How About You?

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the least of these

My beloved father passed away in April 2007. Peter and I, along with other family members, were privileged to be with him to the last. I wrote the following thoughts down shortly before my dad went on to his reward. It was meant to be both a tribute to him and a challenge to others. It is now time to share these private thoughts to challenge us all, both Messianic believers and Christians.

I am sitting here listening to the clock ticking away the precious little time I have left with my dad. I loathe every ticking sound because I can do nothing to stop the time from slipping away.

As it turns out, my father is Jewish. He never felt free enough to share this with us until a little over a year ago. Do I see a Jewish person when I look at my father? Not really. I never really knew him that way. But I will tell you what I see when I look at him. I see a man who loves Yeshua, only Dad calls him Jesus. I see a man who has worked hard all his life, who is almost ridiculously honest and fair, and who quietly gives to others and shares without asking anything in return. I see a man who is wasting away and who endures horrifying suffering, yet uses the tiny bits of strength and energy left to him to love and care for others. I see a man who is not wrapped up in his ethnicity; instead, he is following his Messiah to the best of his ability. I see a man who truly knows Jesus and tries to be like Him.

A few days before his death, my younger brother and his son sat with Dad for hours, one on each side and each holding one of his hands. As they were leaving, he said, “I love you. Remember, if you need anything, I’m here.” Dad was so weak he couldn’t even leave his bed. My father showed his love for us through quiet service. He did not seek to draw attention to himself. His faith was quiet, but strong.

Dad did not tell others of Yeshua in words. Instead, he showed them Yeshua’s love through his actions. Many people approached us after he died to mourn with us. Most of them shared stories of how he had helped them, whether it was by making repairs or running them to doctors’ appointments. I truly believed that when Dad met his Master, he was welcomed home with open arms.

The minutes are ticking away for each of us. Do we think that our ethnicity, our “correct” observance of religious rituals, or our intellectual abilities are going to win us any points with the Master? What are you doing with your life? Would your Master be pleased? Will He know you when you stand before Him?

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death (1 John 3:14).

They Shall Know that I Am Yehovah

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they shall know that I am YHVH

So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am YHVH, the Holy One of Israel.” Eze 39:7

In my previous postings on the Name of the Creator and sovereign God of the universe, Yehovah, I talked about the importance of knowing and speaking His Name, as well as the sad history of the silencing of God’s Name for the past 2300 years (see There is Power in the Name). If you recall from that blog, after the return from exile in Babylon, priests of the Second Temple era decided that God’s name was too holy to pronounce, and they banned the speaking of the Name among the Jewish population in general and even within the Temple. In this blog, I wanted to present some encouraging words to believers who feel discouraged and helpless, knowing that the Name of Yehovah is known by so few of God’s people, and even a smaller number of people across the Globe.

We know from Scripture that Yehovah wants His name to be known throughout the Earth, by Jews and non-Jews alike (see Ps 91:14, Isa 52:6, Jer 16:21, Eze 12:15; 22:16; 30:26; 36:23; 39:7; Amos 5:8, John 17:6). We also see clearly in Scripture that YHVH wants everyone to speak His name (Gen 12:8; 26:25, Isa 44:5; 54:5, Jer 10:25). While it is true that most people on earth (believers and non-believers alike) do not know what to call YHVH, we have heard recently about how Yehovah is starting to reveal His name to His people in diverse places. We have experienced this especially among non-Jews who are keeping the Biblical feasts and celebrating YHVH’s Sabbaths.

I recently saw a very interesting example of the unveiling of YHVH’s name in a newsletter that comes out Israel on a daily basis. It is called Jerusalem365 and each article is a combination of a Scripture verse (in English, Hebrew, and transliterated Hebrew), and a photo and story of something happening in Jerusalem that relates to the verse (you can subscribe to the newsletter at the Israel365 site: Israel365 Subscribe). The photographers and authors of the articles are all Israeli Jews, many of whom have made aliyah to Israel (meaning they have emigrated there from other countries).

Here’s the thing that fascinated me about some of their articles: whenever the verse contained YHVH’s Name (“The LORD” in English translations), the Hebrew lettering included the vowels and spelled out YHVH so that it would be pronounced as Yehovah. To be more accurate, YHVH was actually spelled out two different ways in various articles: sometimes it was spelled out exactly as Yehovah, and other times they used a common technique of obscuring the exact Name of God (they reversed the first and last letters).

