IAUA End Time Ministry
Preparing for the End of Time
The Lord is Coming! Are you ready?
|
|
IAUA End Time Ministry |
|
Preparing for the End of Time | |
|
The Lord is Coming! Are you ready? | |
| Home / Archives | |
|
Dear Brothers and Sisters in IAUA (ee-ah-oo-ah) our Father,
Greetings on this day of preparation for the weekly Sabbath. I pray this newsletter finds you in good health and happy in the service of IAUA. This is the 18th day of the 8th month of God's Sacred Calendar in the estimated year 6013 Anno Mundi. It is about five months until the Spring Sabbaths begin on the evening of the 15th day of the 1st month (Wednesday, March 31 on the 2010 Gregorian Calendar, beginning sunset on Tuesday, March 30). This coming year, those who follow the Millerite Calendar determination will be one month later than my research has determined for the Gregorian Calendar dates for God's Sacred Calendar. The dates on the Jewish Calendar are one day earlier in the spring and one day early in the fall. _____ I have been exchanging some interesting emails with a recent subscriber to this newsletter. He has a thought provoking ministry with some valuable teachings that have refocused some of my thinking. Reading one of his recent articles he sent to me was like a slap on the face reminding me how easy it is to make a statement in haste which you regret later. Shortly I anticipate this article titled "My House Will Be Called a House of Prayer" will be available at his website. http://www.yahuyahweh.org/iah/ In this article he had an anonymous quote, which I immediately recognized as a statement I had made to him months earlier. "Fasting and prayer is good, but we must never forget that the most important thing is a deep study of the Word." My immediate response: I have only just begun to study what you have written but I can immediately and clearly see that my statement to you was in error. The error arose out of perceptions being overly influenced by perspective. In my perspective I have seen some who concentrate on prayer and fasting to the exclusion of sincere Bible Study and being willing to accept what the Bible says no matter what the church teaches. This led me to overemphasize Bible study because I perceived your emphasis on prayer and fasting to result in a neglect of Bible Study. I suspect your emphasis on prayer is also a reaction to observing many who diligently study the Bible, but only with a narrow focus as the church leads them to study, constrained to denominational teachings. You correctly perceive that a lack of prayer and fasting may be the basis for failing to reach a deeper understanding in study, guided by the work of the Holy Spirit, which is, might I say for lack of better wording, released and energized by prayer and fasting. I think we were two people coming from two different directions who happened to collide in the center. On careful thought, I am reminded how important prayer is to my Bible Study. A strong balanced integration of both is a more accurate statement. I suspect my writings and books overemphasize Bible Study and may need more balance by addressing the importance of prayer and fasting. I will continue to careful consider your words. _____ His response: It means so much to me to be at peace with you and to be walking together towards the Kingdom. May YHWH continue to build up the Body in love and may He continue to use you, even as He has been, to feed His sheep. Thank you for writing and have a blessed week, _____ My further response: I never thought we were not at peace. I hastily made a preliminary conclusion as I apologized. As I continue to examine your efforts I am ever more impressed. I will be including a link to your website on my own. I don't think this involves any copyright problem. :-) I see our methods in following the call of God on our lives are different but I have learned that God is the creator of infinite variety. As you note, we so often try to make people follow in one little box. I look forward to continued discussion and sharing of thoughts and research. I see you have been at this much longer than I have and you have much more skill at writing than I have but we each do our part to serve God. I would greatly appreciate any feedback on my efforts you may have time to provide. _____ His further response: Shalom brother: It is a blessing to know you are edified by the efforts and a blessing we can seek Him together and minister His Word as the Spirit opens many hearts across this land. As the birth pangs increase in these Last Days, there will be many who awaken to righteousness, and helping each other now, we can be better prepared to serve those many who are yet to come. As far as time spent laboring in the Word, if my efforts can speed along those coming into the faith more recently, that is a blessing, but I pray that YHWH will increase His anointing upon you so that, like Elihu, it ultimately will not matter that you have spent less time. Job 32:4-9 _____ His later communication: In light of the sovereignty of YHWH and predestination, many have asked the question, ''Why pray?'' This is some of the answer (sent today to a brother) which you may wish to ponder and over which we may want to study and discuss further. As you minister to others, this question will surely come up. Perhaps you have already encountered it? ===== This whole issue with prayer and the sovereignty of YHWH/predestination can be frustrating and confusing; admittedly, there seem to be truths on ''both sides'' of the issue; but when we see more clearly, there are not really two sides at all; it all becomes ''one story'' when we are getting a balanced picture of all the issues. The Word of YHWH and His will are one, and to have the truth over any matter, we must also have what I call a ''unity of interpretation,'' or said another way, an interpretation with no contradictions. If the will of YHWH shall come to pass regardless of what we do, and regardless of what we do not do (and it shall!), then why pray? Superficially, it seems like a valid question, but if prayer was completely useless, and if it was completely separate from the will of YHWH, then why would James write, ''You do not have because you do not ask?" JAMES 4:2 Those with a twisted view of predestination (or should we call it a crippling view of predestination?) would have us to think that, no matter what, if YHWH wants us to have something, then we will get it no matter what we do. Yet this is not what James said. All evidence indicates that YHWH has chosen to work His sovereign will through the prayers of His people. Some will say, ''This can't be, because it limits YHWH.'' But YHWH is not limited! He can raise up from the stones sons of Abraham who will take hold of Him in prayer and be used of Him to bring about His sovereign will. The question for any of us is: ''How much (or at what level/to what degree) will I seek and find YHWH (through prayer) so as to partake in the Good News at the level which will honor the One who loved me and gave Himself for me? It seems reasonable to say we are made partakers of His Kingdom and will commensurate to the level at which we pray ... to the degree to which we seek and find YHWH. Thus, our entrance into the Kingdom can be abundant (2Peter 1:5-11, Matthew 5:17-20), or not so abundant. 