TK Torah Keepers

For I am YHWH your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. ⁴⁵ For I am YHWH that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44-45 KJV)

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am YHWH your God. (Leviticus 20:7 KJV)

O worship YHWH in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. (Psalm 96:9 KJV)

As the children of Israel we are called to be holy as YHWH is holy.  We are to worship and serve YHWH in the beauty of holiness.  When we see something pure, undefiled, unpolluted, uncorrupted, and holy it is indeed beautiful. Seeing the fresh snowfall of the morning, before it is corrupted by footprints and car tracks truly is spectacular.  A virgin patch of forest that has not been marred by chainsaws and two-tracks is a wonder to behold.  A clear sky unscarred by jet-streams and pollution is truly awe inspiring. The virtue of pure, unstained, unpolluted, undefiled holiness is indeed beautiful.  But the process by which we become holy is not always so pretty or painless.  As a boy growing up, life was a giant dirt pile. As a child I rejoiced in building miniature highways in the pile of topsoil. Football was always better in the rain.  Crawling through the dirt, rocks, sticks, leaves, and mud added to the realism of our imaginary military operations.  As a boy I delighted in the dirt of life.  But the process of getting clean was not always so pleasant, as Mom would scrub from head to toe, behind our ears and beneath our nails to get us pure and beautiful once again. 

As we grow in flesh and in spirit, we come to realize that life (in this fallen world) is one big dirt pile.  Only now, the filth, pollution, corruption and dirt we stain ourselves with is not always external.  It is impossible to live in this world and not be stained by it.  The sins of the world leave marks, blemishes, wounds, and scars upon our lives, hearts, minds, and souls.  It is these stains, wounds, and blemishes that prevent us from experiencing true intimacy with the Creator.  We cannot, in our current filthy state draw near to the Holy One.

YHWH’S holiness is often described as a consuming fire.

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. (Psalm 50:3 KJV)

A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. (Psalm 97:3 KJV)   

And the sight of the glory of YHWH was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. (Exodus 24:17 KJV)

For YHWH thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. (Deuteronomy 4:24 KJV)

Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of YHWH our God any more, then we shall die. ²⁶ For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? (Deuteronomy 5:25-26 KJV)

Understand therefore this day, that YHWH thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as YHWH hath said unto thee. (Deuteronomy 9:3 KJV)

When the holiness of YHWH comes in contact with that which is other than pure, unpolluted, undefiled, or holy is will, by its very nature, consume it.  In this regard YHWH’S holiness may be compared to a refiner’s fire.

But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: ³ And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto YHWH an offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:2-3 KJV)

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, YHWH is my God. (Zechariah 13:9 KJV)

And there went out fire from YHWH, and devoured them, and they died before YHWH. (Leviticus 10:2 KJV)

And there came out a fire from YHWH, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. (Numbers 16:35 KJV)

And when the people complained, it displeased YHWH: and YHWH heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of YHWH burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. (Numbers 11:1 KJV)

We observe the truth of this statement in YHWH’S concern for Israel after they defiled themselves with the golden calf.

… for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. (Exodus 33:3 KJV)

For YHWH had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. (Exodus 33:5 KJV)

Seek YHWH, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. (Amos 5:6 KJV)

The holy and the unholy cannot dwell together.  It is for this reason that YHWH gave Israel the altar and sacrificial system, whereby they could make a “covering” for themselves to protect themselves against the holiness of YHWH when he dwelt among them.  We should recognize that it is only by the covering of Messiah Yeshua that we as members of the body of Messiah can currently enter into the presence of YHWH in prayer.

There is much that we can do to put away or avoid the defilement of the world.  We can be selective as to what we read, watch on television, or online.  We can avoid defiling places like bars, strip-clubs, and places of vulgar worldly entertainment.  We can even be cautious about who we allow into our homes and lives.  But even with every effort to avoid the external contamination of the world, there is still the matter of our own sin nature that defiles us.  It is for this reason that we must go through the refiner’s fire.  We may wash and scrub away all of the external defilement, but that which is intrinsically a part of our very nature will require a greater refining—dross is only removed by fire!  It is for this reason that Torah commanded that everything that can withstand the fire must go through the fire.