          Here are the two different forms of YHVH [Yehovah] written in Hebrew:The Name There are several amazing things about the Hebrew Name of God being spelled out fully in these articles:

  1. Because of the ban on speaking or writing the fully pronounceable Name of God, Jewish people would be required to spell God’s Name as HaShem (simply “The Name”), Adonai (Lord as a title for God), or one of the abbreviations used for YHVH in the Torah and other ancient Jewish writings.
  2. When the Hebrew was transliterated into English, it was written as Adonai, which would be acceptable to Rabbis and Orthodox Jews.
  3. The Name in the English text is written as “The LORD”, which is the standard translation found in most English Bibles.

The key point here is that God’s true Name, which Jews refer to as the unpronounceable Name of God, is being revealed to individuals in Israel, and is now being communicated out to thousands of people around the world. While it is true that most Christians and many non-Orthodox Jews would not be able to read the Hebrew or understand the significance if they could read it, YHVH is nevertheless revealing His Name to Israel and the Nations as He said He would (Eze 39:7).

In the greatest prayer that Yeshua prayed, He first said that He had glorified the Father by finishing the work that Abba had given Him to do. (John 17:4) And what work had He completed? In Verse 6, Yeshua says that He made YHVH’s Name known to the disciples that Abba gave Him “out of the world”. From this verse we can see that one of Yeshua’s primary missions was to make known the person, character and true Name of YHVH, so that He could glorify God the Father on earth. [Remember that even in Yeshua’s time there was a ban on speaking the Name of God]. Verse 5 says that after Yeshua’s work was done on Earth, then Abba would glorify His Son by bringing Him back to heaven to be with Him again.

So what does all this mean to us as followers of the Way? If Yeshua made Abba Father known to us by revealing His true Name, then I do not want to waste Yeshua’s hard-earned fruit produced while He was here on the Earth. I hope you will also want to know YHVH’s true Name and that you will want to speak it in your praise and prayers to Abba – Yehovah wants His name to be known, spoken, praised, feared, and glorified throughout the Earth!

A House United

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that they all may be oneA 2009 Barna Group article entitled “Most American Christians Do Not Believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit Exist”* sheds light on some basic reasons for the divisions and disagreements among members of the Body of Messiah. The nationwide survey on adult spiritual beliefs indicates that there is much disparity and confusion among American adults on the subject of their faith. Here are some interesting points to consider:

  • Roughly one-fourth of those surveyed aren’t sure who God is.
  • Sixty percent think that Satan is or could be just a symbol of evil, not a living being, yet about 47% of those people believe they are influenced by demons
  • Approximately 48% of those surveyed believe that Jesus sinned or might have sinned while He was on the earth
  • Approximately 58% believe that the Holy Spirit is not a living force, but a symbol of God’s power, although half of that group believes that the Bible is totally accurate in all the principles it teaches.
  • Well over one-half believe that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches, yet approximately one-third of that group also believes that the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon all express the same spiritual truths.

Several truths glared out at me after studying this survey. First, we need a personal relationship with the Father, Yeshua, and the Holy Spirit in order to understand clearly who God is. Those whose statements on their faith could categorize them as “born again” were more consistent and clear about the Bible’s accuracy, the influence of demons, the true identity of the Holy Spirit, the nature of God (omniscient, omnipresent, e.g.). They were also more adamant that a person must choose between God and Satan and that there is no middle ground. We are called to represent Yeshua on the earth. How can we do that if we don’t truly know Him? We must not only be born again, but we must actively pursue a relationship with YHVH.

Second, it is essential to know the Holy Spirit, for Yeshua promised to send us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us (John 14:16-17). If you are born again, you are born of the Spirit (John 3:6-8). In order to truly follow Yeshua, it is necessary to abandon the sinful nature and live according to the desires of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:5-6). It is essential to eagerly seek all that the Holy Spirit has to offer to us. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth (John 16:13. 14:26; 1 John 5:6). Baptism in the Holy Spirit is vital for each member of the Body of Messiah (Matt 3:11, Acts 1:5).

