When did the commandments change?
We know that in the past the commandments were there and valid. I do not think that many people will dispute this fact. But many believe that sometime after Yeshua’s death and resurrection they changed. It was no longer about the Will of God but, doing whatever we want as long as we believe, love Him, and others. But is this really the case? If it is, wouldn’t it stand to reason that if the commandments were changed, fulfilled, or done away with, that this is how it will be from now on? Will Yeshua have the same commandments during his reign when he returns? Lets look to scripture and see.
Isa 2:2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
Isa 2:3 and many peoples shall come, and say: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Isa 2:4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
Here in this very prophecy of our Lords return, and his reign. (Isa 2:3 and many peoples shall come, and say: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.) So what is this Law being spoken of here. Some simply think it will be the command of the King. And while they are right they should know that these will not be new commands. They are the same that we have had from the beginning. The Law here is an English translation of the Hebrew word “Torah.” Don’t take my word for it, check for yourselves. So why would our Messiah do away with the Law if it is prophesied that he will teach us His ways, so we can walk in His paths “the Torah,” and after His second coming and during His Millennial reign. Also, it may be good to point out here that the Law going forth will not just be his voice or speaking, as I have heard and taught it myself in the past. For the Scripture also states, that along with the Law, the Word will also go forth.
We know that the Law as many call it, was valid in the Past, we know that the Law will be valid in the future, so why do we think that it isn’t valid now? How many of us have really pondered this question? I know I never did. I was happy in my knowledge that the Law (Will of God, Torah, Pentateuch) was not meant for me, and was either fulfilled or done away with. And I never wanted to see the truth of the matter. I never sought the truth as it pertained to the Law. Quite simply because I didn’t want the true Will of God in my life. I liked the idea that I wasn’t really held accountable for my sins. I liked not having to worship God in His way. I liked the illusion that I had control over my life, I was terribly wrong. And to any out there that I taught these ideas too in the past that read this article, all I can do is apologize for my mistakes. I have been asked: “Why would you want to follow the Law when we can simply live under grace?” And the answer is simple, because that is what my God asks of me. It isn’t about me or what I want! And, I also point out that they should take a better look at how grace is defined in Scripture. We have to be willing to put aside our own pride, and stop pondering these questions on our own. The fact of the matter is we have instruction to lead us in Gods way, and we have the Holy Spirit to guide us through these very Scriptures.
So many would try and do away with the Will of God in their lives. They would rather listen to flawed men than seek Divine Truth. I have been given so many excuses in my life, as to why we do not need the Will of God. It is scary just how easy it is to justify in our hearts, not following the Will of God. And to say that we no longer need the Law is doing this very thing. It is through the Law (Torah) that we know God. It is through the Law (Torah) that we know sin. And without it we cannot know either. We are ships crashing in a storm being tossed from one side to the other. We must seek shelter in the storm, and the only real shelter to be found is in the Word of God.
Now lets look at the past. Because it is the belief held by many that the Will of God changed from the beginning, to mount Sinai. So why couldn’t his will change again? But did the Will of God ever change? Did even Abraham already have the Law and the Commandments, or was the Law a new invention at mount Sinai? Once again to find our answer before we start speculating on our own, lets look to Scripture.
Gen 26:4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
Gen 26:5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."
Here we see that according to our Scripture Abraham did in fact have the Will of God. (Gen 26:5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." ). Were they in the complete form as given on Mount Sinai? That we do not know, but we know that His Will didn’t change. We know that there were charges, commandments, statues, and Laws given to him. So we know the Law (Torah, God’s Will) predates mount Sinai. We also know that not even sacrifice was only given to us by God on Mount Sinai. (Gen 4:3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground,
Gen 4:4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,)
Now begs the question who taught Cain and able to sacrifice to God? Who taught Abraham what was right in the sight of God? Who taught the Israelites how to worship God? Who taught the world Love through our Messiah Yeshua? In all cases it is God, the Father, the creator of all creation, the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac, The God of Israel. It may also be helpful to remember, to put all things in their proper perspective. The Law was given at the same time as the history of the world was given. God gave Moses the History that is the Torah (first five books, Pentateuch), and along with this History he gave us his Will, through His Law. Why do we intend to change our Gods Will, when He is the one who gives it to us? That is the way it was in the beginning, now, and in the future. We must let our own natures be silenced and follow God, His way, not our own. This has been said before and it will be said again. GOD does not change, not his mind, not His Will, not His Plans. They have been the same from the beginning and they will continue for ever. We must stop trying to change our God and accept that we are the ones in need of change. God does not change to fit us. We change to follow Him.
Now comes the idea that all traditions are good and we must simply follow them. So we need to ask ourselves. Can we be corrupted or spoiled by mans philosophy, tradition, and principles of the world?
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
We must beware of any deceit or tradition that teaches us to walk in any way that is contrary to how our Master walked. Some would even accuse me of bringing some new deceitful philosophy with these articles. And in response to these accusations, all I ask is that you put these ideas to the test of Scripture. Not one passage taken out of context, not one book, but the whole of Scripture. Look to how our Messiah walked. Did our Messiah do away with any of God’s Will (Torah)? Of course not. When presented with a challenge, or problem, where did our Messiah get his answers? They came from the Torah, don’t take my word for it look for yourself. Really look at how our Messiah walked, do a study of true discipleship. Step away from vain teachings of deceit, and false traditions of man to justify sin. And look to God for your answers. Go to Scripture in prayer! Put all things to the test of Scripture. Not just these writings, but all writings of men. I do not claim to have a patent on truth. As a matter of fact I am just as wrong on many things as anyone else. Never take, any mans word for anything, without putting it to the test in Scripture, and through prayer. We must guard our hearts. There are false traditions of men in this world. Just because one comes claiming to be a man of God be weary for he may be a wolf in sheep clothing. If anyone brings a gospel that is not congruent with scripture, turn and flee from it. When a man tells you that we are to be rich with worldly possession because that is what is needed to be happy flee from it. If one brings a gospel that teaches you to walk in any way outside of the example set for us by our Messiah flee from it. Take the time to read and see how our Messiah truly walked on this earth, and when we go forth in study of Scripture we must keep this in mind for a true prospective, and context. The idea that our Messiah only walked in Gods Law (Torah, God's Will) before his crucifiction, simple does not hold water when put under the scrutiny of Scripture. The Law wasnt done away with after the resurrection. In Acts 1:1-4, Yeshua taught His Apostles about the Kingdom of God and not one place in Acts do the Apostles, including Paul, say the Law is done away with. Just as we have no right to change our God or His Will, we have no right to change our Messiah.
In conclusion The Law (Torah) has been with us since we were created. God instructs His people in His ways. It was this way for Adam, Abraham, Moses, and us today. It hasn’t changed. There is no indication in Scripture to point that this has not ever been the case. The Law (Torah, Will of God) does not change. We are the ones that change. We are to become closer in relationship with our God. That is the purpose of the Law (Torah, Will of God) in our lives. So we can learn His teachings, His way. So we can walk in a covenant relationship once again. So we can come in the presence of our God without being destroyed. It shows us sin so we can remove it from our lives to be closer to Him. We know through Scripture that the Will was there in the beginning. And our Father taught us his Will throughout time. We also know that the Will of God will be just as valid in the future as it was on Mount Sinai. So why in our arrogance do we seek to change the Will of God and say it isn’t valid now?
The council in Jerusalem acknowledged the foundation of the Law (Torah) when James stated that Moses was preached and read in the synagogues on every Sabbath (Act 15:19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, Act 15:20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. Act 15:21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues." ) It is stated here that the new converts first had to be taught to refrain from the things that will break a covenant relationship with God. And immediately continues by stating that the Law of Moses (Torah, Law, Will of God) is taught every Sabbath in the synagogues. James believed that gentile followers of the Master would naturally become imitators of Messiah as they heard and observed the Torah (Law, Will of God) week after week. It was a process of growth. It wasn’t meant to happen over night. And now 2,000 years later it is the mission of many including this ministry to recover the truth found in the Torah (Law, Will of God) to become imitators of Yeshua our Messiah as well. To get back to the roots of our faith, and become true disciples of Yeshua our Messiah.
As always I hope, this article has helped us all in some way to gain a closer walk with our Messiah. I pray that as we go forth to put these ideas to the test, in Scripture, that we are given eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the Glory of Yeshua our Messiah.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE KNOW HIM?
HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE KNOW HIM?
1Jn 2:3 And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments.
1Jn 2:4 He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5 But whoever keeps His Word, truly in this one the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.
1Jn 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked.
So many times throughout my spiritual walk, I would stop and question myself. I always needed to know, did I really know God? Was I truly living the life he wanted me to live? And for much of my walk in faith the answer was no. I would justify my actions, traditions, and beliefs. I really had very little knowledge of whom and what God is. I had no real knowledge of what God wanted through my life and how I was to give it to him. As with many I think my journey began with a simple fear of Hell. I knew I needed to be saved so I could go to heaven. I went to a few different churches, tried to emulate what I saw, and really had no clue as to what the Will of God was for my life. But as I started to be awakened to Gods truth I really started studying the Holy Scripture. And as I have written in past articles, it changed everything. This week I want to go through one of those passages that really helped me, to come to an understanding of what God wants from us. First, we need to try and gain a true understanding of whom and what our God is, and what he wants from us. I hear so many believers saying that they feel lost. They are not sure if they even really know God. Thankfully God has given us a way to check and see if we know him. 1John 2:3-6 really isn’t cryptic on the subject, and is really quit to the point. 1John 2:3 plainly says (1Jn 2:3 And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments. ) If we want to find out if we know the One True God then all we have to do is ask ourselves. Are we keeping his commandments? So what are his commandments? Where are they written? I once justified not keeping the Will of God in my life by grossly over simplifying this verse, and so many others like it. I would say that keeping his commandment is just following the New Testament. I didn’t understand that this could not have been the case. The simplest way to prove this idea is to remind all of us that the New Testament, for the most part was not written yet. And quite frankly if we truly followed the New Testament then wouldn’t we follow verses like this that plainly state that if we know God then we will keep His commandments! Let me assure you that the “He” spoken of in this passage is not your Pastor, Priest, Rabbi, Shaman, Church, or Synagogue. It is the Commandments of the One True God!
The disturbing thing about the passage of 1John 2:3-6 I think, is the next verse. (1Jn 2:4 He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.) So as easy as it would be to start pointing the finger with this verse, lets all try and keep from it. Instead, let us remember the words of Yeshua
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that you may not be judged.
Mat 7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, it shall be measured to you again.
Mat 7:3 And why do you look on the splinter that is in your brother's eye, but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull the splinter out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?
Mat 7:5 Hypocrite! First cast the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to cast the splinter out of your brother's eye.
