For some time now, this writer has wondered why Yahweh places so much emphasis on money and the necessity of giving it up in order to receive the kingdom of heaven. This we are now beginning to see. In June, 1994, I was instructed by the Spirit that selling all and holding all things in common was the required legal covering in order for the Bride to be able to come out of the body of Christ. This is analogous to the equal command in Revelation 18:4 regarding coming out of mystery Babylon - "Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues." More specifically, this is the call to come out of Christianity, which is indeed mystery Babylon; but furthermore, one cannot but associate as well a like call to come out of the financial Babylon system of the world, which we saw in the last section is unrighteous mammon that "is another's" - Satan's.

This separation from the worldly system of mammon is clearly foreshadowed in the Levitical priesthood. While all the other tribes could own land and function in trade, the Levites were not allowed to be involved in such cares. These were the ones who were purchased by the Passover blood that was shed to save the first-born, Yahweh requiring that the Levites be set apart unto Him in exchange (Numbers 3:11-13, 44-51).

This is what the first Remnant, as well as the second Remnant, are to Yahweh. While Christianity can be and has been involved in the cares of this world, the Remnant cannot be, evidenced by the first Remnant and as directed by Yahshua. They are the chosen Passover-sanctified people who cannot follow in the ways of the rest of the church. Their days are to be filled with the labors of the temple, even as was the select purpose of the chosen Levites.

In much regard, they were a Passover work that was, in type, delivered from the curse of laboring by the sweat of the brow. In fact as the priest went into the temple, he was required to wear linen clothing that would not allow him to sweat (Ezekiel 44:18). Setting apart the Remnant from the Babylonian system of labor and wealth is an in-part deliverance from the curse. Of course the ultimate deliverance, even the required true deliverance, comes from being born from above into immortal bodies that indeed will not sweat. This deliverance fully removes the Remnant from the curse of the ground that came at the fall.

And if we might indulge in a bit of seemingly intentional humor on Yahweh's part that will characterize the second Remnant for who they really are, since Yahshua is calling us to follow in the testimony unique to Luke and leave everything, and since we are to follow in the example of the first Remnant, as well as in fulfillment of our place as Levite priests, we too are to be in the fullest regard - Leave-ites!

All in all, considering the commands of Yahshua regarding leaving everything to follow Him, the example of the first Remnant, the testimony of the Levite priests, and deliverance from the curse, it is most evident that Yahshua wants His bride to be set apart from both established religious order, as well as worldly cares. But let's take a look at this matter even further. Why is money obviously such an issue to Yahshua? One certain answer is found in that which is written in 1 Timothy 6:10:

This is an incredible statement! This verse goes on to say - "and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang." This is obviously the piercing that comes from those thorns that Yahshua spoke of regarding the ill plight of the sower's seed, and the thorns that were foretellingly placed upon His head at His crucifixion, even the thicket that bound the ram on Mount Moriah.

But when one reads the above verse, at face value one might suppose that the "root of all evils" would not be money, but the original root of Adam and Eve eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Surely that would have been the root from which all evils have come forth? But this is not what this verse states.

One finds then that they must accept this difficult statement for what it says, especially in light of all that we have seen here thus far. Money is of this world, even of "another"/Satan, and to be attached to it is to choose this world and to reject that which is from above. Equally, money presses the question of where we place our security. Will we trust in things, in degrees, in jobs, in positions, in titles, or will we trust in Yahweh? "You cannot serve God and mammon."

Here then is the choice, or better stated, the test. Is one willing to walk away from everything, as did the disciples, in order to obtain that which is from above, or will he hold onto it and remain below? Clearly, money represents all that is of this world - "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life" (1 John 2:16). One thus cannot but help to surmise that at Yahshua's coming for a bride, He would come for one who is willing to give up this world - in the way of established religion, the approval of others, and material pleasures, possessions, and pursuits. And he does this in order to obtain Him who is from above. Thus the choice becomes one of either receiving Him who is above, or holding onto that which is below, of this earth. To say that one loves someone without the opportunity to prove that love, can be quite empty; but to love someone by giving up everything desirable and "secure" in this life in order to be with them, is true love that is demonstrated.

We find then that both the first coming of Yahshua, and now His return for a bride, press this issue to front and center in our lives, making it never more conclusive than now. Whereas in Christianity this issue of money will not be dealt with in them until later, this cannot be the case with the Remnant. The time for the moneychanger to be cast out of the Remnant is immediate, for our choice to receive either Him or this world is at hand.

After asking His followers to sell all and give mercifully, Yahshua said - "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34). Thus we see that if the love of money is the root of all evils, the Spirit need only test this one point to see the condition of our heart. To test the root to see its condition, is to perform a test like that given to the rich young ruler, Zaccheus, all His disciples and followers, the whole of the first Remnant (in which Ananias and Sapphira failed, even though they believed Yahshua was the Son of God), and now a second Remnant. Giving up one's treasures is indeed Yahshua's heart test.