Third, all believers need deliverance. We were born into the kingdom of darkness and in bondage. The divisions, accusations, moral scandals and confusion within the Body of Messiah are all evidence that many believers are still in bondage to Satan.  If deliverance were offered to and accepted by all followers of Yeshua, Satan would lose a lot of his current influence and the credibility of those representing Yeshua would rise considerably. Once we have been delivered from demon oppression, the “blinders” are removed and we see more clearly how our enemy operates. We can then engage in spiritual warfare effectively (Rom 12:21; 1 John 4:1)

Fourth, those who believe in the accuracy of the Bible and at the same time believe that the Koran and the Book of Mormon teach basically the same principles, clearly need a better understanding of the Bible as well as the teachings of the other two books. It is essential to accurately understand our Hebrew roots in order to truly comprehend the Bible. Many Christians who are well-versed in Scripture are still lacking this basic paradigm for understanding what the Bible says.  In other words, they are well versed in what they think the Bible is saying, but they still lack a great deal of understanding that our Jewish brothers and sisters in Yeshua can teach us.  My people perish from a lack of knowledge (Hos 4:6 KJV).

What would happen if the Body of Messiah had a deep, personal relationship with YHVH, were free from demonic manipulation, were taught and guided exclusively by the Holy Spirit, and had a firm grasp of the Bible? The Body of Messiah would become more unified, more certain of the truth, and more effective in the Kingdom of YHVH.  We would be powerful citizens of YHVH’s kingdom and more effective workers in His harvest.

We, as followers of Yeshua, are called to be united. If some of us deny the existence of Holy Spirit, Who guides us into all truth, or of hasatan who guides us into all lies, then confusion and division are inevitable. We are on the battlefield in the middle of a war. If all of us don’t recognize our Commander and listen only to His voice, how can we hope to be united in Him? If we can’t identify the enemy and his wiles, we will not be able to defend ourselves against his attacks. Our enemy knows that his time is growing short, so he is increasing his efforts to bring us all down. It is more important than ever to stand united.

How I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Cor 1:10-12).

 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Eph 4:3-5)

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity (John 17:22-23 NIV).

* “Most American Christians Do Not Believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit Exist. Barna Group, 2009, https://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/260-most-american-christians-do-not-believe-that-satan-or-the-holy-spirit-exis#.VbuKg_mpeSo

Restoring the House

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harmony in the body

In last week’s article, we examined the importance of embracing all the truth that YHVH has revealed. Our failure to receive the truth and employ the gifts Elohim provides has caused division and dissension within the Body of Messiah. Our assignment from YHVH is to build up His Body (Matt. 28:16-20) and prepare ourselves to live in His kingdom (Eph 4:13-15). It is time that we re-consider the gifts and tools that are missing in our lives.

For example, some followers of Yeshua say that speaking in tongues is from the devil. Are they saying that YHVH used a sign from the devil to demonstrate that His Holy Spirit had fallen on the followers of Yeshua? (Acts 2:4, 1 Cor 14:2) Speaking in tongues serves as evidence that we have received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-47, 1 Cor 14:22). Actually, praying in tongues is a very powerful tool to strengthen the user (Jude 20). We can pray in tongues when we aren’t sure how to pray in our native language (Rom 8:26). We can us tongues to intercede powerfully on behalf of our brothers and sisters (Eph 6:18).

From the very beginning, there has been misunderstanding and misuse of the gift of speaking in tongues. Hasatan wasted no time in working through people’s pride and immaturity to discredit this gift. When we refuse the gift of speaking in tongues or abandon its use, we lose many opportunities to strengthen ourselves and to assist our brothers and sisters in Yeshua.

Healing the sick is suspect among many believers in Yeshua. Yeshua clearly stated that His followers would lay hands on people and they would get well (Luke 10:9). Sometimes we pray for the sick and they don’t recover, so we give up. Does that mean that healing is not for today? Consider Yeshua’s followers who were unable to expel a demon. Yeshua rebuked them for their lack of faith and then proceeded to expel the demon Himself (Matt 17:14-20). The laying on of hands for healing others is part of our commission from Yeshua (Luke 10:9).

The gift of prophecy is also misunderstood by many. Some people believe that because the Bible is now complete and nothing new is being added, that prophecy has ceased. However, the prophets spoke their messages to the intended audience. At some point, they also recorded the message in writing, but first it was spoken and sometimes demonstrated to enhance understanding (Jer 1:17, 2:2; Hos 1:2) Fortunetelling is hasatan’s counterfeit for prophecy. Prophecy is relaying a message from YHVH at His command to individuals or groups of people, sometimes to a whole nation.  We are expected to prophecy as the Holy Spirit leads (1 Cor 14:39).