1Corinthians 3:15 And how do we know whether those we pray for today will not be converted 5 years from now? We don't. But better than that, study shows YHWH will be giving us answers to our prayers, not just in this life, but even across ''the ages to come.'' Ephesians 2:7 There is a saying among educators, ''Teachers touch tomorrow.'' Spiritually speaking, we can say, ''Prayer touches eternity.'' Since prayer is about communing with YHWH, and since prayer changes us (not Him), what prayer does is to align us more fully with His mind and will so that we can both do and say those things that will bring His Kingdom and will into the lives of others. Prayer prepares our hearts: 1. To see what He is doing, enabling us to become imitators of Him. 2. To do His will. Matt. 6:9-10 3. To speak His will -- both during prayer as well as outside of our times of direct communion with Him. 4. To carry forth His will with Spirit-led deeds of service. And even putting aside all this discussion about prayer, His will for those around us, and predestination ... Prayer is the thing that transforms us, individually, and every wholehearted believer wants to be more greatly transformed by the splendor of His Presence so that they daily become more and more like their Messiah. 2Cor. 3:17-18 I cannot claim to fully understand the interplay between the sovereignty of YHWH and what we pray about others who need salvation, or healing, or a greater revelation of Him, but His Presence is our greatest need as well as our only source of righteousness, peace/rest, joy, and strength ... and the degree to which we obtain those things, through prayer, will be the degree to which He can use us to bring His Kingdom into the lives of others. _____ My response: Does it make any sense to you to observe the benefit of prayer is primarily for us and not for God? It is our offering in a relationship to Him. He is eager to participate in the relationship but the information we offer is known to Him. We benefit from the conscious interaction with Him and in letting ourselves be open to the impress of the Holy Spirit. Our requests and concerns are like giving Him permission to work in our lives over the objection of Satan. _____ His response: That is a great point. We do bless YHWH by drawing near and being in a relationship with Him; it surely blesses His heart to experience our genuine love. It ultimately stands to reason He created us to be companions with Him. When I mentioned our praying changes us, not YHWH, it was in a context of changes surrounding concerns over which we pray. The brother to whom I wrote was wondering: 'Why even bother pray since YHWH is sovereign and since His predetermined will is going to come to pass regardless?' Thus, my answer. Still, you make a great point about the relationship aspect between YHWH and ourselves; and that relationship is really the most important thing of all, regardless of what does or does not come to pass relative to any prayers or petitions we offer before His Throne. _____ His next email: Attached is the final draft of the new article: My House Will Be Called a House of Prayer It is sent with love and prayers that the Spirit will use it in your lives to advance His Kingdom and to feed His sheep in ways that are much needed by all believers at this critical time in history. Special thanks goes out to those who offered prayers for the Spirit's help and wisdom in completing the proofreading and who also indicated typos you had discovered. Without being overly dramatic, I sincerely believe this study is the most important work that YHWH has ever blessed me to write. Inasmuch as this study reveals the Word of YHWH over a matter so greatly neglected in our days, my prayer is that you will help me to share these truths with those in your circles of fellowship. Of course, for those who may be inclined to eventually forward this article to others on your e-mail lists, that will also be appreciated. We give our Messiah the preeminence for His great Example in all things, including prayer. May the Name of YHWH be exalted in His Messiah _____ My response: I assume this will be on your website shortly. I will definitely want to share it in my newsletter but I would prefer to share a link rather than an attachment. As I have prayed, studied, and meditated I have reached a further thought. While I might prefer to describe the relationship between prayer and study as a balanced integration, I definitely agree that prayer comes first. Study must follow closely thereafter or prayer becomes hollow and repetitious. The two work together to increase the depth and effectiveness of each other. _____ His response: Regarding the interplay of prayer and study: Well said, and absolutely! What I have pondered over the past few years is the text from Isaiah: 'So shall My Word be which goes forth from My mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish the thing whereto I sent it.' Isaiah 55 (around verse 6 paraphrased as I am not privy to my Scriptures). If, in prayer, we speak the Word and so become the vessels by which it is returned to Him in the heavens, then it will accomplish what He sent it to do in the earth! 'Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, in heaven and upon the earth.' Or as John wrote, if we ask anything according to His will, we know that He hears us; and if He hears us, then the requests we ask of Him are assured us. Have a blessed week in the Name, Craig P.S. Yes, I will request the study be posted to the website in the next day or so, and my web manager will likely post it by this weekend. _____ Do you recognize the critical nature of prayer and fasting as an integrated part of Bible study? I pray we may all continue to seek love, peace, and unity in truth preparing for the soon coming of IAUShUO (ee-ah-oo-shoo-oh) Messiah, the Son of God.
Frank T. Clark
Next: 2009-11-13 Foundation Cornerstones |
|
Revised 2009-11-13 |