Tag Archives: Yeshua

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , , , , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the nineteenth article in the series, Yeshua is Yehovah’s Son.

For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again,“I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me”? (Heb 1:5)

In order to understand who Yeshua is, we must first understand who His Father is. Yehovah is our Creator (Neh 9:6; Ps 139:14), our Provider (Ps 34:10, 81:10), our Rescuer (Ps 34:19, 37:4), our Protector (Nah 1:7, Ps 118:6-7), our Healer (Ps 147:3, Jam 5:15), our Teacher (2 Tim 3:16, Ps 32:8), our Redeemer (Gen 22:13-14, Ps 19:14) and so much more.  Yehovah’s ways are excellent (Ps 18:30, Is 26:7-8).  He is the source of wisdom (Prov 2:6, 1 Cor 1:25) and righteousness (Ps 48:10, Is 45:21).  Yehovah is King forever over all creation (1 Chron 16:31, Ps 45:6, Ps 103:19).

How do we know that Yeshua is Yehovah’s Son?  The angel Gabriel announced it to Yeshua’s mother, Miryam, twice (Luke 1:32, 35). “…therefore the child to be bornwill be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). The prophet, John the Baptist testified that Yeshua is the Son of Yehovah.  “And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34).  His followers declared that Yeshua is Yehovah’s Son.  “And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’” (Matt 14:33).  “He said to them, ‘But who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’” (Matt 16:15-16i). Yeshua identified Himself as the Son of Yehovah (John 10:36; 11:4, 16:28, Matt 27:43).  On at least two occasions, the Father publicly proclaimed that Yeshua is His Son (Matt 3:16-17, Matt 17:5).  There are many instances recorded in the Gospels of Yeshua healing and teaching.

Yeshua demonstrates that He is his Father’s Son by His actions.  Yeshua worked with His Father and the Holy Spirit to create the heavens and the earth (John 1:3, Col 1:16).  Yeshua provided wine at a wedding (John 2: 1-12) and food to the crowds (Matt 14:13-21). Yeshua is our Rescuer (Matt 1:21, Heb 7:25) and Protector (John 10:28, 17:12). Yeshua has paid the debt for our sins and has redeemed us (1 Cor 7:23, Eph 1:7).  Yeshua’s ways are His Father’s ways (John 5:19-20, 6:38). Yeshua is the source of all wisdom (Col 2:3, 1 Cor 1:30).  Yeshua is our righteousness (2 Cor 5:21, Rom 5:19). Yeshua will reign as our King (Heb 1:8; Col 1:13).

Although Yeshua is eternal and is equal to the Father, when He came to earth as a human He became the firstborn of both the Father and His mother.  A firstborn son in ancient Near East times was considered the strongest of His siblings. He had authority over his younger siblings.  When his father died, the firstborn son was expected to take care of his mother and his unmarried sisters and became the head and spiritual leader over his family.  The firstborn son was also entitled to a double portion of the inheritance. 

Although our Father is eternal and will never die, Yeshua is not replacing His Father but is acting in His Father’s stead. Yeshua has assumed responsibility for those of us who welcome Him as our Lord and Redeemer.  We are considered His younger siblings.  We have the privilege and blessing of having a truly righteous Brother who teaches us, protects us and loves us.

In ancient times a man could redeem his relatives who had been sold into slavery.  He could also buy back property that had been sold. Yeshua is our Kinsman Redeemer.  Through the fall of Adam and Eve we became slaves of hasatan.  Yeshua has purchased our freedom not with money but with His own blood.  Just as Abram recovered Lot, his family and all that had been stolen by the enemy, Yeshua has rescued us and recovered all that has been lost or stolen from us (Gen 14:14-16, Heb 2:14-15, Acts 3:21). Yeshua’s sacrifice and resurrection as the Son of Yehovah ensure our eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven!

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living.

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , , , , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the fourteenth article in the series, Yeshua is Advocate.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).

If you look closely throughout Scripture, you may notice that our Heavenly Father is also the King and Judge over all that He has created and, in particular, over all the earth.  There are times, as in the days of Noah, that our Father warned the inhabitants of the earth that they were straying far from His ways and entrenching themselves in evil. When they continued to disregard Him, our Father, who is also King and Judge, pronounced sentence upon them.  Only Noah and his family were spared because they heeded Yehovah and followed his ways (Gen 5:32-10:1). Other examples include Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19); Nineveh, although that sentence was revoked due to their repentance (Jonah 3); and the dispersion of the Jews and the destruction of the second Temple in 70 AD (as Yeshua prophesied in Matt 24). 

