What If?

What if your life stopped being the way it has been your entire life to this point?

What if tomorrow morning when you woke up you suddenly realized that your life would never be the same again?

This can be taken two ways (at least):

1.) As in pre WW11 Holland, we go to bed one night with assurances that our world, as we know it, will be the same in the morning when we wake up. But surprise, in the morning we awaken to discover that hostile forces have taken over our country, the borders are closed and there is no way to escape the harshness and brutality that is being committed on those who do not submit.

2.) You are convicted by the power of the Ruach haKodesh to humble yourself, and pray, and seek YHVH’S Face, and turn from your wicked ways; then your life, out of the necessity of your decision to make Teshuva (to turn), will never be the same.

In both scenarios you have decisions to make – as Francis Schaeffer asked; “How then shall we live?”

The time is soon upon us, I believe, when we are going to be faced with both scenarios – a demonic invasion and the need to make Teshuva. It would be good to start making choices and decisions now, in preparation for the time that is soon upon us – if indeed it is not already here just waiting to manifest its presence.

In the parable of The 10 Virgins, all of the virgins fell asleep, but 5 had fallen asleep with adequate provision enabling them to join the bridal party when they heard the sound of the shofar. Have we been lulled to sleep by the constant bombardment of end-time teachers telling us the tribulation is right around the corner, but that particular corner has yet to appear? It was a favorite saying of my husband to our young boys when we went back-packing and they would ask, how much further? Just around the next bend in the trail, he would say. But the bends kept coming and the destination was still somewhere ahead. After awhile they would just sit down in the trail and refuse to go any farther. Steve would then go on ahead to the much anticipated camping place, remove his pack and then come back down the trail to help our young sons with their loads so they could make it to our destination, even carrying them if that was what was required. Likewise for many today, the trail has gotten long and many are weary, some may have become so weary that they have lain down in the path and have fallen asleep, but take heart, our Bridegroom has gone on ahead of us and he has promised to return for us. Keep persevering, hold fast to His commandments, sleep if you have to, but don’t leave the path – that’s the extra oil for your lamp. Sadly some have gone back to the old way of life putting that tribulation thing on a shelf. “Wake me up when it happens, until then I’m going back to my house, my family, my job, my favorite food, myself. I’ll be able to walk away from it all when I hear His call.” But will you? Will you even hear His call with the clamor of the world deafening your sensitivities to YHVH? Yashua said to keep watch, for you do not know the day or the hour. Keeping watch, living a fasted life-style is safety for us. Yashua asked the disciples to keep watch with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, but even they fell asleep. The consequence of their not maintaining watch was fear - with the eventual need for restoration. The bride of Messiah is to keep her wedding garments white – without stain or wrinkle, waiting for the day of his coming.

This brings me back to my “what if” questions.

It is quite common in our western, civilized culture to live in the land of “what if”. Allow me to give a few examples of what I mean.

• What if all these wars and earthquakes and terrible disasters are just more of the same, not really, now is the end-time, stuff?

• What if I leave everything to follow Yashua and He doesn’t provide for me?

• What if I quit my job and my spouse leaves me?

• What if I join lock, stock and barrel with this community of like-minded believers and then discover I don’t like them, or that we’re really not like-minded?

• What if I drop my health insurance to rely on YHVH and I get sick?

• What if I take all my money out of the beast system and then lose it?

• What if my children won’t come along with me?

• What if Yashua doesn’t return in the next few years?

• What if YHVH really isn’t who He says He is?

• What if America really isn’t Babylon?

• What if__________? And you fill in the blank.

