Psalms 119:17-24, John 15:1-8
We are walking in today: Day 25- Netzach of Netzach: Endurance in Endurance
Last night at sunset day 25 .. With the mitzvah of counting the 49 days, known as Sefirat Ha'Omer, the Torah invites us on a journey into the human psyche, into the soul. There are seven basic emotions that make up the spectrum of human experience. At the root of all forms of enslavement, is a distortion of these emotions. Each of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot is dedicated to examining and refining one of them.
The seven emotional attributes are:
Chesed ― Loving-kindness
Gevurah ― Justice and discipline
Tiferet ― Harmony, compassion
Netzach ― Endurance
Hod ― Humility
Yesod ― Bonding
Malchut ― Sovereignty, leadership
The seven weeks, which represent these emotional attributes, further divide into seven days making up the 49 days of the counting. Since a fully functional emotion is multidimensional, it includes within itself a blend of all seven attributes. Thus, the counting of the first week, which begins on the second night of Pesach, as well as consisting of the actual counting ("Today is day one of the Omer...") would consist of the following structure with suggested meditations:
Upon conclusion of the 49 days we arrive at the 50th day ― Mattan Torah. After we have achieved all we can accomplish through our own initiative, traversing and refining every emotional corner of our psyche, we then receive a gift ('mattan' in Hebrew) from above. We receive that which we could not achieve with our own limited faculties. We receive the gift of true freedom ― the ability to transcend our human limitations and touch the divine.
WEEK 4 ― NETZACH ― ENDURANCE--During the fourth week of counting the Omer, we examine and refine the emotional attribute of endurance known as Netzach. Netzach means endurance, fortitude and ambition and is a combination of determination and tenacity. It is a balance of patience, persistence and guts. Endurance is also being reliable and accountable, which establishes security and commitment. Without endurance, any good endeavor or intention has no chance of success. Endurance means to be alive, to be driven by what counts. It is the readiness to fight for what you believe, to go all the way. This, of course, requires that endurance be closely examined to ensure that it is used in a healthy and productive manner.
Day 25- Netzach of Netzach: Endurance in Endurance
John 15:1-8 (AKJV) 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Everyone has willpower and determination. We have the capacity to endure much more than we can imagine, and to prevail under the most trying of circumstances.
Ask yourself: Is my behavior erratic? Am I inconsistent and unreliable? Since I have will and determination, why am I so mercurial [mer·cu·ri·al subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.]? Am I afraid of accessing my endurance and committing? Do I fear being trapped by my commitment? If yes, why? Is it a reaction to some past trauma? Instead of cultivating endurance in healthy areas, have I developed a capacity for endurance of unhealthy experiences? Do I endure more pain than pleasure? Do I underestimate my capacity to endure?
Exercise for the day: Commit yourself to developing a new good habit.
The Divine destiny connection, the chain that links us together.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Friday, May 10, 2019
Messiah’s Instructions: Entering In His Rest--Truth or Spiritualized Scripture??
Hebrews 4
We are walking in today: Messiah’s Instructions: Entering In His Rest--Truth or Spiritualized Scripture??
Witness truth throughout the Bible: H571 'emeth--as spoken, of testimony and judgment, of divine instruction, true doctrine
Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, H571
The Torah testifies.....................
Deuteronomy 13:14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it
be truth, H571 and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;
The prophets proclaim..................
Isaiah 10:20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are
escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them;but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. H571
The writings bear witness.............
Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: H571 and put
away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt;and serve ye the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:5 And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: H571 they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
Stealing Your Inheritance
Some Believers today say they keep the Ten Commandments; others say they are only for the Jews, not those in the Nations. Still others say they are not for New Testament Saints, but are legalism and bondage. A few today keep and observe the Feasts of The Most High. Many today would say they love The Most High, and desire to keep His Word. However, they have been taught that the Second and Fourth Commandments are not for us. The meanings of these commandments, as much of Scripture, have been 'spiritualised' by well-meaning Pastors and Teachers, to mean 'something different,' so as not to apply to New Testament Saints.
Many Pastors and Teachers think that we are not able to search the Scriptures for ourselves, to see what it really says. And the spiritualised version of a Truth, which is a particular 'spin' put on the Truth, sounds very close to what Scripture actually says. The result is that some of the Pastors and spiritual Leaders are stealing the inheritance of their many followers! We must read the Scriptures for ourselves, and find the Truth!
How are we to know the Truth? Just what does it mean to spiritualise Scripture? Let us find out, as we make up an example of what it means to 'spiritualise' Scripture.
Let us say that we read the following verse:
Thou shalt not kill. (Exodus 20:13)
We may immediately say, Well, this must be for New Testament Saints, because Yahushua told us that we are not to hate our brother; and murder is the same as hating our brother. That explanation now becomes my definition of what the above passage says.
I could then conclude that under the spiritualised meaning of this verse, it is alright to literally kill someone, but not hate him, which is the spiritualised equivalent. By this example, we can see that in spiritualising the meaning, the plain, common- sense meaning is discarded, in favour of a spiritualised meaning or explanation.
The next example is a little less of a stretch of truth, and is actually believable to many Believers of this generation:
Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)
Reading this verse one might think, For New Testament Believers, adultery in The Most High’s eyes is the equivalent of worshipping an idol or another god. If one were to spiritualise the above Exodus verse, one may conclude that it must be OK to commit literal adultery, but it is not OK to commit idolatry, which is a spiritualised adultery.
How utterly absurd this would be! Yet the same example of this reasoning occurs as a codified standard in the vast realm of the religious world today. Let us see why.
We will now look at a classic example of spiritualising Scripture, resulting in a doctrine that most Pastors and spiritual Leaders today have bought into, bringing great loss to the Body of Messiah, as a lack of fullness of the life of Messiah-in-us.
Notice the following passage:
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy [set-apart as special]. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:8-11)
The precious Believing ones today have been taught by their Leaders a spiritualised understanding of The Most High's Sabbath days. Believers worldwide have been taught the decrees of Rome regarding this passage, stating that for New Testament Believers, the Sabbaths of The Most High speak only of two spiritualised meanings, and are not to be kept literally.
Two separate, spiritualised explanations of this passage are generally given. First, it is spiritualised by some, who see this as merely a explanation for a 'future' event. This man-made explanation describes the future, millennial kingdom, which is actually a true, prophetic picture of what the seventh- day Sabbath Day portrays, but only in a prophetic sense of fulfillment. Along with this explanation, Believers are told they are not to keep this commandment in a literal sense, but to keep instead the 'New Testament Sabbath' [which is a man-made Sabbath decreed by Rome].
Second, the teaching of the Sabbath Day is taught by many as a 'spiritualised' explanation for the present. Many Believers today have been taught of a 'spiritualised' Sabbath rest, but not of the 'literal' keeping of the Sabbath Day. One man-made explanation goes on to say that to keep the Sabbath is to "enter a state of rest," which one supposedly enters into when one "rests, moment by moment, in Father's Grace, in the finished work of Yahushua." Along with this explanation, Believers are told they are not to keep Father's Sabbath Days in a literal sense, but are to keep only the 'New Testament Sabbath' [the man-made Sabbath decreed by Rome].
The Pastors and Leaders that say such things are not seeking The Most High, and are not studying the Scriptures. Perhaps they are assuming their followers are not reading their Bibles for themselves!
The result is that the above passage (Exodus 20:8-11) has been spiritualised to a point that its 'literal' meaning has been made of no effect in the lives of many precious Believers, ones who truly love The Most High! The Body of Messiah in this generation has been taught that a man-made notion of the 'Lord’s Day' has replaced the 'Sabbath Day' of the Ten Commandments.
Using the same line of reasoning, the Believers today have been taught also that idolatry is not so important in the lives of Blood-bought and forgiven Believers! See (1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 John 5:21; Rev 2:14, 20). We shall examine these ideas a little later, against the light of Scripture.
Scrambling to plug the holes in their theology, many Theologians have spun further webs of deception, to describe the closely-related teaching of 'entering into His rest.' As we saw above, some have taught that the Sabbath Day is only symbolic of the seventh millennium, the true Sabbath of The Most High; and the weekly sabbath was only a shadow of that Sabbath to come [this is half-truth, and half-lie].
Fiveamprayer, many Bible teachers today are teaching that the weekly sabbath is only a 'spiritual' Sabbath, in that the New Testament Saint rests in the finished work of Yahushua; and that the New Testament Believer no longer has to 'work' in ones own effort to be obedient, to be found righteous [another half-truth, half-lie]. Scripture tells us, however, that we must labour [work; expend great effort] to enter into the same rest Father entered (Hebrews 4:10-11). Perhaps the great effort is required, in order to defeat the great many man-made doctrines that would lead us astray!
It is important for the Bride-Company to note that both of these popular teachings are not 100% error, but express a mixture of truth and error. The truth aspect is in regard to both a future, and a present, spiritual aspect of the seventh day Sabbath of The Most High; the error comes by ignoring the literal aspect, just as our above examples of murder and adultery.
Moreover, in expressing the exclusiveness of the spiritual aspect of the seventh day Sabbath of The Most High, the popular teachings ignore the fact that there are seven additional Feasts of The Most High that He calls 'My Sabbaths,' for a total of 8 of The Most High's Sabbaths!
Let us now see why this issue of The Most High's Sabbaths is an important issue for the Bride.
Labouring to Enter His Rest
We will now note the great importance of the Sabbaths of The Most High, which have been hidden from the Body of Messiah, who have been robbed and stolen from, as spoil from a battle, by an enemy that does not want to see Yahushua's people 'enter in' to their inheritance.
Let's notice the following passages:
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err [go astray] in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. (Psalms 95:10-11)
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (Hebrews 4:11)
Scripture tells us that although Israel was redeemed from Egypt by the Blood of the Lamb, the original generation were refused entry into the Promised Land, all except Joshua and Caleb. In the above passage in Psalms 95: 10-11, we see The Most High tells us that they were not allowed to enter His rest, showing us that entering His rest is a picture of 'entering in' to the Promised Land.
The next passage above (Hebrews 4:11) warns us that we, too, must labour to enter His rest, lest we too be refused entry into the Promised Land, in the same example as the Israelites, as the context indicates. Since this is such an important example for us, taking up two chapters in the Book of Hebrews, we would do well to find out exactly what it means to enter His rest, and what could prevent us from entering His rest.
For a clue to what this means, let's look at the above passage again, this time along with its companion, the previous passage:
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (Hebrews 4:10-11)
In the above passage, Yahushua tells us we must enter into His rest by ceasing from our own works, just as The Most High ceased from His works. What is the simple and plain meaning of this passage? Let's look at some possibilities of what it might mean.
First, let's ask, How did The Most High rest from His works? If we can find how The Most High rested from His works, perhaps we too could do the same, as we are told to do! Let's look into this.
So, how did The Most High rest from His works?
Did The Most High decide to postpone His rest until the future millennial Sabbath, the great Day of Jubilee? NO! But this is one explanation given by the Theologians, of what we are to do!
Did The Most High trust in the precious Blood of Yahushua, [that was shed for remission of Sins,] in order to allow The Most High to 'rest in Yahushua,' thus allowing The Most High to 'rest in the Grace of forgiveness of The Most High’s own sins,' so that The Most High might be made righteous, so that The Most High would no longer struggle under a consciousness of Sin?
That explanation is one of several given to us by the Theological Seminaries and their blind graduates — most of the Pastors and Leaders of this generation — as an explanation of how they say we are to enter into His rest!
How utterly absurd can the Doctrines of Men become, when held against the Blinding Light and Strong Meat of The Most High's precious Word!
Did The Most High rest in either of the two ways given in the above examples? How did The Most High rest from His works?
Let's see what Scripture tells us:
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:2-3)
We see the answer very clearly in the above passage: The Most High simply ceased his work, and rested on the literal seventh day!
We must stop spiritualising Scripture, and return to the clear and simple meaning of Scripture, and return to the simplicity and rest that is found only in obedience to Messiah Yahushua!
According to the Scriptures, it is plain to see that we enter His rest in our literal obedience to the Fourth commandment — of resting from our literal works on the literal seventh day, just as The Most High rested from His works.
What we do is simply a matter of whether we are yoked to Yahushua, or not. If we are yoked to Him, we work when He works, and we rest when He rests. If Yahushua rests on the seventh day, then we do the same.
The pattern for us is in the Gospels, as well as the epistles, as testimony to what Yahushua [and the Disciples] did on the Sabbath day, as well as on the other Feast Day Sabbaths. If we can say, as the apostle Paul did, "Messiah liveth in me," then let us ask ourselves these questions:
Questions to Ask Ourselves
Are we allowing Messiah to live in us in all His fullness, as revealed in the pages of the New Testament?
Are we preventing Messiah [who lives within our bodies] from observing the Feasts of His Father, in obedience to Scripture?
Do we say that Messiah lives within us, within our bodies — yet continue to refuse to allow Him-in-us to walk in obedience to the Scriptures, simply because of the teachings we have received?
Fiveamprayer, the New Testament is full of warnings, exhortations, and teachings, of simple, literal obedience to The Most High's Commandments, and to all His judgments, ordinances, and precepts. The Scriptures tell us of the consequences of doing so, and of not doing so — even though under the New Covenant, we are given a choice (Matthew 11:29), and they are voluntary!
There are many, man-made ideas commonly taught today, saying that the 'Old Testament' commandments are not for New Covenant Believers. These ideas are not true, they have no foundation in Scripture whatsoever, and they contradict both 'Old' and 'New' Testament Scriptures!
So, why don't we hear teaching today about the importance of 'Labouring' to enter His rest? It is because there are many weapons the enemy has arrayed against the Believing ones, the main one of which is the 'Doctrines and Commandments of Men,' which turn men from the Truth (Titus 1:14).
Shema Selah what is truth and what has been spiritualised???
We are walking in today: Messiah’s Instructions: Entering In His Rest--Truth or Spiritualized Scripture??
Witness truth throughout the Bible: H571 'emeth--as spoken, of testimony and judgment, of divine instruction, true doctrine
Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, H571
The Torah testifies.....................
Deuteronomy 13:14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it
be truth, H571 and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;
The prophets proclaim..................
Isaiah 10:20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are
escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them;but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. H571
The writings bear witness.............
Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: H571 and put
away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt;and serve ye the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:5 And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: H571 they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
Stealing Your Inheritance
Some Believers today say they keep the Ten Commandments; others say they are only for the Jews, not those in the Nations. Still others say they are not for New Testament Saints, but are legalism and bondage. A few today keep and observe the Feasts of The Most High. Many today would say they love The Most High, and desire to keep His Word. However, they have been taught that the Second and Fourth Commandments are not for us. The meanings of these commandments, as much of Scripture, have been 'spiritualised' by well-meaning Pastors and Teachers, to mean 'something different,' so as not to apply to New Testament Saints.
Many Pastors and Teachers think that we are not able to search the Scriptures for ourselves, to see what it really says. And the spiritualised version of a Truth, which is a particular 'spin' put on the Truth, sounds very close to what Scripture actually says. The result is that some of the Pastors and spiritual Leaders are stealing the inheritance of their many followers! We must read the Scriptures for ourselves, and find the Truth!
How are we to know the Truth? Just what does it mean to spiritualise Scripture? Let us find out, as we make up an example of what it means to 'spiritualise' Scripture.
