THE DANGER OF MISPLACED PRIORITY

Matthew chapter 6













Today we are walking in: The Danger Of Misplaced Priority










Today we look to the word-FIRST-H7218 ro'sh --top, upper part, chief, front, beginning; chief, choicest, best










The Torah Testifies.............................








Exodus 12:2




This month shall be unto you the beginning H7218 of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.










The prophets proclaim...............





Isaiah 41:4




Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? H7218 I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.









The writings bear witness.............




1 Chronicles 26:10




Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons; Simri the chief, H7218 (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him the chief;) H7218







THE DANGER OF MISPLACED PRIORITY




Every human heart longs for a simple life. We are naturally attracted to people who exhibit a focused, purposeful, organized life and simplified lifestyle. I believe this is the fundamental attraction of millions to the man Yahusha Hamachiach. There has never been a character who displayed such a strong spirit of personal conviction, purpose, self-awareness, confidence, self-worth, and a sense of destiny as this one man. The most impacting aspect of His life was His clear sense of priority.




Yahusha Hamachiach is the most focused and single-minded person who has ever lived. His entire life on earth was dedicated to one theme—the Kingdom of Heaven. Even by the age of 12 Yahusha already knew His life purpose and priority. When His earthly parents, relieved at finding Him in the temple in Jerusalem after searching diligently for Him for three days, chided Him for worrying them, He said, “Why were you searching for Me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). Another way to phrase the same question: “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49 NKJV). “Already Yahusha had a singular focus on His Father’s priority, and He never lost sight of it.




It was, in part, this singularity of purpose and clarity of priorities that caused Yahusha to stand out so clearly among the people of His day. Unlike Yahusha, people in general have a problem putting first things first. When man lost his dominion in the Garden of Eden he also lost his sense of proper priority and purpose. In fact, all humanity wrestles with two parallel problems related to priority: either absence of priority or misplaced priority. Both carry significant consequences.




Absence of priority causes one to drift through life with no focus or sense of purpose or direction. All of one’s energy and potential are dissipated by trying to shoot off in too many directions and trying to do too many things. In many cases, people with no priority become lethargic and apathetic. A dull sameness characterizes their day-to-day living.




Misplaced priority results in wasting one’s life pursuing the wrong thing, carrying out the wrong assignment. People with misplaced priority may be very focused individuals, but they are focused on the wrong thing. A life absent of priority accomplishes nothing in the end, while a life of misplaced priority may succeed in many things, but not in that which is most important. Either way, the end result is a failed life.




Do you want to come to the end of your days only to look back and have to say, regretfully, “I failed”? I know I don’t!




THE TRAGEDY OF ABSENT PRIORITY




Nothing is more tragic than a life without purpose. Why is purpose so important? Purpose is the source of priorities. Defining our life’s priorities is extremely difficult unless we first discover and define our purpose. Purpose is defined as the original reason and intent for the creation of a thing. Therefore, purpose is the source of meaning and significance for all created things.




If purpose is not known, priorities cannot be established and nothing significant or worthwhile in life can be accomplished. In essence, if you don’t why you are on planet Earth and posses a clear sense of purpose and destiny, the demand for priorities is low or nonexistent. The truth is, if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there. Life is daily and constantly demanding of our time energy, talent, attention, and focus. Therefore, to effectively manage the everyday demands, we must know what our priorities are. No matter what we think about life, we have to live it every day and give an account of our management.




I believe the greatest challenge in life is the daily demand to choose between competing alternatives that consume our lives. If we do not have clear and correct priorities in our lives and know what we should be doing, our lives will be an exercise in futility. The absence of priority is dangerous and detrimental.




Absence of priority results, first of all, in the wasting of time and energy. If you’re not doing the right thing at the right time, that means you are doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. But you expend the same time and energy either way. Time and energy, once spent, are gone forever. They cannot be replaced.