The man who in the parable found the treasure in the field, or the merchant who found the pearl, regarded the things that he had as unworthy to hold onto in order to obtain that which was of higher value - the kingdom of heaven. Clearly, these men are testimonies of those who pass the heart test, whose hearts are undivided, undistracted, focused and set on that which is above, and yearn for the courts of Yahweh over the cares of this world.

Likewise, the choice that Lot and his family had to make when Yahweh was about to judge Sodom and Gomorrah for their "arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease," as clearly stated in Ezekiel 16:49, is the choice that will have to be made today. "Lot" means covering, and when that covering comes out as a judgment against the arrogant and wealthy church that is at ease, only those who will equally and completely walk away from everything will escape death. Those who compromise, whose hearts are divided, who desire to look back, will be turned into a pillar of salt, testified to by Lot's wife - they will go back into Christianity.

Furthermore, the choice that the rich young ruler had to make in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, is precisely the choice that will have to be made today. This man with all his wealth, foreshadowed in living prophecy that which will be fulfilled in our time. "One thing you still lack; sell all," is Yahshua's instruction to us today.

Clearly, the last 2,000 years of the breach church, including our present lifestyles, have dulled and lulled us from the pure teachings of Yahshua and the pure beginning of the church when not one of them claimed that what he had was his own. This erosion of truth has altered our perception of what is the true kingdom of heaven and the cost to obtain it. It is a well proven fact that if people say or practice something long enough, even when it is error, the mere longevity of that practice etches it into our beliefs as if in stone. Because of longevity, people assume something is true, even acceptable, when in fact it may not be. Such is the case with "the deceitfulness of riches."

Ask the people of Sodom and Gomorrah if this is not true. They had lived in that city all their lives and preferred its "security." Go back to the teachings of Yahshua, go back to the pure beginnings of the church, and one will see that the church has truly gone astray and accepted the temptation of Satan while in the wilderness, receiving instead the kingdoms of this world. Satan's "opportune time" for tempting Christ-man has been the last 2,000 years of Legion-occupied Christianity that has listened to him and continually gone to death.

Looking at the messages to the churches in Revelation, once again we find more than just the indictments of five ancient churches in the area we today call Turkey, but rather the indictments against the church whole, even today. Included in that list is the clear indictment of parting from the pure beginnings of the church. Not only is the church Laodicean, in that it is poor, blind, and naked when it thinks itself to be rich; not only is it a Sardis, in that it thinks itself to be alive but it is dead, even a dead man in a rich man's tomb; but from the church at Ephesus we find the stated indictment that it has left its first love - "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love." What then is Yahshua's instruction? "Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place - unless you repent" (Revelation 2:4-5).

Here we have a clear and specific statement that the church has indeed left its first love. What were those deeds done at the first of the church that have been forsaken? The answer to this question is very evident, for all one has to do is go to Acts 2 through 5 and read those first love deeds. They accepted Yahshua's teachings about wealth and held all things in common, went house to house daily, and were absorbed in Yahweh's word and in fellowship. This is that to which this writer is urging our return, to follow the instruction of Yahshua to "do the deeds you did at first," at the first of the church. And clearly this is that which must take place in order for the lampstand to return to the Remnant. Is there any mistake in this? None whatsoever, for the evidence and testimony are conclusively clear.

So you might ask - What then is the difference between others in the breach church who have held all things in common, and that which a second Remnant would do today? The answer is two things, really three - truth, timing, and birthright.

Only now are we beginning to see the marvelous truths that are being revealed to the Remnant Bride. This is the truth that Job had which set him apart from his three friends (or 3,000 years of Christianity), and resulted in his approval over them - "For I will accept him (Job) so that I may not do with you (Christianity) according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has" (Job 42:7-8). This is the truth that the thirty obtained from Samson's new bride that allowed them to answer the riddle and receive the thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothing (priesthood and new bodies) (Judges 14:10-18). This is the truth that Yahshua said that if one has, it will set them free (John 8:32). This is the truth inherent with the second Remnant, evidenced in a most wonderful riddle testimony regarding Nathanael as revealed in the next section.

Third is birthright, even the lampstand. Only a second Remnant has the Zerah scarlet thread right to the kingdom granted to us by our association with our alternate part - the first Remnant. This again is why it is so important that we follow them in their first love ways by coming under the covering of holding all things in common, giving up this world to follow Yahshua.

What then is our hope? What is our calling? This is found in the hidden riddles of the two occasions in which Yahshua spoke of faith that would move a mountain, affording vital insight that ever so much more attests to the truly incredible never before seen truth that is being given to and preserved for the second Remnant. Let us now see.