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Living Sacrifice

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This is the twelfth article in the “New Life” series, written to address the needs of those seeking or those new to their faith in Jesus. This series may also be helpful to anyone who suspects that something is missing from their faith walk.

Yehovah’s goal since the beginning of creation is to establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.  His glory will be manifested on earth as it is in Heaven.

It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke (Isaiah 6:1-4).

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world (Psalm 19:1-4).

Yeshua sacrificed everything, even His life, to establish Yehovah’s kingdom on earth.  He paid our debt so that we could be reconciled to Yehovah and be included in His glorious Kingdom. Yeshua conquered death so that we could be raised to new life in Him.

God was in [Yeshua] reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19).

But [Yehovah], being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with [Yeshua]—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in [Messiah Yeshua], so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in [Messiah Yeshua] (Ephesians 2:4-7).

Yeshua lived and died to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.  We, as His followers, are called to dedicate our lives to Kingdom work.  We can expect persecution and trials, for we are not greater than our Master.

If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me (John 15:18-21).

“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come (Matthew 24:9-14).

Many of our brothers and sisters in over 150 countries in the world are suffering persecution.  They must worship in secret.  Some lose family, some are betrayed by those close to them. Some are imprisoned. Some lose their homes, jobs, and community for the sake of the Kingdom. Some are tortured or martyred for their faith. If you are among these people, please know that you are not alone.  Many brothers and sisters throughout the world are praying for you. Yeshua promised that He would never leave you or forsake you.  The Holy Spirit lives in you.    

How can we prepare for these trials?  Will we be able to stay faithful to Yeshua just as He is to us? 

  • Spend time each day with Yeshua.  As you grow closer to Yeshua and experience His love, you will love Him in return and better understand Him.  You will desire His presence above everything else.

“I [Yeshua] am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing (John 15:5).

  • Read and memorize Scripture each day. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Memorize passages that are important to you. Recite your memory verses at least once a day, especially when you need comfort or strength.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right (2 Timothy 3:16).

  • Ask Yeshua to heal your soul wounds, help you to rid yourself of sin, resentment, or bitterness from the past.  Forgive each person who has hurt you in the past and forgive each new offense right away.  It is difficult to forgive others because they do not deserve it. We must remember that Yehovah forgives us, yet we do not deserve His forgiveness either.

 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 4:15-16).

  • We desire to avoid all difficulties and pain. We resist danger. Persecution threatens us. As you read through the Bible, you will discover that Yehovah does not always remove the trouble, but He promises to go before us to fight our battles.  He will walk through the fire or raging waters with us.  We are never alone, even if it feels that way.

[Yehovah] your God who goes before you, He shall fight for you, just as all that He did for you in Egypt before your eyes (Deuteronomy 1:30).

  • The Holy Spirit strengthens us and guides us. As we become sensitive to that quiet voice inside us, we will know when to speak or act and what to say or do. We will know when to be quiet. Yield to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to be in control.  It takes practice and perseverance to let go of control.

 Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26).

  • Ask Jesus to give you a love for those who offend you. It is not our nature to love people who hurt us, yet it is our calling.  Yeshua is our perfect example. He gave His life for us while we were His enemies.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be children of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:43-45).

Why should we endure to the end?  What will keep us going when everything looks so bleak?

He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection (Psalm 91:4).

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way (Matthew 5:10-12).

Cherished Gems

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This is the eleventh article in the “New Life” series, written to address the needs of those seeking or those new to their faith in Jesus. This series may also be helpful to anyone who suspects that something is missing from their faith walk. Photo credited to: Malerapaso

In the 45 years that I have walked with Yeshua (Jesus), I have made some discoveries that have helped me to mature spiritually and emotionally. These gems, as I call them, have given me comfort, strength, and guidance through my sojourn in a fallen world. I want to share some of these gems with you. I hope they will bless you.

You are never alone, no matter your circumstances. You may not feel His presence, but Yeshua is always with you. The Holy Spirit is also always with you to comfort you and guide you. You can talk to your Heavenly Father any time, day or night. You are loved and valued more than you can imagine.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you (John 14:18-20).

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17).

What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows (Matthew 10:29).

Your real identity comes from Yehovah. The adversary (Satan/hasatan) and his followers work very hard to confuse you about who you really are. They will try to convince you that you are not good enough, that you do not belong, that you are beyond help, that Yehovah does not really love you. Yeshua called hasatan the father of lies. Yehovah created you, loves you, and He determines who you really are.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well (Psalm 139:14).