Let us say that we read the following verse:
Thou shalt not kill. (Exodus 20:13)
We may immediately say, Well, this must be for New Testament Saints, because Yahushua told us that we are not to hate our brother; and murder is the same as hating our brother. That explanation now becomes my definition of what the above passage says.
I could then conclude that under the spiritualised meaning of this verse, it is alright to literally kill someone, but not hate him, which is the spiritualised equivalent. By this example, we can see that in spiritualising the meaning, the plain, common- sense meaning is discarded, in favour of a spiritualised meaning or explanation.
The next example is a little less of a stretch of truth, and is actually believable to many Believers of this generation:
Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)
Reading this verse one might think, For New Testament Believers, adultery in The Most High’s eyes is the equivalent of worshipping an idol or another god. If one were to spiritualise the above Exodus verse, one may conclude that it must be OK to commit literal adultery, but it is not OK to commit idolatry, which is a spiritualised adultery.
How utterly absurd this would be! Yet the same example of this reasoning occurs as a codified standard in the vast realm of the religious world today. Let us see why.
We will now look at a classic example of spiritualising Scripture, resulting in a doctrine that most Pastors and spiritual Leaders today have bought into, bringing great loss to the Body of Messiah, as a lack of fullness of the life of Messiah-in-us.
Notice the following passage:
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy [set-apart as special]. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:8-11)
The precious Believing ones today have been taught by their Leaders a spiritualised understanding of The Most High's Sabbath days. Believers worldwide have been taught the decrees of Rome regarding this passage, stating that for New Testament Believers, the Sabbaths of The Most High speak only of two spiritualised meanings, and are not to be kept literally.
Two separate, spiritualised explanations of this passage are generally given. First, it is spiritualised by some, who see this as merely a explanation for a 'future' event. This man-made explanation describes the future, millennial kingdom, which is actually a true, prophetic picture of what the seventh- day Sabbath Day portrays, but only in a prophetic sense of fulfillment. Along with this explanation, Believers are told they are not to keep this commandment in a literal sense, but to keep instead the 'New Testament Sabbath' [which is a man-made Sabbath decreed by Rome].
Second, the teaching of the Sabbath Day is taught by many as a 'spiritualised' explanation for the present. Many Believers today have been taught of a 'spiritualised' Sabbath rest, but not of the 'literal' keeping of the Sabbath Day. One man-made explanation goes on to say that to keep the Sabbath is to "enter a state of rest," which one supposedly enters into when one "rests, moment by moment, in Father's Grace, in the finished work of Yahushua." Along with this explanation, Believers are told they are not to keep Father's Sabbath Days in a literal sense, but are to keep only the 'New Testament Sabbath' [the man-made Sabbath decreed by Rome].
The Pastors and Leaders that say such things are not seeking The Most High, and are not studying the Scriptures. Perhaps they are assuming their followers are not reading their Bibles for themselves!
The result is that the above passage (Exodus 20:8-11) has been spiritualised to a point that its 'literal' meaning has been made of no effect in the lives of many precious Believers, ones who truly love The Most High! The Body of Messiah in this generation has been taught that a man-made notion of the 'Lord’s Day' has replaced the 'Sabbath Day' of the Ten Commandments.
Using the same line of reasoning, the Believers today have been taught also that idolatry is not so important in the lives of Blood-bought and forgiven Believers! See (1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 John 5:21; Rev 2:14, 20). We shall examine these ideas a little later, against the light of Scripture.
Scrambling to plug the holes in their theology, many Theologians have spun further webs of deception, to describe the closely-related teaching of 'entering into His rest.' As we saw above, some have taught that the Sabbath Day is only symbolic of the seventh millennium, the true Sabbath of The Most High; and the weekly sabbath was only a shadow of that Sabbath to come [this is half-truth, and half-lie].
Fiveamprayer, many Bible teachers today are teaching that the weekly sabbath is only a 'spiritual' Sabbath, in that the New Testament Saint rests in the finished work of Yahushua; and that the New Testament Believer no longer has to 'work' in ones own effort to be obedient, to be found righteous [another half-truth, half-lie]. Scripture tells us, however, that we must labour [work; expend great effort] to enter into the same rest Father entered (Hebrews 4:10-11). Perhaps the great effort is required, in order to defeat the great many man-made doctrines that would lead us astray!
It is important for the Bride-Company to note that both of these popular teachings are not 100% error, but express a mixture of truth and error. The truth aspect is in regard to both a future, and a present, spiritual aspect of the seventh day Sabbath of The Most High; the error comes by ignoring the literal aspect, just as our above examples of murder and adultery.
Moreover, in expressing the exclusiveness of the spiritual aspect of the seventh day Sabbath of The Most High, the popular teachings ignore the fact that there are seven additional Feasts of The Most High that He calls 'My Sabbaths,' for a total of 8 of The Most High's Sabbaths!
Let us now see why this issue of The Most High's Sabbaths is an important issue for the Bride.
Labouring to Enter His Rest
We will now note the great importance of the Sabbaths of The Most High, which have been hidden from the Body of Messiah, who have been robbed and stolen from, as spoil from a battle, by an enemy that does not want to see Yahushua's people 'enter in' to their inheritance.
Let's notice the following passages:
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err [go astray] in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. (Psalms 95:10-11)
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (Hebrews 4:11)
Scripture tells us that although Israel was redeemed from Egypt by the Blood of the Lamb, the original generation were refused entry into the Promised Land, all except Joshua and Caleb. In the above passage in Psalms 95: 10-11, we see The Most High tells us that they were not allowed to enter His rest, showing us that entering His rest is a picture of 'entering in' to the Promised Land.
The next passage above (Hebrews 4:11) warns us that we, too, must labour to enter His rest, lest we too be refused entry into the Promised Land, in the same example as the Israelites, as the context indicates. Since this is such an important example for us, taking up two chapters in the Book of Hebrews, we would do well to find out exactly what it means to enter His rest, and what could prevent us from entering His rest.
For a clue to what this means, let's look at the above passage again, this time along with its companion, the previous passage:
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (Hebrews 4:10-11)
In the above passage, Yahushua tells us we must enter into His rest by ceasing from our own works, just as The Most High ceased from His works. What is the simple and plain meaning of this passage? Let's look at some possibilities of what it might mean.
First, let's ask, How did The Most High rest from His works? If we can find how The Most High rested from His works, perhaps we too could do the same, as we are told to do! Let's look into this.
So, how did The Most High rest from His works?
Did The Most High decide to postpone His rest until the future millennial Sabbath, the great Day of Jubilee? NO! But this is one explanation given by the Theologians, of what we are to do!
Did The Most High trust in the precious Blood of Yahushua, [that was shed for remission of Sins,] in order to allow The Most High to 'rest in Yahushua,' thus allowing The Most High to 'rest in the Grace of forgiveness of The Most High’s own sins,' so that The Most High might be made righteous, so that The Most High would no longer struggle under a consciousness of Sin?
That explanation is one of several given to us by the Theological Seminaries and their blind graduates — most of the Pastors and Leaders of this generation — as an explanation of how they say we are to enter into His rest!
How utterly absurd can the Doctrines of Men become, when held against the Blinding Light and Strong Meat of The Most High's precious Word!
Did The Most High rest in either of the two ways given in the above examples? How did The Most High rest from His works?
Let's see what Scripture tells us:
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:2-3)
We see the answer very clearly in the above passage: The Most High simply ceased his work, and rested on the literal seventh day!
We must stop spiritualising Scripture, and return to the clear and simple meaning of Scripture, and return to the simplicity and rest that is found only in obedience to Messiah Yahushua!
According to the Scriptures, it is plain to see that we enter His rest in our literal obedience to the Fourth commandment — of resting from our literal works on the literal seventh day, just as The Most High rested from His works.
What we do is simply a matter of whether we are yoked to Yahushua, or not. If we are yoked to Him, we work when He works, and we rest when He rests. If Yahushua rests on the seventh day, then we do the same.
The pattern for us is in the Gospels, as well as the epistles, as testimony to what Yahushua [and the Disciples] did on the Sabbath day, as well as on the other Feast Day Sabbaths. If we can say, as the apostle Paul did, "Messiah liveth in me," then let us ask ourselves these questions:
Questions to Ask Ourselves
Are we allowing Messiah to live in us in all His fullness, as revealed in the pages of the New Testament?
Are we preventing Messiah [who lives within our bodies] from observing the Feasts of His Father, in obedience to Scripture?
Do we say that Messiah lives within us, within our bodies — yet continue to refuse to allow Him-in-us to walk in obedience to the Scriptures, simply because of the teachings we have received?
Fiveamprayer, the New Testament is full of warnings, exhortations, and teachings, of simple, literal obedience to The Most High's Commandments, and to all His judgments, ordinances, and precepts. The Scriptures tell us of the consequences of doing so, and of not doing so — even though under the New Covenant, we are given a choice (Matthew 11:29), and they are voluntary!
There are many, man-made ideas commonly taught today, saying that the 'Old Testament' commandments are not for New Covenant Believers. These ideas are not true, they have no foundation in Scripture whatsoever, and they contradict both 'Old' and 'New' Testament Scriptures!
So, why don't we hear teaching today about the importance of 'Labouring' to enter His rest? It is because there are many weapons the enemy has arrayed against the Believing ones, the main one of which is the 'Doctrines and Commandments of Men,' which turn men from the Truth (Titus 1:14).
Shema Selah what is truth and what has been spiritualised???
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Messiah’s Instructions In The Wilderness!!!!
Titus 1
Witness harken throughout the Bible: H7181 qashab--to hear, be attentive, heed, incline (of ears), attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen
than the fat of rams.
The Torah testifies.....................
Exodus 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
The prophets proclaim..................
Nehemiah 9:34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened H7181 unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.
The writings bear witness.............
Psalms 5:2 Hearken H7181 unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
Song of Solomon 8:13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken H7181
to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
Entering His Rest: Biblical Requirements and Hindrances
As we look at this subject of entering His rest, we must first give warning to the Reader, that this is not an easy subject. What is to be said may not seem to be politically correct, but in order to maintain Biblical Truth, it must be said.
In this writing I have not attempted to sugar-coat the presentation, but have tried only to deal with the objective Truths of what the Scriptures actually say. Scripture tells us that open rebuke [what is given to help someone] is better than secret love [what is not given to help someone, and is thus not really love] (Proverbs 27:5).
We will now look at some of the items laid out in Scripture that tell us clearly what is required for us to 'enter into His Rest,' which is a euphemism for entering in to the Promised Land, into the City of the King. Participation in these things will further identify to The Most High those who are allowed to enter, and who are not.
As we look at this subject of entering His rest, we must first give warning to the Reader, that this is not an easy subject. What is to be said may not seem to be politically correct, but in order to maintain Biblical Truth, it must be said.
In this writing I have not attempted to sugar-coat the presentation, but have tried only to deal with the objective Truths of what the Scriptures actually say. Scripture tells us that open rebuke [what is given to help someone] is better than secret love [what is not given to help someone, and is thus not really love] (Proverbs 27:5).
We will now look at some of the items laid out in Scripture that tell us clearly what is required for us to 'enter into His Rest,' which is a euphemism for entering in to the Promised Land, into the City of the King. Participation in these things will further identify to The Most High those who are allowed to enter, and who are not.
If Ye Be Willing and Obedient
Many Scripture passages tell us, and show us by vivid example, The Most High's children are defined and identified by their obedience. Indeed, even the blessings of the Inheritance are to those who are obedient.
Let's begin, as we notice the following passage:
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (Isaiah 1:18-20)
Most today understand that verse 18 in the above passage does apply to New Covenant Believers. But let's look at the rest of the story seen in verses 19 and 20. The Most High is telling us that if we are [present] obedient, we shall [future] eat the good of the Land. The Most High is telling us that our future welfare in the Promised Land, depends on our current obedience; and that our obedience is determined now, before we enter the Land! This can be confirmed in Rev 22:14-15, where the right to enter in to the City of the King is given, as determined by obedience to Yahushua's commandments.
Few today are being taught the importance of walking in obedience to The Most High. Even fewer still are being taught the importance of doing what The Most High 'delights' in, and what 'pleases' Him. One of the hallmarks of the Biblical Marriage Covenant is the mark of obedience.
As we advance in our walk with The Most High, there will be many occasions in which He presents opportunities for us to choose whether we will obey Him, or not. Each day The Most High reveals something new to us, with the hope and desire that we will choose to go beyond our comfort zone, and walk in the new thing He has revealed, according to the Scriptures. We must make a choice — a fresh choice each day — whom we will serve (Joshua 24:15).
Let us proceed now to new ground.
It is obvious to the sincere seeker, which of the Old Testament [Torah] commandments and sayings of The Most High have already found their fulfillment in Messiah Yahushua. What has been obscured by the religionists is the necessity for all The Most High's children to likewise fulfill the Torah, with only a few exceptions as seen in the Book of Hebrews.
Our present difficulty lies in the fact that the Body of Messiah has for centuries been given traditions and decrees of Rome, instead of the Truth of scripture. The result is that most Believers today are in a state of famine, of what constitutes 'Truth' for New Testament Saints. Yahushua is now restoring all [true] things, prior to His return, just as He promised!
Our greatest discomfort comes when we try to make the Scriptures fit the 'Doctrines and Commandments of Men' we have been taught. Perhaps by now our inner conflicts have become evident, regarding what we have learned about Law and Grace, Grace and works, Grace and Legalism, Old and New, Then and Now, Hebrew and Gentile, Liberty or Bondage, Life or Death. In order to avoid the discomfort, many will simply not dig in to the Scriptures, to seek for the Truth.
Yahushua, in His mercy, has painstakingly revealed each one of these subjects to us in His Word, yes, even in the New Testament! He wants us to know and thoroughly understand the Word of Righteousness (Hebrews 5:13). Father desires that His children would learn His Ways, and walk in them!
The Most High has revealed all these subjects in His Word, and desires that we would see how they all fit marvelously, as pieces of a great puzzle, to portray the beautiful and majestic picture that He desires to reveal to His Beloved.
He also wants us be aware of the abundant hindrances that can prevent us from walking in 'The Way.'
Yahushua's Word vs. What You Have Been Taught
As an illustration of the conflict between Truth and Error, let us observe several passages regarding Eternal Life. As we look at these, let us note of the contrast between what we have been taught, and what Yahushua actually says.
Yahushua had just been asked by a man what good thing must he do, that he may have eternal life. First notice the question, and then look carefully at Yahushua’s reply:
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22)
In the above passage, two things are to be noted. First, this verse indicates that eternal life is conditioned upon obedience to the Ten Commandments. This verse is for all New Testament Believers, contrary to what many Pastors would say today (2 Tim 3:16).
Many Pastors and spiritual Leaders, for example, have been trained in Bible Schools and Seminaries, and have chopped up, rationalised, compartmentalised, dispensationalised, and discarded much of Scripture. In their formal training, they learned what other men said, rather than what Scripture says. They were taught that, for one reason or another, a particular verse, or chapter, or Book of the Bible, is not for Gentile Believers today, but for some 'other' people, or some 'other' dispensation [This is a man-made meaning that was given to a good Bible word, and as a result of this man-made doctrine, has become a great source of error in the Body of Messiah].
Some of the results of the man-made dispensation error teach, "That's for the Hebrews;" "That's not for us — it's for the early church;" "That's for another age;" "That's Old Testament;" "That's bondage;" and on and on, until nothing is left of the Scriptures but an empty carcass. The Scriptures tell us that all Scripture is eternal, and is for all of The Most High's children, and is part of their heritage — their inheritance!