As humans, we stray from Yehovah’s laws and we don’t always heed His warnings right away.  We need an advocate in Heaven to represent us before the Judge.  According to Easton’s Bible dictionary, an advocate is one who pleads another’s cause, who helps another by defending or comforting him.  Yeshua is our Advocate in Heaven, seated at the right hand of Yehovah.  Since the courtroom is in Heaven and we are residing on earth, we have another Advocate on earth to represent us and counsel us here. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate on earth (John 14:16, 15:26, 16:7). The roles of an advocate are to defend rights, to fight for needs and rights for other people, and assist others. 

It is a frightening thing to try to defend yourself in an earthly court; how much more so to try to defend yourself before the King and Judge of all creation. It is wise to repent and ask forgiveness as soon as we realize that we have sinned. We are not alone for we have advocates to assist us and advise us. Both advocates represent us in Heaven’s Court and both counsel us.  The Holy Spirit not only counsels us directly, but also relays Yeshua’s advise to us (John 16:14). If we will heed their advice and submit to our Father’s rule, we will have no need to be judged.  However, if we stray, we have two powerful advocates to plead our cause before the Judge and to advise us. They are clearly on our side, so it is in our best interest to heed their advice.

When another person complains to the Father about us or when the adversary, who constantly seeks opportunities to destroy us (1 Pet 5:8) raises accusations against us, the Righteous Judge must address the matters brought before Him.  Thanks to His merciful provision, we already have two court-appointed advocates to plead our cause and intercede for us.   

Since Yeshua has lived upon this earth as one of us and has suffered as we suffer, He understands our weakness and is an empathetic Advocate.  He knows our hearts and can plead for us based on what’s inside of us, unlike an advocate in an earthly court who can only work with external evidence.

Every time we are found guilty or plead guilty in Heaven’s court, there is a corresponding debt to be paid, one that we cannot pay for ourselves.  Our Father, the righteous Judge, does not cancel our debt and pretend our sin hasn’t happened when we stand before Him.  However, in His infinite mercy, our Father has provided the payment for our sin, through the sacrifice and blood of His first-born, His precious Yeshua.  Yeshua is not only our Advocate in Heaven, but He has already given His life for us and provides the payment for our debt with His own blood. Once our debt has been paid, our sin is stricken from the record.  We see a picture of this in the commands concerning the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement as described in Leviticus 16. 

When we cooperate with the Righteous Judge and our two Advocates, everything works out beautifully in our favor and our rewards and benefits are bountiful.

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living.

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the ninth article in the series, Yeshua is our Goal.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Heb 12-3).

From the time we are born, and even more so, from the time we are born-again we are in a race toward a particular goal.  The goal we should all be striving toward is Yeshua.  Yeshua modeled for us how to run the race correctly.  His Father was His goal.  He focused totally on His Father and not on Himself.  He followed His Father’s instructions and example. Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does (John 5:19). Yeshua’s goal was to be at His Father’s right hand.  Our goal is to be with Yeshua.

How do we reach that goal? We are to pay heed to Yeshua’s words and follow His example.  And keep growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah. To him be the glory, both now and forever! Amen (2 Pet 3:18).  What example did Yeshua give us?  He sought His Father’s will and pleasure, not His own.  He learned from His Father what His assignment was while He was on earth, and He set about to accomplish that assignment, even though it meant torture and death at the hand of His enemies for the sake of those who rejected Him. “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” (Luke 22:42) We too must learn from Abba what our assignment is and fulfill that assignment to the best of our ability. 

When Yeshua was here on earth, people clamored after Him. They ran to wherever they heard He was going to be.  They sought Yeshua for His teaching, for miraculous healing, for forgiveness, for food. Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan (Matt 4:25). People dropped whatever they were doing just to be near Yeshua.  Sometimes they walked great distances, went without food or other comforts for days just to see Yeshua and to be near Him. Jesus called the disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance.”… (Mark 8:1-3). Do we pursue Yeshua with passion or have we been taking Him for granted?  Is being near to Him the most important thing in our lives or do we succumb to other distractions?