Luke 6:41 And why do you look at the splinter that is in your brother's eye, but do not see the beam that is in your own eye?
Luke 6:42 Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me pull out the splinter in your eye, when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First cast out the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to pull out the splinter that is in your brother's eye.
So let us look to removing the beam form our own eyes. If we would say to others that we know and follow Yeshua, and are Disciples of Yeshua. But do not keep his commandments. Doesn’t this fact make us liars? According to Scripture the answer is emphatically yes! So much of the world has refused to acknowledge the existence, let alone the belief, in the One True God and his only begotten Son. And by presenting ourselves as liars and hypocrites, all we are representing, are lies, not Yeshua our Messiah. We must stop giving all the followers of our enemy ammunition by perpetuating these lies in our lives. (1Jn 2:4 He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.) We must stop and truly seek the Truth. We must study in prayer and follow the written Will of our Father without justification for our own flesh. We must follow what is written, and not the ideas and justifications found in fleshly interpretations to edify our fallen nature.
Let us instead try to gain a true understanding of whom our God is and What His true Will is. We must be as stated in John 2:5 (But whoever keeps His Word, truly in this one the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.) We cannot be the true representatives of God in this fallen world, without knowing, acknowledging, and keeping the commandments of God. But by keeping his word not only is the Love of God perfected in us, but we can be certain, that without a doubt we know God, and are living in HIM. The way to know if we know God and are living within His Will, is to keep his commandments. And this is the only way!
1Jn 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked.
If we claim to indeed be the Disciples of Yeshua, we must walk as he walked. No where does this say that only after Yeshua’s death and resurrection did we truly find out how to walk. It plainly sates to walk as He walked. Here we must gain a better understanding of what discipleship truly means. Discipleship is following ones master in all that he is. We are to emulate our Messiah in all things. For those of us out there, who are still trying to hold to the justification of sin, found in the idea that the Law is no longer important in our life, need’s only to look at this verse. Go to the Gospels and see how our Messiah walked. Which part of the Law did he not keep? Let me remind us all that if Yeshua had broken even the least of the commandments, and taught others to do so, he could not have been our Messiah. He would not have been the perfect sinless sacrifice that was needed of the second Passover lamb. But thankfully Yeshua was and in fact is our Messiah. He did not break or do away with any part of the Law. For in his own words (Mat 5:17 Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Mat 5:18 For truly I say to you, Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Therefore whoever shall relax one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.)
It is time for us all to wake up and start to understand who our Messiah is, and how he walked! (1Jn 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked.)
Should Believers do what is right in our own eyes and follow after our own heart? Or should we just simply follow the Will of our Creator?
Deu 12:8. You shall not do according to all that we do hear today, each doing whatever is right in his own eyes.
We need to stop trying to justify and do what -ever is right in our own eyes and truly seek the Will of God. If we follow our own hearts or the hearts of other men, we will be lead astray every time. We must seek and follow our One True God.
Ecc 11:9 Rejoice, in your youth, young man; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
Yes, God does allow us to walk in the ways of our heat. I believe with the hope that we will one day remove our fallen nature, and our own desires, and replace them with the Spirit of God through His Will. But know that when we follow after and seek the foolishness of our fallen flesh, we will be brought into judgment. There is a judgment for those who deny the Will of God in there lives. No matter how much they profess with their lips. I was once one of these teachers. I knew little of our One True God, and even less of what His Will was for my life. I professed daily with my lips, yet my heart knew Him not.
Mat 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name throw out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness!
Not everyone who simply says Lord! Lord! Shall enter the kingdom, only those who do the Will of the Father. Only those who acknowledge the Will of God and follow can truly know Yeshua. Many will say they know him. They will even perform signs and wonders. Yet they did not acknowledge and keep His Will, therefore they never truly knew him. We must ask our selves do we truly know Him? (1Jn 2:3 And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments.) We must stop the justifications of not following the Will of God and simply submit to His Will. This is the only way we can ever truly know Yeshua our Messiah! We can no longer seek after our own hearts and desires.
In justifying unfortunately we tend to add to and take away from Holy Scripture. So the next question is. Should we be careful not to add to or take away from Gods Commandments? (Deu 12:32 All the things I command you, be careful to do it. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.) Some over simplify this, and other verses like it, by saying that they are only speaking of the adding to and taking away of books. But this is not what this verse is saying. It is speaking of adding to and taking away from the Will of God. The very thing that many say Yeshua our Messiah did. But if he did in fact do away with Gods Will, then he would have broken this most basic commandment, and could not have been our Messiah! No where did Yeshua ever do away with or break any of the Commandments. He did teach their true meaning, and taught us the true observance of them. We are commanded to observe and do the Word of God the way he tells us to. We are to Worship our Father the way he commands us too, not in our own way. We are to follow His Will the way he sets forth not in our way. Because it is not nor has it ever been about us, it is about our Creator. It is His story, not ours, we are just characters in it. We must be careful when living our lives not to fall under the false traditions of man. the traditions that in fact add to and do away with the Will of God! (Deu 4:2 You shall not add to the Word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, so that you may keep the commands of your God which I command you.)
In conclusion we must know and acknowledge the Will of God in our lives. We must seek His Truth His way. We cannot let the false traditions of man get in the way of our true walk of Faith. It is time for us all to awaken to the truth found in Holy Scripture and stop the justifications. Justification of a fact does not change the fact. If we are to know God, we must know him his way. And his way is found in His commandments. We cannot seek God in our own way for our way is flawed. In Love this is written and it is my hope that it is in Love that it will be received. As we go forth in study let us pray for guidance, understanding, knowledge, and truth form our Fathers Holy Spirit. Let us seek Gods truth in Gods way. And may we be given eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the Glory of Yeshua our Messiah.
1Jn 2:3 And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments.
1Jn 2:4 He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5 But whoever keeps His Word, truly in this one the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.
1Jn 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked.
So many times throughout my spiritual walk, I would stop and question myself. I always needed to know, did I really know God? Was I truly living the life he wanted me to live? And for much of my walk in faith the answer was no. I would justify my actions, traditions, and beliefs. I really had very little knowledge of whom and what God is. I had no real knowledge of what God wanted through my life and how I was to give it to him. As with many I think my journey began with a simple fear of Hell. I knew I needed to be saved so I could go to heaven. I went to a few different churches, tried to emulate what I saw, and really had no clue as to what the Will of God was for my life. But as I started to be awakened to Gods truth I really started studying the Holy Scripture. And as I have written in past articles, it changed everything. This week I want to go through one of those passages that really helped me, to come to an understanding of what God wants from us. First, we need to try and gain a true understanding of whom and what our God is, and what he wants from us. I hear so many believers saying that they feel lost. They are not sure if they even really know God. Thankfully God has given us a way to check and see if we know him. 1John 2:3-6 really isn’t cryptic on the subject, and is really quit to the point. 1John 2:3 plainly says (1Jn 2:3 And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments. ) If we want to find out if we know the One True God then all we have to do is ask ourselves. Are we keeping his commandments? So what are his commandments? Where are they written? I once justified not keeping the Will of God in my life by grossly over simplifying this verse, and so many others like it. I would say that keeping his commandment is just following the New Testament. I didn’t understand that this could not have been the case. The simplest way to prove this idea is to remind all of us that the New Testament, for the most part was not written yet. And quite frankly if we truly followed the New Testament then wouldn’t we follow verses like this that plainly state that if we know God then we will keep His commandments! Let me assure you that the “He” spoken of in this passage is not your Pastor, Priest, Rabbi, Shaman, Church, or Synagogue. It is the Commandments of the One True God!
The disturbing thing about the passage of 1John 2:3-6 I think, is the next verse. (1Jn 2:4 He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.) So as easy as it would be to start pointing the finger with this verse, lets all try and keep from it. Instead, let us remember the words of Yeshua
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that you may not be judged.
Mat 7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, it shall be measured to you again.
Mat 7:3 And why do you look on the splinter that is in your brother's eye, but do not consider the beam that is in your own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull the splinter out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?
Mat 7:5 Hypocrite! First cast the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to cast the splinter out of your brother's eye.
Luke 6:41 And why do you look at the splinter that is in your brother's eye, but do not see the beam that is in your own eye?
Luke 6:42 Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me pull out the splinter in your eye, when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First cast out the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to pull out the splinter that is in your brother's eye.
So let us look to removing the beam form our own eyes. If we would say to others that we know and follow Yeshua, and are Disciples of Yeshua. But do not keep his commandments. Doesn’t this fact make us liars? According to Scripture the answer is emphatically yes! So much of the world has refused to acknowledge the existence, let alone the belief, in the One True God and his only begotten Son. And by presenting ourselves as liars and hypocrites, all we are representing, are lies, not Yeshua our Messiah. We must stop giving all the followers of our enemy ammunition by perpetuating these lies in our lives. (1Jn 2:4 He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.) We must stop and truly seek the Truth. We must study in prayer and follow the written Will of our Father without justification for our own flesh. We must follow what is written, and not the ideas and justifications found in fleshly interpretations to edify our fallen nature.
Let us instead try to gain a true understanding of whom our God is and What His true Will is. We must be as stated in John 2:5 (But whoever keeps His Word, truly in this one the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.) We cannot be the true representatives of God in this fallen world, without knowing, acknowledging, and keeping the commandments of God. But by keeping his word not only is the Love of God perfected in us, but we can be certain, that without a doubt we know God, and are living in HIM. The way to know if we know God and are living within His Will, is to keep his commandments. And this is the only way!
1Jn 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked.
If we claim to indeed be the Disciples of Yeshua, we must walk as he walked. No where does this say that only after Yeshua’s death and resurrection did we truly find out how to walk. It plainly sates to walk as He walked. Here we must gain a better understanding of what discipleship truly means. Discipleship is following ones master in all that he is. We are to emulate our Messiah in all things. For those of us out there, who are still trying to hold to the justification of sin, found in the idea that the Law is no longer important in our life, need’s only to look at this verse. Go to the Gospels and see how our Messiah walked. Which part of the Law did he not keep? Let me remind us all that if Yeshua had broken even the least of the commandments, and taught others to do so, he could not have been our Messiah. He would not have been the perfect sinless sacrifice that was needed of the second Passover lamb. But thankfully Yeshua was and in fact is our Messiah. He did not break or do away with any part of the Law. For in his own words (Mat 5:17 Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Mat 5:18 For truly I say to you, Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Therefore whoever shall relax one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.)
It is time for us all to wake up and start to understand who our Messiah is, and how he walked! (1Jn 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked.)
Should Believers do what is right in our own eyes and follow after our own heart? Or should we just simply follow the Will of our Creator?
Deu 12:8. You shall not do according to all that we do hear today, each doing whatever is right in his own eyes.
We need to stop trying to justify and do what -ever is right in our own eyes and truly seek the Will of God. If we follow our own hearts or the hearts of other men, we will be lead astray every time. We must seek and follow our One True God.