Most formally-trained Pastors and Leaders of today would explain the above passage, by saying that this and several similar passages do not apply to New Testament Believers. Perhaps these statements are made, because this passage does not seem to fit man's modern, twisted notion of what Biblical 'Grace' is!
Most would summarize the 'eternal life' requirements spoken by Messiah, by stating that all we must do is believe — that is, we must give only mental agreement to a set of facts. This is the modern-day definition of the word 'Believe,' and is a devilish definition, void of Biblical Truth. Using this definition of 'Believe,' there is no need for such Biblical practices as repentance, sanctification, holy living, dying to self, obedience, or enduring unto the end.
Most spiritual Leaders today put forth an un-Scriptural, blanket idea of 'Grace,' but then deny the Biblical 'Grace' that teaches one to be obedient (Romans 1:5), to live a life glorifying The Most High. Thus the religious world has been taught that the main issue is pure mercy and an unscriptural notion of 'forgiveness,' beyond which one may do as he pleases, even if what he does displeases the Mighty The Most High and the Prince of Peace. This idea is summarized for us in Jude 1:4, describing those who have substituted the decrees and traditions of Rome in place of the Truth of Scripture.
Most spiritual teachers today say that Yahushua, in the passage above, was telling the inquirer something that applied to another time period they call a 'dispensation,' and not applicable to the present day, which they call the 'Church Age' or an imaginary 'Age of Grace.' [This concept is not in Scripture!].
In summary, there are many variations of error seen in the religious world, all trying to explain away the true meaning of the above passage, and to obscure the Truth of to whom this passage applies.
Note however, that in the above passage the questioner was talking about 'New Testament Eternal Life.' The Greek word is 'zoe,' Strong’s number <2222>. We know this because this is the same word that Yahushua used:
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life <2222>: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (John 11:25)
As we remember another familiar verse, we will look at it, and the second point becomes obvious:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life <2222>. (John 3:16)
Most of us are familiar with this verse, aren’t we? From the day we first came to Yahushua for His Grace of Forgiveness, we have heard this verse. In John 3:16 above, we see that Eternal Life is conditioned upon 'believing in Yahushua.' In the previous passage, (Mark 10:17-22), Yahushua tells us that Eternal Life is conditioned upon keeping the commandments, and also upon selling all, and coming after, and following Yahushua.
Fiveamprayer, is this verse of John 3:16 in contradiction to the one shown above in Mark 10:17-22? No, it is not. Yahushua merely reveals in each separate verse, one separate condition for each of two stages, of entering in to the Promised Land, also called eternal life. To gain a better understanding of Biblical Salvation, and the difference between coming out by the Blood, and entering in by obedience.
It is evident in the New Testament that there are many descriptions of Eternal Life, and how one may inherit, or obtain, or 'enter in' to this eternal life. In fact, there are 134 uses of the Greek word 'zoe' in the New Testament. If we were to look at all the instances where this word zoe is used in the New Testament, we would see that receiving Eternal Life is dependent upon at least twenty-five separate and distinct actions on the part of man!
These twenty-five different conditions are not mutually exclusive, and they are not in contradiction to one another. Taken as a whole, they all complement one another, and are like the links of a chain, all contributing to the strength of the entire concept of Eternal Life!
Taken as a whole, all the different conditions upon which one may receive Eternal Life merely reveal the wonderful truth and richness of what it means to truly 'believe' in the Name of Yahushua, as Abraham found out. We may conclude from these observations that The Most High’s plan of redemption of mankind is a many-faceted means of revealing His identity to mankind.
True Identities Are Being Revealed
Fiveamprayer, Yahushua is restoring the Truths that the Body of Messiah was robbed of centuries ago. He is restoring the Truths that for many years the cankerworm has eaten, and the palmerworm, and the locust has devoured. He is revealing the Truths of His Word, as a 'Great Spoil,' as treasures recovered in a battle.
The Most High is doing, as it were, a new thing. Yet it is not new, for there is nothing new under the sun. It just seems new to us, but it is simply the restoration of the Tabernacle of David, and the building of the True Temple, and is the ascending of Mount Zion by His children.
We certainly do live our years as a tale that is told; That is, everything that has happened before, and seen in the Bible, is our example of how it is going to happen in this last generation! The Most High is preparing a People, and is purifying a Company of people that will become His Bride. He is preparing them through their learning obedience, the goal of which instruction is to be completed, and made perfect in love for Yahushua, and for the brethren.
The identity of the 'Saints' [the set-apart-ones] of The Most High, — the redeemed, the undefiled, — is being made clear. The identity of those that are redeemed, but who continue to be 'wicked' in their actions, is also coming into view.
As the fruit [their doings, or works] of the righteous begin to be seen, in the same way the tares are being revealed, all in bundles [bound socially into denominations and congregations], ready to be burned.
Let's notice the following passages, and note how The Most High identifies the ones that are His people, His saints:
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life <2222>, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
The above verses describe who the saints really are, and how one gains right to the Tree of Life — Yahushua Himself — and how one gains entry into the City of the King.
Note carefully that in the above verses, there is no believing mentioned, as we have understood the word believe; in these verses there is simply 'doing' — that is, allowing Messiah-in-you to bring about the doing of obedience to His Word — which is the Biblical definition of 'believing.'
Notice that obedience to the commandments of The Most High is really a summary definition of the word believe.The Reader is encouraged to do a brief study of Abraham, and what The Most High said about him, and why The Most High credited him with righteousness!
The greatest tragedy of this generation is the teaching of the Traditions, Doctrines, and Commandments of men, in place of the Scriptures. One result of this replacement is that one beautiful truth of The Most High’s word is taken to the exclusion of another, causing many to try to force the pieces of the puzzle together — even when some pieces do not quite fit the way that men’s doctrines say they are supposed to fit!
Hence we have multitudes of splintered beliefs and divisions created among men, divided into congregations that are open only to what lies within the comfort zone of their own understanding, yet closed-minded to any Light from the Spirit of Truth that does not fit what they already understand.
It is in this way, that the Commandments of Men turn men away from being "DO-ers" of the Truth (Titus 1:14). This sounds as if it were a description of the religious leaders of Yahushua’s day, but sadly it portrays our day.
My Commandments
Fiveamprayer, when Yahushua said, If ye love me, keep 'MY' Commandments (John 14:15), what was He telling us? Today, almost all the Bible schools and Theological Seminaries, and their Pastor-graduates, are teaching that the 'Commandments of Yahushua' are found only in the New Testament, from Matthew through Revelation. Those who know who Yahushua truly is, however, understand that 'MY' commandments appear from the Beginning — from the Book of Genesis!
Those who say that Yahushua's commandments are only in the 'New' Testament are testifying that they do not know who Yahushua truly is. When Yahushua returns, He will say to many Pastors and Leaders who did not truly know Him, and to their followers, "I never knew you...you that work iniquity." It is thus to our advantage to test everything against the Scriptures alone!
Fiveamprayer, notice the following verse:
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thessalonians 1:8)
We have long thought that this passage is talking about the heathen, the pagans, the wicked — those that have never come to Yahushua. Unfortunately, there are vast multitudes, great multitudes of New Testament Believers today that are in this category! They have come to Yahushua, have received of His wonderful mercy and Grace of Redemption and forgiveness by His precious Blood, but are still in the Valley of Decision, between two mountains, 'halt between two opinions.' As babes however, The Most High offers us great mercy, as He gently leads those who desire to follow Him, and learn from Him.
As more mature Believers, The Most High is urging us to 'get off the fence.' As Believers, their Yoke of Bondage has been initially broken. The Spirit of Life has set them free from the Law of Sin and Death, but they have not entered into a new Yoke of Bondage of Love, as a voluntary bondslave to a new Master, in obedience to His Word and His will!
Thus many shall not be brought up into the heights of Zion, the City of the King, and will not be allowed to know Him, unless they show by their obedience they know who Yahushua really is, and they begin to walk in obedience to all His sayings. This process of coming to know Him, by our obedience to His Word, as seen in the above passage in (2 Thess 1:8), is what constitutes 'believing' in Yahushua.
We have seen that the sayings of Yahushua are made up of both the New Testament sayings of Yahushua, and the Old Testament sayings of The Most High, which are also Yahushua's sayings. The great significance can now come into view. We recall that The Most High wrote the Ten Commandments with the Finger of The Most High, onto the stone tablets. These are The Most High's sayings, and His words.
Notice also that Yahushua wielded the Finger of The Most High, when He cast out devils. There is a vast amount of New Testament Scripture that reveals the connection between loving Yahushua and keeping the Commandments of Yahushua, and also remarkably, keeping the Commandments of The Most High. Many today have not made the connection, or have not realised, that keeping the Commandments of The Most High constitutes knowing who Yahushua is, and loving Yahushua, and also defines how we show love for the Brethren (1 John 5:2-3).
Many Scripture passages tell us, and show us by vivid example, The Most High's children are defined and identified by their obedience. Indeed, even the blessings of the Inheritance are to those who are obedient.
Let's begin, as we notice the following passage:
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (Isaiah 1:18-20)
Most today understand that verse 18 in the above passage does apply to New Covenant Believers. But let's look at the rest of the story seen in verses 19 and 20. The Most High is telling us that if we are [present] obedient, we shall [future] eat the good of the Land. The Most High is telling us that our future welfare in the Promised Land, depends on our current obedience; and that our obedience is determined now, before we enter the Land! This can be confirmed in Rev 22:14-15, where the right to enter in to the City of the King is given, as determined by obedience to Yahushua's commandments.
Few today are being taught the importance of walking in obedience to The Most High. Even fewer still are being taught the importance of doing what The Most High 'delights' in, and what 'pleases' Him. One of the hallmarks of the Biblical Marriage Covenant is the mark of obedience.
As we advance in our walk with The Most High, there will be many occasions in which He presents opportunities for us to choose whether we will obey Him, or not. Each day The Most High reveals something new to us, with the hope and desire that we will choose to go beyond our comfort zone, and walk in the new thing He has revealed, according to the Scriptures. We must make a choice — a fresh choice each day — whom we will serve (Joshua 24:15).
Let us proceed now to new ground.
It is obvious to the sincere seeker, which of the Old Testament [Torah] commandments and sayings of The Most High have already found their fulfillment in Messiah Yahushua. What has been obscured by the religionists is the necessity for all The Most High's children to likewise fulfill the Torah, with only a few exceptions as seen in the Book of Hebrews.
Our present difficulty lies in the fact that the Body of Messiah has for centuries been given traditions and decrees of Rome, instead of the Truth of scripture. The result is that most Believers today are in a state of famine, of what constitutes 'Truth' for New Testament Saints. Yahushua is now restoring all [true] things, prior to His return, just as He promised!
Our greatest discomfort comes when we try to make the Scriptures fit the 'Doctrines and Commandments of Men' we have been taught. Perhaps by now our inner conflicts have become evident, regarding what we have learned about Law and Grace, Grace and works, Grace and Legalism, Old and New, Then and Now, Hebrew and Gentile, Liberty or Bondage, Life or Death. In order to avoid the discomfort, many will simply not dig in to the Scriptures, to seek for the Truth.
Yahushua, in His mercy, has painstakingly revealed each one of these subjects to us in His Word, yes, even in the New Testament! He wants us to know and thoroughly understand the Word of Righteousness (Hebrews 5:13). Father desires that His children would learn His Ways, and walk in them!
The Most High has revealed all these subjects in His Word, and desires that we would see how they all fit marvelously, as pieces of a great puzzle, to portray the beautiful and majestic picture that He desires to reveal to His Beloved.
He also wants us be aware of the abundant hindrances that can prevent us from walking in 'The Way.'
Yahushua's Word vs. What You Have Been Taught
As an illustration of the conflict between Truth and Error, let us observe several passages regarding Eternal Life. As we look at these, let us note of the contrast between what we have been taught, and what Yahushua actually says.
Yahushua had just been asked by a man what good thing must he do, that he may have eternal life. First notice the question, and then look carefully at Yahushua’s reply:
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22)
In the above passage, two things are to be noted. First, this verse indicates that eternal life is conditioned upon obedience to the Ten Commandments. This verse is for all New Testament Believers, contrary to what many Pastors would say today (2 Tim 3:16).
Many Pastors and spiritual Leaders, for example, have been trained in Bible Schools and Seminaries, and have chopped up, rationalised, compartmentalised, dispensationalised, and discarded much of Scripture. In their formal training, they learned what other men said, rather than what Scripture says. They were taught that, for one reason or another, a particular verse, or chapter, or Book of the Bible, is not for Gentile Believers today, but for some 'other' people, or some 'other' dispensation [This is a man-made meaning that was given to a good Bible word, and as a result of this man-made doctrine, has become a great source of error in the Body of Messiah].
Some of the results of the man-made dispensation error teach, "That's for the Hebrews;" "That's not for us — it's for the early church;" "That's for another age;" "That's Old Testament;" "That's bondage;" and on and on, until nothing is left of the Scriptures but an empty carcass. The Scriptures tell us that all Scripture is eternal, and is for all of The Most High's children, and is part of their heritage — their inheritance!
Most formally-trained Pastors and Leaders of today would explain the above passage, by saying that this and several similar passages do not apply to New Testament Believers. Perhaps these statements are made, because this passage does not seem to fit man's modern, twisted notion of what Biblical 'Grace' is!
Most would summarize the 'eternal life' requirements spoken by Messiah, by stating that all we must do is believe — that is, we must give only mental agreement to a set of facts. This is the modern-day definition of the word 'Believe,' and is a devilish definition, void of Biblical Truth. Using this definition of 'Believe,' there is no need for such Biblical practices as repentance, sanctification, holy living, dying to self, obedience, or enduring unto the end.
Most spiritual Leaders today put forth an un-Scriptural, blanket idea of 'Grace,' but then deny the Biblical 'Grace' that teaches one to be obedient (Romans 1:5), to live a life glorifying The Most High. Thus the religious world has been taught that the main issue is pure mercy and an unscriptural notion of 'forgiveness,' beyond which one may do as he pleases, even if what he does displeases the Mighty The Most High and the Prince of Peace. This idea is summarized for us in Jude 1:4, describing those who have substituted the decrees and traditions of Rome in place of the Truth of Scripture.
Most spiritual teachers today say that Yahushua, in the passage above, was telling the inquirer something that applied to another time period they call a 'dispensation,' and not applicable to the present day, which they call the 'Church Age' or an imaginary 'Age of Grace.' [This concept is not in Scripture!].
In summary, there are many variations of error seen in the religious world, all trying to explain away the true meaning of the above passage, and to obscure the Truth of to whom this passage applies.
Note however, that in the above passage the questioner was talking about 'New Testament Eternal Life.' The Greek word is 'zoe,' Strong’s number <2222>. We know this because this is the same word that Yahushua used:
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life <2222>: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (John 11:25)
As we remember another familiar verse, we will look at it, and the second point becomes obvious:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life <2222>. (John 3:16)
Most of us are familiar with this verse, aren’t we? From the day we first came to Yahushua for His Grace of Forgiveness, we have heard this verse. In John 3:16 above, we see that Eternal Life is conditioned upon 'believing in Yahushua.' In the previous passage, (Mark 10:17-22), Yahushua tells us that Eternal Life is conditioned upon keeping the commandments, and also upon selling all, and coming after, and following Yahushua.