Yeshua sacrificed everything for us.  He held nothing back.  We are His pearl of great price.  “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it! (Matt 13:45-46).  Yeshua went to great lengths to ensure that we could be part of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Likewise, we must be willing to sacrifice everything to be with Yeshua in His Kingdom, for He is our Pearl of great price.  Yeshua is our destination, our goal!

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living. 

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , , , , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the eighth article in the series, Yeshua is our Wisdom.

It is [Yehovah’s] doing that you are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He has become wisdom for us from [Yehovah], and righteousness and holiness and redemption as well! (1 Cor 1:30)

Yeshua is our wisdom.  He illustrates this by the words He speaks and by His actions while He was here on earth.  We learn Yehovah’s wisdom from following Yeshua’s example.   The better we know Yeshua personally, the deeper our understanding of Yehovah’s heart and mind.  Yehovah’s thoughts and ways are far above our ways, but we can learn more about them by sitting at the feet of our Teacher, Yeshua. 

We can learn from Yeshua by spending more time with Him in prayer and by focusing on His words in Scripture.  This helps to ensure that we are not easily swayed by others’ words.  For example, the religious leaders of Yeshua’s time had great influence on the Jews.  They portrayed themselves as righteous and far more knowledgeable than others.  They were leading people astray from Yehovah and Yeshua confronted them on this matter repeatedly.  This was an opportunity for the religious leaders to repent and humbly learn from the Master.  Perhaps some did listen to Yeshua.  But the majority sought to kill Yeshua and continue following their own wisdom. 

Many in leadership positions today in both government and church settings are much like the Pharisees and Sadducees in Yeshua’s time.  Oftentimes, their words may seem reasonable.  When we focus on such leaders, we block out the wisdom and truth of Yeshua and Yehovah and we stray from the narrow path that leads to everlasting life. Sometimes our brothers and sisters fall into the same trap.  Do we lovingly confront others who have strayed or are we fearful of some type of retribution? See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to [Messiah] (Col 2:8).

Hostility and violence are increasing.  There are more hate groups than ever.  Road rage is rampant and shootings are everyday occurrences.  Our brothers and sisters in Messiah are being persecuted for their faith in at least 150 countries around the world. In Nigeria, a Christian is killed on average of every two hours for his or her faith.  Even within the Body of Messiah, there is growing hostility and intolerance.  We seem to be surrounded by enemies.  What should we do?  Should we join in the fray and retaliate against those with whom we disagree?  What does Yeshua teach us? 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. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt 5:43-48)

Some of us today have grown lukewarm in our relationship with Yehovah and Yeshua.  We take our relationship with Yehovah for granted.  We become complacent and hide out in our comfort zone.  Do we think that there is nothing else to be learned?  Have we stopped earnestly seeking Him?  Are we helping to build His Kingdom?  Or have we become like the church in Laodicea?  I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!  But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!  You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.  So, I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.  I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference (Rev 3:15-19).

Our world grows increasingly evil and unstable.  Do we worry about the future?  What will happen to our economy?  How will we provide for ourselves?  What if products become scarce or too expensive for us to afford?  How will we provide for ourselves and our families?  “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?7 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (Matt 6:25-27)

For every situation that confronts us, Yeshua supplies the answer by His words and His actions. Yeshua has experienced all that we experience. He lived in a hostile world while He was on earth.  He was persecuted and ridiculed for His words and actions even though He lived in total obedience to His Father.  Yeshua understands our fears and weaknesses.  He will help us through any situation if we seek His wisdom.   For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. (Heb 4:15). Let us forsake the foolishness of the world and seek Yeshua, our true source of wisdom.

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living. 

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the seventh article in the series, Yeshua is our Song.

Yah is my strength and my song, and he has become my [Yeshua] (Ps 118:14). 

When we draw close to Yehovah and learn more about Him, we sing because it is a natural expression of our joy and delight.  When Yeshua, the Word of Yehovah, dwells in us, we sing our praises and our joy even in the midst of trials.  Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation (Ps 42:5). Singing can help us work through our emotions when we are troubled.