Ecc 11:9 Rejoice, in your youth, young man; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
Yes, God does allow us to walk in the ways of our heat. I believe with the hope that we will one day remove our fallen nature, and our own desires, and replace them with the Spirit of God through His Will. But know that when we follow after and seek the foolishness of our fallen flesh, we will be brought into judgment. There is a judgment for those who deny the Will of God in there lives. No matter how much they profess with their lips. I was once one of these teachers. I knew little of our One True God, and even less of what His Will was for my life. I professed daily with my lips, yet my heart knew Him not.
Mat 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name throw out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness!
Not everyone who simply says Lord! Lord! Shall enter the kingdom, only those who do the Will of the Father. Only those who acknowledge the Will of God and follow can truly know Yeshua. Many will say they know him. They will even perform signs and wonders. Yet they did not acknowledge and keep His Will, therefore they never truly knew him. We must ask our selves do we truly know Him? (1Jn 2:3 And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments.) We must stop the justifications of not following the Will of God and simply submit to His Will. This is the only way we can ever truly know Yeshua our Messiah! We can no longer seek after our own hearts and desires.
In justifying unfortunately we tend to add to and take away from Holy Scripture. So the next question is. Should we be careful not to add to or take away from Gods Commandments? (Deu 12:32 All the things I command you, be careful to do it. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.) Some over simplify this, and other verses like it, by saying that they are only speaking of the adding to and taking away of books. But this is not what this verse is saying. It is speaking of adding to and taking away from the Will of God. The very thing that many say Yeshua our Messiah did. But if he did in fact do away with Gods Will, then he would have broken this most basic commandment, and could not have been our Messiah! No where did Yeshua ever do away with or break any of the Commandments. He did teach their true meaning, and taught us the true observance of them. We are commanded to observe and do the Word of God the way he tells us to. We are to Worship our Father the way he commands us too, not in our own way. We are to follow His Will the way he sets forth not in our way. Because it is not nor has it ever been about us, it is about our Creator. It is His story, not ours, we are just characters in it. We must be careful when living our lives not to fall under the false traditions of man. the traditions that in fact add to and do away with the Will of God! (Deu 4:2 You shall not add to the Word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, so that you may keep the commands of your God which I command you.)
In conclusion we must know and acknowledge the Will of God in our lives. We must seek His Truth His way. We cannot let the false traditions of man get in the way of our true walk of Faith. It is time for us all to awaken to the truth found in Holy Scripture and stop the justifications. Justification of a fact does not change the fact. If we are to know God, we must know him his way. And his way is found in His commandments. We cannot seek God in our own way for our way is flawed. In Love this is written and it is my hope that it is in Love that it will be received. As we go forth in study let us pray for guidance, understanding, knowledge, and truth form our Fathers Holy Spirit. Let us seek Gods truth in Gods way. And may we be given eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the Glory of Yeshua our Messiah.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The Sword
The Sword
Mat 10:34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Did Yeshua state that receiving the sword of truth would bring peace? I once believed so, and as long as I followed Jesus I would have peace in my life. I would never have to be burdened with anything again. I expected that as long as I was doing what I thought was right by Jesus then no one would really bother me. I was wrong, the simple truth is, being a true disciple and follower of Yeshua, is going to cause trouble in this world. For Yeshua did not come to bring peace to this world in its fallen state, not peace, but a sword. Being a disciple of our Messiah will bring trouble while in this earth. Lets take a look in Matthew 10:34-38.
Mat 10:34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Mat 10:36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.
Mat 10:37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
What is this sword spoken of? Is it a mighty blade like excalibur of pagan legend? Of course not, this is the sword of truth. It is the sword of righteousness that can only be found in truth. It is the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,) The sword is the Word of God This is not a popular sword in this fallen world and there is nothing that the fallen nature of man fears most, it is truth, it is righteousness, it is grace, salvation, anger, life, and death. It is the Will of our Creator!
The sword of truth can seem from the outside to be a great burden. It holds us and other’s accountable for our actions. It can seem quite frightening at times. But we must remember that it isn’t the sword that causes misunderstandings, fighting, and even wars. It is the opposition to the truth, the Will of God, that breeds these reactions in our fallen nature. Yeshua never promised that the sword of the word of God would bring peace in this fallen world. Yeshua stated the exact opposite of this idea. He let us know that it is by the sword that is the Word of God. We are to judge our actions. He goes on to paint a true picture of how others will view those who chose to follow the Will of God in its entirety. It sets men against their father’s, daughters against mothers. It creates rifts in entire households. Following and trusting in the Will of God will cause tension in your life. Because not all, wish to accept this Will in their life. Keeping to the Will of God in our lives will provoke those who do not wish to even know the true Will of God to jealousy. They will begin to see faults in their traditions, theologies, and everyday lives. They will accuse you of judging them by your actions. And seek to stop what they feel are judgments by trying to pervert our understanding of Scripture. We are to seek the Truth of Scripture which is the Will of our Creator not mans approval.
Through the Truth that is the Will of God we are taught to put all things below our Creator. We must put the Love of our God over our families, friends, and especially our own selves. Yeshua warns us that whoever loves even the closest member of his earthly family above our Messiah is not worthy of our Messiah. For most of my life I could not have been thought to have kept to this in my life. Sure my lips said that I did, but when it came time to walk, or show my faith, it was my true weakness that always showed through We are to take up our cross and walk with our Messiah. Sure he suffered for us but because of that, we must be willing to suffer for HIM
When we decide to accept the Sword that is the Word of God, and follow the Will of God it conveys in our lives, others will attack us The closer to our Messiah we become the harder the attacks are.
Lets have a look at what the sword does to people. And as with all things lets take our own speculations, and pondering out of the equation and look to Holy Scripture to find our answers.
Luk 2:35 (yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also), so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
Heb 4:12 For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Sword that is the Word of God shows what is in our true heart of hearts. It cuts through the praising with the lips and the false actions preformed by many to show the truth of the heart. That is why Scripture is so important in our lives. It gives us the ability to know and walk in the true Will of our Creator. And it allows us to get passed our fallen nature. The nature that, goes against the true Will of God, shows us when we are living for our selves, and when we are living for the One True God It is written that only God can know the true heart of man, but through grace the Word shows us our true hearts and allows us to change. It is through the truth found in the Word of God that we can take up our crucifix and follow our Messiah, and by doing so become that mirror image we are trying to change into, through true discipleship This is why our fallen nature is so against the sword for it takes away the justifications of fact and simply reveals the fact of the matter through the knowledge of the Will of God The sword shows our true thoughts, and intents of our true hearts.
What did, Yeshua state would happen if we follow his Commandments and walk in His path? I once had this all wrong as I stated at the beginning of this article. I thought from living in the Bible belt that if you followed Yeshua you would be loved and revered by men. And to be honest as long as I only kept half of the truth not much bad really happened. I was quite happy in the world, my friends, neighbors, and families were content with the level of faith that I had. Because my walking faith didn’t contrast the way, they lived their lives. And this was the first clue I had something very wrong
Mar 13:13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
This is one of those times that the sword can show us the truth in our hearts. I was not hated by anyone that I knew of. I was well accepted even by those who probably didn’t like me all that much. But the fact is I looked and acted so much like the world that I was accepted by it. It wasn’t until I started to really understand what discipleship meant, and by this I started to follow the Will of God in all that I could, did I really start to see anger, persecution, and in some cases even hate. When you live in the world yet not apart of the world, those in the world see you as an outsider. You will be called overly zealous as if this is an insult. You will be told a million times why your wrong for following the Will of God, and yet be given little proof. You will be asked to leave churches, and assemblies. Even your closest family and friends will turn from you, because they do not want to know the True Will of God. Most do not want to be held accountable, it is the ignorance is bliss argument. If you get the chance the next time you, or someone you know gets a speeding ticket tell them to simply let the judge know they didn’t know they couldn’t speed in that area and see how it works out. If this argument doesn’t stand up in a court of law today, what makes us believe it will stand on judgment day? But those who accept the Will of God, and are persecuted for it (Grace) that shall endure unto the end, and truly be saved
What does it mean to endure? Sure endurance is easy enough to define in the world. The dictionary defines it as ( en-dur-ance :noun
1.the fact or power of enduring or bearing pain, hardships, etc.
2.the ability or strength to continue or last, esp. despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina: He has amazing physical endurance.
3.lasting quality; duration: His friendships have little endurance.
4.something endured, as a hardship; trial.)
The type of endurance changes depending on the situation though. If you are running a race endurance is fighting through the exhaustion to finish right? If you are taking a test, it is doing the best you can through to the end. But we are not speaking of the simple endurance of the world. We are seeking the endurance as found in Scripture So let’s once again look to scripture to find our answer.
Rev 14:12 Here is endurance of the saints: here are those keeping the commands of God, and the faith of Jesus.'
The endurance we seek is found in the Word of God. It is the keeping of the Commandments of God, and Faith of Yeshua. Here are the two things that are needed to endure, the Commandments of God, and the faith of Yeshua. You see we can’t have one without the other, keeping the commandments is accepting Yeshua as Messiah, and breed’s faith in Yeshua. Not the Law without faith And not faith without the Law I believe James showed this best when he said :
Jas 2:17 Even so, if it does not have works, faith is dead, being by itself.
Jas 2:18 But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from my works.
Faith without works is dead. The Law and Commandments show us the works. It shows us what sin is, how to remove sin, and The Will of God for our lives on this earth If you have faith you have works, if you have works you have faith We need both halves. One of my favorite quotes from outside of our Bible is “Beware of half truths. You may have gotten hold of the wrong half.” Author unknown. And though this is a great quote it is wrong, especially when dealing with scripture. Because if we only accept half of the truth in scripture it doesn’t matter which half we grasp we will be wrong It doesn’t matter which half you have, because the fact is if you only have half you are wrong In order to endure what our Messiah plainly states will come, once we fully accept him in our lives, we must keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Yeshua
And once again I hope that we can all read this with a prayerful heart and with an expectation to change. As we go forth to study this week, I pray that we can all be granted the fruits of the Spirit to know, understand, and teach the gospel to the nations. May we be Given Wisdom, understanding, Patience and strength. And be given eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the Glory of our Creator in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen!
Mat 10:34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Did Yeshua state that receiving the sword of truth would bring peace? I once believed so, and as long as I followed Jesus I would have peace in my life. I would never have to be burdened with anything again. I expected that as long as I was doing what I thought was right by Jesus then no one would really bother me. I was wrong, the simple truth is, being a true disciple and follower of Yeshua, is going to cause trouble in this world. For Yeshua did not come to bring peace to this world in its fallen state, not peace, but a sword. Being a disciple of our Messiah will bring trouble while in this earth. Lets take a look in Matthew 10:34-38.
