name. That is not to be condemned for He looks at the heart and knows those who call upon Him. He showed me this quite clearly. When I was a little girl I used to tour and sing a beautiful song from my heart to the King of Kings. It was called Jesus Name Above All Names. Later I had a dream and I cried the Name of Jesus and he heard me and rescued me. Then there were those who said I must only call upon Him using His Hebrew given name & I prayed about this. He asked me, "What name did you cry out & I saved you?" I replied, "I cried the name of Jesus." He clearly said, "I heard you, didn't I? & I saved you." I said, "Yes, You heard me, saved me &the two boys under my arms." He said, "I know your heart." (The two boys represent the Church & the Synagogue.) Countless times throughout my life since a child He answered me when I used Jesus as the name I knew of the one I read about in the Holy Scriptures.
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He knows His own & He looks at their heart above all, not at all the knowledge they have. I prayed, admired & confessed the One who raised the dead, healed the sick, whose heart of compassion went out towards the multitude of needy people. Love from the heart speaks louder than linguistics. With our English upbringing we have been taught His name is Jesus. We have not been worshipping Zeus or else we would being doing many vain things in the name of that false deity. However, on the flip side, we need to understand that it has been in the name of the Greek name Jesus that the fourth empire changed the day of worship to 'sun'day and instituted syncretized worship that YHWH clearly says not to do. Many have been led to follow this way that is not pure. Once we come to the knowledge of the Truth of His Set Apart Name & the meaning that it conveys we must diligently pray how He now wants us to address Him. But, we are not to condemn those who have not understood this. This is the job for the Holy Spirit.
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Let us remember (Hazon, Revelation 19:11-13) “& I saw heaven opened, & behold a white horse; & he that sat upon him was called Faithful & True, & in righteousness, he doth judge & make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, & on his head were many crowns, & he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. & he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: & his name is called The Word of YHWH.”
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There are precepts He is opening our eyes to. There is still much to be revealed in these last days. Yet, He accepts us- full of grace & mercy. May He continue to show us how that we may honor Him in full, ready to fully serve Him in the Blessed Hope! Though we may have differences in our thoughts on various subjects, it is not for us to condemn one another. If we voice a difference & a spirit of anger/hate arises in the hearer, then that is a sure sign of pride & knowledge misplaced in the hearer.
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We must remember the greatest commandments are Love to YHWH & to one another- all else hangs on these two prime commands. Life is more important than arguing, hating, wicked strife & trying to prove our being right. We can know all things & do it all right, but without love it means nothing. Let me explain. I honor the Sabbath day. That means I do not buy, sell or work on that day to the best of my ability. We are called to honor His 7th day Sabbath by resting in Him, meeting with Him through fellowship, meditation, & study of His Word. However, if a loved one or neighbor needs our help buying or selling on this day, then because love is the goal of honoring Abba's ways, we reach out & do what is necessary to show that we are Echad in YHWH. YHWH is an Elohim of echad, relationship. Echad equals Love. Just as Messiah healed on the Sabbath so we are admonished if our neighbor's donkey is in the ditch, though it is the Sabbath, to help him get it - do the work necessary. For the Sabbath hangs on the Greater point that is necessary to comprehend - love! Let us continue to spur one another on to good works, edify one another according to the Scriptures & walk in them in love.
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Life needs to be lived from hearts of Love. The music I have written uses the Sacred Hebrew names of Messiah & the Father because I see the clear evidence of the Salvation Message shining forth brilliantly through their Hebrew names. In Greek it is not there at all, but rather alludes to Greek influence. I do not condemn the use of the Greek name for it was in that name I learned about Him. Now that I continue to grow in Grace and Truth, I see the importance of the Hebrew names. May you sense the anointing of His Love for us throughout the songs in the music He gives me.
With Great Love, ~Leslie Ann