Fiveamprayer, is this verse of John 3:16 in contradiction to the one shown above in Mark 10:17-22? No, it is not. Yahushua merely reveals in each separate verse, one separate condition for each of two stages, of entering in to the Promised Land, also called eternal life. To gain a better understanding of Biblical Salvation, and the difference between coming out by the Blood, and entering in by obedience.
It is evident in the New Testament that there are many descriptions of Eternal Life, and how one may inherit, or obtain, or 'enter in' to this eternal life. In fact, there are 134 uses of the Greek word 'zoe' in the New Testament. If we were to look at all the instances where this word zoe is used in the New Testament, we would see that receiving Eternal Life is dependent upon at least twenty-five separate and distinct actions on the part of man!
These twenty-five different conditions are not mutually exclusive, and they are not in contradiction to one another. Taken as a whole, they all complement one another, and are like the links of a chain, all contributing to the strength of the entire concept of Eternal Life!
Taken as a whole, all the different conditions upon which one may receive Eternal Life merely reveal the wonderful truth and richness of what it means to truly 'believe' in the Name of Yahushua, as Abraham found out. We may conclude from these observations that The Most High’s plan of redemption of mankind is a many-faceted means of revealing His identity to mankind.
True Identities Are Being Revealed
Fiveamprayer, Yahushua is restoring the Truths that the Body of Messiah was robbed of centuries ago. He is restoring the Truths that for many years the cankerworm has eaten, and the palmerworm, and the locust has devoured. He is revealing the Truths of His Word, as a 'Great Spoil,' as treasures recovered in a battle.
The Most High is doing, as it were, a new thing. Yet it is not new, for there is nothing new under the sun. It just seems new to us, but it is simply the restoration of the Tabernacle of David, and the building of the True Temple, and is the ascending of Mount Zion by His children.
We certainly do live our years as a tale that is told; That is, everything that has happened before, and seen in the Bible, is our example of how it is going to happen in this last generation! The Most High is preparing a People, and is purifying a Company of people that will become His Bride. He is preparing them through their learning obedience, the goal of which instruction is to be completed, and made perfect in love for Yahushua, and for the brethren.
The identity of the 'Saints' [the set-apart-ones] of The Most High, — the redeemed, the undefiled, — is being made clear. The identity of those that are redeemed, but who continue to be 'wicked' in their actions, is also coming into view.
As the fruit [their doings, or works] of the righteous begin to be seen, in the same way the tares are being revealed, all in bundles [bound socially into denominations and congregations], ready to be burned.
Let's notice the following passages, and note how The Most High identifies the ones that are His people, His saints:
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life <2222>, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
The above verses describe who the saints really are, and how one gains right to the Tree of Life — Yahushua Himself — and how one gains entry into the City of the King.
Note carefully that in the above verses, there is no believing mentioned, as we have understood the word believe; in these verses there is simply 'doing' — that is, allowing Messiah-in-you to bring about the doing of obedience to His Word — which is the Biblical definition of 'believing.'
Notice that obedience to the commandments of The Most High is really a summary definition of the word believe.The Reader is encouraged to do a brief study of Abraham, and what The Most High said about him, and why The Most High credited him with righteousness!
The greatest tragedy of this generation is the teaching of the Traditions, Doctrines, and Commandments of men, in place of the Scriptures. One result of this replacement is that one beautiful truth of The Most High’s word is taken to the exclusion of another, causing many to try to force the pieces of the puzzle together — even when some pieces do not quite fit the way that men’s doctrines say they are supposed to fit!
Hence we have multitudes of splintered beliefs and divisions created among men, divided into congregations that are open only to what lies within the comfort zone of their own understanding, yet closed-minded to any Light from the Spirit of Truth that does not fit what they already understand.
It is in this way, that the Commandments of Men turn men away from being "DO-ers" of the Truth (Titus 1:14). This sounds as if it were a description of the religious leaders of Yahushua’s day, but sadly it portrays our day.
My Commandments
Fiveamprayer, when Yahushua said, If ye love me, keep 'MY' Commandments (John 14:15), what was He telling us? Today, almost all the Bible schools and Theological Seminaries, and their Pastor-graduates, are teaching that the 'Commandments of Yahushua' are found only in the New Testament, from Matthew through Revelation. Those who know who Yahushua truly is, however, understand that 'MY' commandments appear from the Beginning — from the Book of Genesis!
Those who say that Yahushua's commandments are only in the 'New' Testament are testifying that they do not know who Yahushua truly is. When Yahushua returns, He will say to many Pastors and Leaders who did not truly know Him, and to their followers, "I never knew you...you that work iniquity." It is thus to our advantage to test everything against the Scriptures alone!
Fiveamprayer, notice the following verse:
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thessalonians 1:8)
We have long thought that this passage is talking about the heathen, the pagans, the wicked — those that have never come to Yahushua. Unfortunately, there are vast multitudes, great multitudes of New Testament Believers today that are in this category! They have come to Yahushua, have received of His wonderful mercy and Grace of Redemption and forgiveness by His precious Blood, but are still in the Valley of Decision, between two mountains, 'halt between two opinions.' As babes however, The Most High offers us great mercy, as He gently leads those who desire to follow Him, and learn from Him.
As more mature Believers, The Most High is urging us to 'get off the fence.' As Believers, their Yoke of Bondage has been initially broken. The Spirit of Life has set them free from the Law of Sin and Death, but they have not entered into a new Yoke of Bondage of Love, as a voluntary bondslave to a new Master, in obedience to His Word and His will!
Thus many shall not be brought up into the heights of Zion, the City of the King, and will not be allowed to know Him, unless they show by their obedience they know who Yahushua really is, and they begin to walk in obedience to all His sayings. This process of coming to know Him, by our obedience to His Word, as seen in the above passage in (2 Thess 1:8), is what constitutes 'believing' in Yahushua.
We have seen that the sayings of Yahushua are made up of both the New Testament sayings of Yahushua, and the Old Testament sayings of The Most High, which are also Yahushua's sayings. The great significance can now come into view. We recall that The Most High wrote the Ten Commandments with the Finger of The Most High, onto the stone tablets. These are The Most High's sayings, and His words.
Notice also that Yahushua wielded the Finger of The Most High, when He cast out devils. There is a vast amount of New Testament Scripture that reveals the connection between loving Yahushua and keeping the Commandments of Yahushua, and also remarkably, keeping the Commandments of The Most High. Many today have not made the connection, or have not realised, that keeping the Commandments of The Most High constitutes knowing who Yahushua is, and loving Yahushua, and also defines how we show love for the Brethren (1 John 5:2-3).
Shema Selah!! This is a time that we must truly walk in what the Most High is speaking to us--NOT according to what we see!!
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Entering The Kingdom: Messiah In You!!!!!
1 John 2
We are walking in today: Entering The Kingdom: Messiah In You!!!!!
Witness within throughout the Bible: H1004 bayith--house, dwelling habitation; place; receptacle; within
Exodus 26:33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within H1004 the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
The Torah testifies...............
Leviticus 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within H1004 the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
The prophets proclaim..................
Isaiah 56:5 Even unto them will I give in mine house H1004 and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
The writings bear witness...........................
Psalm 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house H1004 with a perfect heart.
Ezekiel 3:24 Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house. H1004
As we saw in Messiah In The Wilderness, it is our Traditions and Commandments of Men that can actually prevent Messiah-in-us from being manifest. This is an important issue — for it is only Messiah-in-us who will bring us into the Promised Land. In this writing we will look at several items that will help us to discern His will, so that we might allow Messiah who lives within us, to bring us in.
Discerning His Will
Let us now look at several Scripture passages that reveal the importance of the whole matter. From these verses we may see the absolute necessity of determining what the sayings of Yahushua are, and what Yahushua's commandments are.
Let's take particular note of the consistency and urgency of the following statements, as we try to listen for, and discern His will for us. And as you read along, remember this is the Word of The Most High, who is Yahushua Messiah, speaking to us in all of these passages:
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:6)
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:10)
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; (Deuteronomy 7:9)
Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway. (Deuteronomy 11:1)
For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; (Deuteronomy 11:22)
If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three: (Deuteronomy 19:9)
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. (Deuteronomy 30:16)
But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Joshua 22:5)
And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: (Nehemiah 1:5)
And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; (Daniel 9:4)
If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide [remain] in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (John 15:10)
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (1 John 5:2)
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:3)
Fiveamprayer, the above passages show the close connection of Love with keeping The Most High's commandments. We note from the above passages that the ultimate test of our love is based on whether or not we keep Yahushua's commandments. We must be absolutely sure what those commandments of Yahushua are if we desire to "keep ourselves [remain] in the love of Messiah," and desire to be found "loving Him, and loving the brethren" upon His return.
In the passages above, note that the New Testament references are to both Yahushua's commandments and The Most High's commandments — for even the disciples of Yahushua's day knew who Yahushua was — that He is the Messiah, the Word of The Most High seen throughout the Old Testament writings, and is the embodiment of The Most High Himself.
Just as the Disciples of Yahushua's day followed Yahushua, in the same way Yahushua gives us His example for us to follow today. Notice Yahushua tells us in John 15:10, "...even as I have kept my Father's commandments."
In this statement, Yahushua gives Himself as our example to follow; and then the apostle John reminds us in 1 John 2:6, "He that saith he abideth [is remaining] in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." Yahushua kept Father's commandments, so we who desire to abide [remain] in Him, ought do the same.
Entering His Rest: The Fulfillment
There are 15 verses listed above. The number '15' speaks of "Rest." We are then reminded that the phrase 'My Sabbaths' occurs fifteen times in Scripture. This phrase reveals both the importance, and the means, of entering Father's rest. The Theologians, and most of their followers today, have dreamed up elaborate schemes to deceive their followers, listing reasons why the "Sabbaths" of The Most High are not for New Testament Believers. These Doctrines and Commandments of Men are not based on Scripture, and they actually turn men from the Truth (Titus 1:14), by causing men not to practice the Truths of The Most High, but to practice substitutes of those Truths — which is idolatry!
We are exhorted to enter into His rest, and we are warned that some will not do so. We have been told that the Israelites in the wilderness did not enter in, and we are told why they did not enter in. Then we are warned not to fail to enter into His rest, and not to fall after the same example or pattern of unbelief (disobedience) as they did. What was their example, and the reason they failed to enter His rest? The reason they were not allowed to enter in to The Most High's rest is related to do the above passages.
You are encouraged to look up the outlining the Scripture passages that tell us exactly why Israel did not enter in, and how we are warned in the New Testament that if we choose to walk in disobedience to the Sabbaths and Commandments of The Most High, as the Israelites did in the Wilderness, we too will be refused entry!
Fiveamprayer, the implications are enormous. If we desire to be a "DO-er" of Yahushua's sayings, His commandments, then we must be talking about being a doer of not only the obvious ones in the New Testament, but a do-er of The Most High's 'Old Testament' commandments spoken by Yahushua, including the Ten commandments, His ordinances, and His Feasts, and all those things Yahushua has spoken, and in which He has prepared for His people to walk.
If there is any question about the matter we are discussing, let us remember that Yahushua is faithful to give us the proper meat in due season. He has hidden various New Testament Scripture passages for His sincere seeking ones for such a time as this. Let us look at a few more passages, recalling the little prophetic phrase, "from the beginning:"
Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. (1 John 2:7)
And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. (2 John 1:5)
These passages, tell us plainly that John is talking about the Old commandment, or the commandments in the 'Old' Testament. Notice the following passage:
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18)
Fiveamprayer, whose commandment is the one shown above? Indeed, even Yahushua confirms to us that the above command in Leviticus is His commandment, although we were not taught that truth:
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
"Well, what about the New Commandment of Yahushua, that we love one another. Isn't that the only commandment we must obey?" Let us look at the following verse:
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (John 13:34)
Notice that of the two verses shown above, they are shown in reverse order. In their normal order, one can easily skip over the truth that Yahushua wants us to see, namely two things. First, that the verse in Leviticus is His commandment; Secondly, that He is giving us a New commandment, having to do with how we love one another (as He has loved us – to the point of death).
This New commandment is much more demanding than the Old Testament command to love. This new commandment does not replace everything else He spoke, but is in addition to everything else He has said. Foolish teachers have taught, however, that this new commandment supersedes or replaces all the Old Testament commandments, thus they say we need not "obey" them. What rubbish! To the contrary, Yahushua merely summed up the commandments into two general summary categories, however, and did not say that the Law [Torah] or the commandments were superseded, replaced, or in any way done away with.
Let us notice the following words Yahushua spoke to those who sought to enter His Kingdom. First, in showing how the two greatest laws summarize all the rest, Yahushua said:
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:12)
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:40)
Showing how the Law and the commandments have not been done away with, Yahushua said:
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)
Moreover, we have further testimony that true love for Yahushua (The Most High) is shown by our obedience to His commandments, as John points out:
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:2-3)
Now come to the discomforting part, where we go beyond what we have been taught, into seemingly uncharted waters. We could simply deny that this is all true, and go back to our familiar and comfortable understanding. We could take our chances that those Pastors and Leaders are correct, whom we have been hearing, and upon whose doctrines we have staked our entire eternity. Fiveamprayer, search the Scriptures for yourself, and discard the Doctrines and Commandments of Men, and lay hold of the Truth of the Scriptures!
We could simply continue to accept what we have been taught, thus denying Yahushua Himself, by not loving the Truth — for His Word is the Truth, and His Torah is the Truth (Psa 119:142; Mal 2:6). Or, we could ask Yahushua to reveal Truth of the Scriptures to us, no matter what it is, or where it takes us, or no matter how unfamiliar it is, no matter how uncomfortable it seems at first.
Those who are Yahushua's Disciples will follow Yahushua "whithersoever He goeth!" Only those who fully allow Messiah-in-them will be allowed to proceed to enter His Rest. For it is Messiah Himself who will enter in, along with those in whom He lives, just as Joshua and Caleb were the only ones of their generation to enter into the Land.
A Warning
Fiveamprayer, you are encouraged not to believe anything without first seeking The Most High in the Scriptures diligently as to the truth of a matter, including anything in this writing! We must be led by His Spirit, and as we approach maturity, or 'marriageable' age as a Bride. The Holy Spirit will lead us in places that we would not desire or want to go. However, as we put 'self' to death, we will allow Him to gird us, and we will then go where He leads. Only then do we begin to truly follow Him (John 21:18-19).
We must, however, find our point of departure into uncharted waters. We must confirm what we understand, and what we do not yet understand. Most find their current understanding is mostly 'Commandments of Men' based on twisted Scripture. We will now review a few basics of Scripture that Yahushua's Disciples should come to understand, by diligent seeking in the Scriptures, just as did the Bereans, who searched the Scriptures to see whether these things Paul was saying were true.
In our seeking, we must do two things. First, we must come to an unshakeable understanding of Biblical 'Grace,' in order that we may walk in the 'mystery' of 'Messiah-in-you' (Col 1:27); and second, we must discard any Traditions of Men that do not agree with Scripture, the Doctrines and Traditions we have accumulated in our understanding and practice. All our focus then begins to be upon the issues of Messiah-in-you.
Messiah-In-You
Most of the children of The Most High understand that by the Blood of the spotless Lamb of The Most High, who is Yahushua the son of The Most High, we have been redeemed from slavery to another master, called "Sin," and also by this shed Blood of Yahushua we have forgiveness of all Sins — our Transgressions of the Law [Torah] (1 John 3:4). This forgiveness of our Sins places us in right standing with The Most High, without any works on our part whatsoever. It is by His Grace alone that we are forgiven, and are Born-again by the Spirit of The Most High. His Blood has cleansed us, and He has given us the 'Blessing of Abraham' — which is Righteousness by Faith.
