Saturday, April 11, 2009

Belief Item Four.....In support of the ministry of worship in words and song which anticipate and tell the story of returning brothers; Ephraim and Judah together as two sticks in God’s hand.

Now this is where joy begins; in the praising and lifting up of worship and song to God our Father for His Son Yeshua / Jesus our Messiah. This pleasure begins with a reading from scripture....

But I had pity for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.
Therefore say to the house of Israel, So says the Lord Jehovah: I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.
And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. And the nations shall know that I am Jehovah, says the Lord Jehovah, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all lands, and will gather you into your own land.
And I will sprinkle clean waters on you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols.
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments and do them.
And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
(Ez 36:21-28)

This scripture reveals God's plan. He will take his people "Israel" from the lands where they were scattered - to the North and the West and to the Isles of the Seas, and he will bring them back to their birthright land which He gave them as an eternal inheritence!

His people Israel in this reading is the House of Ephraim - the "Northern" tribes. Those people who went into the world and mixed with the Gentiles to become His witnesses and keeper of His faith as His Church. This people is not the Jews or the "House of David" but those people who He once called "not my people" the scattered House of Joseph.

A great and glorious day is coming and now is when He will call them using using fishers and hunters. Remember Jesus when he chose the disciples saying "come, I will make you fishers of men? This fulfilled the vision in Jeremiah 16:16. And soon the prophecy of the two sticks will emerge - One stick "Epraim" will be joined to another stick "Judah" and will be one stick in the Master's loving hand. Jew and Gentile in harmony serving one Savior the "Son of David" as true and eternal God and Messiah -"Yeshua/Jesus of Nazareth."

Here it is.........

Say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions, and I will put them with him, with the stick of Judah, and will make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.
And the sticks on which you write shall be in your hand before their eyes.
And say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and will gather them on every side, and will bring them into their own land.
And I will make them one nation in the land on the mountains of Israel, and one King shall be king to them all. And they shall not still be two nations, nor shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.
Nor shall they be defiled with their idols, even with their filthy idols, nor with all of their transgressions. But I will save them out of all their dwelling places, in them where they sinned, and will cleanse them. And they shall be to Me for a people, and I will be to them for God.

And David My servant shall be King over them. And there shall be one Shepherd to all of them. And they shall walk in My judgments, and obey My Laws, and do them.
And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, the land in which your fathers have lived. And they shall dwell in it, even they and their sons, and the sons of their sons for ever. And My servant David shall be their ruler forever.
And I will cut a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.
And My tabernacle shall be with them. Yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Ezek:19-27

Fascinated??? - more to come.