Why should we sing?  Song is a gift from Yehovah. The Bible contains over 400 references to singing and 50 direct commands to sing. When we sing to Yehovah about Yeshua, we are praising and thanking both of them.  When we sing to Yeshua, we not only praise and thank Him, but we extend our praise to our Father for He sent Yeshua to us. e          We have much to sing about when it comes to Yeshua.  In addition to the descriptions of Yeshua in the first six articles of this series, there are so many other things about Yeshua to sing about. When we begin to make a list of all that He is to us and does for us we could go on forever.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16). We sing because Yeshua dwells in us. The more we sing of Him, the more deeply He dwells in us and the more we become rooted and grounded in Him. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love,  will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.… (Eph 3:17-19).

When we sing about Yeshua we encourage ourselves and we build up others around us.  Singing unites us.  Even when we can’t agree on every point of theology or when we rub one another the wrong way, we can set aside our differences and unite in singing and praising the One worthy of all praise. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart… (Ephesians 5:18-19)

The angels sing to Yehovah.  Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts! (Ps 148:2).   Angels sang to the shepherds about Yeshua when He was born and came to live among us and be one of us.  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:13-14)

Many of us hesitate to sing, especially around others, because we don’t have good singing voices.  We long to praise Yehovah, but we don’t want to ruin praise sessions for others by adding our imperfect voices to theirs.  Stacy Horn,author of Imperfect Harmony: Finding Happiness Singing With Others, cites a study conducted in 2005 which states that people can still experience the same feelings of pleasure even when the sound being produced is “of mediocre quality.”  Yehovah is aware that some of us have poor singing voices, yet He has commanded us to sing.  Yehovah is more impressed with our obedience and the love for Him that is in our hearts. 

Yeshua joins us in singing to His Father.  Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So [Yeshua] is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.  He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” (Heb 2:11-12) When we sing praises to Yehovah we are in good company.

Yehovah sings over us.  [Yehovah] your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zeph 3:17) We were created to sing because Yehovah sings and we are created in His image.  Yeshua, the Son of Yehovah and the Son of Man, sings to His Father and over us.  Yeshua, who is everything to us, is also our Song!

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living. 

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , , , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the sixth article in the series, Yeshua is our Provider.

The book of Numbers provides many examples of Yeshua as Yehovah Yireh or Yehovah, our Provider.  In Numbers 9, the Israelites are instructed to observe the second Passover. The lamb they sacrificed represented the true Lamb of Yehovah.  Most likely they wouldn’t have realized this, but were they able to make the connection between the blood of their sacrificed lamb and the lamb that was offered in place of Isaac in Genesis 22? Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Gen 22:8)  Do we recognize and appreciate the wonderful gift that Yeshua has provided for us? 

In Numbers 11, the Israelites complain about lack of meat.  In Exodus 16 that Yehovah had already provided manna from Heaven and quail to sustain them in the wilderness. The problem wasn’t that they desired meat again.  The problem was their attitude and approach.  They simply could have asked Moshe to pray for them, or better still, they could have asked Yehovah to provide meat for them.  Would you rather have someone ask you politely for something or complain that you are a lousy provider?  Were they ever grateful for all that Yehovah provided?  Are we grateful for all that He provides for us?

Yeshua is our Bread from Heaven. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) Do we gratefully partake of what Yeshua has lovingly offered or are we searching for something in the world to satisfy us?

Yehovah offers the Israelites the land He promised to give them.  He had made this promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and again to the Israelites.  The Lord now said to Moses, “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites (Numbers13:1-2).  In the following chapter, we see that the Israelites were afraid and refused to go into the land.  That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt (Num 14:1-4).

Yeshua offers us the Kingdom of Heaven.  And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2:44).  Do we seek His kingdom above all else or will we refuse His offer just as the Israelites did?

In Numbers 19, a perfect red heifer was to be slaughtered and completely burned outside the camp.  The priest was to throw some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool onto the heifer as it was burning.  The ashes would then be mixed with water to purify those who had become unclean through contact or proximity to a dead body.  This is a picture of Yeshua’s death on the cross (represented by the cedar wood).  Our Perfect Lamb was covered by our scarlet sins (Isaiah 1:18) and would also be covered in His own blood.  His sacrifice would be as hyssop, cleansing us from the death of sin. 

In Numbers 20 the Israelites were again complaining about lack of water.  Their complaining upset Moses so much that did not speak to the rock as commanded, but rather struck it instead.  Even so, water gushed out of the rock.  Yeshua was struck on our behalf and out of Him flows living water.  On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’ ”… (John 7:37-38).

