We are walking in today: Our Wealth Is Found In Seeking The Kingdom First!
Witness give wealth throughout the Bible: H5414 nathan to give, put, set, to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend, to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate, to make, constitute to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned to be made, be inflicted, be delivered up to be put upon
&
H2428 chayil strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army, force ability
Genesis 24:35; Ecclesiastes 5:18; 2 Chronicles 1:12
Luke 12:22-31
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Yahweh considers thoses who places the kingdom of heaven, first. Not the one who gains knowledge for selfish gain.
1. Yeshua was a man who left His trade as a carpenter, ceased the pursuit of the things of this world in order to do the will of His Father, in bringing forth His kingdom, and clearly asked His followers to do likewise.
2. His own twelve disciples "left everything" to follow Him (Luke 5:11, 28), for which He said they would obtain far more for doing so (Matthew 19:27-29). As they traveled about declaring the kingdom of Yahweh, they were a band that had one purse.
3. To the rich young ruler, Yeshua likewise declared, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Luke 18:22).
4. And of course this message was not limited to just this man and the twelve, for we read this same injunction spoken by Yeshua to His many disciples, "And do not seek what you shall eat, and what you shall drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give mercifully; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:29-34).
5. When Yeshua entered the home of Zaccheus, quickly this small man stood to his feet and declared, "half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.' And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house'" (Luke 19:1-10). Here we see evidenced once again and recorded for our instruction, and surely our application, the correlation of parting with finances and thus gaining salvation.
6. When a man came to Yeshua with the complaint that his brother was not giving him a portion of the family inheritance, He responded, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Then He told a parable about a rich man who built new and larger barns to hold his ever-increasing harvests, and said to himself, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'" Thus Yeshua concluded, "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:13-21).
We must restore our focus from the pursuit of worldly game to the pursuit of the Kingdom!!
1. Yeshua equally taught the truth of this price for the kingdom in His parables, wherein He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it. He goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (Matthew 13:44-46).
2. Clearly, beyond any doubt, the instruction of Yeshua regarding obtaining the kingdom of heaven was to divest oneself of the things of this world and follow Him. The absolute conclusive certainty of this is seen in the response of the church immediately after Yeshua left. We read that in response to His teachings, "the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them. ... For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need" (Acts 4:32-35).
We must focus on kingdom of heaven and cease of the the pursuit of worldly gain!
1. Shortly the warning to the church of Laodicea was applicable to all of Christendom, "you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17). In the fourth century under Constantine the church became accepted and flourished so as to, in time, achieve a wealth, power, and grandeur that excelled all nations. Even today the church has amassed great wealth and is decidedly Laodicean.
2. The church that began with the words of Peter - "Silver and gold have I none," could soon no longer make such a claim; and as has been aptly noted, neither can it say - "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth - walk" (Acts 3:6)!
3. What happened to the church? Clearly, that which Yeshua rejected in the wilderness when tempted by the devil, has been bargained for by the church. Even as the Holy Spirit led Yeshua (upon being baptized) into the wilderness in order to be tempted by the devil for forty days and forty nights, so in like fulfillment the Holy Spirit came to the church on Pentecost, and following its own baptism was equally led into its forty days in the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. But while Yeshua rejected "all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory," and rebuked Satan, the church has failed this test and accepted his tempting offer. In Luke 4:13 we read that "when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until (lit.) a time." What "time" did the devil seek? There was only one other time in Yeshua's life that one might presume that Satan might have been tempting Him - when Yeshua rebuked Peter for setting his mind on man's interests and not on God's, saying to him, "Get behind Me, Satan." So what "time" did Satan come to tempt Yeshua? Clearly, his most effective time has been in tempting the body of Christ. Using the identical temptations (all three temptations, or for 3,000 years), Satan has effectively caused the body of Christ to fail, or in the words of Yeshua regarding the cares of this world, to be "unfruitful.".
What we find here then is not the kind of repeated information one can simply ignore. Many say that "we should obey the teachings of Jesus," and quote His various sayings; but what about His clear, definitive, and direct statements concerning giving up one's possessions and following Him? These are His words as well, are they not? If we are truly going to follow Yeshua, then we must do what He said. And if He meant these things, then why should it be different now? Do they not apply anymore? And if not, then what has occurred that makes them different now? I suggest that the only reason it is different now and has been different since the stoning of Stephen, is because of the breach of Christianity. And if this is indeed true, then what will it take to change this and return to where we can obey His words regarding receipt of the kingdom? Obviously, the only answer can be the restoration of that which He began under the first Remnant, and thus necessitating the establishment of the second Remnant. The second Remnant is governmentaly the only hope for the return and even fulfillment of Yeshua's teachings in this matter.
We see then that Christianity is, in fact, a period of the kingdom of heaven that does not and will not be able to follow the teachings of Yeshua concerning that which is required in order to receive the pure kingdom - giving up everything. As we continue to study and seek our Teacher and Father Yahweh who gives us examples as Yeshua walking the Earth we must restore the scripture into the original Hebraic context for understanding, the key for the shift to major misunderstanding in the church age that has progressed from all believers walking and living according to the Torah to only a handful walking in the ancient path today. What many have done is successfully divorce all Hebraic culture and understanding from the scriptures yet there is a firm grip on scripture yet not fully understood to be fully known. Would Moses, King David or Yeshua see our present lives as led by scripture? For many in the church, the answer would be no. The Greek mindset and the Hebrew mindset are at odds with each other in every arena! What would be the the sad sight they would see in looking at our most devoted Christians that are attributing their actions solely to Yeshua, or in the Greek Jesus? Shema, Selah--let us hear listen and obey the word of Yahweh, also pause to consider all that He has spoken to us!