Mat 10:34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Mat 10:36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.
Mat 10:37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
What is this sword spoken of? Is it a mighty blade like excalibur of pagan legend? Of course not, this is the sword of truth. It is the sword of righteousness that can only be found in truth. It is the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,) The sword is the Word of God This is not a popular sword in this fallen world and there is nothing that the fallen nature of man fears most, it is truth, it is righteousness, it is grace, salvation, anger, life, and death. It is the Will of our Creator!
The sword of truth can seem from the outside to be a great burden. It holds us and other’s accountable for our actions. It can seem quite frightening at times. But we must remember that it isn’t the sword that causes misunderstandings, fighting, and even wars. It is the opposition to the truth, the Will of God, that breeds these reactions in our fallen nature. Yeshua never promised that the sword of the word of God would bring peace in this fallen world. Yeshua stated the exact opposite of this idea. He let us know that it is by the sword that is the Word of God. We are to judge our actions. He goes on to paint a true picture of how others will view those who chose to follow the Will of God in its entirety. It sets men against their father’s, daughters against mothers. It creates rifts in entire households. Following and trusting in the Will of God will cause tension in your life. Because not all, wish to accept this Will in their life. Keeping to the Will of God in our lives will provoke those who do not wish to even know the true Will of God to jealousy. They will begin to see faults in their traditions, theologies, and everyday lives. They will accuse you of judging them by your actions. And seek to stop what they feel are judgments by trying to pervert our understanding of Scripture. We are to seek the Truth of Scripture which is the Will of our Creator not mans approval.
Through the Truth that is the Will of God we are taught to put all things below our Creator. We must put the Love of our God over our families, friends, and especially our own selves. Yeshua warns us that whoever loves even the closest member of his earthly family above our Messiah is not worthy of our Messiah. For most of my life I could not have been thought to have kept to this in my life. Sure my lips said that I did, but when it came time to walk, or show my faith, it was my true weakness that always showed through We are to take up our cross and walk with our Messiah. Sure he suffered for us but because of that, we must be willing to suffer for HIM
When we decide to accept the Sword that is the Word of God, and follow the Will of God it conveys in our lives, others will attack us The closer to our Messiah we become the harder the attacks are.
Lets have a look at what the sword does to people. And as with all things lets take our own speculations, and pondering out of the equation and look to Holy Scripture to find our answers.
Luk 2:35 (yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also), so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
Heb 4:12 For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Sword that is the Word of God shows what is in our true heart of hearts. It cuts through the praising with the lips and the false actions preformed by many to show the truth of the heart. That is why Scripture is so important in our lives. It gives us the ability to know and walk in the true Will of our Creator. And it allows us to get passed our fallen nature. The nature that, goes against the true Will of God, shows us when we are living for our selves, and when we are living for the One True God It is written that only God can know the true heart of man, but through grace the Word shows us our true hearts and allows us to change. It is through the truth found in the Word of God that we can take up our crucifix and follow our Messiah, and by doing so become that mirror image we are trying to change into, through true discipleship This is why our fallen nature is so against the sword for it takes away the justifications of fact and simply reveals the fact of the matter through the knowledge of the Will of God The sword shows our true thoughts, and intents of our true hearts.
What did, Yeshua state would happen if we follow his Commandments and walk in His path? I once had this all wrong as I stated at the beginning of this article. I thought from living in the Bible belt that if you followed Yeshua you would be loved and revered by men. And to be honest as long as I only kept half of the truth not much bad really happened. I was quite happy in the world, my friends, neighbors, and families were content with the level of faith that I had. Because my walking faith didn’t contrast the way, they lived their lives. And this was the first clue I had something very wrong
Mar 13:13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
This is one of those times that the sword can show us the truth in our hearts. I was not hated by anyone that I knew of. I was well accepted even by those who probably didn’t like me all that much. But the fact is I looked and acted so much like the world that I was accepted by it. It wasn’t until I started to really understand what discipleship meant, and by this I started to follow the Will of God in all that I could, did I really start to see anger, persecution, and in some cases even hate. When you live in the world yet not apart of the world, those in the world see you as an outsider. You will be called overly zealous as if this is an insult. You will be told a million times why your wrong for following the Will of God, and yet be given little proof. You will be asked to leave churches, and assemblies. Even your closest family and friends will turn from you, because they do not want to know the True Will of God. Most do not want to be held accountable, it is the ignorance is bliss argument. If you get the chance the next time you, or someone you know gets a speeding ticket tell them to simply let the judge know they didn’t know they couldn’t speed in that area and see how it works out. If this argument doesn’t stand up in a court of law today, what makes us believe it will stand on judgment day? But those who accept the Will of God, and are persecuted for it (Grace) that shall endure unto the end, and truly be saved
What does it mean to endure? Sure endurance is easy enough to define in the world. The dictionary defines it as ( en-dur-ance :noun
1.the fact or power of enduring or bearing pain, hardships, etc.
2.the ability or strength to continue or last, esp. despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina: He has amazing physical endurance.
3.lasting quality; duration: His friendships have little endurance.
4.something endured, as a hardship; trial.)
The type of endurance changes depending on the situation though. If you are running a race endurance is fighting through the exhaustion to finish right? If you are taking a test, it is doing the best you can through to the end. But we are not speaking of the simple endurance of the world. We are seeking the endurance as found in Scripture So let’s once again look to scripture to find our answer.
Rev 14:12 Here is endurance of the saints: here are those keeping the commands of God, and the faith of Jesus.'
The endurance we seek is found in the Word of God. It is the keeping of the Commandments of God, and Faith of Yeshua. Here are the two things that are needed to endure, the Commandments of God, and the faith of Yeshua. You see we can’t have one without the other, keeping the commandments is accepting Yeshua as Messiah, and breed’s faith in Yeshua. Not the Law without faith And not faith without the Law I believe James showed this best when he said :
Jas 2:17 Even so, if it does not have works, faith is dead, being by itself.
Jas 2:18 But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from my works.
Faith without works is dead. The Law and Commandments show us the works. It shows us what sin is, how to remove sin, and The Will of God for our lives on this earth If you have faith you have works, if you have works you have faith We need both halves. One of my favorite quotes from outside of our Bible is “Beware of half truths. You may have gotten hold of the wrong half.” Author unknown. And though this is a great quote it is wrong, especially when dealing with scripture. Because if we only accept half of the truth in scripture it doesn’t matter which half we grasp we will be wrong It doesn’t matter which half you have, because the fact is if you only have half you are wrong In order to endure what our Messiah plainly states will come, once we fully accept him in our lives, we must keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Yeshua
And once again I hope that we can all read this with a prayerful heart and with an expectation to change. As we go forth to study this week, I pray that we can all be granted the fruits of the Spirit to know, understand, and teach the gospel to the nations. May we be Given Wisdom, understanding, Patience and strength. And be given eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the Glory of our Creator in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Did Yeshua or Paul abolish the Law?
Did Yeshua abolish or remove any commandments from his Law? And what happens if we teach and act like he did?
"Mat 5:17 Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Mat 5:18 For truly I say to you, Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Therefore whoever shall relax one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven."
Many religions, and denominations teach that Yeshau (Jesus) our Messiah did away with the Law. I was at one time one of these teachers. I was lead to believe and even taught others this theology born from mans fallen nature. And to be honest, I never gave Scriptures like Matthew chapter five through seven a chance to sink in. When I read them I would scan over the Scriptures because someone else had already given me the meaning of these verses so I didn’t need to waste my time focusing on them. Do you ever end up having this same problem? We read and scan over the Bible instead of study it. Sometimes it was almost like I needed to get the reading or good deed out of the way, so I could get back to my life. I felt as if the reading of Scripture was a chore, and I needed to get through it as fast as possible. I read Matthew 5:17 many times and never got past the word fulfilled. I fell into the traditional view that this is where Matthew 5 ended. Because it obviously says fulfilled, that means it was finished right? But thankfully I was lead away from the traditional thinking behind these scriptures and really read what was being said, and finally started to put them in context with the rest of our Holy Bible. Here Yeshua our Messiah himself is teaching. ( Mat 5:17 Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.) I used to read this and think it said I did not come to destroy the law but to do away with it. Right of the bat I had a problem. Because it makes Yehsua’s teaching's contradictory. I did not come to destroy, but to destroy? It doesn’t add up. But as I said before I would stop there and not go any further in the verse. And it is the next two verses that explain what he is speaking of. The next verse states ( Mat 5:18 For truly I say to you, Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled. ) Till Heaven and Earth pass away. As I look around I still see heaven and earth, so if Heaven and earth are still around what is Yeshua speaking of?
(Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Rev 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
Rev 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.")
Yeshua is speaking of the finial fulfillment of all things. Contrary to popular belief. A belief I once held by the way. All things were not fulfilled on the Cross. The final restoration did not happen on the Cross, but an integral part of the restoration that was Started immediately after the Fall of man. It is not until the final restoration of the New Heaven and the New Earth that all will be fulfilled. And even then God’s will for us will not change. The change isn’t in God it is in men!!! Now Yeshua continues in this verse and sates very plainly that not one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled (New Heaven and New Earth).
And in the very next verse we are given a warning (Mat 5:19 Therefore whoever shall break one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.) Whoever shall break the least of the commandments shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. We really need to take this to heart. Because if all sin is equal outside of Blasphemy (out right denial of God) then how are we to know which is the least of these commandments? But the warning continues with (and teach men so), this is one of those scripture that when I finally read it in context made me sit up and think. How many theologies and doctrines of the religious system I was in, did I use to teach this very thing? How much of what I was teaching led others away from the Will of God. I implore all those reading this to sit back and do the same with a prayerful heart.
Right after the warning We are given Hope. For those of us who do follow the Will of God in our lives and teach other to do so also will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. I so long to hear my Fathers voice. And when I hear it, I am trying to make sure He is pleased with me and that I could have the great honor of being called a faithful servant of the Lord our God. This is a simple statement on how to accomplish this very thing. And as with all other scripture I intend to do everything in my power to make it a reality in my life. How about you?
Now it is time to address the next question. Did Paul abolish or remove any commandment from the Law? (Rom 3:31 Do we then make the Law void through faith? Let it not be! But we establish the Law. ) So many point to Paul as I once did. When we in our nature try to do away with the Will of God in our lives. We do not want to be under the rule of anyone, even if that one is our creator. It is our fallen nature to rail against the Will of our God. With that said we have to ask ourselves if Paul really taught that the Law was no more how do we explain verses like Roman 3:31 and so many others like it? So lets ask the question if Paul didn’t do away with the Law then how did he feel about it. And to get our answer, as with all things we must go to scripture. (Rom 7:7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." ) Here Paul explain as in the earlier post that the Law defines what is Sin. (Rom 7:12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.) Here Paul sates plainly that the Law is Holy righteous and Good. ( Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.)
