I Have Set My Face Like a Flint

“I HAVE SET MY FACE LIKE A FLINT”

Isaiah 50:7 “The Master Yahuweh helps me, therefore I shall not be humiliated. So I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame”.

Yes, I know, Isaiah chapter 50 is Messiah speaking of His time of coming to die--to redeem (buy back) the House of Israel and restore her (Ephraim/Joseph) to Himself with cords of love. It is because He set His face like a flint that He endured the stake, and bought our salvation for us, renewing the covenant with the House of Judah and the House of Israel forever, with the ransom price of His own blood.

Yet, for those true disciples who choose to take up their stake to follow Him, as He requires of His disciples (taught ones), forsaking all, as He did, to obey the Master Yahuweh, we also have to set our face like a flint arrow in obedience, saying “Not my will, but Yours be done”.

Like I’ve said many times before, He makes me live what I write and teach. The discipline, the training, the testing, the service to a master as a bond slave, is a lifestyle that crosses the grain of the carnal, sin-prone soul of the mind and human emotions, demanding that we lay down our life, even as Yahushua did, in obedience to Him.

If we do not set our face like a flint with “bull dog faith”, the “flesh”-- the carnal nature of the five senses--will lead us easily to make excuses as to why we cannot embrace the life of Luke 14:25-33, 18:28-30; Matthew 10:34-39; Mark 8:31-38 for examples.

I decided a long time ago that I wanted Revelation 22:3-5 to be my eternal goal, and thus to embrace the life of a “taught one” as Luke 14:33 tells us, to forsake all to follow a Master. I returned at the end of 1998 from a wonderful trip in Africa and asked Abba what He wanted me to do after that. He immediately said: “Give away all that you have and move to Jordan”. I did. I moved in April of 1999 with three suitcases, leaving a 17-year old daughter in the care of my son and his wife. I did not know if I would ever see my children again, but I knew the voice of my Abba. My children understand my life as a missionary for Him—and though they cried very hard, they did not fault me for obeying Him. My two youngest children have been on numerous missionary trips with me. But, still, it tore my heart out to leave them, as you can imagine.

My embracing the Word like that crosses western culture totally, for it is natural eastern understanding. The Word is rooted in ancient Hebrew culture of the east, where leaving all to follow a Master is a

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common thing, as with Ya’cob and Yochanan (James and John) leaving their father to follow Yahushua.

I have been given many assignments of intercession since 2005 to proclaim the opening of gates, portals, and borders for the remnant of the whole House of Ya’cob (all 12 tribes) to return, from the North American continent, the UK, Europe, Israel, and other places in the world. The assignment before me is one of the biggest – in two arenas, for the distinct divisions (houses) of the sons of Ya’cob.

The northern ten tribes were scattered into all nations for horrendous sins, and for the sins of their chosen king, Jeroboam--the first anti-messiah of His people--totally by 722 BCE, scattered primarily into the nations of the western world of Europe, the UK and America. Since the time of Solomon, the northern tribes had partnered with the Phoenicians in their worldwide trade. Today America has the greatest population of the northern 10 tribes (House of Ephraim/Israel/Joseph) of any nation on earth. America also has the second largest concentration of the House of Judah, Israel being the first. The House of Israel’s punishment by the Word was 2,730 years, ending on Yom Teruah 2007. The punishment of the House of Judah (and Levi) was 70 years, from 586 CE, scattered to Babylon, but returning to Jerusalem. Yahuweh never ever refers to His people as “gentiles”. He always says He scattered His people in AMONG THE GENTILES, and that He will restore a remnant of His people from AMONG THE GENTILES. He never made a covenant with gentiles—but a renewed covenant in the blood of Messiah with both houses – Jeremiah 31:31-34 and in Greek also the word is “renewed” as the new moon is renewed in Matthew 26:28. Messiah said in Matthew 15:24 that He was not sent by Abba to anyone but to the “lost sheep of the House of Israel”. He said to His disciples in Matthew 10:5-6 that they were not to go to anyone but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Ya’cob). Ya’cob’s name was changed to “Israel” – thus, “the children of Israel” are the twelve tribes of Ya’cob, and the “House of Israel” – Ephraim/Joseph – refers to the 10 tribes under the birth right holder, Ephraim (Genesis 32 27-28; Genesis 49 and 50) [For more understanding refer to: “Who Are the Ten?” and “Are You A Gentile?”]

Thus, even though from age 6, I have been an evangelist, missionary, pastor, done apostolic work, been a Bible teacher, writer, and church musician, since 1999 He made me a watchman for the House of Israel. From 2005, He began a new task. He began my job of gate keeping. [Refer to: “The Watchman and the Gatekeeper”] I also ask you to read: “Intercession: Knowing the Basics”, since a gatekeeper is also a

Scriptural intercessor, standing between Yahuweh and His people.