When priority is absent, you become busy on the wrong things. If you don’t know what the right things are, you will end up focusing on the wrong things. These “wrong things” may not be bad or evil in themselves; they are just wrong for you because they will distract you from pursuing your life purpose.




People without priority spend their time doing the unnecessary. If you think about it, most of what we do on a daily basis is not really necessary. We spend most of our time sweating, fretting, and laboring over issues that, in the eternal scheme of things, are pointless. And in the meantime, the things that really matter go undone.




In a similar way, absence of priority causes people to major on the unimportant. If you have no priority, you end up majoring on the minors. For some reason most of us are easily distracted or enticed away from focusing on the most important matters in life to concentrate instead on peripheral issues. Proverbs 29:18a says, “Where there is no revelation [vision], the people cast off restraint.” Priority helps us sharpen our vision so we can focus on the most important things. Without it, we have no sense of direction and are apt to pursue whatever suits our fancy at the time.




Consequently, the absence of priority results in preoccupation with the unimportant. Not only do we focus on the unimportant, we become preoccupied with it. We think about it, debate it, discuss it, argue about it, and have conferences on it until, by default, it becomes a de facto priority for us. But even then, it is still the wrong priority.




Preoccupation leads to investment, so absence of priority causes us to invest in the less valuable. Who would invest in something that could produce only a 10-fold return instead of something that guarantees a 100-fold return? We all invest our time and energy and money on those things that we deem most important and of greatest value. What if we’re wrong? Unless we know what is truly important, it is impossible for us to invest wisely. So the end result of the absence of priority is wasted resources.




Another consequence of absent priority is ineffective activity. No matter how busy you are or how much you believe you are accomplishing, if you are focused on the wrong thing all your activity will count for nothing in the end. You will be ineffective because you did not do what you were supposed to do.




The first key to effectiveness is to be sure you are doing the right thing. Then invest your time, attention, energy, and resources to doing it well. Otherwise, no matter how hard you work or how hard you try, you will not succeed.




One of the most serious consequences of absent priority is that it leads to the abuse of gifts and talents. If you use your talent to do something that you are not supposed to do, you have wasted your talent, even if you use it well. Some of the most gifted and talented people in the world use their Yah-given abilities in ways He never intended, pursuing selfish desires, indulging in lust and immorality, encouraging sensuality and promoting values that are destructive to family and society. Having talent is one thing, but knowing how to make it serve the top priority in your life is a different story. Imagine being a gifted speaker proclaiming the wrong message or a talented singer singing the wrong song. It happens every day and it is a tragedy.




People with no priority in life forfeit purpose. Everybody has a purpose in life but most people, sadly, never discover it. Without priority in your life you will never understand your purpose and if you do not understand your purpose you will not pursue it. If you are not pursuing the purpose you were born for, then you are pursuing the wrong thing. Even if you succeed in your pursuit you have still failed because you have not fulfilled your purpose. So, absence of priority will forfeit your purpose for living.




Finally, absence of priority results in failure. No matter how successful you are in what you do, if you are not doing the most important thing, the thing that you are supposed to be doing, you are failing. Busy activity, sweat, and hard work are important as long as you are focused on the right assignment. However, they can never substitute for correct priority. Priorities are like river banks; they control the flow of life.




MISPLACED PRIORITY: MEETING PERSONAL NEEDS




From the beginning of the creation of the human race, the Creator established the priority of man when He commanded the man to focus on dominion over the earth. This mandate was one of kingdom rulership, management, stewardship, and governmental administration over planet Earth. It is essential to note that there was no mention of working for survival or food but only for development and fulfillment.




Priority was never a problem in the Garden of Eden. As long as Adam and Eve walked in full and open fellowship with Yah, their Creator, they had no worries because He provided for all their needs. Food, water, and other resources were abundant, and the perfectly temperate climate made clothing and shelter unnecessary. Daily interaction with Yah, purposeful work caring for the Garden, and exercising dominion over the created order filled their lives with meaning and significance.