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Yeshua heals not only our bodies, but our souls. In your walk with Yeshua, you may remember painful things from the past. Do not be frightened by this. Yeshua is bringing these memories to mind so that He can work with you to heal them. Although it is distressing at the time, the process will not only heal the bad memory, but will also draw you closer to Yeshua. You will have a stronger sense of His love and commitment to you, and you will trust Him more. Some soul wounds are so deep that you will need to go through several sessions with Yeshua. The memories will return at another time when Yeshua deems that you are ready, but each time you will get better and stronger.

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise (Jeremiah 17:14).

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people (Matthew 4:23).

[Yehovah] is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).

Yeshua is our protector and provider. Yeshua is our shepherd who will see to our needs. He did not desert us when faced with cruel punishment and death. He gave His life to ransom us and restore us to His Father. He conquered death and rose from the grave. He continues to watch over us. One day soon, He will return to us and live among us once again. Call on Yeshua whenever you feel afraid, lonely, betrayed, threatened, or sad. Yeshua will help you. He understands your suffering.

My servant grew up in [Yehovah’s] presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. (Isaiah 53:2-4).

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is [Yehovah] your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him (1 John 5:14-15).

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold (Psalm 18:2).

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance (Psalm 32:7).

Yehovah keeps His promises. We can trust Him because He is always true to His word. He expects the same of us. If you promise something to Yehovah or to another, be sure to keep your promise. We must be like Yehovah so that we reflect His glory.

I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips (Psalm 89:34).

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers 23:19).

Yehovah is long-suffering and forgiving. In the Bible accounts of Israel and the other nations, Yehovah often waited hundreds of years, during which time He would send prophets to the people and warning signs to encourage them to repent and to seek His forgiveness. Yehovah is patient with us in the same way. When any person or nation sincerely turns back to Yehovah and asks for forgiveness, He does not hesitate to forgive us and welcome us back.

We must be patient with others and ready to forgive them as our Father forgives us. In the eighth article in this series, entitled “Our Hidden Past Revealed,” we found that early Gentile and Jewish followers of Jesus (Yeshua) did not forgive each other, but held on to anger and bitterness, which eventually turned to hatred. The hatred led to a total separation about two hundred years after Yeshua’s return to His Father. The separation has only recently started to mend, but it is still far from complete.

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust Psalm 103:10-14).

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-15).

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working (James 5:16).

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (James 5:16).

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

If we seek Yehovah, He will reveal Himself to us. Our Father wants us to know Him and love Him as He knows and loves us. He wants to share His wisdom with us and teach us. Yehovah is always available to us.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known (Jeremiah 33:3).

If you lose everyone and everything in your life but still have Yehovah, you will be rich beyond measure. I speak from my own experience. Cling to Yehovah in good times and bad times. He will never let you down.

“I call on heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have presented you with life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life, so that you will live, you and your descendants, loving [Yehovah] your God, paying attention to what he says and clinging to him — for that is the purpose of your life! (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need (Matthew 6:33).

The more you seek Yehovah, the more gems you collect. You will begin to see things as He sees them. He will share His wisdom with you. You are forever loved and cherished.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If [Yehovah] is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?3 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).

Reflections of Incense

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living-tabenaclesThis is the ninth article of our Living Tabernacles series, where we study the Tabernacle in depth. It is exciting to see how each element symbolizes some characteristic of Yeshua.  It is also challenging when we examine what each element means for us, since each of us is now a living tabernacle of YHVH [Yehovah].  We are posting two articles each month as part of this series. YHVH is building His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  A king reigns from his throne and also pronounces judgment from there. 

As we continue our study of the Tabernacle, we come across a relatively small altar that holds a powerful significance in our relationship with YHVH.  The altar of incense was square with each side measuring 1.5 feet and was three feet high.  It was made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. Four horns protruded from the four corners of the altar.  The altar of incense, also called the Golden Altar, (mizbach hazahav in Numbers 4:11), stood just outside the Holy of Holies.  A special mixture of incense, reserved exclusively for YHVH, was burned on this altar every morning and every evening, thus sending up a continual waft of pleasant odor to YHVH.

The incense altar was the place where YHVH met with Moshe.  Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there.  (Ex. 30:6 NLT).  

On Yom Kippur the incense was burned atop the Ark of the Covenant.  The high priest would fold back the curtain concealing the Most Holy Place, put the censer with the burning coals on the top of the Ark of the Covenant, then throw the two handfuls of incense into the censer.  This was the only day and time that any one (and then only the high priest) was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, thus foreshadowing the work of our High Priest that would permanently  rend the separating curtain.