Everything that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water. (Numbers 31:23 KJV)

John the Baptist declared that he washed people with water but the Messiah was come with a baptism of fire.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Spirit of hte Holy One, and with fire: ¹² Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:11-12 KJV)

Yeshua himself declared,

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? (Luke 12:49 KJV)

For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. (Mark 9:49 KJV)

Yeshua came to cleanse and purge the earth of the defilement of sin.  We too, as members of his body must undergo this purging, cleansing, refining fire.

The Apostle Shaul warns,

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:13-15 KJV)

The Apostle Peter wrote,

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Yeshua Messiah: (1 Peter 1:7 KJV)

While the finished product, holiness, is indeed beautiful, we must understand that the process of getting there can be quit dangerous, uncomfortable, and painful. Most of us want to avoid any discomfort in our lives.  We want to simply put on a pretty white garment to cover our pollution and call it good.  But this is not what the Creator desires.  The Creator is seeking to restore all things to their original pristine beauty and holiness, that he may have full fellowship and communion with his creatures. YHWH does not just desire to be near his creation but to become one with them. In order for this intimacy to happen we must do more than just cover our stains, scars, blemishes, pollutions and defilements.  We must undergo the baptism of fire that will truly purge them away. Like Hananiah, Mishael, and Azarriah (better known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) we too must have the faith to enter the fiery furnace and remain there until YHWH has perfected us.  We must be careful to understand that the fire of purging is not because YHWH hates us or has rejected us, but because he desires us to come yet closer.  The purer we are the closer we may get to the Holy One.  The purer we are the closer YHWH can draw to us, without the threat of consuming us completely.  In the fire we shall learn what in our lives is wood, hay, stubble and dross. In the fire we shall learn what is truly the work of YHWH and what is the fruit of our own egos, delusions, desires and imaginations.  We may expect that everything that is fruitless or contrary to his will shall be burned up in the fire.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Matthew 7:19 KJV)

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. (Matthew 13:40 KJV)    

The degree to which we genuinely desire complete intimacy with the Holy One will determine how long we will tolerate the pain of the purging fires of YHWH.  An athlete determined to win the gold medal continues to endure the pain and discipline of training in spite of the cost.  As the children of Israel, called to be a holy people, we too must be willing to suffer and endure the pain and discipline of YHWH’S refining fire if we desire to be the pure gold in the end.  Like the cross this process is not romantic, but it is necessary.  Again let us recognize and recall when we face the flames of purging that while it may feel like YHWH is out to destroy us, it is, in fact, the opposite that is true.  The purging is so we may draw closer.  It is true, however, that the person that enters into the fire will not be the same person to come out of the fire.  Hopefully when all of the dross is removed from the gold—it will be the image of the Holy One that is seen in us.

Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. (Proverbs 25:4 KJV)

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. (Psalm 17:15 KJV)   

And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? ³⁴ But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. (Mark 9:33-34 KJV)

 I can only image what it would be like if the Messiah showed up at one of our Messianic conferences, synagogues or church meetings, or home fellowships.  The doors to the auditorium, conference center, sanctuary, or living room open and in walks our Master, Yeshua the Messiah.   All eyes turn and greet him with looks of awe and amazement.  The Master smiles and nods in acknowledgement of the participants’ admiration. All music, worship, teaching, and conversation comes to a profound stop.  Pregnant silence fills the room as everyone waits for the Master to speak……..then he speaks.  “So, what were you discussing?” he asks.  Again the room is filled with stunned silence.  Only this time the silence is a contemplative one.  Instantly every teacher begins evaluating the theological and biblical correctness of the position taken in the last teaching given. As for the members of the audience, congregation, or fellowship, everything the speakers, teachers, or leaders have ever said vanishes from memory….the Master is present.  Whatever the topic was that was being so passionately presented, so ardently defended, so decisively debated, suddenly is forgotten. No can even remember what they were discussing or arguing about.  Somehow everything that seemed to be a doctrinal foundation stone and an uncompromisable dogma of truth now seems but an irrelevant and trivial intellectual exercise that pails in the presence of the Master.  Disagreements, for which we have proudly divided the body of Messiah into a million micro denominations and sects of one or two people each, now seem to be a source of shame and embarrassment in the presence of the Master. But as the pain and discomfort of the unrelenting silence builds within the room some poor soul breaks under the conviction of the silence and speaks… “We were debating why our understanding is correct and everyone else is wrong,” or “We were debating why this ministry is better than that ministry,” or “We were discussing who the best Torah teacher is,” or “We were discussing why we don’t associate with that group.” A slow blush covers the face of the crowd as a wave of shame and humiliation fills the room in silence.