The first family’s priority was executing ruling not pursuing resources. Mankind was preoccupied with living and life and rather than making a living. In the beginning, man’s priority was ruling things rather than pursuing things. Man’s provision for daily living was inherent in his relationship of obedience and cooperation with his Creator and the fulfillment of His plans for the earth.




All of that changed when they lost their dominion through disobedience. Evicted from the Garden and their fellowship with Yah broken, they had to pay attention to things they had once taken for granted, such as food, water, shelter, and even survival itself.




It was this tragic event that initiated the change in priorities for all mankind and refocused his life on daily survival. This preoccupation with temporal things like food, clothing, covering, shelter, water, and other fundamental needs for life has consumed people to this day and was announced by the Creator as evidence of the penalty of curse for man’s disobedience and treason against the Kingdom government of Heaven.




Note the words of the Creator when He addressed the family of man after the act of defiance:




…Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:17-19).




This legacy of need was passed from generation to generation until it became—and remains—the consuming priority of mankind.




Everything man does outside the Kingdom of Heaven is motivated by the drive to meet personal needs. This fact was clarified and documented through the work of Abraham Maslow, a 20th century behavioral scientist and psychologist.




Dr. Maslow, after years of observation and study of human behavior, identified nine basic needs common to all people and cultures and arranged them according to priority in a “hierarchy of needs”:




1.Food




2.Water




3.Clothes




4.Housing




5.Protection




6.Security




7.Preservation




8.Self-actualization




9.Significance




Maslow discovered that in every culture, the driving priority was first to acquire the basic things necessary for survival, such as food, water, and shelter and protection from the elements and predators. Until these fundamental needs were secured and assured, nothing else mattered. Once basic survival was no longer an issue, more focus was given to the aesthetic needs of self-actualization and a feeling of significance. Essentially, Maslow was correct: his hierarchy of needs accurately identifies the progressive motivations that drive human culture.




Man, in his never-ending struggle for survival and significance, and separated in spirit from the Yah who created him, invented religion as a vehicle in his attempt to find the lost kingdom state of rulership and control earth’s resources to meet his needs. A careful study of all forms of religion reveals that all religions are designed and built on the promise of meeting needs. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Confucianism, Scientology, Bahai, Christian Science, Spiritism, animism, humanism—you name it—they all, without exception, seek to draw followers by promising to make their lives better, improve their circumstances, give them some sense of control over their environment, and offer answers to the questions of death and the after life. To this list we must add institutional Christianity—Christianity in its most rigid, regulated, ritualistic, legalistic, and stratified form, is a religion run and controlled by men.




A second common characteristic of religion is that all religions are motivated by the pleasing of deity in order to secure basic needs (crops, weather, protection, preservation, etc). After man became separated from Yah because of his sin of disobedience, he began to fear that his needs would not be met. He felt all alone and that everything was up to him. So he began to worship gods of his own invention, man-made deities that were at best only the faintest shadow of the loving and provident Yah Adam and Eve knew in the Garden of Eden.




This is why human history is so replete with gods: the sun god, moon god, rain god, ocean god, god of war, god of sex and fertility, god of the mountain, god of the valley, etc. Man invented religion as an effort to appease fearful and unknown deities into giving him what he needs for daily life. It was a way, hopefully, of manipulating nature and controlling one’s destiny. Life was harsh, grim, and full of violence. The purpose of religion was to win the good favor of the gods by being good to them and doing them favors.




Another common denominator is that all religions have as their primary focus the needs of the worshiper, not the needs of the worshiped. Religious people always serve and worship their gods with the ulterior motive of expecting or hoping for something good in return. Their prayers are self-centered, usually focused almost exclusively on personal needs and desires. No attention is given to the needs or desires of the deity beyond that which is necessary to appease it and persuade it to act on their behalf. In the religion of man, the purpose of the gods is to fix things.