What does the incense altar represent in the spiritual realm?  It symbolizes our prayers to YHVH (Is 56:7, Ps. 141:2).  The fragrant incense also represents the prayers of Yeshua, who makes continuous intercession on our behalf (John 17:1-26, Rom 8:34) as our High Priest.  The continuous rise of the burning incense reminds us to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17).

The daily burning of incense corresponded with the lighting of the menorah.  Scripture indicates that the incense was to be burned at the same time the menorah was to be cleaned and relit (Ex 30:7-8).  According to the Talmud five of the lamps on the menorah would be cleaned, then the incense would be burned before the other two lamps were cleaned.  The menorah and the Golden Altar seem to be interconnected.  If we understand that the menorah represents the light of Yeshua, then Yeshua’s light in us results in worship, praise and petitions to our Father.

In order to burn the incense, fire was taken from the brazen altar (which will be discussed in the next article) and transferred to the altar of incense (Lev 16:12-13), thus symbolizing that the fire of Yeshua’s sacrifice becomes the fire of blessing.  The horns of the golden altar were sprinkled with blood from the animal sacrifice to cleanse and purify it from the sins of the Israelites (Lev 4:7, 16:18). “Just as the horns on the brazen altar represent the power of Christ’s blood to forgive sins, the horns on golden altar signify the power of His blood in prayer as we confess our sins and ask for His forgiveness.”  (The Altar of Incense, the-tabernacle-place.com).  We come to Father in prayer only through Yeshua, cleansed from our sin by His blood and wearing His righteousness, for we have nothing of value to offer on our own.

Before Yeshua’s death on the cross, a heavy curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Tabernacle, illustrating the separation from YHVH that sin had caused.  That veil has now been torn, so that there is no longer any separation, just as there is no separation in the heavenly Tabernacle.

The heavy curtain illustrates YHVH’s eagerness to be near His people.  He would come to them despite the barrier of sin using a curtain until reconciliation would be accomplished through Yeshua’s precious sacrifice.  The horns on the corners of the incense altar represent power, the power of prayer and intercession in this case.  Now that the curtain has been torn, YHVH not only meets with our representative (Moshe, Yeshua), but with each of us individually.

When we are offended by others, we tend to withdraw from them.  Our Father, on the other hand,  seeks all the more to be reconciled and united with us.  We are to forgive those who offend us, love them and always seek union with them if we desire to do as our heavenly Father does.  Are there curtains of separation that need to be torn down in our lives?

We, as living tabernacles, have the privilege of offering the continuous incense of our prayers and intercessions, even prayers for our enemies (Matt 5:44).  Just as the incense was a special mixture reserved solely for YHVH, our worship and prayers too must be reserved for our Father.  We are not to worship or pray to any foreign gods.  To whom are you offering your incense?

Repairing Reflections

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weapons-of-our-warfareThere is great temptation these days to succumb to fear and anxiety.  Yet, Scripture tells us repeatedly not to fear.   Isaiah 35:4,  John 14:27, Joshua 1:9 and Matthew 6:34, are just a handful of examples of YHVH’s teaching on fear. We know that YHVH does not give us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and self-discipline (2 Tim 1:7).  So when trouble seems to loom ahead or is already in our midst, how do we combat those anxious thoughts and feelings that arise?

Our tendency is to tackle the job in the physical realm.  This is a mistake.  Even though our problems are in the physical realm, their source is from the spiritual realm.  The following analogy may help to better illustrate.   Athletes regularly review videos of past games in order to discover what works well and what skills or strategies still need to be honed.  Even though the video reflects what happened during the game, the problems cannot be fixed by editing the video.  Our physical realm is a video or mirror image of what is happening behind the scenes, that is the spiritual realm (Heb 8:5, 1 Cor 13:12).  In order to make effective changes in the physical realm, we have to address the issues in the spiritual realm.

For decades, perhaps centuries, many people have tried to solve the Middle East crisis on the physical level.  There have been numerous treaties, division of land, wars, and discussions.  None of these attempts has been able to resolve the conflicts.  YHVH shows us how He handles the situation.  Prime candidates for terror are experiencing life-changing dreams or visions of Yeshua.  Once these individuals discover Yeshua, their lives are transformed.  Instead of attacking their enemies, they are praying for the salvation and welfare of their enemies!  YHVH is battling in the spiritual realm to resolve terrorism and His work produces everlasting results.

Yeshua came to the earth the first time and demonstrated by signs and wonders in the physical realm that He is the Messiah.  His followers were disappointed and even disillusioned to discover that He did not mean to physically attack the Romans, the physical enemies of that time.   Instead, Yeshua attacked a much more dangerous enemy in the spiritual realm and wrought for all humans a much greater triumph with eternal implications.