For everything that comes from YHVH, hasatan has created a counterfeit to try to discredit YHVH and to cause confusion among humans. We must be discerning at all times and we cannot do this without direct assistance from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we need infilling or baptism of the Holy Spirit and we need to be open to His direction at all times. Whatever we truly hear from the Holy Spirit will always line up directly with Scripture. YHVH does not contradict Himself.

Perhaps the most misunderstood and least used gift is deliverance. Hasatan has done an excellent job at persuading us to avoid deliverance because it has such a negative impact on his work. Thus, many people in our culture do not even acknowledge that there are demons. Others believe that demons can only affect non-believers. In addition, there has been and still is unnecessary drama in deliverance sessions. If we ask the Holy Spirit to take charge and follow His guidance, deliverance can be accomplished in a calm and orderly manner.

Most people react with outrage when confronted with the possibility that they may be in bondage to demons, saying something like “I’m a nice person.” That is probably true, but can you picture demons reporting back to their leader with the excuse that “we just couldn’t do it because he is such a nice person? In the physical realm, we can be assaulted or kidnapped by others despite the nature of our character.

Hasatan is well aware of his final outcome since it has already been recorded by YHVH in Scripture (John 12:31, Rev 12:9). The best he can hope for is to take down as many humans as he can while he has the opportunity (2 Cor 4:4).   He is delighted when humans, who were created in YHVH’s image, do anything to mar that image. Hasatan has no pity or compassion, but is the father of lies (John 8:44) who seeks to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). So you are a nice person? Fine, hasatan will take care of that. In fact, he has been seeking opportunities to snag you from the time you arrive on earth.

Can believers be in bondage to demons? Yes! Right after YHVH revealed the Messiah to Peter, hasatan worked through Peter to try to dissuade Yeshua from His mission (Matt 16). Even though Peter spoke the words, Yeshua confronted hasatan.  Consider also the Corinthians, who were born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit, and operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, yet were still heavily influenced by demons and subject to sin (1 Cor 3, 5). Over the centuries, many denominations and congregations have suffered from the scandalous behavior of their members, sometimes even their leaders.

Lack of trust in YHVH is our biggest barrier to accepting the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Lack of trust stems from our two worst enemies: fear and doubt. Trust is built as we get to know YHVH personally and interact with Him. As we learn to trust Him in small things, we can move on to bigger things.

Hasatan knows the power of YHVH’s weapons and tools. He knows one sure way to thwart YHVH’s plan is to persuade us to relinquish our weapons. If hasatan can convince us that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not from YHVH, but from hasatan, then we will avoid them and think we are doing a very good thing. If he can persuade us to fear or mistrust the most powerful weapons, we won’t be able to use them against him. We will not be effective in building up YHVH’s kingdom. Instead, we will be assisting hasatan in building up his kingdom.

We tend to conform to and become like the god we serve (Ps 115:8). Division, chaos, dissension, mistrust, accusations, self-righteousness are from hasatan. Unity, order, harmony, trust, acceptance and true righteousness are from YHVH. So a Body of Messiah that is riddled with division, confusion, and self-righteous accusations is serving whom? Let us serve YHVH and restore the house that YHVH built by using the gifts and tools He gave to us.

A House Divided

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House divided

One dark, stormy day a family decided to put together a jigsaw puzzle. They believed that this activity would bring them closer as a family. As they sat down to work together on this common project, something strange happened. Each person became enamored with one or more pieces of the puzzle and insisted that his or her small collection comprised the entire puzzle and refused to even consider any of the other pieces. The family members started arguing and soon the argument became more hostile. They stopped speaking to one another and each stormed off into a different room of the house with a fragmented portion of the puzzle. The family is still torn apart and the picture is never completed.

This may sound like a ridiculous scenario, yet the followers of Yeshua/Jesus have done just that. Currently, there are about 34,000 different Christian denominations that follow Yeshua/Jesus. Each clings to its own pieces of the truth, believing those pieces make up the entire truth. The result is distrust, bitterness, envy, self-righteousness and a host of other sins. In contrast, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are in complete harmony and unity at all times. Disharmony and division are not from YHVH, but rather from His enemy, hasatan.

Our enemy, hasatan, knows how powerful the Body of Messiah would be if all its members accepted Yeshua’s gifts and functioned in unity according to YHVH’s plan. Our enemy has done an excellent job of dividing us and weakening the Body of Messiah (2 Cor 11:13). How can the enemy be so successful among followers of Yeshua? He can only do so with our cooperation.

