Do you desire to obey the Voice of the Lord your God? We might ask, "How do we hear the Voice of our God?" Most of us know and understand that His Voice is expressed to us through the Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit), who is our counselor, our guide, our helper, our disciplinarian and our comforter. I remember when I first learned about Him - at the age of 29 - in a book called The Helper by Catherine Marshall. I was so blessed and moved to learn that there was an expression of the Living God who wanted to dwell within me, to be my daily help and guide in staying on the right path. Then I read Nine O'Clock in the Morning by Dennis Bennet, and I began to pray for the gifts of the Ruach. He was generous to give them to me. 1 Corinthians 14:1: "Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts..." This is what Shaul (Paul) encourages us to do, and as we desire these gifts our Father is pleased to give them as He wills (1 Cor. 12:11: "One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills").
During the 70's many of us experienced a great outpouring of this Genuine Spirit of God, and as a result of our obedience to keep His commands and move in the Power of His Spirit, we were witnesses to miracles of healing, deliverance, and salvation. What happened to those days? Why have we walked through such a dry, desolate wilderness in the past few years, especially those of us who passionately embraced the Hebrew roots of our faith and embarked upon a deep study of the Torah? This past summer I came to a place where I realized we have been on such a quest for knowledge that we have left the Ruach in the dust. Worship had all but disappeared from Messianic congregations (that I have been part of) and I found myself at my piano in my home, crying out to Abba to restore worship in the earth; worship that is fueled by and filled with His Holy Spirit!
Apparently I have not been alone in my heart's cry. We attended a gathering of the Messianic Israel Alliance in Orlando, Florida last week and the focus of this gathering was a restoration of the Ruach haKodesh in our lives. Every teaching given was focused on the Ruach, and the good and genuine manifestations of the Ruach that have been missing in our lives. I suppose the years of "charismania" with its false worship, lying signs and wonders, and demonic manifestations have caused many of us to flee anything that looked "pentecostal." What a terrible loss this has been! And what a grievous separation this has caused between brothers in search of their Hebrew foundations and brothers in the Church! I have so endeavored to keep DoorKeeper Ministries operating as a bridge of love, compassion, understanding and Truth between the two. Our "signature scripture" has been Ephesians 2:15, because we so desire (as do Batya & Angus Wooten of the M.I.A.) to see Redeemed Israel break forth as "One New Man," empowered by the Holy Spirit!
It was in this spirit of unity that we gathered in Orlando, and we were overwhelmed by the response of YHVH our God! He poured out his Spirit on our gathering in a way that most of us have not experienced for many years! Together, as "one new man," one mischpochah (family) in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we shared the bread and the wine, remembering Yeshua's sacrifice made for us; and then one person or one family at a time we went through the beautifully decorated chuppa (wedding canopy) to recommit our lives to Yeshua, and to ask for a fresh anointing of His Ruach. John and I were asked to minister to each one as they emerged from the chuppa, anointing them with oil and prophesying/blessing over them as the Ruach led. There are no words to describe to you the spilling-over, bubbling-up joy I felt as I was once again empowered to minister this way, especially with the partner God has given me. So many words of wisdom, encouragement and healing were spoken over people that we saw lives transformed before our very eyes! There were some miraculous healings that occurred that day, as well as some genuine deliverances, and quite a few youths who gave their lives to Yeshua for the first time! Oh, how long it has been since I have been a part of such a powerful time of worship, renewal, and healing. It was not because of anything the leadership did, or because of any teaching that was given, or because of anything I did or said. It was because GOD SHOWED UP IN POWER AND GLORY, in response to the fervent and repentant prayers of His people!!
There were no animal sounds, no shoving people onto the floor, no counting the number of those saved; no trace of the false "revivals" of the past years. The genuine Ruach haKodesh moves quietly, gently, lovingly. It was ALL ABOUT HIM AND NO MAN. The people who came, came to find HIM again - and not to hear a famous teacher. My heart is deeply encouraged. We are entering an age when we must be able to hear His Voice - and I believe this means shutting out a lot of other noise and voices, and setting our "dial" directly on His signal. We will need His power and strength to navigate the difficult waters ahead; we will need His instruction to know which way to turn, and when to move and when to stay still. We will need His words to witness to our enemies, as Yeshua Himself tells us in Luke 21:12-15: "But before all this [times of tribulation], they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors,and all on account of My Name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict."
How shall we receive these words and this wisdom? Only by the Voice of the Ruach. If you have not heard Him in your life lately, get into the quiet place and invite Him to return. Desire to be filled again with His gifts! Cry out to him as David did in Psalm 51: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your Presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me." Even all those years ago David knew that without the Spirit he was powerless. So it is today.