In all religions, therefore, religious priority in petition and prayer is for personal needs. Let’s be honest. For most of us, 99 percent of our prayers deal with what we want from Yah: a new job, new car, new house, enough money not only to pay the bills but also to gratify our lust for things. How often do we spare a thought for what He wants?




Religion is selfish because all religion is driven by the priority of needs. The promise of meeting needs is the main reason people stay in a religion. Even when a religion fails to deliver what it promises, its followers are reluctant to leave it because faith in tradition dies hard. If their religion fails to meet their expectations for this life, rather than leave, they will simply postpone their expectations for the afterlife, however they understand it.




There is no doubt that the chief priority of man is to meet his own needs. The question we need to ask is whether or not that is the correct priority for man. By now we all should know that it is not. Mankind in general suffers from the dual dilemma of misplaced priority and misplaced faith.




MASLOW OVERTURNED




Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of human needs illustrates the priority of man that actually motivates human behavior in the real world—a priority centered on the acquisition of things. Yahusha, however, turns Maslow’s list upside down. The Kingdom of Heaven is different from the kingdoms of men. From the perspective of the Kingdom of Heaven, the priorities of man—Maslow’s list—are perverted. Mankind’s life focus has become twisted far afield from Yah’s original intent. Consider the words of Yahusha:




Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?




And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how Yah clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:25-30)




Notice that the first thing Yahusha says is, “Don’t worry about your life.” Yet that is exactly what we do. Our days are filled with worries about the very things Yahusha said we should not worry about: food, drink, clothing—all the basic necessities of life. Our every waking moment is filled with thoughts and worries about how to get ahead and stay ahead.




In our world today most people approach life in one of two ways: either they work to live or they live to work. Yahusha said that both approaches are wrong. He said, “Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”




There is more to life than working, even to acquire basic necessities. Work is important, but it does not or should not define us. Our life priority and purpose do not center on work. This is important to know because if we miss our true priority in life, we will miss our true purpose in life.




Yahusha said, “Do not worry.” Worry is the most useless exercise in the world. Why? Because it doesn’t change anything. Most of us spend our time worrying either about things that will never happen or about things that we cannot change. Either way, worrying is pointless. Worry changes nothing, yet it consumes our energy, time, talents, our gifts, our wisdom, and our knowledge. It even consumes our imagination.




The only thing worry contributes to is to make us sick. Studies have identified worry-related stress as the number one cause of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Stress causes veins and arteries to constrict, hindering blood flow, causing the blood to back up toward the heart, thus increasing pressure on the heart. This elevates the risk of heart attack and stroke. Worry gets us nowhere. It simply isn’t worth our time or trouble.




We worry because we have misplaced priorities, which cause us then to have misplaced faith. Look at the two examples Yahusha gave: the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. The birds do not sow or reap or store away food, yet they never go hungry. Likewise, the lilies of the field do not spin fabric and make clothing, yet they are dressed in beauty and elegance that not even King Solomon could match.




Why? Because Yah Himself feeds the birds and dresses the flowers. Notice that Yahusha said of the birds, “your heavenly Father feeds them.” He did not say, “their heavenly Father.” Our heavenly Father is the same one who takes care of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. The word Father (abba in Hebrew) means “source and sustainer.” So the phrase could read, “your heavenly Source and Sustainer feeds them.” Yahusha’ question to us, then, is, “If your heavenly Source and Sustainer takes care of the birds and the lilies, which are here today and gone tomorrow, don’t you think He will take care of you, too?”




Our problem today is that we have misplaced our faith. We have changed our source. Instead of looking to our heavenly Father, we look either to ourselves or to someone else (parent, spouse, employer, government) to sustain us. After all, since we live in a dog-eat-dog, every-man-for-himself world, we have to fight, scrape and scramble for everything we can get and then hold onto it with a white-knuckled grip. Right?