Now Paul is teaching that the Law is Spiritual, but we are the ones of the flesh and sold under sin. In other words the Law (Will of God, Definition of Sin, Torah) is not the problem our sinful flesh is the problem. We seem to always want to blame God. We justify our own actions and in doing so do everything imaginable to remove the Will of God from our lives. In order to grow and gain a closer Spiritual walk with our Messiah we need to acknowledge this in our lives and die to our carnal self daily . (Gal 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.) If we bear one another's burdens then we are living in the Law.
( Rom 7:16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ) Here Paul is in agreement with the Law because the Law is against the carnal flesh. Paul is teaching the basics of the Law. Just as our Messiah did in order to lead us to a fuller understanding and observance of the Law.
I used to ignore these Passages and the many others like them in scripture. Such as (Acts 21:20-24; 24:14-17; 25:8; 26:22-23; 28:17-20 and Psalm 100:5; 103:17-18; Mal. 4:1-6; Mt. 5:17-19; 7:12; 19:17; Lk. 10:26; 16:17, 29; 1st Cor. 7:17-19; 11:1-2; Rom. 3:31; 7:7, 12, 14, 16, 22, 25; 8:7; 2nd Thess. 2:15? (traditions/customs may equal the Law; see Acts 6:13; 15:1, 5; 26:3; 28:17); James 2:8-11; 4:11-12; 1st Jn. 3:4; 5:3; 2nd Jn. 1:6; Rev. 12:17; 14:12.)
I would use some traditional view to justify what I was plainly reading. I would say “well that is what it says here, but over here I think it says something else, and that’s the one I'm going to go with”. We cannot continue to gain our understanding in this manor. We need to read scripture for what it is saying. We have to stop implanting our own theologies and wills into the Word of God. We must stop trying to prove our points and simply seek the truth in Scripture. We must look at scripture with an understanding that there are no contradictions. Paul did not say all of these wonderful things about the Law, and following it in our lives, to just in the next chapter of the book contradict everything he had said earlier!
So now we can ask the question, if Paul did feel that the Law was to be kept did he actually follow it? So lets once again look to scripture for our answer
Act 21:21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.
Act 21:22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
Act 21:23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;
Act 21:24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.
Here we see an example in scripture of the very same problem many have today. People wondering if Paul did in fact keep the commandments? Many according to scripture falsely believed that Paul’s teaching’s were against the Will of God (His Law, Torah, Commandments). Yet we must really look at this scripture. Pay close attention, it sates plainly that the accusations of Paul not keeping the commandments, and his teaching others to also break the Law were false. Paul kept the commandments, and he taught others to do so. This is after the death burial and resurrection of our Messiah. This is after the events of the cross. Here Paul goes to James for advice. Just as today many people were under the false impression that Paul’s Gospel was against the Law. And to prove that he, and his teachings were not against the Law. He agrees to take part in what is believed to be the Nazzarite Vow. He did this to show (“Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law”. ) Did Paul follow and teach others to keep the Law? YES He Did!!! This is the context we have to put all of Paul’s writings in. Once we look at these simple and plain truths we can then go on to put the rest of his writings in the proper context. Not just in context of the verses around them, or in the Chapter it is in, or in the Letter it is in. But in the Context of all other writings inspired by the Holy Spirit form Genesis to Revelation. We need to begin to study scripture in its entirety instead of acting as if 70% of our Holy scripture doesn’t apply to us.
I had to come to an understanding that was very hard to admit. I was wrong, and worse I was leading others astray. This was not an easy thing to do. Thankfully I was not alone, I was lead to this revelation through the Holy Spirit, Yeshua was with me the whole way. I had to realize that to teach that the Law was done away with, meant that only one of the following possibilities were correct.
1.Yehusa was wrong
2. Yeshua Lied
3. God changed his mind
4. Maybe in my carnal nature I have something wrong.
When faced with a contradiction in scripture this is the process I have to look at. And every time I have found that the problem has lied with me. God is not wrong! God does not Lie! God does not change his mind! We are always 100% of the time the problem. Once I could understand these simple truths the Bible opened up to me in ways I never imagined were possible. As Always I pray that we can all go forth and seek the truth in God’s word with eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the Glory of Yeshua our Messiah.
"Mat 5:17 Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Mat 5:18 For truly I say to you, Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Therefore whoever shall relax one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven."
Many religions, and denominations teach that Yeshau (Jesus) our Messiah did away with the Law. I was at one time one of these teachers. I was lead to believe and even taught others this theology born from mans fallen nature. And to be honest, I never gave Scriptures like Matthew chapter five through seven a chance to sink in. When I read them I would scan over the Scriptures because someone else had already given me the meaning of these verses so I didn’t need to waste my time focusing on them. Do you ever end up having this same problem? We read and scan over the Bible instead of study it. Sometimes it was almost like I needed to get the reading or good deed out of the way, so I could get back to my life. I felt as if the reading of Scripture was a chore, and I needed to get through it as fast as possible. I read Matthew 5:17 many times and never got past the word fulfilled. I fell into the traditional view that this is where Matthew 5 ended. Because it obviously says fulfilled, that means it was finished right? But thankfully I was lead away from the traditional thinking behind these scriptures and really read what was being said, and finally started to put them in context with the rest of our Holy Bible. Here Yeshua our Messiah himself is teaching. ( Mat 5:17 Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.) I used to read this and think it said I did not come to destroy the law but to do away with it. Right of the bat I had a problem. Because it makes Yehsua’s teaching's contradictory. I did not come to destroy, but to destroy? It doesn’t add up. But as I said before I would stop there and not go any further in the verse. And it is the next two verses that explain what he is speaking of. The next verse states ( Mat 5:18 For truly I say to you, Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled. ) Till Heaven and Earth pass away. As I look around I still see heaven and earth, so if Heaven and earth are still around what is Yeshua speaking of?
(Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Rev 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
Rev 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.")
Yeshua is speaking of the finial fulfillment of all things. Contrary to popular belief. A belief I once held by the way. All things were not fulfilled on the Cross. The final restoration did not happen on the Cross, but an integral part of the restoration that was Started immediately after the Fall of man. It is not until the final restoration of the New Heaven and the New Earth that all will be fulfilled. And even then God’s will for us will not change. The change isn’t in God it is in men!!! Now Yeshua continues in this verse and sates very plainly that not one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the Law until all is fulfilled (New Heaven and New Earth).
And in the very next verse we are given a warning (Mat 5:19 Therefore whoever shall break one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.) Whoever shall break the least of the commandments shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. We really need to take this to heart. Because if all sin is equal outside of Blasphemy (out right denial of God) then how are we to know which is the least of these commandments? But the warning continues with (and teach men so), this is one of those scripture that when I finally read it in context made me sit up and think. How many theologies and doctrines of the religious system I was in, did I use to teach this very thing? How much of what I was teaching led others away from the Will of God. I implore all those reading this to sit back and do the same with a prayerful heart.
Right after the warning We are given Hope. For those of us who do follow the Will of God in our lives and teach other to do so also will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. I so long to hear my Fathers voice. And when I hear it, I am trying to make sure He is pleased with me and that I could have the great honor of being called a faithful servant of the Lord our God. This is a simple statement on how to accomplish this very thing. And as with all other scripture I intend to do everything in my power to make it a reality in my life. How about you?
Now it is time to address the next question. Did Paul abolish or remove any commandment from the Law? (Rom 3:31 Do we then make the Law void through faith? Let it not be! But we establish the Law. ) So many point to Paul as I once did. When we in our nature try to do away with the Will of God in our lives. We do not want to be under the rule of anyone, even if that one is our creator. It is our fallen nature to rail against the Will of our God. With that said we have to ask ourselves if Paul really taught that the Law was no more how do we explain verses like Roman 3:31 and so many others like it? So lets ask the question if Paul didn’t do away with the Law then how did he feel about it. And to get our answer, as with all things we must go to scripture. (Rom 7:7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." ) Here Paul explain as in the earlier post that the Law defines what is Sin. (Rom 7:12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.) Here Paul sates plainly that the Law is Holy righteous and Good. ( Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.)
Now Paul is teaching that the Law is Spiritual, but we are the ones of the flesh and sold under sin. In other words the Law (Will of God, Definition of Sin, Torah) is not the problem our sinful flesh is the problem. We seem to always want to blame God. We justify our own actions and in doing so do everything imaginable to remove the Will of God from our lives. In order to grow and gain a closer Spiritual walk with our Messiah we need to acknowledge this in our lives and die to our carnal self daily . (Gal 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.) If we bear one another's burdens then we are living in the Law.
( Rom 7:16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ) Here Paul is in agreement with the Law because the Law is against the carnal flesh. Paul is teaching the basics of the Law. Just as our Messiah did in order to lead us to a fuller understanding and observance of the Law.
I used to ignore these Passages and the many others like them in scripture. Such as (Acts 21:20-24; 24:14-17; 25:8; 26:22-23; 28:17-20 and Psalm 100:5; 103:17-18; Mal. 4:1-6; Mt. 5:17-19; 7:12; 19:17; Lk. 10:26; 16:17, 29; 1st Cor. 7:17-19; 11:1-2; Rom. 3:31; 7:7, 12, 14, 16, 22, 25; 8:7; 2nd Thess. 2:15? (traditions/customs may equal the Law; see Acts 6:13; 15:1, 5; 26:3; 28:17); James 2:8-11; 4:11-12; 1st Jn. 3:4; 5:3; 2nd Jn. 1:6; Rev. 12:17; 14:12.)
I would use some traditional view to justify what I was plainly reading. I would say “well that is what it says here, but over here I think it says something else, and that’s the one I'm going to go with”. We cannot continue to gain our understanding in this manor. We need to read scripture for what it is saying. We have to stop implanting our own theologies and wills into the Word of God. We must stop trying to prove our points and simply seek the truth in Scripture. We must look at scripture with an understanding that there are no contradictions. Paul did not say all of these wonderful things about the Law, and following it in our lives, to just in the next chapter of the book contradict everything he had said earlier!
So now we can ask the question, if Paul did feel that the Law was to be kept did he actually follow it? So lets once again look to scripture for our answer
Act 21:21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.
Act 21:22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
Act 21:23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;
Act 21:24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.