In Numbers 21, we encounter another picture of Yeshua providing for us.  [The Israelites] traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So, Moses prayed for the people.

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived (Numbers 21:4-9)   The bronze snake on the pole is a shadow picture of Yeshua on the cross.  As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life (John 3:14-15). Those who forsake their sins and believe in Him will never die the second death, but will live forever.

Later in chapter 21, we see a picture of Yehovah providing protection against enemies. Then [the Israelites] turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei. The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.” So, they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors. And they took possession of his land (Num 21:33-35).

Yeshua will return as our conquering King and will destroy our enemies. I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory (Rev 6:2). In the midst of ever-increasing darkness, in the midst of our own troubles and trials, do we feel alone and isolated, or do we eagerly wait for our conquering King?

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living. 

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , , , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the fifth article in the series, Yeshua is the Faithful One.

To better understand Yeshua, we must correctly understand Job.  There has been much speculation over what Job did wrong to deserve to lose everything.  After all, he must have done something wrong or Yehovah would not have allowed such losses and horrors in his life.  It reminds me of the gospel story of the man born blind.  The story is recorded in Matthew 9, Mark 8 and John 9.  Jesus saw a man who had been blind since birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus replied: Neither this man nor his parents sinned … but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him (John 9:1-5) 

Let us look closely at the story of Job.  There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil (Job 1:1).  There is nothing in this passage that would indicate that Job had sinned; in fact, it is quite the opposite.

One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan came with them. “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan. Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.” Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” (Job 1:6-8) Yehovah’s own words confirm that Job had not committed any serious sin; in fact, Yehovah describes him as “blameless”. 

If Job did not sin, then why did Yehovah allow these atrocities to happen to him? Let us read further in chapter one of Job’s story.  Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!  But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”  (Job 1:9-11)

The Accuser claimed that Job was only faithful to Yehovah because Yehovah made him prosper in everything.  Yehovah then responds by allowing the Accuser to test him by taking away all his possessions and even his children.  What was Job’s response to learning that he had lost everything?  He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave.  The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God (Job 1:1-22).

Later, Job was struck with boils from head to toe because the Accuser claimed that loss of health would cause Job to curse Yehovah.  At this point, even Job’s wife urged him to curse Yehovah (Job 2:9), but Job refused. 

So, what’s the purpose of the story of Job?  It’s the same purpose as the story of the man born blind:  to glorify Yehovah.  Why did Yeshua suffer loss, humiliation, cursing and death?  So that His Father would be glorified.  When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him.…” (John 17:1-2). Yeshua was smitten so that Yehovah would be glorified and His plan to establish His kingdom on earth would be fulfilled. 

In the end, Yehovah restored and even doubled all that Job had lost.  Through Yeshua’s suffering and resurrection, Yehovah is not only glorified but has restored all that we lost through sin.  Not only have we regained what we lost, but Yehovah now offers us much more in His kingdom.  He makes us His sons and daughters. 

Job was severely tested and remained faithful to Yehovah.  Yeshua was severely tested and remained faithful to His Father.  Many of our brothers and sisters in Yeshua are suffering loss of family, home, income, health, freedom and even life.  They are being tested and I pray that they will all have the strength and trust to remain faithful.  Our time will come, too, or for some of us, it may already have arrived.  Will we remain faithful to Yehovah no matter what the cost to us?  And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life (Matt 19:29).

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living. 

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the fourth article in the series, Yeshua is our Kinsman Redeemer.

In the Gospels, Yeshua identified Himself often as “Son of Man”.  In Hebrew, if you want to refer to a human being you refer to the person as “son of man”, or actually “son of Adam” (ben adam).  Yeshua was pointing out that He was a human being just like the rest of us.  One reason that He became human was so that He would be eligible to redeem us.  Thus, He could identify Himself as our Kinsman.

‘Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family, then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself… (Lev 25:47-55)

While it is possible for a person to acquire enough wealth to redeem himself from bondage in the physical realm, in the spiritual realm it is impossible for any of us or all of us collectively to redeem ourselves from bondage to spiritual enemies.  Therefore, we need a kinsman who is qualified to redeem us.  Since none of us qualifies, Yeshua became one of us so that we would have the necessary kinsman to rescue us.