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The Scriptural intercessor is far different in lifestyle, thinking, nature and ways than the charismatic church-type intercessor. Scriptural intercession is declaring His Word on site – to open gates for His entrance. The Word is the key that unlocks the lock of the enemy to free His people. As I watched a store proprietor opening a door with his key to let the people in, one morning in Aqaba, Abba spoke so clearly to me: “Prayer can be done anywhere, intercession must be done on site”. The Scriptural intercessor knows Abba’s ways, nature and thinking and is a messenger for Him between He and His people. The relationship between Master and servant runs very deep, based on mutual respect, honor and trust. He has to be able to trust us! I was an ordained minister in the charismatic church with my own corporation for many years, and I know well the great differences between the western church thinking and Abba’s thinking. Actually, there is little to no comparison in the differences.

The Scriptural gatekeeper has to be disciplined, trained, and crushed so that their only allegiance is to the Master, to obey Him without messing up one order, or one word. The servant must be very humble and contrite, and live in the “fear of Yahuweh”, which is “the beginning of wisdom”. The prophets of old could not mess up one word of what He told them to say, or else they were “false prophets”. His prophets today are under His same rules and regulations.

Today the church is so full of false prophets, and the Messianic movement too, that it is a plague. His people do not know the Word as taught by Him, and so are dying of spiritual starvation and deception from the plague. Laziness and undisciplined attitudes, and excuse making, are norms among Christians of the west, and Messianic folk too. In some ways, the confusion of religion is much worse in the Messianic movement, since so many Ephramites have an identity problem and want to be Jews, so they latch onto rabbinic teaching and Jewish customs, which leads them way off in the wrong direction from where Yahuweh is going. Oh the simplicity of just dealing with Abba!

It is a phenomenon of the “great falling away” time of apostasy that we are in now – man following man into deception and hell. The few who take the time to hear from the Spirit of Truth are all taught the same thing by Him, and so are free to continue on with life eternal.

I have been given a huge assignment on my plate to do gate keeping for the return of the House of Israel from the west. I wrote some about it in the last article “Calling the Remnant of Ephraim Home…”

But, since I wrote that article, I have had compounded demonic attacks (witchcraft) to try to stop me--everything from the imps coming to visit, to deep oppression and depression, to panic attacks,

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fear, (which is totally not me at all), the return of the pain that sent me to the hospital January 22nd, and as of last week, I was walking in

town and my knee, after 12 years, decided it wanted to turn out of place and stay out of place for 2 minutes. Of course it tore ligaments and tendons and bruised the muscle, so that I am confined to my apartment, walking slowly with a cane. Major set-back!

This has not happened since I was in Russiak working to bring back Russian Jews, in the winter of 1999, when the knee did the same thing, and it took a year for it to return to normal. That same year, my right ankle was torn up so badly while I was in Jerusalem that I was hobbling. It took a year for that to heal properly too. So, what did I do, after the torn ankle and the torn knee in 1999? I kept on going. I went to Africa after the ankle tore up, then stayed in Russia to finish my work for His people. Why? Am I crazy? No! I am just obedient.

I know His voice. [Refer to: “Forty Ways Elohim Speaks to His People”]

Messiah said: “My sheep hear My voice”. It is a normal think to hear Him, as we study the Word with Him, as we proceed forward to do His will, as we walk in our house, as we go to work, as we do anything. Messiah said He did nothing unless the Spirit directed. We are to live like that too, or else, we are not one of His children. That’s Scripture! But, He does not talk to the disobedient! We must be astute to obey the written Word, and then He will give us daily our spoken assignments.

Abba gives many tests to see how we react. During tests it appears He’s gone on vacation. His Presence is not felt—as if He steps back and folds His arms. He did that after my knee twisted last week. I asked Him about it. Why does He stand aloof when we are in severe trials. I know He didn’t leave me. His response ended my questioning. He said that when I am in a test, whether physical problems, or financial, or emotional, He steps aside and watches to see my reaction. Will I rail on Him with anger? Will I fall apart emotionally and accuse others or Him or wrongdoing? Will I implode in depression? Or will I praise Him still and rejoice and keep going on with love, peace, joy and long-suffering in my spirit? OK … I understand now. If we pass our tests and continue in faith, He changes the circumstances. If we fail, we have to be retested, and retested and retested. (Deuteronomy 8:2-6)

Most people do not know themselves. People have all sorts of noble aspirations and ideas about how righteous they are, and how full of faith they are, and then they step out to start to obey Him, and most fall on their face, because once stripped of the illusions about themselves, they are naked before an Elohim they really do not know

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enough to trust. How can we “endure to the end” if we can’t even

suffer a little hardship for His sake now?