As Believers, we have been set free, and forgiven, and cleansed for a purpose, just as a vessel must be cleansed before it is filled (Gal 3:14). Let us now look at the purpose for our cleansing. Notice the following passage:
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: (Colossians 1:26-28)
Notice the issue of 'Messiah-in-you' is listed as a mystery. Not many will understand it. Second, we see that 'Messiah-in-you' is the hope of glory. The use of the word 'the' shows exclusiveness, and tells us that this is the only hope of glory, of being counted among those called "My Glory," and of being among those who will be allowed to enter in to the City of the King. The word 'perfect' shows that the goal of informing others about 'Messiah-in-you' is that they would become 'perfect' or complete, a term referring to the preparation of the Company of Believers, just as a Bride prepares for her Husband.
Notice also that this description of perfection is not what man would call perfection, but is simply a Biblical term meaning complete, a term that describes the state of those in whom Messiah-in-them has been allowed to come to fullness, so that Messiah-in-them can bring them in to the Land.
As we look further, we can see in several passages the purpose of our cleansing. We are cleansed, so that we might be filled with the fullness of Yahushua, by His promised Spirit (Gal 3:14). This is done so that we might be directed into the Way of Truth, so that we may have right relationship and fellowship with Yahushua, and with His children; and so that we might bear the resulting fruit unto The Most High.
Just as a baby in the natural sense is the result of an intimate fellowship, so it is in the spiritual realm. It is in this way that we become Born-Again, in that Messiah becomes birthed within us, and "Messiah-in-us" is formed within us. This is how He comes forth in us, and how we grow up in Him, as we mature, and become increasingly obedient to all of Scripture (Gal 4:19; Eph 4:15).
The Most High desires that we walk together with Him, day by day. As we choose daily to allow ourselves to be conformed to the image of Messiah, we begin to notice that some of the dealings of The Most High are not as we expected. We go through many experiences of what we think is death to self, and it really is, but resurrection life is brought forth as a result! The Master deals with us about yokes of bondage, and how we are not to be yoked again, but then expects us to take on His yoke of bondage (Matt 11:29-30), the yoke of bondage in betrothal to Him, in the marriage Covenant with Him (Ezekiel 20:37).
This last step is very difficult for most Believers to do, since they have been trained by their teachers and false prophets to avoid all forms of bondage, including the 'Bond(age)' of Love between the Lamb and His Bride! It may be noted here that the main feature of the Mountain of The Most High's presence — His habitation, called Mount Zion in Scripture — is 'Bondage.' Everything of Truth in The Most High's kingdom appears as Bondage, and for that reason only the few, the very elect of The Most High, will attempt to come near, and touch the Mountain. We will see how this false teaching can change our behaviour, and can thus actually disqualify us from entering His Rest, and from being among the Bride-Company.
We are walking in today: Entering The Kingdom: Messiah In You!!!!!
Witness within throughout the Bible: H1004 bayith--house, dwelling habitation; place; receptacle; within
Exodus 26:33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within H1004 the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
The Torah testifies...............
Leviticus 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within H1004 the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
The prophets proclaim..................
Isaiah 56:5 Even unto them will I give in mine house H1004 and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
The writings bear witness...........................
Psalm 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house H1004 with a perfect heart.
Ezekiel 3:24 Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house. H1004
As we saw in Messiah In The Wilderness, it is our Traditions and Commandments of Men that can actually prevent Messiah-in-us from being manifest. This is an important issue — for it is only Messiah-in-us who will bring us into the Promised Land. In this writing we will look at several items that will help us to discern His will, so that we might allow Messiah who lives within us, to bring us in.
Discerning His Will
Let us now look at several Scripture passages that reveal the importance of the whole matter. From these verses we may see the absolute necessity of determining what the sayings of Yahushua are, and what Yahushua's commandments are.
Let's take particular note of the consistency and urgency of the following statements, as we try to listen for, and discern His will for us. And as you read along, remember this is the Word of The Most High, who is Yahushua Messiah, speaking to us in all of these passages:
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:6)
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:10)
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; (Deuteronomy 7:9)
Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway. (Deuteronomy 11:1)
For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; (Deuteronomy 11:22)
If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three: (Deuteronomy 19:9)
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. (Deuteronomy 30:16)
But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Joshua 22:5)
And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: (Nehemiah 1:5)
And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; (Daniel 9:4)
If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide [remain] in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (John 15:10)
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (1 John 5:2)
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:3)
Fiveamprayer, the above passages show the close connection of Love with keeping The Most High's commandments. We note from the above passages that the ultimate test of our love is based on whether or not we keep Yahushua's commandments. We must be absolutely sure what those commandments of Yahushua are if we desire to "keep ourselves [remain] in the love of Messiah," and desire to be found "loving Him, and loving the brethren" upon His return.
In the passages above, note that the New Testament references are to both Yahushua's commandments and The Most High's commandments — for even the disciples of Yahushua's day knew who Yahushua was — that He is the Messiah, the Word of The Most High seen throughout the Old Testament writings, and is the embodiment of The Most High Himself.
Just as the Disciples of Yahushua's day followed Yahushua, in the same way Yahushua gives us His example for us to follow today. Notice Yahushua tells us in John 15:10, "...even as I have kept my Father's commandments."
In this statement, Yahushua gives Himself as our example to follow; and then the apostle John reminds us in 1 John 2:6, "He that saith he abideth [is remaining] in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." Yahushua kept Father's commandments, so we who desire to abide [remain] in Him, ought do the same.
Entering His Rest: The Fulfillment
There are 15 verses listed above. The number '15' speaks of "Rest." We are then reminded that the phrase 'My Sabbaths' occurs fifteen times in Scripture. This phrase reveals both the importance, and the means, of entering Father's rest. The Theologians, and most of their followers today, have dreamed up elaborate schemes to deceive their followers, listing reasons why the "Sabbaths" of The Most High are not for New Testament Believers. These Doctrines and Commandments of Men are not based on Scripture, and they actually turn men from the Truth (Titus 1:14), by causing men not to practice the Truths of The Most High, but to practice substitutes of those Truths — which is idolatry!
We are exhorted to enter into His rest, and we are warned that some will not do so. We have been told that the Israelites in the wilderness did not enter in, and we are told why they did not enter in. Then we are warned not to fail to enter into His rest, and not to fall after the same example or pattern of unbelief (disobedience) as they did. What was their example, and the reason they failed to enter His rest? The reason they were not allowed to enter in to The Most High's rest is related to do the above passages.
You are encouraged to look up the outlining the Scripture passages that tell us exactly why Israel did not enter in, and how we are warned in the New Testament that if we choose to walk in disobedience to the Sabbaths and Commandments of The Most High, as the Israelites did in the Wilderness, we too will be refused entry!
Fiveamprayer, the implications are enormous. If we desire to be a "DO-er" of Yahushua's sayings, His commandments, then we must be talking about being a doer of not only the obvious ones in the New Testament, but a do-er of The Most High's 'Old Testament' commandments spoken by Yahushua, including the Ten commandments, His ordinances, and His Feasts, and all those things Yahushua has spoken, and in which He has prepared for His people to walk.
If there is any question about the matter we are discussing, let us remember that Yahushua is faithful to give us the proper meat in due season. He has hidden various New Testament Scripture passages for His sincere seeking ones for such a time as this. Let us look at a few more passages, recalling the little prophetic phrase, "from the beginning:"
Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. (1 John 2:7)
And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. (2 John 1:5)
These passages, tell us plainly that John is talking about the Old commandment, or the commandments in the 'Old' Testament. Notice the following passage:
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18)
Fiveamprayer, whose commandment is the one shown above? Indeed, even Yahushua confirms to us that the above command in Leviticus is His commandment, although we were not taught that truth:
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
"Well, what about the New Commandment of Yahushua, that we love one another. Isn't that the only commandment we must obey?" Let us look at the following verse:
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (John 13:34)
Notice that of the two verses shown above, they are shown in reverse order. In their normal order, one can easily skip over the truth that Yahushua wants us to see, namely two things. First, that the verse in Leviticus is His commandment; Secondly, that He is giving us a New commandment, having to do with how we love one another (as He has loved us – to the point of death).
This New commandment is much more demanding than the Old Testament command to love. This new commandment does not replace everything else He spoke, but is in addition to everything else He has said. Foolish teachers have taught, however, that this new commandment supersedes or replaces all the Old Testament commandments, thus they say we need not "obey" them. What rubbish! To the contrary, Yahushua merely summed up the commandments into two general summary categories, however, and did not say that the Law [Torah] or the commandments were superseded, replaced, or in any way done away with.
Let us notice the following words Yahushua spoke to those who sought to enter His Kingdom. First, in showing how the two greatest laws summarize all the rest, Yahushua said:
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:12)
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:40)
Showing how the Law and the commandments have not been done away with, Yahushua said:
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)
Moreover, we have further testimony that true love for Yahushua (The Most High) is shown by our obedience to His commandments, as John points out:
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:2-3)
Now come to the discomforting part, where we go beyond what we have been taught, into seemingly uncharted waters. We could simply deny that this is all true, and go back to our familiar and comfortable understanding. We could take our chances that those Pastors and Leaders are correct, whom we have been hearing, and upon whose doctrines we have staked our entire eternity. Fiveamprayer, search the Scriptures for yourself, and discard the Doctrines and Commandments of Men, and lay hold of the Truth of the Scriptures!
We could simply continue to accept what we have been taught, thus denying Yahushua Himself, by not loving the Truth — for His Word is the Truth, and His Torah is the Truth (Psa 119:142; Mal 2:6). Or, we could ask Yahushua to reveal Truth of the Scriptures to us, no matter what it is, or where it takes us, or no matter how unfamiliar it is, no matter how uncomfortable it seems at first.
Those who are Yahushua's Disciples will follow Yahushua "whithersoever He goeth!" Only those who fully allow Messiah-in-them will be allowed to proceed to enter His Rest. For it is Messiah Himself who will enter in, along with those in whom He lives, just as Joshua and Caleb were the only ones of their generation to enter into the Land.
A Warning
Fiveamprayer, you are encouraged not to believe anything without first seeking The Most High in the Scriptures diligently as to the truth of a matter, including anything in this writing! We must be led by His Spirit, and as we approach maturity, or 'marriageable' age as a Bride. The Holy Spirit will lead us in places that we would not desire or want to go. However, as we put 'self' to death, we will allow Him to gird us, and we will then go where He leads. Only then do we begin to truly follow Him (John 21:18-19).
We must, however, find our point of departure into uncharted waters. We must confirm what we understand, and what we do not yet understand. Most find their current understanding is mostly 'Commandments of Men' based on twisted Scripture. We will now review a few basics of Scripture that Yahushua's Disciples should come to understand, by diligent seeking in the Scriptures, just as did the Bereans, who searched the Scriptures to see whether these things Paul was saying were true.
In our seeking, we must do two things. First, we must come to an unshakeable understanding of Biblical 'Grace,' in order that we may walk in the 'mystery' of 'Messiah-in-you' (Col 1:27); and second, we must discard any Traditions of Men that do not agree with Scripture, the Doctrines and Traditions we have accumulated in our understanding and practice. All our focus then begins to be upon the issues of Messiah-in-you.
Messiah-In-You
Most of the children of The Most High understand that by the Blood of the spotless Lamb of The Most High, who is Yahushua the son of The Most High, we have been redeemed from slavery to another master, called "Sin," and also by this shed Blood of Yahushua we have forgiveness of all Sins — our Transgressions of the Law [Torah] (1 John 3:4). This forgiveness of our Sins places us in right standing with The Most High, without any works on our part whatsoever. It is by His Grace alone that we are forgiven, and are Born-again by the Spirit of The Most High. His Blood has cleansed us, and He has given us the 'Blessing of Abraham' — which is Righteousness by Faith.
As Believers, we have been set free, and forgiven, and cleansed for a purpose, just as a vessel must be cleansed before it is filled (Gal 3:14). Let us now look at the purpose for our cleansing. Notice the following passage:
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: (Colossians 1:26-28)
Notice the issue of 'Messiah-in-you' is listed as a mystery. Not many will understand it. Second, we see that 'Messiah-in-you' is the hope of glory. The use of the word 'the' shows exclusiveness, and tells us that this is the only hope of glory, of being counted among those called "My Glory," and of being among those who will be allowed to enter in to the City of the King. The word 'perfect' shows that the goal of informing others about 'Messiah-in-you' is that they would become 'perfect' or complete, a term referring to the preparation of the Company of Believers, just as a Bride prepares for her Husband.
Notice also that this description of perfection is not what man would call perfection, but is simply a Biblical term meaning complete, a term that describes the state of those in whom Messiah-in-them has been allowed to come to fullness, so that Messiah-in-them can bring them in to the Land.
As we look further, we can see in several passages the purpose of our cleansing. We are cleansed, so that we might be filled with the fullness of Yahushua, by His promised Spirit (Gal 3:14). This is done so that we might be directed into the Way of Truth, so that we may have right relationship and fellowship with Yahushua, and with His children; and so that we might bear the resulting fruit unto The Most High.
Just as a baby in the natural sense is the result of an intimate fellowship, so it is in the spiritual realm. It is in this way that we become Born-Again, in that Messiah becomes birthed within us, and "Messiah-in-us" is formed within us. This is how He comes forth in us, and how we grow up in Him, as we mature, and become increasingly obedient to all of Scripture (Gal 4:19; Eph 4:15).
The Most High desires that we walk together with Him, day by day. As we choose daily to allow ourselves to be conformed to the image of Messiah, we begin to notice that some of the dealings of The Most High are not as we expected. We go through many experiences of what we think is death to self, and it really is, but resurrection life is brought forth as a result! The Master deals with us about yokes of bondage, and how we are not to be yoked again, but then expects us to take on His yoke of bondage (Matt 11:29-30), the yoke of bondage in betrothal to Him, in the marriage Covenant with Him (Ezekiel 20:37).
This last step is very difficult for most Believers to do, since they have been trained by their teachers and false prophets to avoid all forms of bondage, including the 'Bond(age)' of Love between the Lamb and His Bride! It may be noted here that the main feature of the Mountain of The Most High's presence — His habitation, called Mount Zion in Scripture — is 'Bondage.' Everything of Truth in The Most High's kingdom appears as Bondage, and for that reason only the few, the very elect of The Most High, will attempt to come near, and touch the Mountain. We will see how this false teaching can change our behaviour, and can thus actually disqualify us from entering His Rest, and from being among the Bride-Company.
Shema Selah--if we choose to follow the traditions of men over the commands, teachings and instructions of the Most High--who or what is it that is residing in you???
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Messiah Hidden Within You In The Wilderness!!!!
Hebrews chapter 3
We are walking in today: Messiah Hidden Within You In The Wilderness!!!!
We witness anointed throughout the Bible: H4899 mashiyach--anointed, anointed one of the Messiah, Messianic prince; usually a consecrated person as a king or priest,
Leviticus 4:5 And the priest that is anointed H4899 shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation:
The Torah testifies...............
Leviticus 6:22 And the priest of his sons that is anointed H4899 in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the LORD; it shall be wholly burnt.
The prophets proclaim..................
Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah H4899 the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
The writings bear witness...........................
Psalm 105:15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, H4899 and do my prophets no harm.