We have lost sight of the fact that when we asked Yeshua to be Lord of our lives and became born again, we relinquished our citizenship in the kingdom of darkness. We are now citizens of the kingdom of YHVH and are subject to Him. We may have thought we were running our own show before we agreed to submit to YHVH, but in truth we were submitting ourselves to hasatan. We are to look to YHVH for truth, wisdom and direction. Instead, we have relied on our own feelings, biases, and fears rather than trusting YHVH at His word. We do not realize that we are still serving hasatan.

At His first coming, Yeshua provided a perfect example of what we are to be and how we are to function. If Yeshua cast out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit, then so must we (Luke 10:17). If Yeshua healed the sick and raised the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit, then so must we (Luke 10:9). If the Holy Spirit uttered prophecy through Yeshua, then we must expect the Holy Spirit to do the same through us as He sees fit (2 Cor 14:1). If Yeshua celebrated YHVH’s feasts and Shabbats, then so must we (Mark 2:28; Mark 14:16; Luke 7:1-10).

When we refuse parts of the truth, we commit sin and grieve the Holy Spirit. If we deny the reality of the gifts of the Spirit, spiritual warfare, our Biblical roots, or any other part of the truth, we are declaring that we believe YHVH’s ways to be faulty or incorrect.   When we refuse part of YHVH’s truth, we take a stand for darkness rather than light and we play into the enemy’s plan for us. We remain divided.

Stand Firm in Love (Part 2)

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Let all you do be done with love

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” I Corinthians 16:13-14

Last week, I focused on Verse 13 above as I spoke about holding fast to our convictions when we know they are clear instructions from YHVH’s word. In Part 2 this week I will focus on the second part of this passage above, which says that everything we do should be done in love. From I Corinthians 13 Verse 2 we know that even if we are working miracles through Holy Spirit gifts and have greater faith than the Apostles, “so that we could remove mountains, but have not love, we are nothing”.

The same adage goes for mentoring and discipling other believers – if we are not “speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15), then we are better off not speaking at all. Whenever the Holy Spirit puts on our heart that we are to speak with someone, our words need to be spoken “with grace, seasoned with salt, that we may know how we ought to answer each one” (Col 4:6).

When we put this together with Verse 13 above, it means that we are to stand firm in our convictions and not be swayed by the world’s compromise with YHVH’s word, but when we do speak out we need to be sensitive to the beliefs and feelings of others. Does this sensitivity to their beliefs mean that we are to be silent and avoid delicate topics like homosexuality? No, most certainly not! If we were silent, then we would no longer be watchman for YHVH’s Word to others in the world.

So how do we keep the delicate balance between offending people (even friends and family) and speaking the truth in love? Actually, we cannot avoid offending people when we speak God’s truth.  Didn’t Yeshua say:”And blessed is the one who is not offended because of Me” (Matt 11:6), and then: “…you will be hated by all for My name’s sake” (Luke 21:17). Many people were offended by Yeshua’s words, and He told His disciples (including us) that we would be hated when we speak His words and His name.

I believe we need to state the Godly convictions we stand on and why we are so passionate about them. This way, the person will not think we are judging them, and we will not so easily repel them with our strong words. We need to come from the perspective that we love God and want to follow His instructions because He first loved us, and because He made the most incredible sacrifice of all time for us. He hung on a tree for us when we were still sinners and didn’t deserve His love or His sacrifice.

It is only God’s amazing love that will draw people to Him. Until people understand the depth of Yehovah’s love and concern for them as individuals, and that He wants to have a personal relationship with them, there is no hope that they will listen to more serious matters. Once they reach this understanding in their heart, then you can gently start speaking to them about obedience and being pleasing to God in the way they live their lives.

Unless we speak to people out of love, we are like clanging symbols: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (I Cor 13:1-2) When we share the truth with others, we must season our words with grace so that we allow Abba Father to draw them to Yeshua and the Holy Spirit to convict them in their sinful lifestyle. Then the door is open for us to disciple them and pray with them so that they want change their lifestyle so that they can be pleasing to Yehovah.

We need to look at our heart motives behind our words. When we approach people about their lifestyle or behavior, do we come to them with an air of superiority or self-righteousness, or do we come to them with humility, speaking the truth to them out of love?