Here we see an example in scripture of the very same problem many have today. People wondering if Paul did in fact keep the commandments? Many according to scripture falsely believed that Paul’s teaching’s were against the Will of God (His Law, Torah, Commandments). Yet we must really look at this scripture. Pay close attention, it sates plainly that the accusations of Paul not keeping the commandments, and his teaching others to also break the Law were false. Paul kept the commandments, and he taught others to do so. This is after the death burial and resurrection of our Messiah. This is after the events of the cross. Here Paul goes to James for advice. Just as today many people were under the false impression that Paul’s Gospel was against the Law. And to prove that he, and his teachings were not against the Law. He agrees to take part in what is believed to be the Nazzarite Vow. He did this to show (“Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law”. ) Did Paul follow and teach others to keep the Law? YES He Did!!! This is the context we have to put all of Paul’s writings in. Once we look at these simple and plain truths we can then go on to put the rest of his writings in the proper context. Not just in context of the verses around them, or in the Chapter it is in, or in the Letter it is in. But in the Context of all other writings inspired by the Holy Spirit form Genesis to Revelation. We need to begin to study scripture in its entirety instead of acting as if 70% of our Holy scripture doesn’t apply to us.
I had to come to an understanding that was very hard to admit. I was wrong, and worse I was leading others astray. This was not an easy thing to do. Thankfully I was not alone, I was lead to this revelation through the Holy Spirit, Yeshua was with me the whole way. I had to realize that to teach that the Law was done away with, meant that only one of the following possibilities were correct.
1.Yehusa was wrong
2. Yeshua Lied
3. God changed his mind
4. Maybe in my carnal nature I have something wrong.
When faced with a contradiction in scripture this is the process I have to look at. And every time I have found that the problem has lied with me. God is not wrong! God does not Lie! God does not change his mind! We are always 100% of the time the problem. Once I could understand these simple truths the Bible opened up to me in ways I never imagined were possible. As Always I pray that we can all go forth and seek the truth in God’s word with eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the Glory of Yeshua our Messiah.
Monday, April 12, 2010
IF WE LOVE GOD, WHAT DOES HE WANT US TO DO?
IF WE LOVE GOD, WHAT DOES HE WANT US TO DO?
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
So many ask what are we supposed to do after Salvation by grace? How do we show God we Love him? How do we show Yeshua our Love? suprisingly few actually consult Scripture on this matter. Most simply ask what ever person they feel is righteous enough to know. Such as a Pastor, Priest, or Rabbi. Yet as with most things if we would take the time to consult the Word of God in Prayer then we would find our answers.
Now for most the Truth found in the answers provided by Scripture aren’t always easy for mans selfish, and prideful nature to take. Here is a classic example.
( Joh 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. )
It is hard for men who are trying with all there might to ignore the Will of God in there lives, and teaching others to do so to accept this simple truth.
If you Love God, you will keep his commandments.
But to be perfectly honest many will stop right here and say “just hold on a second here. This passage is clearly speaking about keeping Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) commandments not the Torah (Law, Will of God, Law of Moses).” As if the Father and the Son are not parts of the same God. As if they have a separate Will.
This is the flawed teaching that so many have fallen under. Yet when put to the test of scripture it falls apart quickly. Is it not written
(Joh 10:30 I and the Father are one ).
That’s funny if God is eternal, and he never changes, and Yeshua and the Father are one, where exactly do we get the idea that the commandments of Yeshua would be any different from our Father in Heaven?
But many would say “yeah this is one verse”. Yet isn’t it also written
(Joh 8:19 Then they said to Him, Where is your father? Jesus said to them, You neither know Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. ).
Yeshua sure seemed to think and teach that he and his Father were one
So now that we have gotten that out of the way, lets move on to Love. What exactly is Love. Is it the affect that comes from a pagan deities arrow when it hits you on the rump? Is it infatuation, or lust? Once again men can ponder and come up with all kinds of funny ideas about what love is. There have been volumes of books written on the subject. It has become so convoluted that many wouldn’t know Love if it was starring them in the face. So I think it is time to put all the man made nonsense behind us and once again look at what the Word of God says about the subject.
2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.)
Wow Who would have thought that Love is walking according to Gods commandments, isn’t that interesting.
All these ideas we have been spoon fed from birth have absolutely nothing to do with Love. But we can stop here and ask ourselves another very important question. Haven’t many of us been taught that the Law and Commandments were supposed to be hard and grievous. Isn’t that why God changed his mind?
Oh wait we are also taught that God doesn’t change his mind like those false pagan gods. That is one of his characteristics. Ok so new approach. Isn’t that why Yeshua did away with the Law? Because it was to hard for man. Wait we just learned that Yeshua doesn’t have a different Will from the Father, and they are part of the same God. Ok Lets just say the Law is hard and we don’t want to follow it because it has always been SAID that the Law of Moses is a burden on man.
So lets look at this false tradition and lie of satan.
(1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.)
Wait a second does that Scripture really say that? Don’t we just know that the Law is burdensome and that’s why it was done away with? This idea doesn’t seem to hold up under the Truth of Scripture does it?
Lets look at a few more examples just to make sure that the Law of God is not a burden to men, as it has been commonly taught.
Deuteronomy 4:4 teaches that keeping the Law prolongs our days. Duet5:29 teaches that the Law would insure that all would be well with the people and there generations that come after them. Deut 5:33 continues these teachings.
So just to make sure it is stated. The Law (Torah, Will of God) was never meant to be burdensome or grievous. It was given to man to be a blessing. It defines the Will of God in our lives. It defines what sin is. It was never a punishment as many today teach out of ignorance. The teaching that the Law was meant to be a burden or in some way was a punishment to man, or in most cases Jews, is either ignorance, an out right refusal to read and understand Scripture ,or a blatant lie. A lie made by man to justify living outside of the Will of God. Which by the way if you read the post What is Sin, then you know that is the very definition of Sin.
As we study and we hear the half truths and lies of man that has come directly from the pit we need to remember that justification of a fact does not change the fact. If the fact is that Sin is going against the Will of God then justifying it by saying that the Will of God doesn’t matter to us, does not change the simple truth of the fact.
It is mans way to justify our actions to replace the Will of God in our lives.
So lets examine this for a moment. Lets ask the question WHAT IS THE WHOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAN? How are we supposed to live? And once again we have been spoon feed many false traditions and lies. So instead of giving these any credence lets look at what Scripture has to say on the subject.
(Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man.).
The whole duty of man is to fear God, and keep his commandments. Wow!!! Its not to ignore his teaching’s and his Will? Amazing!!!!
It is here that we really need to be honest with our selves. Did any of us really truly believe that God only wants to grant us wishes in the form of prayer and make us rich. Did any of us really in our heart of hearts believe that Yeshua (Jesus) sacrificed his self in order for us to Sin more and ignore his Ministry and his Fathers Will?
Now comes the question that I think we all want to ask.
HOW IS KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS LOVE?
And I think this is a fair question. How is simply obeying the Will of God showing Love. Shouldn’t we at least buy him flowers? Maybe send him a card every once in awhile?
So lets once again look to Scripture to find our answers.
(Mat 22:37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. )
The two greatest commandments as stated by Yeshua himself. Lets dissect this verse a little before we continue. First off in order for Yeshua to give the greatest commandment it serves as proof that there are other commandments right. I mean if I was to say that the greatest cars in the world are Chrysler and Chevy does that mean you can’t buy a Honda? Of coarse not.
Many say, that Yeshua is teaching that we do not need to know the Will of God in our lives. That as the Beatles sang “all we need is love”. Yet if we love God we will keep his commandments.
Are we starting to see the progression and how it all fits together? Yeshua states that first off we must Love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. How do we do this? By obeying his Will in our lives. Second, if we Love God we must Love his children, His creations, our fellow man. Love our neighbor. And no it doesn’t meant Joe across the street only. It is all our fellow man. We are to love them as we love ourselves.
Man is a selfish being ever since the fall, and has continued to be so unto this day. Man almost always chooses himself above others, and above even his own Creator. So in the framework set up by Yeshua here. We are to love our fellow man in this context. We are to put them first as we always seem to do for ourselves in our fallen nature. It goes on to say in verse 40 that on these two commandments hangs all the Law and the Prophets.
I have heard this taught in ignorance so many time’s, that Yeshua is Hanging the Law as on a hangmen’s noose. This is a perverse and not even a clever lie. It is on these two principles that all the Law hangs as if by a fruit bearing branch. A Messianic title by the way is Branch (Nazaren). One more thing I really think must be pointed out here. Is that those of you who teach and believe that we are supposed to only follow the Big 10 commandments. You really need to focus on this passage of scripture and pray over it. Because the Two greatest commandments are not taken from the Big 10. Pray over this for awhile before you teach this idea to others. The 10 Commandments were a summary of the entire Law. A summary for the Will of God in our lives. The Two greatest given by Yeshua is a further summary to lead us into
His Will. And it goes on later to summarize it more to one word LOVE. Now go back and define love as we have done in this post and try and to remove the Will of God from your lives.
So now that we have set all of this foundation and precedent lets move on to the next logical question.
How should we then feel about his commandments?
Its hard to begin to think of the Law as set within the confines of Scripture when we have been misled for so long. But that is what seeking the Truth is all about. It isn’t always easy to take at first. So lets step outside the false traditions of men and see how Scripture tells us to view the law.
Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
Psa 1:2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psa 119:29 Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law!
Psa 119:30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.
Psa 119:31 I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame!
Psa 119:32 I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!
Psa 119:33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.
Psa 119:34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Psa 119:35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
Psa 119:36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
Pro 29:18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.
I Pray that this has at least given you an inclination towards curiosity to seek the Truth. Not my Truth, or your Truth, but Gods Truth. May he give us his Spirit of Wisdom and understanding as we go forth in study of His word. And may we receive eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for His Will and Glory.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
So many ask what are we supposed to do after Salvation by grace? How do we show God we Love him? How do we show Yeshua our Love? suprisingly few actually consult Scripture on this matter. Most simply ask what ever person they feel is righteous enough to know. Such as a Pastor, Priest, or Rabbi. Yet as with most things if we would take the time to consult the Word of God in Prayer then we would find our answers.
Now for most the Truth found in the answers provided by Scripture aren’t always easy for mans selfish, and prideful nature to take. Here is a classic example.
( Joh 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. )
It is hard for men who are trying with all there might to ignore the Will of God in there lives, and teaching others to do so to accept this simple truth.
If you Love God, you will keep his commandments.
But to be perfectly honest many will stop right here and say “just hold on a second here. This passage is clearly speaking about keeping Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) commandments not the Torah (Law, Will of God, Law of Moses).” As if the Father and the Son are not parts of the same God. As if they have a separate Will.
This is the flawed teaching that so many have fallen under. Yet when put to the test of scripture it falls apart quickly. Is it not written
(Joh 10:30 I and the Father are one ).
That’s funny if God is eternal, and he never changes, and Yeshua and the Father are one, where exactly do we get the idea that the commandments of Yeshua would be any different from our Father in Heaven?
But many would say “yeah this is one verse”. Yet isn’t it also written
(Joh 8:19 Then they said to Him, Where is your father? Jesus said to them, You neither know Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. ).