 What were we thinking?  What were we doing?  What were we talking about?  Was there even a need for words? What have we been doing all of these years?  We have been talking and teaching as if the Master (the resurrected and living Messiah) is not the head of the body or even present in our meetings, conferences and fellowships. We have been listening to men who have appointed themselves as temporary heads over the body in the absence of the Master.  We have been following men and their opinions about YHWH, Moses, the Torah, and the Master Yeshua, while at the same time living seperate from our our head (our Master Yeshua). We have been debating, defending and dividing the body of Messiah over who is the greatest, who is right, who is best, who is wrong, who is worst, who is to be welcomed and who is to be avoided.  We have been arguing over trivia and speculative prophecy.  We have been warning about the imagined dangers of the end times while at the same time neglecting the very real and experienced needs and dangers of the present.  We have been spouting and spewing our own interpretations, translations, understandings, beliefs, and guesses about the Creator, the Messiah, and the Torah.  We have been teaching about Yeshua—but not as Yeshua.  Somehow, we have missed the idea that we are to be empty vessels, sanctified and set apart for YHWH to pour out himself through. Instead we have filled ourselves with so much self understanding, and intellectual fluff. Somehow our heads have been inflated while our hearts, like the Grinch, have grown small.  We have embraced all of the stimulating debate about the Messiah but have not truly embraced the Messiah as our Master and head.

 Finally at the right moment the Master speaks,

 “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. (Mark 9:35 KJV)

 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23 KJV)

 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:29 KJV)

 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (John 13:34 KJV)

 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. ³⁵ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35 KJV)

 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:12 KJV)

 These things I command you, that ye love one another. (John 15:17 KJV)

 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. (1 John 3:11 KJV)

 It becomes immediately clear that the Master’s teachings are not about doctrine and dogma and intellectual concepts, but about relationships, serving, caring, helping, and loving one another.  The Master’s teachings are not primarily about thinking but doing that which the Father has commanded.  This is not to say that we are free to believe whatever we want, or that we need not engage our brains, but it is saying that we need to re-evaluate what we are teaching, how we are teaching, and what we are doing or not doing.  While we all have thoughts, ideas, and insights, we must remember that our primary purpose for following the Master, is to become his body and to manifest his teachings not our own.  The question is not “what do I believe?” but “what does the Master believe?”  To be a genuine disciple and member of the body of Messiah we must submit ourselves wholly to the Master’s teachings—our own personal concepts, insights, and understandings, we are to take to the cross. Instead of our own understanding we seek the Master’s knowledge, wisdom, understanding, beliefs, and heart.  The object for the disciples is to bring his or her own understanding into submission, conformity and alignment with the Master’s understanding.  Everything we know should flow from the Head (i.e. the Master) not our own limited intellect.  What we learn should be learned from the Spirit of the Messiah and confirmed in the written word of God.  What we hear from the Spirit of the Master, confirm by the testimony of the scriptures, we are to manifest in our lives.   It really is that simple.          

There are times in all of our lives when the hurt, the heartache, the fear, the anxiety, the challenge, or the cross that is before us is so real, so painful, that we become blind and deaf to the presence of the Holy One in our lives.  The discomfort of the cross we are sometimes asked to carry reminds us that our flesh is still very much alive.  While our flesh is crying, shouting, screaming, and begging for relief from the great discomfort, we cannot always hear the still small whisper of the Holy One trying to comfort and console us.  The tears of our heartache cloud our spiritual eyes, while our screams of anger and pain deafen our ears to the presence, word and ministry of the Comforter.  It is at these times that we join our voices with the saints and martyrs of long ago and cry “How long O YHWH?” 