Stand Fast to Your Convictions (Part 1)

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stand firm“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Revelation 12:11

Last week, Nancy and I were deeply convicted by a powerful teaching we heard at a local congregation. The pastor was focused on getting ourselves fit for the fire that is to come in the End Times (spoken of by Yeshua in Matthew 24).  Believers could interpret this fire that is coming in different ways, but in this context I am seeing it as persecution against the Body of Messiah. Sha’ul told us that we as the Body of Messiah are to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil 1:27).  We are also told to stand fast as individuals in our faith (I Cor 16:13).  This means that we are to hold to our convictions that there is one true God, Yehovah, and one clear standard of morality, which is the set of instructions YHVH has given us in His Torah.

The pastor went on to speak about the need to stand up for what we know is YHVH’s standard of morality in His Kingdom.  He said that as the moral fiber of our nation continues to crumble we will have plenty of opportunities to speak out about God’s stand on moral issues.  In our society today, we have an historic opportunity to stand fast in the face of the growing fires of immorality, and to speak out to others (both believers and non-believers) about God’s standard of morality.  The Supreme Court decision to require all states to conduct same-sex marriages has given us a golden opportunity to test the strength of our commitment to uphold YHVH’s standards in the face of cultural persecution. YHVH spoke often about the abomination of Homosexuality, and He judged it as harshly as any other sin (see Judges 19-20 and Gen 19 for examples). He saw this as a violation of the sin of idolatry, that people exchanged the glory YHVH gave them for a lie, and worshiped the creation instead of the Creator (Rom 1:25).

In our home worship time with Abba, the Ruach keeps bringing Nancy and I back to the passages in Ezekiel (3:16-21 and 33:1-9) where YHVH speaks to Ezekiel about being a watchman to warn God’s people about the upcoming judgment for their sins. I think YHVH is speaking to all of us when He says: “When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood” (Eze 33:8). As God’s people, we are not only accountable for our own sins, but we are accountable for speaking YHVH’s truth to others and warning them about God’s righteous standard. As compassionate believers seeking to be like Yeshua, though, we must speak and act out of love and humility, seasoning our words with grace. We must not condemn or judge others out of our own self-righteousness, remembering that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of YHVH (including ourselves). See Part 2 of this Blog as we dig deeper into how we should we should act and speak graciously when we encounter unGodly attitudes, words or actions.

YHVH is a merciful Elohim who loves us with an unconditional love. However, YHVH is also a just and righteous God who cannot tolerate sin in His presence. Some see this as an irreconcilable contradiction, but in YHVH’s never-ending mercy, He chose to save His people from their sins by sending His Son to die in place of the death we deserve. This is the amazing miracle of the Good News, but we must do our part as well. In order to benefit from God’s plan of reconciliation with us, we must repent, turn from our sinful ways, and start walking on YHVH’s righteous path. We must not think that our own sin is somehow less offensive to God than the sins of others.

Yeshua told us that He would send fire on the earth. He said that He did not come to earth to bring peace, but division, and that even family members would be divided against each other in the same household (Luke 12:49-53). We know from experience that our families are the most difficult settings to speak out God’s truth, and sometimes are the places of greatest persecution. But we also know as believers that we are to “overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony” (Rev 12:11). And what does the rest of that passage say, that we are to “love not our lives even unto death”.

In the face of persecution from our families, friends and fellow believers, we need to stand fast to God’s standard, even when we are criticized, ridiculed, shunned by others, or face possibly even more severe consequences in future times. It is good to meditate on YHVH’s truth, knowing that nothing can separate us from His love, and that He will bless us with boundless spiritual fruit when we boldly share His truth with others.

Inside Out

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fruit of the Spirit 2

The account of the fig tree that Yeshua cursed (Matt 21:18-22, Mark 11:12-14) provides many lessons such as the power we have through Yeshua over our environment or the power of faith and trust. It also shows that we must bear good fruit. Since humans are sometimes referred to as trees in Scripture (Ps 1:3 52:8; Is 44:4) this fig tree may very well represent what can happen to us.

We usually do not think of a fig tree as having free will, yet because this fig tree did not perform in compliance with the way it was created, Yeshua cursed it. The fig tree withered and died. Whatever was wrong with the fig tree seems to have been happening “behind the scenes”. The tree was able to produce leaves to provide for its own sustenance, but it did not produce fruit for the sustenance of others. The fig tree had been provided with all that it needed in its creation to produce the expected fruit. It failed in its assigned task.