Luke 12:22-31
22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Yahweh considers thoses who places the kingdom of heaven, first. Not the one who gains knowledge for selfish gain.
1. Yeshua was a man who left His trade as a carpenter, ceased the pursuit of the things of this world in order to do the will of His Father, in bringing forth His kingdom, and clearly asked His followers to do likewise.
2. His own twelve disciples "left everything" to follow Him (Luke 5:11, 28), for which He said they would obtain far more for doing so (Matthew 19:27-29). As they traveled about declaring the kingdom of Yahweh, they were a band that had one purse.
3. To the rich young ruler, Yeshua likewise declared, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Luke 18:22).
4. And of course this message was not limited to just this man and the twelve, for we read this same injunction spoken by Yeshua to His many disciples, "And do not seek what you shall eat, and what you shall drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give mercifully; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:29-34).
5. When Yeshua entered the home of Zaccheus, quickly this small man stood to his feet and declared, "half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.' And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house'" (Luke 19:1-10). Here we see evidenced once again and recorded for our instruction, and surely our application, the correlation of parting with finances and thus gaining salvation.
6. When a man came to Yeshua with the complaint that his brother was not giving him a portion of the family inheritance, He responded, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Then He told a parable about a rich man who built new and larger barns to hold his ever-increasing harvests, and said to himself, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'" Thus Yeshua concluded, "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:13-21).
We must restore our focus from the pursuit of worldly game to the pursuit of the Kingdom!!
1. Yeshua equally taught the truth of this price for the kingdom in His parables, wherein He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it. He goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (Matthew 13:44-46).
2. Clearly, beyond any doubt, the instruction of Yeshua regarding obtaining the kingdom of heaven was to divest oneself of the things of this world and follow Him. The absolute conclusive certainty of this is seen in the response of the church immediately after Yeshua left. We read that in response to His teachings, "the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them. ... For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet; and they would be distributed to each, as any had need" (Acts 4:32-35).
We must focus on kingdom of heaven and cease of the the pursuit of worldly gain!
1. Shortly the warning to the church of Laodicea was applicable to all of Christendom, "you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17). In the fourth century under Constantine the church became accepted and flourished so as to, in time, achieve a wealth, power, and grandeur that excelled all nations. Even today the church has amassed great wealth and is decidedly Laodicean.
2. The church that began with the words of Peter - "Silver and gold have I none," could soon no longer make such a claim; and as has been aptly noted, neither can it say - "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth - walk" (Acts 3:6)!
3. What happened to the church? Clearly, that which Yeshua rejected in the wilderness when tempted by the devil, has been bargained for by the church. Even as the Holy Spirit led Yeshua (upon being baptized) into the wilderness in order to be tempted by the devil for forty days and forty nights, so in like fulfillment the Holy Spirit came to the church on Pentecost, and following its own baptism was equally led into its forty days in the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. But while Yeshua rejected "all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory," and rebuked Satan, the church has failed this test and accepted his tempting offer. In Luke 4:13 we read that "when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until (lit.) a time." What "time" did the devil seek? There was only one other time in Yeshua's life that one might presume that Satan might have been tempting Him - when Yeshua rebuked Peter for setting his mind on man's interests and not on God's, saying to him, "Get behind Me, Satan." So what "time" did Satan come to tempt Yeshua? Clearly, his most effective time has been in tempting the body of Christ. Using the identical temptations (all three temptations, or for 3,000 years), Satan has effectively caused the body of Christ to fail, or in the words of Yeshua regarding the cares of this world, to be "unfruitful.".
What we find here then is not the kind of repeated information one can simply ignore. Many say that "we should obey the teachings of Jesus," and quote His various sayings; but what about His clear, definitive, and direct statements concerning giving up one's possessions and following Him? These are His words as well, are they not? If we are truly going to follow Yeshua, then we must do what He said. And if He meant these things, then why should it be different now? Do they not apply anymore? And if not, then what has occurred that makes them different now? I suggest that the only reason it is different now and has been different since the stoning of Stephen, is because of the breach of Christianity. And if this is indeed true, then what will it take to change this and return to where we can obey His words regarding receipt of the kingdom? Obviously, the only answer can be the restoration of that which He began under the first Remnant, and thus necessitating the establishment of the second Remnant. The second Remnant is governmentaly the only hope for the return and even fulfillment of Yeshua's teachings in this matter.
We see then that Christianity is, in fact, a period of the kingdom of heaven that does not and will not be able to follow the teachings of Yeshua concerning that which is required in order to receive the pure kingdom - giving up everything. As we continue to study and seek our Teacher and Father Yahweh who gives us examples as Yeshua walking the Earth we must restore the scripture into the original Hebraic context for understanding, the key for the shift to major misunderstanding in the church age that has progressed from all believers walking and living according to the Torah to only a handful walking in the ancient path today. What many have done is successfully divorce all Hebraic culture and understanding from the scriptures yet there is a firm grip on scripture yet not fully understood to be fully known. Would Moses, King David or Yeshua see our present lives as led by scripture? For many in the church, the answer would be no. The Greek mindset and the Hebrew mindset are at odds with each other in every arena! What would be the the sad sight they would see in looking at our most devoted Christians that are attributing their actions solely to Yeshua, or in the Greek Jesus? Shema, Selah--let us hear listen and obey the word of Yahweh, also pause to consider all that He has spoken to us!
No comments:
Post a Comment