My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O YHWH, how long? (Psalm 6:3 KJV)

How long wilt thou forget me, O YHWH? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? ² How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? ³ Consider and hear me, O YHWH my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; (Psalm 13:1-3 KJV)

Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. (Psalm 35:17 KJV)

O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? (Psalm 74:10 KJV)

 How long, YHWH? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire? (Psalm 79:5 KJV)

 O YHWH God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? (Psalm 80:4 KJV)

 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. (Psalm 82:2 KJV)

 How long, YHWH? wilt thou hide thyself forever? shall thy wrath burn like fire? (Psalm 89:46 KJV)

 Return, O YHWH, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. (Psalm 90:13 KJV)

 YHWH, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? ⁴ How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? (Psalm 94:3-4 KJV)

 O YHWH, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! (Habakkuk 1:2 KJV)

 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O YHWH, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (Revelation 6:10 KJV)  

 In our fast paced world of modern conveniences, quick fixes and time saving technology, waiting is not understood to be a virtue.  I remember being given an electric wok and a microwave oven on the same day.  We could cook so fast that we could eat leftovers the same day!  Television shows, newspaper and magazine articles, class-room lectures have all be reduced to 10-15 minute “sound-bytes” because people have lost the patience for watching, reading, and learning.  Our culture has accommodated our fleshly impatience and desire for more stimulation and titillation by more rapid pace of life.  We want to solve problems with the push of a button. We want to change the world by writing a check.  We want to be healthy by taking a pill.  But there is no such quick fix for the cross.  The cross is not something to be cured—but something that must be patiently endured.  Oh yes, we can cry out, shout, and scream at its pain.  Even Yeshua cried out and questioned while enduring the reality of the cross.

 And at the ninth hour Yeshua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Mark 15:34 KJV)

 What is important in the story of Yeshua upon the cross is not that he cried out and questioned, but that in spite of all the taunting, pain and suffering, he did not come down from the cross, but endured it until the work of the cross was finished.

And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, ³⁰ Save thyself, and come down from the cross. (Mark 15:29-30 KJV)

When Yeshua therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30 KJV)

We too must learn from our Master to patiently endure the cross until the work is finished, whatever the cross or the work to be accomplishes may be. 

I will be the first to confess that there are times when I cannot stand the pain of the cross any longer.  There are times that my flesh wants so desperately to climb down and run away from the cross that the Father has asked me to bear.  There are moments when the cross is so appalling and repulsive to me that I simply cannot bring myself to accept that it is my Heavenly Father that is asking me to patiently endure it.  There are times when I cannot see any reasonable purpose or positive outcome to what the Father is asking me to do and to endure. Through prayer, however, there have been four revelations that have helped me to endure the cross. 

The first is simply that YHWH’S grace is sufficient for us.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Messiah may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV)

Even though the cross, whatever it may be, pushes me beyond all of my human strength and ability, it is then at the end of me, that the Father’s love, grace, and strength is seen.  In my own strength I would have stopped a long time ago. But the longer I endure the cross, the more evident it becomes that it is not me but YHWH that is enduring.  It is in my finiteness, weakness, and brokenness that YHWH’S infinite, strong, and perfect love, mercy, grace, and character becomes manifest.  It is no longer me that bears the cross but YHWH.

The second revelation is that YHWH is likewise waiting and enduring, the offense, hurt, heartache, frustration and disappointment with his people. We should realize that as we are waiting on YHWH to answer our prayers, he is waiting for us to turn to him in every circumstance.  The cross is part of the means by which YHWH takes us beyond ourselves so that we will call upon him and seek answers, strength and comfort from him.  We need to recognize that YHWH too is asking “How long?”

And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith YHWH God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. (Exodus 10:3 KJV)

And YHWH said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? (Exodus 16:28 KJV)

And YHWH said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? (Numbers 14:11 KJV)

How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. (Numbers 14:27 KJV)

And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which YHWH God of your fathers hath given you? (Joshua 18:3 KJV)

 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? (Jeremiah 4:14 KJV)

 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; (Jeremiah 23:26 KJV)

 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end. (Jeremiah 12:4 KJV)

 How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for YHWH hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man. (Jeremiah 31:22 KJV)

 Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself? (Jeremiah 47:5 KJV)

  Then Yeshua answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. (Matthew 17:17 KJV)

 While I patiently endure the suffering inflicted by the sins of others (as well as the pain of my own sinfulness), I must recall that YHWH patiently suffers waiting for me to confess, repent and restore, the damage done by my sins.  We must remember that Yeshua was not simply giving us an example of how to bear the cross, he was actually suffering our sins upon the cross!  As he has patiently borne the cross of our sins, so we too are asked to bear the cross of our brother’s sins. 