What lessons does this story hold for us? Yeshua has equipped us mightily so that we might bear good fruit. He has provided a way for us to reconcile with our Creator (Rom 5:10) so that we might learn wisdom (1 Cor 1: 28-31) from Him and have His protection (2 Thess 3:3). Yeshua Himself became our perfect example of how to produce excellent fruit (Luke 6:40). Before He returned to His Father, Yeshua further equipped us with the Holy Spirit so that we might bear the fruit of His Spirit (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit guides and equips us with spiritual gifts for the purpose of making us fruitful.

In addition to being our Comforter and personal Guide, the Holy Spirit works within our hearts and minds, refashioning us so that we might produce optimum fruit. It is our responsibility to yield ourselves to the work of the Spirit and to cooperate with Him. It is easy to let things slide and to drift along thinking everything is alright. On the outside, we may appear to be doing fine, but inside we may be in trouble.

The failure of trees to produce fruit may stem from one or more pests such as borers or fungi or a variety of diseases. The more one knows how a healthy tree is supposed to function and how to identify the culprit(s), the better the chances for correctly addressing the problem. It Is important to determine exactly what is causing the problem, so that the correct remedy may be applied.

The same is true for us. It is our responsibility to understand how we are expected to function and how to identify the culprit(s) that are eating away at our growth and effectiveness. It is also important for us to be on the lookout for any evil or weakness that may be hindering us.

In order to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, we must understand the spiritual realm. We are not as familiar with this realm as with the physical realm, so it takes more effort (Gal 3:1-3) to operate in the spirit realm. This is perhaps one of our biggest battles.

If we are not paying attention, spiritual diseases and pests may begin to eat away at us from the inside. We may not notice it until it is too late, until we are withering up and dying. We must make sure that it is the Holy Spirit who works in us and not the enemy. Let us be vigilant, so that when our Master approaches us expecting good fruit, He may delight in our yield.

Will the True Messiah Please Stand Up?

Gospel in the Stars, Peter's blogs, , , ,

Gemini

Many passages in scripture talk about the dual nature of Messiah Yeshua, that He is both God and man. So how do we know that Yeshua the Messiah is both divine (YHVH Elohim) and human? Scripture makes very clear this dual nature of Yeshua, and we know that we can believe the testimony of Scripture because all Scripture is inspired by God and is true and good for doctrine, teaching, etc. (2 Tim 3:16).

Galatians 4:4 shows the humanity of Yeshua: “…God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Torah..”. Luke 1:35 provides clear evidence of the divine nature of Yeshua – the angel said to Miriam: “…The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

God did not just manifest Himself in flesh as a human being, but rather “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father..” (John 1:14) God the Father took Yeshua who was already His Son from the beginning, and made Him to be born through a human woman by the power of the Holy Spirit. So why did Messiah need to be fully human as well as fully divine? Because we had to have a High Priest [our Messiah Yeshua] who could understand our weaknesses – One who had been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. (from Heb 4:15) Even more specifically, Hebrews 2:17 says: “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of all people. Scripture confirms this in Philippians 2:7-8, where it says that Yeshua took on the “form of a bondservant, and [came] in the likeness of a human being. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

We can see clearly from these scriptures that Yeshua could not have taken away our sins unless He was both fully human (so He could identify with us in our human weakness) and fully divine (so that He had the power of the Holy Spirit to defeat the enemy, HaSatan). It is true that we now have the power of the Holy Spirit within us, when we have been baptized into that power. However, Yeshua has a special relationship with the Holy Spirit and Abba Father, in that He is One (Echad) with them as persons of the triune God, Yehovah Elohim.

To put this into a context that might be easier for us mortal beings to understand, YHVH has painted the entire Gospel message into His star-pictures in the sky. We have looked at some of these in depth in previous blogs, but here I just want to give you a brief snapshot of one of them to help clarify Yeshua’s duality as God and man. Most people have heard of Gemini as one of the 12 signs of the Zodiac. However, as with the others, its meaning has been corrupted over the ages through pagan mythology and astrology. The original Hebrew name for this sign was Thaumim, which means united, or twinned, as in Exodus 26:24.