If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold (Lev 25:25).

Yeshua not only redeemed us, but He also restores what we have lost.  Yeshua was wounded so that we could be healed.  But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Is 53:3). 

Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden, a paradise free from useless toil, pestilence, death, disease, and so on.  Consequently, as their descendants we have lived with poverty, disease, violence, death, injury and sorrow.  Paradise was lost to us but, through our faith in Yeshua, we are welcome in Yehovah’s heavenly paradise.  And He said to him [the thief on the cross], “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise (Luke 23:43).

In the book of Ruth, Boaz accepts responsibility as Ruth and Naomi’s kinsman redeemer.  Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon.  And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.” (Ruth 4:9-10)

Just as Boaz married Ruth, our Kinsman Redeemer will marry us.  For I am jealous for you with God’s kind of jealousy; since I promised to present you as a pure virgin in marriage to your one husband, the Messiah; (2 Cor 11:2).  Why would Yeshua want to do this?  Why not just redeem us and be done with it? Yeshua desires an intimate relationship with us corporately and also individually. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me (Rev 3:20).  Yeshua wants to be involved in our daily lives.  He is aware of all our thoughts, actions, attitudes, dreams and fears.  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30). He desires to restore what has been lost to us.  Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore, in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy (Is 61:7). Yeshua wants to protect us and provide for us.  He promises to be with us always.  He does not leave us to the mercy of our enemies.  “And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt 28:20)   Just as a husband and wife are meant to share their daily lives, dreams, hopes, frustrations and challenges, we are welcomed and encouraged by Yeshua to share every detail of our daily lives with Him.  We are never alone for He is our constant Companion.  He is our Kinsman Redeemer.

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living. 

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the third article in the series, Yeshua is our Atonement.

In Leviticus 16, we discover the foreshadowing of Yeshua as our Atoning Sacrifice, our High Priest, our Scapegoat and our Covenant.  Yeshua, the perfect Lamb, was sacrificed in our place, to make atonement for our sins.  Then Aaron will come out to purify the altar that stands before the Lord. He will do this by taking some of the blood from the bull and the goat and putting it on each of the horns of the altar.Then he must sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times over the altar. In this way, he will cleanse it from Israel’s defilement and make it holy (Lev 16:18-19). This offering was to be made once each year on the 10th day of the appointed month early in autumn, the day known as Yom Kippur (day of covering) or, more accurately, Yom haKippurim (day of the coverings).  Unlike a bull and goat that had to be sacrificed each year, Yeshua was sacrificed one time to make perpetual atonement for our sins, transgressions and iniquities.

Yeshua is also our High Priest, for He offered Himself as our atoning sacrifice. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” (John 10 :18)

Yeshua is our Scapegoat.  When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place and the Tabernacle and the altar, he must present the live goat. He will lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat. Then a man specially chosen for the task will drive the goat into the wilderness.  As the goat goes into the wilderness, it will carry all the people’s sins upon itself into a desolate land (Lev 16:20-22). Yeshua carries our sin far away so that it no longer has the power to defile. 

Yeshua’s sacrifice reconciles us to His Father.  In order to properly relate to Yehovah, we must understand the idea of covenant, because Yehovah desires a covenant relationship with us.  There are many instances of covenants in the Old Testament: in Genesis, Yehovah’s covenants with Noah (Gen 8-9), with Abraham (Gen 9-17), with Moses (Deut 28 and Ex 31) and with David (2 Sam 7).  Each of these covenants was a step toward progressing Yehovah’s plan for establishing His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.  Our covenant with our Father has the same goal.

Covenants were common in ancient times and were taken very seriously.  Generally, when a covenant was made, the parties would each pledge their promises.  Then one or more animals were cut in two and placed across from each other to make a path.  Those entering into covenant would walk that path as a pledge that they would not break the covenant or they too would be cut in half. Covenants involved blood and the curse of death for the one breaking the covenant.

In ancient times, covenants were used to define social and political relationships.  Often, the covenant was between a greater king and a lesser king.  The greater king offered care and protection from enemies while the lesser king offered loyalty and obedience. The greater king then “adopted” the lesser king and his household into the greater king’s family.  Covenants involved ongoing relationship and partnering with the other party to achieve a desired common goal.  In our case, Yehovah promises to care and provide for us and protect us from our enemies.  We promise our loyalty and obedience to Him.  We partner together to establish His Kingdom on earth.  When we repent of our sins and turn our lives over to Yeshua, it means that we are to trust and obey Him.  We remain loyal and obedient to Yehovah.