Habakkuk 3:13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; H4899 thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the
foundation unto the neck. Selah.
Thus far we have seen that in order to truly know The Most High, we must search for Yeshua! We have seen that we must search out His will for us, not only in the New Testament — but also in the Old Testament writings! We may see Yeshua hidden in every book of the Bible, disguised here and there in various personages, prophetically revealing Himself in the activities and sayings of various characters.
Today we are looking at the various Truths of Messiah, and how He will cause His people to enter His Rest, another euphemism for entering in to the City of the King. To see this more clearly, we will look at Messiah In the Wilderness, and His dealings with the Israelites in the Wilderness, as our example.
Messiah In the Wilderness
We shall now look for further clues to the true identity of Yeshua. Notice the following passage:
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. ( 1 Corinthians 10:1-11)
We see in the above passage that it was Messiah that accompanied the Israelites in the Wilderness (verse 4), and that it was Messiah whom they tempted (verse 9). Now let us notice the following passage:
And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: 21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: (Numbers 14:20-23)
In the above Numbers passage, we see the title 'LORD' shown with all Capital letters [in most of the English Scriptures]. We know from the underlying Hebrew that this is the Hebrew word The Most High, which is the name of the Creator, the Heavenly Father The Most High. And so in this passage, we are told that it was The Most High that they tempted!
Beloved, we just saw above (1 Corinthians 10:9) that it was Messiah they tempted; but in the Numbers passage, we are told it was The Most High they tempted ten times (Num 14:22).
Fiveamprayer, is this a contradiction?
First, we do know that there are no contradictions in The Most High's Word. There are riddles, however, appearing as contradictions to the unlearned. This is a 'riddle' for the Bride! The revealing of the true identity of Messiah is the goal of the riddle, and the answer to the riddle can be found be seeking out Messiah's identity, seen throughout the Scriptures.
The answer to this riddle is the essence of the apostle John's words in (John 1:1,14). John tells us that Yeshua Messiah is the Word of The Most High, the One who is mentioned in many places throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. For example, wherever we see the phrase, "the word of the LORD," we know this is referring to Messiah.
Let us look at further Scripture. In the following passage, observe what The Most High said:
When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. (Psalms 95:9)
We read of the same event, even the same passage above, quoted in Hebrews — in the context that it is talking about Messiah Yeshua. Note the following:
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:7-15)
So we see from Scripture that it was The Most High, and it was Messiah, and it was the Holy Spirit, each spoken of as the One who was tempted in the wilderness. Are they one and the same? In order to answer this, we must diligently seek Him out, and look for further clues in Scripture.
I Will Give You Rest: The Promise
Let us look closely at the following passage:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
Who is it, Beloved, that spoke the promise, "I will give you rest," in the above verse? We know from the context, that it was Yeshua that spoke these words. Now look at the following verse:
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. (Exodus 33:14)
Now again, who said, "I will give you rest," in this verse? We see from the context of the above passage, that it was The Most High that spoke these words. Is there a contradiction? No, there is no contradiction, when we realize that the Spirit of Messiah is none other than The Most High's promised presence. Messiah is also the Word of The Most High, the speaker of The Most High's Words, as seen throughout the Old Testament. This is not only a revealing of who He is, but as we shall see in this series, a prophetic promise of how "Messiah-in-us" will be our hope of glory, and how He will allow us to enter in!
We could continue indefinitely. We shall show a few more passages, each revealing the true identity of Yeshua as Messiah — as the Son of The Most High, as the Word of The Most High, and as the presence of The Most High, as seen throughout the Old Testament:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (John 8:58)
I and my Father are one. (John 10:30)
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? (John 14:7-9)
"Yes, yes," we say. "We have long known of the above passages," we insist. "We all know and believe that Yeshua is The Most High, that He is The Most High of the Old Testament," we continue. "We believe in the deity of Messiah in our congregation — isn't that one of the fundamentals of the Faith?" we ask.
What is the great irony here? We have now arrived at a fork in the road — and a great Divide! But first let us pause for a moment, to summarize what we have seen thus far.
We started out in seeing that those that do not do the will of the Father will not know Yeshua, and will not know His true identity; these will also not know the Father. We have seen that to lay a good foundation, one must be a "DO-er" of the sayings of Yeshua. We then started out on a search to determine what constitutes Yeshua's sayings, so that we may be DO-ers of those sayings, and not hearers only.
We then found that we must search both the Old and New Testaments for those precious things that Yeshua has laid up for His Beloved. We then saw that Scripture reveals the identity of Yeshua as none other than the Word of The Most High, and the presence of The Most High, and as the One who is The Most High of the Old Testament. Let us now proceed to find the great and vast significance to these Truths.
If You Love Me: The Great Divide
Beloved, we have seen some clues in Scripture that indicate Yeshua is the Word of The Most High, and is The Most High of the Old Testament. Thus we must realize that the words described as the "sayings of Yeshua" are not confined to the New Testament. The sayings of Yeshua will be found in the Old Testament also! The sayings of Yeshua are the words that The Most High spoke. The sayings of Yeshua include what many call 'Old Covenant' words.
It is here, at this understanding, that the great Divide begins — the great divide between those who are later identified as the Wise Virgins and the Foolish Virgins!
Many Believers try to use their natural abilities to try to understanding spiritual things, and advance no further in the knowledge of Messiah. Many likewise 'say' they believe that Yeshua is The Most High. The Most High is now testing everyone's foundation, to see if it is one built on the sand of hearing, but not doing, or on the Rock of hearing and doing, of 'My Sayings' as we saw in the parable of Mat 7:24-27.
We have now seen that 'My Sayings' are all the words in both the Old and New Testament.
This great importance of this understanding of who Yeshua really is, can be seen in one statement by Yeshua:
If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
Notice Yeshua did not say keep the 'New Testament' commandments, but 'My' Commandments. Yeshua is testing us, whether we know Him, and love Him, by looking to see which Commandments we keep.
Let's now notice carefully the result of trying to keep only what we imagine to be the 'New' Testament commandments.
The Result of Trying to Keep Only the 'New' Testament Commandments
When we attempt to keep only what we imagine are 'New' Testament Commandments, what do we show — and what will be the result? According to Scripture, here is a brief summary:
Cause and Effect of Trying to Keep Only the 'New' Testament Commandments:
1) We do not know who Messiah really is [The Word of The Most High of the Old Testament, who gave all the Commandments to Moses].
The result will be, "...I never knew you..." (Matthew 7:23a)
2) We do not Love Messiah. He has told us, "If you love me, keep My Commandments" [that is, do not work iniquity] (John 14:15).
Those who know Messiah, understand that 'My' Commandments include the Old Testament Commandments — but many today have been taught not to obey them, which disobedience is defined as working iniquity [Lawlessness].
The result will be, "...Depart from me, you who work iniquity ['Lawlessness,' or not keeping the Law]...!" (Matthew 7:23b).
Today many spiritual Leaders have imagined that the New Testament writings are separate from the Old Testament writings. According to Scripture, however, what is popularly called the New Testament is simply the revealing of Messiah, through the living testimony of Messiah, and the testimony of those who follow Messiah — who is Himself a living testimony of complete obedience to all of Scripture. The Scriptures reveal that to truly obey the New Testament, is to obey all of Torah!
Thus we have the great Divide! Many have been told by their Pastors that the 'Old' Covenant has been done away with, but in reality the 'Old' Covenant is simply the fine print of the 'New' Covenant, with a few changes of the Sacrifice, and the Priesthood, all outlined in the Book of Hebrews for our inspection.
Other Scriptures, including the words of Paul, have been wrested or twisted (2 Pet 3:16) by the Theological Seminaries and Bible Schools, then passed on to unsuspecting spiritual Leaders, who refuse to search out and read the Scriptures for themselves.
The result is that many of the people following these Leaders have been deceived, and will fail the first test of Knowing Him and of Loving Him. These will hear:
"...I never knew you!"
"...Depart from Me, you who work iniquity ['Lawlessness,' or not keeping the Law]!"
Fiveamprayer, what will you hear?
Conclusion
Many of the sayings of Yeshua have been relegated to today's ash heap, because many Pastors and Teachers are teaching that the Old Testament writings are not for Believers to obey today. Some say that the Old Testament words and sayings are for information and encouragement only, but are not relevant, as if the words The Most High spoke were somehow separated from The Most High Himself.
The Scriptures, however, give us a magnificent revealing of Messiah, and who He really is. As we seek Him out in Scripture, He reveals Himself to the seekers as Messiah in the Wilderness, who gave all the Words of the Law [Torah] to Moses. Yeshua [and His Disciples] demonstrated for us how to keep the Torah, and He now looks for those who will emulate Him, and obey Him, because of our love for Him. It is these to whom He will manifest Himself, to make Himself plain and evident.
Because our Traditions and Commandments of Men can actually prevent Messiah-in-us from being made manifest in us, we will next look at some of the popular, man-made teachings notions in the Light of Scripture. The great Divide today is simply a 'Great Gulf Fixed,' a widening separation between those who hold to, and practice the Traditions and Doctrines of Men, and those who hold to, and practice only the Scriptures. This is an important issue — for It is Messiah-in-us who will bring us in.
Shema Selah Yeshua is throughout the Bible when you take the whole text into account. Stop missing HIM by dividing His word!!!
When we attempt to keep only what we imagine are 'New' Testament Commandments, what do we show — and what will be the result? According to Scripture, here is a brief summary:
Cause and Effect of Trying to Keep Only the 'New' Testament Commandments:
1) We do not know who Messiah really is [The Word of The Most High of the Old Testament, who gave all the Commandments to Moses].
The result will be, "...I never knew you..." (Matthew 7:23a)
2) We do not Love Messiah. He has told us, "If you love me, keep My Commandments" [that is, do not work iniquity] (John 14:15).
Those who know Messiah, understand that 'My' Commandments include the Old Testament Commandments — but many today have been taught not to obey them, which disobedience is defined as working iniquity [Lawlessness].
The result will be, "...Depart from me, you who work iniquity ['Lawlessness,' or not keeping the Law]...!" (Matthew 7:23b).
Today many spiritual Leaders have imagined that the New Testament writings are separate from the Old Testament writings. According to Scripture, however, what is popularly called the New Testament is simply the revealing of Messiah, through the living testimony of Messiah, and the testimony of those who follow Messiah — who is Himself a living testimony of complete obedience to all of Scripture. The Scriptures reveal that to truly obey the New Testament, is to obey all of Torah!
Thus we have the great Divide! Many have been told by their Pastors that the 'Old' Covenant has been done away with, but in reality the 'Old' Covenant is simply the fine print of the 'New' Covenant, with a few changes of the Sacrifice, and the Priesthood, all outlined in the Book of Hebrews for our inspection.
Other Scriptures, including the words of Paul, have been wrested or twisted (2 Pet 3:16) by the Theological Seminaries and Bible Schools, then passed on to unsuspecting spiritual Leaders, who refuse to search out and read the Scriptures for themselves.
The result is that many of the people following these Leaders have been deceived, and will fail the first test of Knowing Him and of Loving Him. These will hear:
"...I never knew you!"
"...Depart from Me, you who work iniquity ['Lawlessness,' or not keeping the Law]!"
Fiveamprayer, what will you hear?
Conclusion
Many of the sayings of Yeshua have been relegated to today's ash heap, because many Pastors and Teachers are teaching that the Old Testament writings are not for Believers to obey today. Some say that the Old Testament words and sayings are for information and encouragement only, but are not relevant, as if the words The Most High spoke were somehow separated from The Most High Himself.
The Scriptures, however, give us a magnificent revealing of Messiah, and who He really is. As we seek Him out in Scripture, He reveals Himself to the seekers as Messiah in the Wilderness, who gave all the Words of the Law [Torah] to Moses. Yeshua [and His Disciples] demonstrated for us how to keep the Torah, and He now looks for those who will emulate Him, and obey Him, because of our love for Him. It is these to whom He will manifest Himself, to make Himself plain and evident.
Because our Traditions and Commandments of Men can actually prevent Messiah-in-us from being made manifest in us, we will next look at some of the popular, man-made teachings notions in the Light of Scripture. The great Divide today is simply a 'Great Gulf Fixed,' a widening separation between those who hold to, and practice the Traditions and Doctrines of Men, and those who hold to, and practice only the Scriptures. This is an important issue — for It is Messiah-in-us who will bring us in.
Shema Selah Yeshua is throughout the Bible when you take the whole text into account. Stop missing HIM by dividing His word!!!
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Entering the Kingdom: The Two Love Tests
John 14
We are walking in today: Entering the Kingdom: The Two Love Tests
Witness keep & commandments throughout the Bible: H8104 shamar--to keep, retain, treasure
up (in memory); to keep (within bounds), restrain; to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)
&
H4687 mitsvah--the commandment (of God); commandment (of code of wisdom)
Exodus 16:28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
The Torah testifies...............
Exodus 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
The prophets proclaim..................
Nehemiah 1:9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
The writings bear witness...........................
Proverbs 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
We are walking in today: Entering the Kingdom: The Two Love Tests
Witness keep & commandments throughout the Bible: H8104 shamar--to keep, retain, treasure
up (in memory); to keep (within bounds), restrain; to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)
&
H4687 mitsvah--the commandment (of God); commandment (of code of wisdom)
Exodus 16:28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
The Torah testifies...............
Exodus 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
The prophets proclaim..................
Nehemiah 1:9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
The writings bear witness...........................
Proverbs 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Entering the Kingdom: The Two Love Tests
Many today are told they will enter the Kingdom, because they are Born Again, or saved.
But what did Yeshua say? Let's look closely:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
Here we see not everyone who says — but only those who do the Father's will — will enter the Kingdom.
When we were in school, we remember that we had to devote a certain amount of time required by all the courses. Although a student might have met the time requirement for all the courses, it was the Final Exams that determined who would graduate, and who would not.
The Most High likewise has Final Exams for us, in order to determine those who merely say, and those who do His will. Just as the professor tested the students to see who would graduate, and who would fail; in the same way The Most High tests us, to see who will enter the Kingdom, and who will not.
If we pass the first test, we are allowed to graduate, and enter in to the Kingdom. If we fail the first test, we will find ourselves repeating the course, with a new chance to pass a second test.
Scripture reveals these two tests very clearly. Just as when we were in school, if we know in advance what the test will cover, we can study those items very diligently, and we might pass the first test!
However, if we fail the first test, The Most High may give opportunity to take the second test. And because we do not want to fail either of The Most High's tests, we will look carefully at both of these tests in Scripture.
The Two Love Tests
Yeshua has devised a two-fold test he will use to determine who will be allowed into the kingdom, into the City of the King, and who will not. The Most High's resurrection harvest is a two-phase harvest of the fruit of the earth — the fruit of Love — therefore the tests are two corresponding Love tests. These two tests will determine the timing of our graduation, and tell us clearly in which phase of the harvest [which resurrection] each of us will be gathered.
Every Believer throughout history has, during his lifetime, undergone one or both of these two tests. But because these tests will soon be vividly seen and experienced by the generation that is alive when the Bridegroom returns, we must begin preparing for these tests.
Here are the two tests to be given:
First Love Test:
If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
Second Love Test:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
Each of the above verses shows the built-in test for the corresponding phase of the harvest; each passage speaks of those who pass the test for that particular phase of the harvest. The first test is for the first phase of the harvest, and corresponds to the first resurrection. The second test is for the second harvest-phase, and corresponds to the second resurrection. Let's look at each one of these in detail.