Many of Yeshua’s followers today realize that the true battleground is in the spiritual realm and are now publicly engaged in intercession , worship, repentance and reconciliation with others.  In July, evangelical Christians gathered around the Washington Monument to seek YHVH’s help in breaking racism.* Breaking Christian News recently reported that 1,000  “Native American Indian tribes from the United States and Canada collectively forgave the U.S. government for breaking treaties with their ancestors during a public ceremony on the National Mall.”**  There is great power in forgiving others and releasing them from debt.  “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matt 6:12).

A number of us have experienced the power of forgiveness on a more personal level.  We have discovered that when we truly forgive individuals who have hurt us, amazing things happen.  People who were estranged from us contact us seeking reconciliation.  All we did was take our case to YHVH and tell Him that we forgave and released the person(s) from any debt owed to us.  We did not disclose to anyone, not even the individuals we forgave, that we had taken such a step.  Within a short time the physical realm reflected changes made in the spiritual realm.

When Yeshua returns, His job will be to complete the reconciliation and restoration that we have been addressing (Acts 3:21 NLT).   Our adversary and any one cooperating with him want us to be divided and at odds with each other (John 10:10).  Yeshua said that we would be known by our love for one another.  We certainly want Yeshua to recognize us as His own when He returns. Judging or arguing with others stems from fear.  Yeshua said that He would only recognize those who were reaching out in love to others.  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matt 3:43-44).   Does Yeshua recognize you as one of His sheep?

*   Rees, Steve.  ‘God break racism!’ Evangelicals on D.C. Mall pray for hope and reconciliation, The   Washington Post, July 16, 2016

** Zauzmer, Julie, An Kirkland and Michelle Boorstein.  “Must Read!  Native Americans are ‘Spiritual Sleeping Giants Awakened’ after Incredible Prophetic Act in Washington:  “May Go Down as One of the Most Important Days in American History,” Breaking Christian News,  Oct. 27, 2016, http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=19576

 

The Overlooked Sin

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no one comes to the Father

The Jews had an opportunity to accept their Messiah or reject Him at His first coming. While many Jews accepted Yeshua as their kinsmen Redeemer and King, the majority did not. Over the centuries, many peoples have hated and persecuted the Jews, citing the rejection and crucifixion of Yeshua as “justification.” Many people smugly criticize the Jews and yet are guilty of the same sin.

The same challenge is presented to each of us. Do we accept Yeshua as our Redeemer and King? Have we asked for forgiveness of our sins and invited Yeshua to be King over us?

Jewish leaders resented Yeshua’s criticism of their man-made traditions and their hypocrisy. They wanted to do things their own way (Luke 6:1-12; Luke 7:29-30). They refused the help they so desperately needed.   Some people today say that belief in God is for weak people, not recognizing that they, too, are weak people who very much need a Savior. They believe that they are capable of running their own lives and sometimes the lives of others without Yeshua’s help.

Jewish people were looking for a leader who would save them from physical oppression (John 6:14-15). They didn’t realize that the spiritual oppression Yeshua overcame is far more serious and is also the root cause of the physical oppression. Many people today are focused solely on the physical realm, unaware or misunderstanding the spiritual realm. We can choose to renounce our subjection to Satan and embrace the salvation offered by Yeshua, but it is a choice that each of us must make in order to enter the Kingdom of YHVH.

Jewish people believed that being born Jewish was sufficient or that following the traditions and rituals established by men would secure them a place with YHVH.

Many people today believe that it is enough to be a “basically good person” or to belong to a particular denomination or congregation. Many people do not recognize their own sins, especially the most glaring one, the sin of rejecting Yeshua as their Redeemer (Luke 5:32).

Yeshua died a gruesome, violent death to pay the penalty for our sins and to ransom us from the grip of the evil one. Do we honestly believe that we can ignore Yeshua’s redemptive work and make our own way into the Kingdom of YHVH? If this were true, then Yeshua’s work would have been a waste of time and effort. Do you honestly assume that YHVH made the agonizing decision to send His precious Son to be slaughtered on our behalf, but is now willing to overlook our rejection of His beloved Son and His hard-earned gift of salvation?

Do not be deceived. No matter how “good” you are and no matter how exemplary your life has been, you have absolutely nothing to offer that can save you from eternal damnation. You are like a drowning person who has been thrown a precious Lifeline. However, it is necessary to seize and cling to this Lifeline in order to be acceptable to YHVH.