An important part of covenant-making included eating a meal together featuring the sacrificed animal or animals.  In our case, we partake of what we call communion or kiddush to commemorate our covenant relationship with Yehovah. As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many (Matt 26:26-28)  

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living. 

Who Is Yeshua?

Living Kingdom, , , , ,

Yeshua is everything to us:  our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible.  We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible.  It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah.  This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the second article in the series, Yeshua is the perfect Lamb.

 In Exodus, we learn about the Passover Lamb. 

Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year for you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are, each one, to take a lamb for themselves, according to the fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; in proportion to what each one should eat, you are to divide the lamb.Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.  You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to slaughter it at twilight. Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall completely burn with fire (Ex 12:1-10).

Many of us, at one time or another in our lives, think that we can improve ourselves if we try hard enough.  That may be true to some extent, but the kind of improvement that is most essential to us is not attainable by our efforts.  No matter how well we clean up our act, we still owe an enormous debt, one that we cannot repay on our own.  If all humanity could come into agreement and try to pay the debt collectively for all of us, it would still be impossible.  The kind of debt we owe cannot be paid back with money or good deeds. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb 9:22).  It takes the blood of an innocent person willing to sacrifice himself for us.  None of us fits the bill of “innocent person” no matter how good we think we are.  “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).

It is the blood of the lamb that saved the first born in Egypt from death.  It is the blood of our Passover Lamb that saves us from the second death.  The life is in the blood. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life (Lev 17:11).

How do we know for sure that the Passover Lamb in Exodus is a representative of Yeshua?  There are many other Scriptures that explain this to us.  For example, in 1 Corinthians 5:7, we read, “Get rid of the old hametz [leaven], so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach [Passover] lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed.

In John 1:29, John the Baptist identifies Yeshua as the Lamb of God.  The next day, Yochanan saw Yeshua coming toward him and said, “Look! God’s lamb! The one who is taking away the sin of the world!  There are many other passages that identify Yeshua as the ultimate Passover Lamb, such as Isaiah 53:7; 1 Pet 1:19, Matt 26:2, and Matt. 26:26.

According to the instructions given in Exodus, the lamb was to be selected from the flock on the 10th day of the first month, Aviv.  The lamb was to be taken into the household much as a family pet becomes part of the household today.  The lamb was being inspected to make sure there were no flaws or imperfections, but the lamb was now a dear part of the family.  This is a foreshadowing of Yeshua being born among and living with His chosen people.  Many embraced Him and loved Him, especially during His ministry. 

When He took upon Himself the sins of the world, He opened Himself up to the rejection and condemnation of His people. They put Him to death as one reviled. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not (Is 53:3). They did not realize that He was dying in their place, just as the Passover lamb died in their place each year, so that they would be covered. Only this time, they would be more than covered for a year; their sin debt would be permanently removed. Surely, he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him (Is 53:4-5) and by his wounds we are healed.

Furthermore, the yearly Passover lamb was put to death and remained dead.  Our true Passover Lamb, Yeshua, was raised from the dead after three days and three nights in the grave!  The Author of life took on a new life, a new body, so that we could do the same! Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live (John 11:25). Not only are our sins forgiven, but our debt is paid and we are given new life, eternal life.  We no longer have to fear when our mortal bodies die, for we will have new bodies that will live forever and have no defects, no blemishes.  Yeshua not only pays a debt we could never pay and removes our condemnation, but He gives us immortality and glory!  A new life forever with Him!  We can now take on immortality because we wear His robe of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.  (Rom 8:11)

This is an excellent time to ask forgiveness for your sins and invite Yeshua (Jesus) to be Lord of your life.  When we commit sin, we incur a debt that none of us can ever pay on our own.  It cannot be paid with earthly currency or even with great sacrifice on our part.  This debt can only be paid for by the blood of Yeshua which has already been shed for us. This is the greatest gift to ever be offered.  Don’t miss out.  After you have accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, ask for baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will be your constant companion and Counselor and will equip you for Kingdom living.