The First Love Test: Keep My Commandments
Yeshua reveals the first love test in John 14:15:
If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
In order to see the Truth of Scripture, it is often profitable to lay out the contrasts, such as wise vs foolish, and obedient vs disobedient, for our learning.
For this test, we will look at what Scripture says about 'My' Commandments, and then show in contrast some examples of not keeping 'My' Commandments.
First, let's notice that Yeshua spoke the phrase "My Commandments" 31 times in Scripture — three in the New Testament, and 28 in the Old Testament. Thus we see vividly that "My Commandments speak" of all the words and sayings Yeshua spoke, which are the same as The Most High's Commandments. This truth is verified by Yeshua Himself:
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. (John 14:24)
Thus we realize that all of 'My' Commandments are the same as the Father's Commandments.
We see further confirmation of this Truth in the Book of Revelation, of these who keep the Faith of Yeshua, by keeping the commandments of The Most High. To do so, these must endure, and overcome, in order to pass the first test:
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
Notice above in Rev 14:12, these end-time Believers keep the commandments of The Most High, 'and' ["which is"] The Faith of Yeshua. As a result, we see above in Rev 22:14 they are blessed. These must have passed the test, for they are granted right of access to enter into the City!
When Yeshua spoke the words, "Keep My Commandments," the 'New Testament' did not even exist. Thus the Disciples understood that Yeshua's words referred to all the Commandments of the Old Testament.
The early Believers in the first century were actively living "The Faith once delivered to the saints," which was simply living out the New Covenant by being a DO-er of the Scriptures. They actively kept 'My' Commandments that Yeshua had given to 'My' People, which are seen throughout the Old Testament. Indeed, the first-Century Believers knew of the supreme importance of meeting with Yeshua on the special days He had appointed.
These first-century Believers understood the Scriptures, wherein Yeshua calls His People to keep and observe Yeshua's special days and Festivals that He has set apart for the purpose of meeting with His People.
In the Gospels and the Book of Acts, we see Yeshua, as well as all the Apostles and Disciples, living The Faith that we are exhorted to live. We are then told that Yeshua, and all the Apostles and Disciples, are our examples today! (See Acts 18:4; 1 Cor 11:1; 1 Pet 2:21.)
These early Believers all chose to keep Yeshua's Commandments, Sabbaths and Feasts, as a required part of New Covenant life. They also urge us to make the same choice today! (See Acts 15:20-21; Acts 18:21; 1 Cor 5:8; Heb 4:10, 11.)
No Life In You
Yeshua goes so far to tell us that unless we keep the Passover meal — with the new understanding that the bread and cup of Passover speak of His New Covenant sacrifice, of His Body, and of His Blood — then we have NO life in us! (Matthew 26:19, 26; John 6:53)
Yeshua is saying, No Passover = No Life in You.
That may sound harsh, but that is what He said! Today's congregations have all but lost this fervent life of living 'The Faith,' which consists of keeping The Most High's Passover and other Festivals, as well as His Statutes, Commandments, and Judgments.
Indeed, in John 5:46-47, Yeshua reveals it is impossible to believe [become a DO-er of] Yeshua's words, if one does not first believe [is not already a DO-er of] Moses' words. We recall that it was Moses' words that tell us of salvation and redemption by the Blood of an acceptable sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22; Exodus 12:3-14; Lev 16:3-31; and many other passages).
Likewise, it was Moses' words that are the basis for our redemption, salvation, and eternal life today, that was accomplished for us by Yeshua's death, burial, and resurrection (Galatians 3:13; Deut 21:23; and many other passages).
Most evangelicals today understand that Yeshua is the Word of The Most High — but most of us have forgotten that Yeshua is the Word who spoke the words to Moses! Thus Moses' words are Yeshua's words!
So we see that 'My' Commandments are Yeshua's Commandments, and they include the Commandments He gave to Moses!
We now turn to the contrast, for our instruction, to give us understanding of why current teaching has prevented us from keeping 'My' Commandments.
The Doctrine of Balaam
The Doctrine of Balaam is perhaps the most prominent feature of today's evangelical Doctrine. The Doctrine of Balaam is simply the teaching that results in the Error of Balaam in the lives of the people. So we must look to see what the Error of Balaam is.
Let us summarize briefly what we found. Let us ask, "What did Balaam do?"
We might say in summary that Balaam nullified the earlier word given by The Most High, in favour of a later word from The Most High, hoping that the later word might be more favourable to him.
Because Balaam disregarded The Most High's earlier commandment, "Do not go with them," but went anyway, The Most High sought to kill Balaam (Num 22:12, 22).
The Doctrine of Balaam today is seen in the teaching that says, "the earlier word of The Most High has been nullified, in favour of the later word of The Most High." Thus multitudes of Believers today have learned this Doctrine, and as a result are walking in disobedience to the earlier Word. This disobedience to The Most High's earlier Word is the Error of Balaam.
Many today are being taught that the 'Old' Testament commandments have been nullified and already done away with, contrary to all of Scripture, contrary to the Word of the Psalms and the Prophets, and contrary to Yeshua Himself.
What is the danger of the Doctrine of Balaam? Let's look at the results of this Doctrine from Scripture.
Results of the Doctrine of Balaam
We are told in Rev 2:14 that the Doctrine of Balaam results in committing of fornication and idolatry. We have not realized that much of our evangelical religious practices are seen by The Most High not as worship, but as fornication and idolatry. Let us look at one example, to see why that is true.
One of the foremost practices among faithful Believers today is the practice of taking communion, also known as the Lord's Supper, which is taken frequently, and with reverence, in remembrance of Yeshua, and of His death. We have been taught to do this, just as Yeshua and the Disciples did, as seen in (Matt 26:26-27; Mark 14:22-23; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor 10:16; 1 Cor 11:26-28).
What we were NOT taught, however, is that every instance in the Gospels show this bread and cup memorial as a part of celebrating of Passover! Yeshua did not initiate something new, but celebrated Passover, and He invites us to do so today!
Perhaps we have not realized that the current practice of taking communion or the Lord's Supper, is simply a tradition of men, and is a substitute for the true Passover Supper, on a day that is not the prescribed day of Passover.
Thus if we practice the tradition of taking communion, or the Lord's Supper, while rejecting the True Passover, we are actually practicing idolatry, for we have created a substitute — an 'idol' — in place of the Truth of The Most High. Thus what we are eating is thus NOT the symbolic flesh and Blood of Messiah, but things sacrificed to idols!
This is just one of MANY examples of idolatry that result from walking in the Error of Balaam — when we reject the full counsel of The Most High's Word.
Yeshua then warns us, that if we do not repent of this Doctrine of Balaam, and keep the Truth, He will personally fight against us with the sword of His mouth (Rev 2:16). What is the sword of His mouth? It is His Word! But this is a two-edged sword, and it cuts both ways. If we mishandle it, or wrest [twist] it, it will cut us! If we do not have a love for the Truth, but instead choose to believe a lie [Doctrines of Men], we will be given a strong delusion, that we might believe a Lie (See 2 Thess 2:11). Yeshua gives us some strong words!
Today many would say, "But we have been taught the 'Old' Testament Law has been nullified, and done away with." However, most do not study the Scriptures for themselves, to see if this claim is true or not. Let's look further.
Believe The Law Has Been Nullified? You Will Fail the Test!
As a review, let us ask ourselves, What is the New Covenant? To summarize, we might answer, The New Covenant is simply our allowing of Yeshua to live within us, as He writes the Torah on our hearts (Jer 31:31-33; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27). What does this involve?
We might summarize by saying, that everything Yeshua did while He walked on the earth 2,000 years ago, is for OUR example.
Yeshua desires to live the full, vibrant Life of Messiah [within you] each day. The life of Messiah-in-you has NOT been nullified, canceled, or done away with. In fact, Yeshua wants to live the same life in you, and in me, that He lived in His own flesh 2,000 years ago!
Nothing of Torah has disappeared — there are simply better things concerning the Priesthood, and the sacrifice, and the Blood, as described in the book of Hebrews. Yeshua tells us this very clearly:
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18)
In spite of this clear word from Yeshua, many today refuse to keep even the simplest Passover Lord's Supper, just as Yeshua kept, and which He invites His people to keep. For many of us, the pagan, man-made substitute for passover has prevented Messiah-in-you from keeping the Truth of this simplest of commandments, of celebrating Passover.
Have 'My' Commandments been nullified? Most today, who refuse to practice the full counsel of The Most High, thinking they have been nullified, will not pass this first love test. They will fail the test, for they have rejected the words Yeshua gave to Moses, which are called 'My' Commandments. As Ephraim in Scripture is prophetic of Born-Again Believers in the Last Days, we see prophesied in Scripture that "they have willingly departed from following the Commandment" (Hosea 5:11).
So we see those who fail the first love test will be given opportunity to take the next or second test. Let's now look at the Second Love Test.
The Second Love Test: Lay Down Your Life
Yeshua reveals the second love test in John 15:13:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
Here we see a common feature of all true Believers down through the centuries, even unto today. However, this laying down of one's life will occur at unprecedented levels during the Great Tribulation.
Multitudes of Believers, redeemed by the Blood of Yeshua, but who failed the first test, will have opportunity to be tested again. They will be given the chance to deny Yeshua, and His Word, in exchange for staying alive. Many, however, will lay down their lives, and will not deny their friend Yeshua.
If we could look backwards from the Great Tribulation, back to today, how could we recognize who these multitudes are today? Seeing these, perhaps we might study them, and learn from them, and change our outcome.
So let's look at the characteristics of these that must take the second test, because they fail the first test.
Fail the First Test: Who Are These Today?
Looking backward in time, we would see who these are today:
Those Who Fail the First Test: Characteristics
These are those who held a sincere love for Yeshua, but were afraid to venture out beyond the confines of their congregation's token commitment to the Bible.
These are those who believed every word they heard, from various pulpits and from many respected men of The Most High. They did not, however, search the Scriptures for themselves, to see if these things were true (Prov 14:15; Acts 17:11).
These are those who also ignored the Old Testament Prophets. These Prophets pronounced coming judgment against The Most High's redeemed people, for NOT keeping all The Most High's Sabbaths, Festivals, ordinances, judgments, and precepts.
These are those who were taught not to believe [to be DO-ers of] all things the Old Testament Prophets had spoken, and thus Yeshua says they were foolish and slow of heart (Luke 24:25).
These are those who were not aware they were simply following the Theologians — practicing a combination of Scripture and Traditions of Men, combined with a few popular pagan festivals and religious practices.
These are those whose pagan practices included the pagan winter and spring festivals, the pagan 40-day fast, and many other pagan holy days. These holy days were decreed by Rome, then adopted by many of the early congregations, having been given Rome's new religious wrapping and stamp of approval.
These new man-made, religious holy days were then given out as 'New Testament' holy days, and later passed down from generation to generation. Anything that appeared 'Jewish' was then prohibited; and to this day, most Believers were taught to say of The Most High's Feasts and Sabbaths: "That's Jewish — we don't do that." These Believers did not diligently study the Scriptures for themselves, to see whether this notion was true, or false.
These are those who believed the devilish, man-made Doctrine of 'Dispensations' put forth by their Leaders. These Leaders, and their followers, did not diligently seek The Most High in Scripture, to see whether the notion of 'Dispensations' is a false doctrine.
They had not realized that 'dispensational' thinking was contradictory to all of Scripture, and is a sinking-sand, man-made, foundational necessity for those who teach the Doctrine of Balaam. Every house [one's individual life] built upon the 'dispensational' foundation will soon come down with a loud crash, and will result in wailing and gnashing of teeth.
These are those who, when the tribulation came to them, began to realize their Pastors and Leaders had [unintentionally] lied to them. Their Pastors and Leaders had been taught in Seminary to obey only the 'New' Testament commandments, because of the notion that that the Law had been nailed to the stake, and done away with. The Pastors and Leaders then taught these man-made ideas to their followers.
As followers of these popular Leaders, these Believers had not studied the Scriptures for themselves, to see whether this notion was true, or false. Had they done so, they would have noticed that Scripture tells them very clearly that the Greek word 'dogma' — the decrees and doctrines of men (Strong's 1378 and 1379) — is what was nailed to the stake, and done away with (Luke 2:1; Acts 16:4; Acts 17:7; Eph 2:15; Col 2:14,20).
These are those who had not read the New Testament closely for themselves. Instead, they had believed the wrested, or twisted words of these Pastors and Leaders, whose error Jude describes as the Error of Balaam, in that they denied and rejected the earlier word of The Most High [the Old Testament] in favour of the later word of The Most High [the New Testament]. As a result, Jude shows these Leaders' true characteristics, and their expected end in judgment.
Jude warns us (Jude 5) that these Leaders, and their followers, although they had been saved [Born again], they still had to be reminded that they must enter in by belief, which is equated to obedience in the Book of Hebrews.
These are those who, as Believers, had been deceived, for they had not searched the Scriptures diligently on their own, to see if these things taught by their Leaders were true! Had they found their Leaders out of agreement with Scripture, they would not have disagreed with them. Rather they would compromise — for they loved unity more than Truth; they loved acceptance and praise of men more than praise of The Most High.
These are those who, when the Tribulation began, they were suddenly forced to decide between two choices:
First, they could accept the mark in order to stay alive, but this would incur Yeshua's wrath by disobeying the command in Revelation not to take the mark. This action would prove that Yeshua is not their friend, and they would fail the test.
Second, they could refuse the mark, and deny their own life — in order to obey Yeshua's command. These would be memorialized in Rev 6:9,11.
Having failed the first Love Test, they decided they would not fail this second test. So they chose Yeshua, and chose not to take the mark. Instead, they chose to lay down their life for their Friend.
In this way they passed Yeshua's second Love Test, and they proved their love for Him.
Throughout history, many have been given opportunity to take both tests. Perhaps those who pass both love tests will be assured of a 'better resurrection' (Heb 11:35).
Conclusion
Those who choose to walk in the paths of Righteousness, are they who serve The Most High. These will pass the first Love Test.
Those who choose to continue walking in the paths of the wicked, are they who do not serve The Most High. These will fail the first test, but will be eligible to take the second test.
What about you, dear Reader? Which of these Love Tests do you intend to pass?
Now is the time to decide — there is not much time left, for the first test takes place when the Master returns:
Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. (Malachi 3:16-18)
Final Exams are almost upon us!
Many today are told they will enter the Kingdom, because they are Born Again, or saved.
But what did Yeshua say? Let's look closely:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
Here we see not everyone who says — but only those who do the Father's will — will enter the Kingdom.
When we were in school, we remember that we had to devote a certain amount of time required by all the courses. Although a student might have met the time requirement for all the courses, it was the Final Exams that determined who would graduate, and who would not.
The Most High likewise has Final Exams for us, in order to determine those who merely say, and those who do His will. Just as the professor tested the students to see who would graduate, and who would fail; in the same way The Most High tests us, to see who will enter the Kingdom, and who will not.
If we pass the first test, we are allowed to graduate, and enter in to the Kingdom. If we fail the first test, we will find ourselves repeating the course, with a new chance to pass a second test.
Scripture reveals these two tests very clearly. Just as when we were in school, if we know in advance what the test will cover, we can study those items very diligently, and we might pass the first test!
However, if we fail the first test, The Most High may give opportunity to take the second test. And because we do not want to fail either of The Most High's tests, we will look carefully at both of these tests in Scripture.