 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us. (Romans 5:8 KJV)

 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (John 13:34 KJV)

 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:12 KJV)

 The third revelation is related to the second.  We need to recognize that patience or longsuffering is an attribute of YHWH that was clearly embodied in Yeshua our Master. 

 And YHWH passed by before him, and proclaimed, YHWH, YHWH God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, (Exodus 34:6 KJV)

 YHWH is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. (Numbers 14:18 KJV)

 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. (Psalm 86:15 KJV)

 O YHWH, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. (Jeremiah 15:15 KJV)

 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4 KJV)

 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: (Romans 9:22 KJV)

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (Galatians 5:22 KJV)

 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (1 Peter 3:20 KJV)

 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 KJV)

 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; (2 Peter 3:15 KJV)

 Clearly patience and longsuffering are attributes of YHWH and Yeshua.  As the body of Messiah, filled with the Spirit of the Holy One we should be embodying the attributes of YHWH in our flesh and in our lives.  This is our calling as the children of Israel and the body of Messiah.  We are to be the image of YHWH in the world.  If YHWH is holy then we are to be holy.  If YHWH is longsuffering and patient then we too must be longsuffering and patient. 

 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, (2 Corinthians 6:6 KJV)

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (Galatians 5:22 KJV)

 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; (Ephesians 4:2 KJV)

 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; (Colossians 1:11 KJV)

 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (Colossians 3:12 KJV)

 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Yeshua Messiah might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. (1 Timothy 1:16 KJV)

 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, (2 Timothy 3:10 KJV)

 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:2 KJV)

 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Messiah Yeshua: (Romans 15:5 KJV)

 We should understand that at those times when we are asked to endure the cross, but cannot see any possible reason for the request, it is in the longsuffering that YHWH is made manifest in our lives.  At times such as this, the cross we endure is not for us, but for a testimony for those around us who are in desperate need of faith.

 The fourth revelation is a simple one.  While we are enduring the cross we must try to remember that the story of the body of Messiah did not end with death upon the cross but with resurrection from the grave to a new and glorious life in the presence of the Father.  Regardless of what we suffer, and regardless of why we suffer, we must recognize that the suffering is temporary and that victory over death lays at the end of its working.

 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18 KJV)

 We may also recognize that it is through the cross that YHWH builds our faith and perfects our character, making us a little less like me and a lot more like our Master, Yeshua.

 In your patience possess ye your souls. (Luke 21:19 KJV)

 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Yeshua Messiah: ² By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; ⁴ And patience, experience; and experience, hope: ⁵ And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit of the Holy One which is given unto us. (Romans 5:1-5 KJV)

 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. (Romans 8:25 KJV)

 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4 KJV)

 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11-12 KJV)

 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. ⁴ But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:3-4 KJV)

 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. (James 5:7 KJV)

 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. ¹¹ Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. (James 5:10-11 KJV)

 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. ⁸ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Yeshua Messiah. (2 Peter 1:4-8 KJV)

 Brothers and sisters, we must learn to patiently endure the cross as we wait upon the Father to answer our prayers, hear our cries, and heal our wounds. 

 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon YHWH, they shall inherit the earth. (Psalm 37:9 KJV)

 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon YHWH our God, until that he have mercy upon us. (Psalm 123:2 KJV)

 But they that wait upon YHWH shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 KJV)

 It is our faith in the character of YHWH that allows us to find the strength to patiently wait upon YHWH, trusting that what he wills, and what he allows, is consistent with his nature and character.  Therefore, even the cross must be understood to be good, holy, righteous, just, merciful and compassionate and about life and not death.  While the cross may repulse our flesh, our spirit touched by the love of YHWH will learn to embrace it.  For in the embracing of the cross the character and attributes of YHWH and the body of Messiah become manifest in our world.