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

I guess I passed this test, because all of the oppression and depression caused by unbroken soul ties with some of my family, and the other emotional downers just vanished. I woke up Thursday morning last week to shouting victory, joyful, full of peace, and full of faith. To spite the enemy, I began doing logistics to prepare for my extensive trip in the UK. I knew it would cost well over $1,000.00 to complete. As I pondered this expense, before beginning my logistics, I got an E-mail from my daughter saying that a Messianic congregation had sent me $1,000.00, and others had sent in money too. My whole trip was paid for before I began the logistics of getting train tickets, air flights, hotels and buses.

What if I had imploded and gone into greater depression because of this sprained knee? I wouldn’t be writing this article to you, would I?

We all have a will. Every day we have the privilege of using our will, for our good or our bad—to go forward towards eternal life, or death.

It takes setting our faith like a flint in order to complete His will for us!

What if Yahushua had fallen apart in the Garden and said He was not going to the stake? You and I would be eternally damned. We are called to deny self and live like our Master, Yahushua.

The flesh-appeasing culture of the west is diametrically opposite of the thinking of the Word! The only ones who will survive the time of “YA’COB’S TROUBLES” will have to have bull-dog faith—not letting go for any reason. Jeremiah 30:7 does not say it is not the time of the “Jew’s troubles”. It is a 3 ½ year period where the tares are removed from the wheat, and the chaff is removed from the wheat, and the real people of Yahuweh are separated from the religious fakes. The whole House of Ya’cob – all 12 tribes – will be tested by the tribulation of the threshing floor. The word “tribulum” is a Latin word meaning “pressure”. The farmer rakes the tribulum, a board with rocks sticking out of it, across the wheat to remove what is not good for eating. (Check out Matthew 13) The tares are gathered for burning – first! THEN the freed wheat is gathered into His barns.

The weak, cowardly, and fearful, won’t make it. I’ve written three very hard articles against fear, telling where fear will get a person.

As I’ve written on over and over and over, when the reasoning mind shuts down because of fear, or not being able to face what is before it for any reason, only those who know how to live out of the reborn spirit will survive. [Refer to: “Living From the Eternal Mind”] It is because I live out of the Spirit that I can still function – for I’ve almost

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died of malaria in Tanzania, in 1997, and lost the ability to know my own name, yet I could function normally through the mind of the

spirit, even preach propped up with pillows. [Refer to: “The True New Birth”]

The great threshing of His wheat to rid of His people of pride, rebellion, stubbornness, fear, lust for security, and ease and comfort, lust to obtain material possessions—idolatry--will begin very soon, and most good people will fall apart at it. Most have not allowed Him to test them and try them, but have avoided all types of displeasure--often calling it “from the devil”, when it is really a loving Father trying to get them prepared, trained, and disciplined (Hebrews 12).

I know that He will heal my knee, and give me the strength to do as He has asked me to do. If He gives me an assignment, I have learned that no matter what comes in between, I have to go forward as if nothing is wrong with me and there are no obstacles of any sort. Messiah had a goal to accomplish, so on the stake He focused on the time when He would gather His people unto Himself in His Kingdom. We must stay focused on the time of His return!

Mark 4:38-5:1 is a prime example. He told His disciples “let us go to the other side of the lake”. I am looking right at that lake right now.

A storm ensued and the disciples thought they were going to die.

But, He had said “let us go to the other side” and when He says something, nothing will stop His will!

Read that passage in Mark. He expected them to calm the storm. I know how easy that is – I’ve been doing that since I was in my early 20s. If He needs the way cleared, He clears it at our command—if it is for His purposes, and not for our pleasure. Then in Mark 5:1, we see that they came to the other side. The only way you will get to the other side is to learn how to keep going in the power of the Spirit, without falling apart.

Once He gives an assignment, if we do not go forward within His time-frame, by faith, but cower like a scared dog, then it’s over. Carefully read over Numbers 13 and 14. If we try to go and do what He says outside of His leading, outside of His timeframe, as they did, it will surely fail, for He won’t be with us. This passage is very important for us to learn how He thinks. If you do not know Him intimately through being a bond slave of the Master--knowing how He thinks, does things, and His nature--then you can be easily deceived.

If you pray for me, pray in the Names of Yahuweh and Yahushua. If you have any questions on His Name refer to the extensive study: “The Hebrew Names of the Creator of the Universe…” This was confirmed in the most miraculous way before He allowed me to send

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out this study—so miraculous that only He could have brought the confirmation. His Name is the most powerful Name in the universe, so