The Two Love Tests
Yeshua has devised a two-fold test he will use to determine who will be allowed into the kingdom, into the City of the King, and who will not. The Most High's resurrection harvest is a two-phase harvest of the fruit of the earth — the fruit of Love — therefore the tests are two corresponding Love tests. These two tests will determine the timing of our graduation, and tell us clearly in which phase of the harvest [which resurrection] each of us will be gathered.
Every Believer throughout history has, during his lifetime, undergone one or both of these two tests. But because these tests will soon be vividly seen and experienced by the generation that is alive when the Bridegroom returns, we must begin preparing for these tests.
Here are the two tests to be given:
First Love Test:
If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
Second Love Test:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
Each of the above verses shows the built-in test for the corresponding phase of the harvest; each passage speaks of those who pass the test for that particular phase of the harvest. The first test is for the first phase of the harvest, and corresponds to the first resurrection. The second test is for the second harvest-phase, and corresponds to the second resurrection. Let's look at each one of these in detail.
The First Love Test: Keep My Commandments
Yeshua reveals the first love test in John 14:15:
If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
In order to see the Truth of Scripture, it is often profitable to lay out the contrasts, such as wise vs foolish, and obedient vs disobedient, for our learning.
For this test, we will look at what Scripture says about 'My' Commandments, and then show in contrast some examples of not keeping 'My' Commandments.
First, let's notice that Yeshua spoke the phrase "My Commandments" 31 times in Scripture — three in the New Testament, and 28 in the Old Testament. Thus we see vividly that "My Commandments speak" of all the words and sayings Yeshua spoke, which are the same as The Most High's Commandments. This truth is verified by Yeshua Himself:
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. (John 14:24)
Thus we realize that all of 'My' Commandments are the same as the Father's Commandments.
We see further confirmation of this Truth in the Book of Revelation, of these who keep the Faith of Yeshua, by keeping the commandments of The Most High. To do so, these must endure, and overcome, in order to pass the first test:
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
Notice above in Rev 14:12, these end-time Believers keep the commandments of The Most High, 'and' ["which is"] The Faith of Yeshua. As a result, we see above in Rev 22:14 they are blessed. These must have passed the test, for they are granted right of access to enter into the City!
When Yeshua spoke the words, "Keep My Commandments," the 'New Testament' did not even exist. Thus the Disciples understood that Yeshua's words referred to all the Commandments of the Old Testament.
The early Believers in the first century were actively living "The Faith once delivered to the saints," which was simply living out the New Covenant by being a DO-er of the Scriptures. They actively kept 'My' Commandments that Yeshua had given to 'My' People, which are seen throughout the Old Testament. Indeed, the first-Century Believers knew of the supreme importance of meeting with Yeshua on the special days He had appointed.
These first-century Believers understood the Scriptures, wherein Yeshua calls His People to keep and observe Yeshua's special days and Festivals that He has set apart for the purpose of meeting with His People.
In the Gospels and the Book of Acts, we see Yeshua, as well as all the Apostles and Disciples, living The Faith that we are exhorted to live. We are then told that Yeshua, and all the Apostles and Disciples, are our examples today! (See Acts 18:4; 1 Cor 11:1; 1 Pet 2:21.)
These early Believers all chose to keep Yeshua's Commandments, Sabbaths and Feasts, as a required part of New Covenant life. They also urge us to make the same choice today! (See Acts 15:20-21; Acts 18:21; 1 Cor 5:8; Heb 4:10, 11.)
No Life In You
Yeshua goes so far to tell us that unless we keep the Passover meal — with the new understanding that the bread and cup of Passover speak of His New Covenant sacrifice, of His Body, and of His Blood — then we have NO life in us! (Matthew 26:19, 26; John 6:53)
Yeshua is saying, No Passover = No Life in You.
That may sound harsh, but that is what He said! Today's congregations have all but lost this fervent life of living 'The Faith,' which consists of keeping The Most High's Passover and other Festivals, as well as His Statutes, Commandments, and Judgments.
Indeed, in John 5:46-47, Yeshua reveals it is impossible to believe [become a DO-er of] Yeshua's words, if one does not first believe [is not already a DO-er of] Moses' words. We recall that it was Moses' words that tell us of salvation and redemption by the Blood of an acceptable sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22; Exodus 12:3-14; Lev 16:3-31; and many other passages).
Likewise, it was Moses' words that are the basis for our redemption, salvation, and eternal life today, that was accomplished for us by Yeshua's death, burial, and resurrection (Galatians 3:13; Deut 21:23; and many other passages).
Most evangelicals today understand that Yeshua is the Word of The Most High — but most of us have forgotten that Yeshua is the Word who spoke the words to Moses! Thus Moses' words are Yeshua's words!
So we see that 'My' Commandments are Yeshua's Commandments, and they include the Commandments He gave to Moses!
We now turn to the contrast, for our instruction, to give us understanding of why current teaching has prevented us from keeping 'My' Commandments.
The Doctrine of Balaam
The Doctrine of Balaam is perhaps the most prominent feature of today's evangelical Doctrine. The Doctrine of Balaam is simply the teaching that results in the Error of Balaam in the lives of the people. So we must look to see what the Error of Balaam is.
Let us summarize briefly what we found. Let us ask, "What did Balaam do?"
We might say in summary that Balaam nullified the earlier word given by The Most High, in favour of a later word from The Most High, hoping that the later word might be more favourable to him.
Because Balaam disregarded The Most High's earlier commandment, "Do not go with them," but went anyway, The Most High sought to kill Balaam (Num 22:12, 22).
The Doctrine of Balaam today is seen in the teaching that says, "the earlier word of The Most High has been nullified, in favour of the later word of The Most High." Thus multitudes of Believers today have learned this Doctrine, and as a result are walking in disobedience to the earlier Word. This disobedience to The Most High's earlier Word is the Error of Balaam.
Many today are being taught that the 'Old' Testament commandments have been nullified and already done away with, contrary to all of Scripture, contrary to the Word of the Psalms and the Prophets, and contrary to Yeshua Himself.
What is the danger of the Doctrine of Balaam? Let's look at the results of this Doctrine from Scripture.
Results of the Doctrine of Balaam
We are told in Rev 2:14 that the Doctrine of Balaam results in committing of fornication and idolatry. We have not realized that much of our evangelical religious practices are seen by The Most High not as worship, but as fornication and idolatry. Let us look at one example, to see why that is true.
One of the foremost practices among faithful Believers today is the practice of taking communion, also known as the Lord's Supper, which is taken frequently, and with reverence, in remembrance of Yeshua, and of His death. We have been taught to do this, just as Yeshua and the Disciples did, as seen in (Matt 26:26-27; Mark 14:22-23; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor 10:16; 1 Cor 11:26-28).
What we were NOT taught, however, is that every instance in the Gospels show this bread and cup memorial as a part of celebrating of Passover! Yeshua did not initiate something new, but celebrated Passover, and He invites us to do so today!
Perhaps we have not realized that the current practice of taking communion or the Lord's Supper, is simply a tradition of men, and is a substitute for the true Passover Supper, on a day that is not the prescribed day of Passover.
Thus if we practice the tradition of taking communion, or the Lord's Supper, while rejecting the True Passover, we are actually practicing idolatry, for we have created a substitute — an 'idol' — in place of the Truth of The Most High. Thus what we are eating is thus NOT the symbolic flesh and Blood of Messiah, but things sacrificed to idols!
This is just one of MANY examples of idolatry that result from walking in the Error of Balaam — when we reject the full counsel of The Most High's Word.
Yeshua then warns us, that if we do not repent of this Doctrine of Balaam, and keep the Truth, He will personally fight against us with the sword of His mouth (Rev 2:16). What is the sword of His mouth? It is His Word! But this is a two-edged sword, and it cuts both ways. If we mishandle it, or wrest [twist] it, it will cut us! If we do not have a love for the Truth, but instead choose to believe a lie [Doctrines of Men], we will be given a strong delusion, that we might believe a Lie (See 2 Thess 2:11). Yeshua gives us some strong words!
Today many would say, "But we have been taught the 'Old' Testament Law has been nullified, and done away with." However, most do not study the Scriptures for themselves, to see if this claim is true or not. Let's look further.
Believe The Law Has Been Nullified? You Will Fail the Test!
As a review, let us ask ourselves, What is the New Covenant? To summarize, we might answer, The New Covenant is simply our allowing of Yeshua to live within us, as He writes the Torah on our hearts (Jer 31:31-33; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27). What does this involve?
We might summarize by saying, that everything Yeshua did while He walked on the earth 2,000 years ago, is for OUR example.
Yeshua desires to live the full, vibrant Life of Messiah [within you] each day. The life of Messiah-in-you has NOT been nullified, canceled, or done away with. In fact, Yeshua wants to live the same life in you, and in me, that He lived in His own flesh 2,000 years ago!
Nothing of Torah has disappeared — there are simply better things concerning the Priesthood, and the sacrifice, and the Blood, as described in the book of Hebrews. Yeshua tells us this very clearly:
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18)
In spite of this clear word from Yeshua, many today refuse to keep even the simplest Passover Lord's Supper, just as Yeshua kept, and which He invites His people to keep. For many of us, the pagan, man-made substitute for passover has prevented Messiah-in-you from keeping the Truth of this simplest of commandments, of celebrating Passover.
Have 'My' Commandments been nullified? Most today, who refuse to practice the full counsel of The Most High, thinking they have been nullified, will not pass this first love test. They will fail the test, for they have rejected the words Yeshua gave to Moses, which are called 'My' Commandments. As Ephraim in Scripture is prophetic of Born-Again Believers in the Last Days, we see prophesied in Scripture that "they have willingly departed from following the Commandment" (Hosea 5:11).
So we see those who fail the first love test will be given opportunity to take the next or second test. Let's now look at the Second Love Test.
The Second Love Test: Lay Down Your Life
Yeshua reveals the second love test in John 15:13:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
Here we see a common feature of all true Believers down through the centuries, even unto today. However, this laying down of one's life will occur at unprecedented levels during the Great Tribulation.
Multitudes of Believers, redeemed by the Blood of Yeshua, but who failed the first test, will have opportunity to be tested again. They will be given the chance to deny Yeshua, and His Word, in exchange for staying alive. Many, however, will lay down their lives, and will not deny their friend Yeshua.
If we could look backwards from the Great Tribulation, back to today, how could we recognize who these multitudes are today? Seeing these, perhaps we might study them, and learn from them, and change our outcome.
So let's look at the characteristics of these that must take the second test, because they fail the first test.
Fail the First Test: Who Are These Today?
Looking backward in time, we would see who these are today:
Those Who Fail the First Test: Characteristics
These are those who held a sincere love for Yeshua, but were afraid to venture out beyond the confines of their congregation's token commitment to the Bible.
These are those who believed every word they heard, from various pulpits and from many respected men of The Most High. They did not, however, search the Scriptures for themselves, to see if these things were true (Prov 14:15; Acts 17:11).
These are those who also ignored the Old Testament Prophets. These Prophets pronounced coming judgment against The Most High's redeemed people, for NOT keeping all The Most High's Sabbaths, Festivals, ordinances, judgments, and precepts.
These are those who were taught not to believe [to be DO-ers of] all things the Old Testament Prophets had spoken, and thus Yeshua says they were foolish and slow of heart (Luke 24:25).
These are those who were not aware they were simply following the Theologians — practicing a combination of Scripture and Traditions of Men, combined with a few popular pagan festivals and religious practices.
These are those whose pagan practices included the pagan winter and spring festivals, the pagan 40-day fast, and many other pagan holy days. These holy days were decreed by Rome, then adopted by many of the early congregations, having been given Rome's new religious wrapping and stamp of approval.
These new man-made, religious holy days were then given out as 'New Testament' holy days, and later passed down from generation to generation. Anything that appeared 'Jewish' was then prohibited; and to this day, most Believers were taught to say of The Most High's Feasts and Sabbaths: "That's Jewish — we don't do that." These Believers did not diligently study the Scriptures for themselves, to see whether this notion was true, or false.
These are those who believed the devilish, man-made Doctrine of 'Dispensations' put forth by their Leaders. These Leaders, and their followers, did not diligently seek The Most High in Scripture, to see whether the notion of 'Dispensations' is a false doctrine.
They had not realized that 'dispensational' thinking was contradictory to all of Scripture, and is a sinking-sand, man-made, foundational necessity for those who teach the Doctrine of Balaam. Every house [one's individual life] built upon the 'dispensational' foundation will soon come down with a loud crash, and will result in wailing and gnashing of teeth.
These are those who, when the tribulation came to them, began to realize their Pastors and Leaders had [unintentionally] lied to them. Their Pastors and Leaders had been taught in Seminary to obey only the 'New' Testament commandments, because of the notion that that the Law had been nailed to the stake, and done away with. The Pastors and Leaders then taught these man-made ideas to their followers.
As followers of these popular Leaders, these Believers had not studied the Scriptures for themselves, to see whether this notion was true, or false. Had they done so, they would have noticed that Scripture tells them very clearly that the Greek word 'dogma' — the decrees and doctrines of men (Strong's 1378 and 1379) — is what was nailed to the stake, and done away with (Luke 2:1; Acts 16:4; Acts 17:7; Eph 2:15; Col 2:14,20).
These are those who had not read the New Testament closely for themselves. Instead, they had believed the wrested, or twisted words of these Pastors and Leaders, whose error Jude describes as the Error of Balaam, in that they denied and rejected the earlier word of The Most High [the Old Testament] in favour of the later word of The Most High [the New Testament]. As a result, Jude shows these Leaders' true characteristics, and their expected end in judgment.
Jude warns us (Jude 5) that these Leaders, and their followers, although they had been saved [Born again], they still had to be reminded that they must enter in by belief, which is equated to obedience in the Book of Hebrews.
These are those who, as Believers, had been deceived, for they had not searched the Scriptures diligently on their own, to see if these things taught by their Leaders were true! Had they found their Leaders out of agreement with Scripture, they would not have disagreed with them. Rather they would compromise — for they loved unity more than Truth; they loved acceptance and praise of men more than praise of The Most High.
These are those who, when the Tribulation began, they were suddenly forced to decide between two choices:
First, they could accept the mark in order to stay alive, but this would incur Yeshua's wrath by disobeying the command in Revelation not to take the mark. This action would prove that Yeshua is not their friend, and they would fail the test.
Second, they could refuse the mark, and deny their own life — in order to obey Yeshua's command. These would be memorialized in Rev 6:9,11.
Having failed the first Love Test, they decided they would not fail this second test. So they chose Yeshua, and chose not to take the mark. Instead, they chose to lay down their life for their Friend.
In this way they passed Yeshua's second Love Test, and they proved their love for Him.
Throughout history, many have been given opportunity to take both tests. Perhaps those who pass both love tests will be assured of a 'better resurrection' (Heb 11:35).
Conclusion
Those who choose to walk in the paths of Righteousness, are they who serve The Most High. These will pass the first Love Test.
Those who choose to continue walking in the paths of the wicked, are they who do not serve The Most High. These will fail the first test, but will be eligible to take the second test.
What about you, dear Reader? Which of these Love Tests do you intend to pass?
Now is the time to decide — there is not much time left, for the first test takes place when the Master returns:
Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. (Malachi 3:16-18)
Final Exams are almost upon us!
Shema Selah, what is it that you have told Yeshua in your actions--I will follow the commands of the Most High or the doctines of men?
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