That is the priority and mind-set of the world, not of the Kingdom of Heaven! Who is your source? If you are looking to anyone other than Yah the Father and King of Heaven as your source, that may explain why you are struggling and why your life just won’t come together. If, on the other hand, you make Yah your source, then He calls the shots. And if He calls the shots, He pays the bills!




PAGANISM IS ALIVE AND WELL




Any religion that focuses on the acquisition of things and the meeting of personal needs is a religion of pagans. Look again at what Yahusha said:




So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:31-34).




According to Yahusha, always running after and being preoccupied with the acquisition of things and the satisfying of basic necessities is the activity of pagans. Based on that definition, I would have to say that paganism is alive and well in our world today. As a matter of fact, one of the largest gatherings of pagans takes places every Sunday when the communities known as the church of Jesus Christ gather for worship.




We claim to believe Yah and trust Him, but our daily lives and the concerns that fill our thoughts reveal that most of us do not. We give lip service to Yah’s provision, yet we work for food, drink, clothing, shelter, and other things as if it all depends on us. And working for those things becomes the center of our existence and the top priority of our lives. We work hard but we don’t spend time with Yah. A couple of hours a week pretending to worship, and that’s it. Our preoccupation with material things, satisfying basic needs and getting ahead in the world is nothing other than pagan behavior. Those who truly know the Yah of Heaven as their Source and Supplier do not have these concerns because they are confident that He has taken care of them.




It is important at this point to understand what we mean by the word pagan. Contrary to what many people may assume, most pagans are not atheists; nor are they, usually, evil people. On the contrary, pagans are highly religious. The word pagan, in fact, refers to worshipers. It refers to people who worship a Yah other than the one true and living Yah as revealed in the Bible. An equivalent word to pagan is idolater. Pagans, then, are religious devotees, often highly zealous adherents to a specific system of beliefs and rigidly faithful to a strict set of customs and rituals. The concept of a personal, loving Yah who cares deeply about them is completely alien to pagans. Yah, however they conceive him (or her) to be, is a distant, often harsh deity who must be appeased and persuaded to help them. The thought of loving such a Yah is incomprehensible.




Yahusha said that only religious people—pagans—run after the basic needs of life. So if food, drink, clothing, money, car, house and other material things are your priorities, then you are thinking and acting like a pagan, no matter what you claim to believe.




We need a complete change of focus. It is time for us to stop living according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and start living by the principles and priorities of the Kingdom of Heaven. Yahusha turned Maslow upside down and then gave us the correct perspective: “But seek first His [Yah’s] kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33, emphasis added). They will be given. That means that we do not have to work for them or worry about them; Yah will supply them freely if we give priority to His Kingdom and righteousness.




This does not mean that we should quit our jobs and sit around waiting for Yah to drop all of these things in our laps. It does mean that even as we work from day to day in our jobs and professions, we are living for other priorities—Yah’s priorities—supremely and serenely confident that He has us covered. There is no surer antidote to stress, anxiety, and worry.




It is time to set aside the pagan mind-set with its priority of things and take up instead the divine priority, the priority of the Kingdom of Yah and His righteousness. Isaiah 26:3 provides this precious promise: “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed [steadfast] on You, Because he trusts in You” (NKJV).




THE PRIORITY OF YAH—KINGDOM FIRST




Our greatest longing is also Yah’s primary intent and desire. Yah’s highest priority is restoring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. It was to this end that He sent His Son, Yahusha Hamachiach, to earth to live among us for a time; to take on human flesh and become one of us. From the very beginning Yahusha’ message was simple and straightforward: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matt. 4:17b). Later on, He specifically instructed His followers to “seek first His [Yah’s] kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33).




Yahusha preached the Kingdom. He taught the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven was the central theme of everything Yahusha did and said. It was, essentially, His only message. And that message of the Kingdom is the same message the world needs to hear today because everyone on earth is searching for the Kingdom of Heaven.