In most of the myths about Gemini, twin brothers are represented; they are sometimes seen as heads of armies or great pirates on the seas (sons of Jupiter), which is why they were looked on as “patron saints” of marine navigation. The ancient star-names paint a very different picture, though, of a single person with a twofold nature–God and Man. They tell the story of His twofold work of suffering and glory, and His twofold coming in humiliation and in triumph. Two of the 85 stars in this sign point this out very clearly; the star Apollo in the head of one means ruler or judge, while the star Hercules in the other’s head means “the One who comes to suffer”. The best translation of the Hebrew name of the sign (Thaumim) is “united into one”, in the same sense that Yeshua is one person of the Godhead, but has two distinct natures united together in His one essence.

There are not two separate persons, but rather two natures joined together in one Person, “God and man in one Messiah.” We can’t have one without the other – if we accept Yeshua as a man, suffering for our redemption, then we must also accept Him as our God (Yehovah), coming to judge all people and reign as King of kings for eternity. When we remember what Yeshua said to His disciples before He left the earth, it helps us understand what it means to be a part of His Kingdom: “If you love me, you will keep My commandments”. (John 14:15) In verse 21, He goes on to say: “If anyone loves Me, they will keep My word; and My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them.”

This sounds like the greatest thing that could ever happen to us, that Abba Father and Yeshua His Son would come make their home with us! Do you want this? It means sacrifice and commitment for someone to keep His commandments (His word) day-by-day. As Yeshua promised, Abba sent the Ruach HaKodesh to help us every moment of our lives – do you think the Holy Spirit can also help you to stay faithful to Yehovah’s Word? Is it worth trying?

Kings or Servants?

Nancy's blogs, , , ,

if we endure

As children of YHVH, are we servants or kings? Actually, we are both.

We are servants of YHVH (Acts 16:17; 1 Cor. 4:1). Before we were born again, we were servants to the enemy (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Sometimes we still are, when we stray from YHVH’s way (Rom 6:16). YHVH cares for us and serves us, even though He is our Father and King. Therefore, because we are His servants, we serve others, as He guides us (1 John 5:3).

As children of YHVH, we are also kings (Rev 3:21, 5:10). We have been given authority over our environment (Gen 1:26; Ps 8:6). Our homes, possessions and the atmosphere around us are subject to our authority. Our authority comes from Yeshua, Who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Sometimes, we forget that our authority does not originate with us. Do we use our authority solely for our own pleasure or do we use our authority to advance the kingdom of YHVH?

Yeshua provides the perfect example for us. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, yet He came to earth the first time as a servant. He did not forget His identity as King, but He also did not let that identity sidetrack Him from His mission, even when He was tempted by the enemy. While He was on earth, He followed only the will of His Father, not His own will (John 6;38). He served others, even when it wasn’t convenient (Matt. 14:13-14). He made it clear that He was a king and explained how His kingdom operates (Matt 5-7).

Why didn’t Yeshua assume the throne here on earth the first time? Right now, there is another king on the throne over this earth who has many followers and servants (John 18:36). Yeshua was not given all authority in heaven and on earth until He completed His first earthly mission (Matt 28:18). As His followers and subjects, we will not come fully into our glory until we have completed our earthly missions.

For now we are mostly servants, but there must be a balance, just as there was with Yeshua. He came to serve others, but He remained aware of His kingly identity. He understood and used His authority, yet remained always subject to His Father’s commands. It is the same for us.

Some believers are excellent servants, but have lost or confused their identity as children of YHVH. We seem unaware of our value and worth and we often assume false modesty. Sometimes we use our false modesty as an excuse to avoid taking on accountability or responsibility. We cannot do the great work that YHVH assigns us because we mistakenly believe we are too unworthy or inadequate. On our own, this may be true, but we are not on our own. We operate under and with the authority of Yeshua. With Yeshua’s authority, we are quite powerful and can be very effective in YHVH’s kingdom.

On the other hand, some of us live like kings, but with self-serving demands. We live for ourselves and our own pleasure, paying mere lip service at best to our Father’s directions and commands. We are not interested in participating in His harvest or kingdom work.

If we do lower ourselves to servant mode, it is to serve those whom we approve or accept. Yeshua served many disagreeable characters while He was on the earth. If Yeshua reached out to sinful, undesirable people, then we who are also sinful have no valid reason to turn up our noses. Our righteousness, dignity and worth come from Yeshua’s redemptive work on our behalf. We must forsake self interest. If we are well-balanced servants, willing to work effectively in building His kingdom, then we will be prepared to reign with King Yeshua when He returns in glory.