Yeshua sure seemed to think and teach that he and his Father were one
So now that we have gotten that out of the way, lets move on to Love. What exactly is Love. Is it the affect that comes from a pagan deities arrow when it hits you on the rump? Is it infatuation, or lust? Once again men can ponder and come up with all kinds of funny ideas about what love is. There have been volumes of books written on the subject. It has become so convoluted that many wouldn’t know Love if it was starring them in the face. So I think it is time to put all the man made nonsense behind us and once again look at what the Word of God says about the subject.
2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.)
Wow Who would have thought that Love is walking according to Gods commandments, isn’t that interesting.
All these ideas we have been spoon fed from birth have absolutely nothing to do with Love. But we can stop here and ask ourselves another very important question. Haven’t many of us been taught that the Law and Commandments were supposed to be hard and grievous. Isn’t that why God changed his mind?
Oh wait we are also taught that God doesn’t change his mind like those false pagan gods. That is one of his characteristics. Ok so new approach. Isn’t that why Yeshua did away with the Law? Because it was to hard for man. Wait we just learned that Yeshua doesn’t have a different Will from the Father, and they are part of the same God. Ok Lets just say the Law is hard and we don’t want to follow it because it has always been SAID that the Law of Moses is a burden on man.
So lets look at this false tradition and lie of satan.
(1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.)
Wait a second does that Scripture really say that? Don’t we just know that the Law is burdensome and that’s why it was done away with? This idea doesn’t seem to hold up under the Truth of Scripture does it?
Lets look at a few more examples just to make sure that the Law of God is not a burden to men, as it has been commonly taught.
Deuteronomy 4:4 teaches that keeping the Law prolongs our days. Duet5:29 teaches that the Law would insure that all would be well with the people and there generations that come after them. Deut 5:33 continues these teachings.
So just to make sure it is stated. The Law (Torah, Will of God) was never meant to be burdensome or grievous. It was given to man to be a blessing. It defines the Will of God in our lives. It defines what sin is. It was never a punishment as many today teach out of ignorance. The teaching that the Law was meant to be a burden or in some way was a punishment to man, or in most cases Jews, is either ignorance, an out right refusal to read and understand Scripture ,or a blatant lie. A lie made by man to justify living outside of the Will of God. Which by the way if you read the post What is Sin, then you know that is the very definition of Sin.
As we study and we hear the half truths and lies of man that has come directly from the pit we need to remember that justification of a fact does not change the fact. If the fact is that Sin is going against the Will of God then justifying it by saying that the Will of God doesn’t matter to us, does not change the simple truth of the fact.
It is mans way to justify our actions to replace the Will of God in our lives.
So lets examine this for a moment. Lets ask the question WHAT IS THE WHOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAN? How are we supposed to live? And once again we have been spoon feed many false traditions and lies. So instead of giving these any credence lets look at what Scripture has to say on the subject.
(Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man.).
The whole duty of man is to fear God, and keep his commandments. Wow!!! Its not to ignore his teaching’s and his Will? Amazing!!!!
It is here that we really need to be honest with our selves. Did any of us really truly believe that God only wants to grant us wishes in the form of prayer and make us rich. Did any of us really in our heart of hearts believe that Yeshua (Jesus) sacrificed his self in order for us to Sin more and ignore his Ministry and his Fathers Will?
Now comes the question that I think we all want to ask.
HOW IS KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS LOVE?
And I think this is a fair question. How is simply obeying the Will of God showing Love. Shouldn’t we at least buy him flowers? Maybe send him a card every once in awhile?
So lets once again look to Scripture to find our answers.
(Mat 22:37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. )
The two greatest commandments as stated by Yeshua himself. Lets dissect this verse a little before we continue. First off in order for Yeshua to give the greatest commandment it serves as proof that there are other commandments right. I mean if I was to say that the greatest cars in the world are Chrysler and Chevy does that mean you can’t buy a Honda? Of coarse not.
Many say, that Yeshua is teaching that we do not need to know the Will of God in our lives. That as the Beatles sang “all we need is love”. Yet if we love God we will keep his commandments.
Are we starting to see the progression and how it all fits together? Yeshua states that first off we must Love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. How do we do this? By obeying his Will in our lives. Second, if we Love God we must Love his children, His creations, our fellow man. Love our neighbor. And no it doesn’t meant Joe across the street only. It is all our fellow man. We are to love them as we love ourselves.
Man is a selfish being ever since the fall, and has continued to be so unto this day. Man almost always chooses himself above others, and above even his own Creator. So in the framework set up by Yeshua here. We are to love our fellow man in this context. We are to put them first as we always seem to do for ourselves in our fallen nature. It goes on to say in verse 40 that on these two commandments hangs all the Law and the Prophets.
I have heard this taught in ignorance so many time’s, that Yeshua is Hanging the Law as on a hangmen’s noose. This is a perverse and not even a clever lie. It is on these two principles that all the Law hangs as if by a fruit bearing branch. A Messianic title by the way is Branch (Nazaren). One more thing I really think must be pointed out here. Is that those of you who teach and believe that we are supposed to only follow the Big 10 commandments. You really need to focus on this passage of scripture and pray over it. Because the Two greatest commandments are not taken from the Big 10. Pray over this for awhile before you teach this idea to others. The 10 Commandments were a summary of the entire Law. A summary for the Will of God in our lives. The Two greatest given by Yeshua is a further summary to lead us into
His Will. And it goes on later to summarize it more to one word LOVE. Now go back and define love as we have done in this post and try and to remove the Will of God from your lives.
So now that we have set all of this foundation and precedent lets move on to the next logical question.
How should we then feel about his commandments?
Its hard to begin to think of the Law as set within the confines of Scripture when we have been misled for so long. But that is what seeking the Truth is all about. It isn’t always easy to take at first. So lets step outside the false traditions of men and see how Scripture tells us to view the law.
Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
Psa 1:2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psa 119:29 Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law!
Psa 119:30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.
Psa 119:31 I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame!
Psa 119:32 I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!
Psa 119:33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.
Psa 119:34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Psa 119:35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
Psa 119:36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
Pro 29:18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.
I Pray that this has at least given you an inclination towards curiosity to seek the Truth. Not my Truth, or your Truth, but Gods Truth. May he give us his Spirit of Wisdom and understanding as we go forth in study of His word. And may we receive eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for His Will and Glory.
Friday, April 9, 2010
What Is Sin
WHAT IS SIN?
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
What is Sin? This seems like a basic question to ask right? Yet surprisingly enough very few know how to define sin. Many think they know what sin is. Many Know about sin, all commit sin, but few can properly define it. If you ask 10 different people what sin is, you will probably get 10 different answers. They will vary from describing some sins, to it’s the evil and bad things we do. Many will describe sin as going against scripture. Yet many that do deny the very scriptures that describe sin in our lives.
But sin is not in the action itself. Let me explain in scripture.
( Mat 5:27 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "You shall not commit adultery." Mat 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.)
There is no actual action when lusting in the heart. Yet Yeshua taught us that sin is in the heart, it is the motivation behind the action. He didn’t change or nullify the commandment not to commit adultery, he clarified it.
Yet this still doesn’t define sin. The definition of sin is much simpler indeed.
Another thing that might surprise some, is that the definition of sin doesn’t come from the understandings and pondering’s of men, it comes from scripture. Sure the Torah (Pentateuch, first five books of the Bible) define the will of God and in essence, sin for us. But the simplest definition comes from what many call the New Testament.
And once again this is very surprising to some. The definition comes from
(1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.).
So the easiest definition of sin is the transgression of the Law. Just to clarify what Law is being spoken of here. The Greek word for transgression of the Law is
anomia
an-om-ee'-ah
From G459; illegality, that is, violation of law or (generally) wickedness: - iniquity, X transgress (-ion of) the law, unrighteousness..
The Law spoken of that is being transgressed is the Greek word
nomos
nom'-os
From a primary word νέ?ω nemō? (to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals); law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), generally (regulation), specifically (of Moses [including the volume]; also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle): - law..
This is the word commonly translated or understood to be Torah.
To gain a better understanding of what sin is, you must understand that the Law being spoken of here is the Torah (Pentateuch, old Testament, first five books of the Bible).
The simplest way to explain this is to remind the readers that the New Testament simply wasn’t written yet. The events of the New Testament were still in progress. The revelations and teachings that led to the New Testament were in progress. So sin is going against the Law of God. Most commonly Known as the Law of Moses. But we will go over this issue more in detail in coming postings.
So for those of you who are still a bit nervous about this subject it may be best to understand that Sin is simply going against the Will of God. If God says to turn right and you turn left its sin. It is that simple.
The problem comes in when we do not know what the Will of God is in our lives. So many get hung up and lost on this point. They say Yay I’m saved by the blood, now what? How do I live? And there are many answers and most have nothing to do with the truth. They usually involve coming to church or emulating a certain person or group of people.
But the only one we are to emulate, is the very essence of discipleship. It is what the name Christian has come to mean. We are to in all things emulate our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).
(1Co 11:1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ. )
Many people know very little about who Yeshua really is. They have been fed so many lies and mis-conceptions about him he has become something entirely different from how he is plainly described in scripture. Please take the time to read about our Messiah. Look at how he lived his life. And remember this is our example. Look at every aspect of his life. And try to see which parts of the Law (The Will of God) that he refused to follow!
Remember the definition of Sin as stated by scripture and not mans idea of what’s acceptable.
Many have heard that all sins are equal in the eyes of God. But they neglect to understand what that really means. Take the time to properly pray over this issue. If you do not know what the Will of God is, you may in fact be walking in sin. And Yes Yeshua’s sacrifice did away with the condemnation of sin and death. BUT YESHUA DID NOT DIE TO GIVE US A LICENCES TO SIN. To think this is to deny the very nature of who our God is.
Sure, we are no longer condemned by sin through the Blood of the Lamb, but we are to emulate him. And remember in order to be the messiah, he was without sin. We are to constantly try to remove sin in our lives. We do not attempt to keep from sin to become saved. We remove sin because we are saved.
As we go forth and test these new ideas in Scripture let us pray that our Father gives us His Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and truth. So we may see and walk as our Messiah walked, and be true disciples in the Name of Yeshua (Jesus). May we pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the glory of our God
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
What is Sin? This seems like a basic question to ask right? Yet surprisingly enough very few know how to define sin. Many think they know what sin is. Many Know about sin, all commit sin, but few can properly define it. If you ask 10 different people what sin is, you will probably get 10 different answers. They will vary from describing some sins, to it’s the evil and bad things we do. Many will describe sin as going against scripture. Yet many that do deny the very scriptures that describe sin in our lives.
But sin is not in the action itself. Let me explain in scripture.
( Mat 5:27 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "You shall not commit adultery." Mat 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.)
There is no actual action when lusting in the heart. Yet Yeshua taught us that sin is in the heart, it is the motivation behind the action. He didn’t change or nullify the commandment not to commit adultery, he clarified it.