The priority of the Kingdom message was brought home to me in a very personal way that transformed my life and my entire way of thinking. My desire is that He would speak to me His heart and mind for all time in my life and reveal His greatest desire for His people. Yah said to me: “Kingdom first!” That was it. Just two words. Kingdom first! He simply said, “Kingdom first!” Straight and to the point, which is always the way Yah speaks.




“Kingdom first!” A deceptively simple statement, so simple that its true depth and significance of meaning are easy to miss. At least, I thought it was simple until I began studying and discovered that this two-word statement embodies the central thrust of Yah’s entire plan and purpose for humankind. For you see, “Kingdom first!” is a message with universal application. It relates to everyone on earth. It is a message for the world. “Kingdom first!” is a message for Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike. It is for Buddhists and Hindus. It is for atheists and agnostics. It is for scientists, theologians, and philosophers. “Kingdom first!” is a message for people of every religion and people of no religion because it is not a religious message. “Kingdom first!” is a message that transcends religion.




Why is the “Kingdom first!” message so universal and so important? Because when we understand “Kingdom first!” we will understand how to live effectively on earth. Everybody wants to live effectively. We all want our lives to mean something. Each of us desires to control our own destiny, live out our dreams, and fulfill our highest potential. Understanding and embracing the “Kingdom first!” message will make all of these things possible. It will allow us to understand the keys to life.




PRINCIPLES




1.Nothing is more tragic than a life without purpose.




2.If you’re not doing the right thing at the right time, that means you are doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.




3.Priority helps us sharpen our vision so we can focus on the most important things.




4.If you are not pursuing the purpose you were born for, then you are pursuing the wrong thing.




5.Everything man does outside the Kingdom of Heaven is motivated by the drive to meet personal needs.




6.All religion is driven by the priority of needs.




7.Yahusha said, “Don’t worry about your life.”




8.Worry is the most useless exercise in the world.




9.If you make Yah your source, then He calls the shots. And if He calls the shots, He pays the bills!




10.Any religion that focuses on the acquisition of things and the meeting of personal needs is a religion of pagans.




11.If food, drink, clothing, money, car, house and other material things are your priorities, then you are thinking and acting like a pagan, no matter what you claim to believe.




12. It is time for us to stop living according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and start living by the principles and priorities of the Kingdom of Heaven.

APPLYING THE KINGDOM

Matthew Chapter 6













Today we are walking in: Applying The Kingdom










Matthew 16:19

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.





KEY




Today we look to the word-KEY- H4668 maphteach--key, opening instrument




The Torah testifies...............

****






The prophets proclaim..................





Isaiah 22:22

And the key H4668 of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.








The writings bear witness...........................




Judges 3:25

And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, H4668 and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.







PREFACE




The number one priority of humanity is material security. Pop singer Madonna made it to the top of the music hit charts with a song, “Material Girl,” that did not make much logical sense. The song sold millions of copies around the world including the United States, Europe, Africa, South America, Canada, Japan and the Caribbean, and stayed on the top of the charts for weeks.




The question that must be asked is why did this seemingly unimportant subject attract so many people, both young and old? I believe this phenomenon was due to the fact that the lyrics of this simple song captured the spirit of the age and the preoccupation of our and all generations. Many adults who may not agree with the personality, lifestyle, philosophy, or musical genre of the pop culture cannot deny the truth this song expresses.




The entire world seems to turn on the axis of materialism. Whether one lives in the shadows of poverty of the industrial concrete jungle in the economic capitals of the world, or sits on the corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies located on the 60th floor of an executive building, or lives in a Third World country village, the allure of materialism generates a magnetic field which causes people to sacrifice any and everything to obtain it.




The older generations of the world’s nations pursue material goods at the expense of personal health, family, marriages, wholesome morality and values, and spiritual sensitivity. They build houses too big for families they lose; buy expensive cars to drive to a job where they spend 16 hours a day; they buy designer clothing that gathers dust in the closet; and, they join country clubs they have no time to enjoy.