As believers in Yashua haMeshiach, part of the grafting in of Romans 9-11, heirs according to the promise, Galatians 3:29, the land of promise given to Abraham in Genesis is our eventual place of residence. If this is true, as I believe it is, then why are we, as we see the end approaching, entrenching ourselves in the land of our exile. YHVH is shaking things up just like He did with the Israelites in Egypt. Why, because He is getting us ready for a journey. I was reading in the Psalms the other day and I was struck with a revelation in Psalm 78 of the progression of the Israelites from Egypt that it will be the same for us. We will experience some of the shaking of YHVH, but then we will be called out to gather into a place set aside for us like Goshen was set aside for the children of Israel in Egypt, (Exodus 8:22). The first three plagues of blood, frogs and lice were over the entire land, but from the fourth plague on those dwelling in the land of Goshen were protected from the devastation of the plagues in Egypt. If you remained outside of Goshen more of what you had just experienced would befall you. YHVH will bless you with His protection in that one particular place where He shelters us under His wings. It is even recorded that when the plague of darkness came the children of Israel living in Goshen had light in their homes. During the plagues the Israelites were not removed from Egypt, but they were protected. This is the message behind Psalm 91:14-16; “because he has loved me therefore I will deliver him, I will set him securely on high because he has known My Name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him, and let him behold my Yashua.”

From Goshen, where He gathers us, He will lead us into the wilderness. In the wilderness of the first exodus, the children of Israel became a people – a unit. They became betrothed to YHVH and they learned what pleased Him, by being instructed in His ways. YHVH says to, “be holy as I am holy,” Lev 11:44. The same pattern will follow for us. We too will be taken into the wilderness (Revelation 12:6) and in that place we will become a people – the bride of Yashua, we will be instructed in what pleases Him, becoming holy as He is holy. And from the wilderness we will enter the land of promise.

Here’s a possible scenario to think about, I’m not saying this is what is going to happen, I am just presenting this to maybe help you put in focus your “what ifs”:

The nations that are raging at Israel this moment are pretty much listed in Psalm 83. This is a war psalm, an entreaty to YHVH to deal with these war mongers Himself. According to the Geneva Convention an aggressor nation, in the event of winning an armed conflict, has to give back all lands that it acquired during the conflict, but the non-aggressor nation, in the event it wins the armed conflict can keep all the lands it acquired during the conflict. What if this Psalm 83 war is the prophecy that is preparing to be fulfilled, perhaps this summer? And what if in this war Israel is granted land from all these aggressor nations by YHVH? And what if the whistle then comes from YHVH for us to come home to Israel and be the fulfillment of Ezekiel 37? Could this be our Goshen until the abomination that makes desolate is set-up in the temple and at that time we flee as commanded into the wilderness? According to the word of Yashua in Matthew 24:32-33; he talks about the nation of Israel being reborn as a fig tree nation; when you see that know that summer is near. (See “Fig Tree vs. Olive Tree” at Articles on our website: http://www.biblicalstoryteller.com/. When is the return of Messiah according to the feasts of YHVH? His return is in the fall, the time of Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets. The nation of Israel we see today is the fig tree nation Yashua told us would come before his appearing, and he also said, the generation that witnesses this rebirth would not pass away until the Son of Man returns. Recognizing this present fig tree Israel as Goshen and the world as Egypt, it is then the only place where we will be kept in true peace and safety while the rest of the world tosses and turns in the foment of “A New World Order”. Are we prepared for YHVH to change our life that completely? What would keep you from answering His whistle? What are your “what ifs?”

Again, the above described scenario is my thoughts. It is included in this writing to help encourage you to think out and pray about decisions that we all may be soon called upon to make.

Note: YHVH prepared a place in the wilderness where He met ancient Israel and betrothed Himself to her; so too is YHVH preparing a place for us today in the wilderness, where, according to the type, He will meet with us and marry Himself to us. If this happens to be what comes about, I for one don’t want any “what ifs” I may be harboring to cause me to miss out on the greatest feast celebration in all of history!

Remain in your place on the wall, stay vigilant, have your lamps ready, so you will hear the call when it comes and like Samuel will respond, Hineni, here am I.

I am forwarding a link that you might find interesting as you consider what might keep you from hearing and responding to the whistle of YHVH.

http://www.america-in-prophecy.org/_____THE_GREAT_ABYSS_SAN222.html