Yet this still doesn’t define sin. The definition of sin is much simpler indeed.
Another thing that might surprise some, is that the definition of sin doesn’t come from the understandings and pondering’s of men, it comes from scripture. Sure the Torah (Pentateuch, first five books of the Bible) define the will of God and in essence, sin for us. But the simplest definition comes from what many call the New Testament.
And once again this is very surprising to some. The definition comes from
(1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.).
So the easiest definition of sin is the transgression of the Law. Just to clarify what Law is being spoken of here. The Greek word for transgression of the Law is
anomia
an-om-ee'-ah
From G459; illegality, that is, violation of law or (generally) wickedness: - iniquity, X transgress (-ion of) the law, unrighteousness..
The Law spoken of that is being transgressed is the Greek word
nomos
nom'-os
From a primary word νέ?ω nemō? (to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals); law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), generally (regulation), specifically (of Moses [including the volume]; also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle): - law..
This is the word commonly translated or understood to be Torah.
To gain a better understanding of what sin is, you must understand that the Law being spoken of here is the Torah (Pentateuch, old Testament, first five books of the Bible).
The simplest way to explain this is to remind the readers that the New Testament simply wasn’t written yet. The events of the New Testament were still in progress. The revelations and teachings that led to the New Testament were in progress. So sin is going against the Law of God. Most commonly Known as the Law of Moses. But we will go over this issue more in detail in coming postings.
So for those of you who are still a bit nervous about this subject it may be best to understand that Sin is simply going against the Will of God. If God says to turn right and you turn left its sin. It is that simple.
The problem comes in when we do not know what the Will of God is in our lives. So many get hung up and lost on this point. They say Yay I’m saved by the blood, now what? How do I live? And there are many answers and most have nothing to do with the truth. They usually involve coming to church or emulating a certain person or group of people.
But the only one we are to emulate, is the very essence of discipleship. It is what the name Christian has come to mean. We are to in all things emulate our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).
(1Co 11:1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ. )
Many people know very little about who Yeshua really is. They have been fed so many lies and mis-conceptions about him he has become something entirely different from how he is plainly described in scripture. Please take the time to read about our Messiah. Look at how he lived his life. And remember this is our example. Look at every aspect of his life. And try to see which parts of the Law (The Will of God) that he refused to follow!
Remember the definition of Sin as stated by scripture and not mans idea of what’s acceptable.
Many have heard that all sins are equal in the eyes of God. But they neglect to understand what that really means. Take the time to properly pray over this issue. If you do not know what the Will of God is, you may in fact be walking in sin. And Yes Yeshua’s sacrifice did away with the condemnation of sin and death. BUT YESHUA DID NOT DIE TO GIVE US A LICENCES TO SIN. To think this is to deny the very nature of who our God is.
Sure, we are no longer condemned by sin through the Blood of the Lamb, but we are to emulate him. And remember in order to be the messiah, he was without sin. We are to constantly try to remove sin in our lives. We do not attempt to keep from sin to become saved. We remove sin because we are saved.
As we go forth and test these new ideas in Scripture let us pray that our Father gives us His Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and truth. So we may see and walk as our Messiah walked, and be true disciples in the Name of Yeshua (Jesus). May we pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the glory of our God
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Name of our Messiah
Many people know our Messiah as Jesus. But this is lacking something. I need to be very clear right off the bat. I am not saying that if you were saved in the name of Jesus then it isn't valid. Or that praying in the name of Jesus doesn't go to the same Messiah. All I am saying is that even though it is the wrong name with the tongue it is the same spirit in the heart. And as with all issues it is the heart that matters.
With that said. I would like to point out that while Jesus is a good translation of the Latin. Which is a good translation of the Greek Iesous, it is a horrible translation of the Hebrew Yhoshua. Or the shortened form Yeshua. You may be asking what is the difference if it all means the same thing? The simple answer is devotion to ones Messiah is the difference. It is a question of true discipleship. Todd Agnew stated it best in his song entitled which Jesus do you follow.
Many people have a distorted image of who our Messiah is. They have believed the false traditions of man. They think of a Greek Jesus that had long flowing brown hair, and bright blue eyes. They teach a Jesus that did away with the Will of God in our lives. They forgot the Hebraic roots of our faith and our Messiah. It is time we stop looking at our faith as if it is a religion made by man. We need to look at Scripture with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to change. We need to put aside our arrogance and pride and seek the truth in scripture. Not your truth or my truth but God's Truth.
We see in (Mat 1:21 And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins). What it actually says in the text is Yeshua. You see while Jesus is a fine name, it has no meaning. If you take a look into the Hebriac roots of our faith you will see all names have a deeper meaning behind them.
In the Hebriac culture names mean something. The name was meant to be prophetic of who the child would become. The child as it grew would then have the option to accept his name, try and live up to it, or to rail against it. This is a shadow picture in itself of man and God restoring Gods image in the world, or railing against it as many of us tend to do.
The story of the naming of Benjamin is the best place to see this in action. Gen 35:18 "And it happened as her soul was departing (for she died) that she called his name Benoni. But his father called him Benjamin". You see the Benoni in Hebrew means Son of my Sorrow. His Father did not want his son to have this negative stigma attached to his name. So he changed it ever so slightly to Benjamin. Which means son of my right hand. In Hebraic culture names mean something and are very important.
There are several instances in the Bible where someone’s name is changed either by the Creator or by His servants.
Genesis 32:28 And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Genesis 35:10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and He called his name Israel. Numbers 13:16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
Hosea 1:9 Then said the LORD, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not My people, and I will not be your God.
Hosea 2:23 And I will sow her unto Me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not My people (Loammi), Thou art My people ( Ammi); and they shall say, Thou art my God.
John 1:42 And he brought him to Yeshua. And when Yeshua beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
In Hebrew, names have meanings. Often when a child is born the reason for their name is given along with the name.
Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from THE LORD.
The name Cain (kof, yud, nun) comes from the root word kanah (kof, nun, hey), which means “acquired."
Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For Elohim, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
The name Seth (shin, tav) comes from the root word shayt (shin, yud, tav), which means "appointed."
When studying the Torah, one should always seek out the meanings of the names of the people and places involved, for they often contain meaningful revelations. Since our ancestors lived in a predominantly oral/aural culture, the names used often help to reveal the meaning and events of a story. They add context!
This is the first clue that Jesus was not the name given to our Messiah. In Matthew 1:21 above, right after giving his name which should read Yeshua, it says "For He shall save his people from there sins". You see unlike Jesus, Yeshua actually means something. It is a word that is still in use in the Hebrew language today. Yeshua means Salvation! And you shall call his name Salvation, Yeshua. So the true meaning of Yeshua is the salvation of God. It is written in the present tense.
So it goes even deeper. It means the Salvation of God Now. Yeshua was the Salvation of God then. He is the Salvation of God Now. And he will always be the Salvation of God. The name Jesus in a linguistic sense means nothing. But Yeshua means the Salvation of God Now. Which one better describes the Light and Salvation of the world?
As we go forth and test these new ideas in Scripture let us pray that our Father gives us His Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and truth. So we may see and walk as our Messiah walked, and be true disciples in the Name of Yeshua (Jesus). May we pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the glory of our God
With that said. I would like to point out that while Jesus is a good translation of the Latin. Which is a good translation of the Greek Iesous, it is a horrible translation of the Hebrew Yhoshua. Or the shortened form Yeshua. You may be asking what is the difference if it all means the same thing? The simple answer is devotion to ones Messiah is the difference. It is a question of true discipleship. Todd Agnew stated it best in his song entitled which Jesus do you follow.
Many people have a distorted image of who our Messiah is. They have believed the false traditions of man. They think of a Greek Jesus that had long flowing brown hair, and bright blue eyes. They teach a Jesus that did away with the Will of God in our lives. They forgot the Hebraic roots of our faith and our Messiah. It is time we stop looking at our faith as if it is a religion made by man. We need to look at Scripture with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to change. We need to put aside our arrogance and pride and seek the truth in scripture. Not your truth or my truth but God's Truth.
We see in (Mat 1:21 And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins). What it actually says in the text is Yeshua. You see while Jesus is a fine name, it has no meaning. If you take a look into the Hebriac roots of our faith you will see all names have a deeper meaning behind them.
In the Hebriac culture names mean something. The name was meant to be prophetic of who the child would become. The child as it grew would then have the option to accept his name, try and live up to it, or to rail against it. This is a shadow picture in itself of man and God restoring Gods image in the world, or railing against it as many of us tend to do.
The story of the naming of Benjamin is the best place to see this in action. Gen 35:18 "And it happened as her soul was departing (for she died) that she called his name Benoni. But his father called him Benjamin". You see the Benoni in Hebrew means Son of my Sorrow. His Father did not want his son to have this negative stigma attached to his name. So he changed it ever so slightly to Benjamin. Which means son of my right hand. In Hebraic culture names mean something and are very important.
There are several instances in the Bible where someone’s name is changed either by the Creator or by His servants.
Genesis 32:28 And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Genesis 35:10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and He called his name Israel. Numbers 13:16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
Hosea 1:9 Then said the LORD, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not My people, and I will not be your God.
Hosea 2:23 And I will sow her unto Me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not My people (Loammi), Thou art My people ( Ammi); and they shall say, Thou art my God.
John 1:42 And he brought him to Yeshua. And when Yeshua beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
In Hebrew, names have meanings. Often when a child is born the reason for their name is given along with the name.
Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from THE LORD.
The name Cain (kof, yud, nun) comes from the root word kanah (kof, nun, hey), which means “acquired."
Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For Elohim, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
The name Seth (shin, tav) comes from the root word shayt (shin, yud, tav), which means "appointed."
When studying the Torah, one should always seek out the meanings of the names of the people and places involved, for they often contain meaningful revelations. Since our ancestors lived in a predominantly oral/aural culture, the names used often help to reveal the meaning and events of a story. They add context!
This is the first clue that Jesus was not the name given to our Messiah. In Matthew 1:21 above, right after giving his name which should read Yeshua, it says "For He shall save his people from there sins". You see unlike Jesus, Yeshua actually means something. It is a word that is still in use in the Hebrew language today. Yeshua means Salvation! And you shall call his name Salvation, Yeshua. So the true meaning of Yeshua is the salvation of God. It is written in the present tense.
So it goes even deeper. It means the Salvation of God Now. Yeshua was the Salvation of God then. He is the Salvation of God Now. And he will always be the Salvation of God. The name Jesus in a linguistic sense means nothing. But Yeshua means the Salvation of God Now. Which one better describes the Light and Salvation of the world?
As we go forth and test these new ideas in Scripture let us pray that our Father gives us His Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and truth. So we may see and walk as our Messiah walked, and be true disciples in the Name of Yeshua (Jesus). May we pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the glory of our God
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