Many sacrifice their loved ones on the altar of temporary pleasure and join the rat race in hopes of becoming the “big rat.” Others purchase second homes they never live in and buy complicated adult toys they never use.




Still others provide heaps of material goods for their children who have no appreciation for the value or cost of the goods, and apply the culture of “use and toss” reducing the spirit of gratitude among the young. What a material tragedy. It seems as if the philosophy of this generation is founded in the belief that one’s value, self-worth, self-esteem and self-concept is derived not from who they are but from what they possess. Their life is measured by the things they accumulate not who they are. They fail to understand that we don’t need things to have life, we need life to have things.




Even more staggering are the children and youth of this older generation. The culture of materialism is the driving force of life for youth worldwide. The worlds of fashion, music, sports, education, social status, and careers are all driven by materialism. The explosion of the music-video industry promoting the image of riches and affluence flaunted by young men and women who portray no record of an honest day’s work further compounds the idea that success in life is measured in terms of material wealth.




The success of television shows like “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” strike a deep cord in the psyche of our materialistic culture and draws on the hidden aspiration of millions to pursue material wealth.




This preoccupation with materialism is also the source of much of the criminal activity within many communities of our nations and manifests itself in antisocial scourges such as the illegal drug industry, gangs, prostitution, robberies, and corruption in corporate and political regions. The hypnotic power of “material things” has controlled mankind from the days of the early Egyptian civilization and can be traced throughout the human journey history. Warnings against this controlling power can be found in writings as far back as Moses and Kings David and Solomon of Israel.




Renowned behavioral scientist and psychologist Abraham Maslow did extensive researched on the subject of human motivation, and concluded that all of the 6.7 billion humans on planet Earth are motivated by primarily by the same needs and are willing to pursue the meeting of these needs at all cost. His list of human priority needs include: food, water, clothing, shelter, housing, and security.




Over 2,000 years ago the greatest teacher of all time, Yahusha Hamachiach, presented His list of human priority and admonished mankind to consider these material priorities. One of His students, Matthew, recorded these words by His master teacher while addressing this subject of the priority of human motivation:




Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” (Matthew 6:25,31).




His admonition for humanity to move their primary focus from material needs and place it on what he calls the “more important” matters of life is a startling contrast to our current global culture.




In this series I explore this repositioning of priority and the philosophy behind it. I present the solution to this debilitating possession by and preoccupation with the lure of materialism, and provide practical principles designed to free us all from the self-destructive and socially abusing spirit of materialism.




Let’s journey together and discover the Creator’s original priority, and embrace the opportunity to rearrange our life’s priorities to experience stress-free living above circumstances and measures of temporal success.




INTRODUCTION




The wise person questions himself, the fool others.

—Henry Arnold




In the depth of every human soul on earth is a search for meaning, purpose, significance and value. No matter what race, culture, language, or religion, this preoccupation with the need to find answers to our existence is inherent in every human spirit.




For what are we searching? Why is this internal search so common among all humankind? Could it be that this common search is evidence of a common loss? What did we lose and where did we lose it? Where can we and will we ever find it? It is my belief that every person on earth is searching for what the Father of all humankind lost—dominion over earth.




Most people don’t know what they are searching for. They know they are searching for something, some purpose that will give meaning and fulfillment to their lives, but they cannot identify what it is. Many seek an answer in the pursuit of money, power, possessions, or pleasure. Others search for it in science, philosophy, or intellectualism. Some turn to alcohol or consciousness-altering drugs.




There are also those who look to religion for the meaning of life. In every case, the result is the same. No matter how hard they try or how diligently they search, the object of their quest eludes them. Despite their best efforts, the answer they seek remains hidden from view. After all, it is extremely difficult to find something when you do not know what you are looking for!




All of us, essentially, are restless at the very core of our being. This is because each of us has a built-in drive to rule and dominate, to exercise control over our circumstances and environment. Yet, very few of us experience this in reality. For the vast majority of us, the opposite is true: our circumstances and environment control us. Something deep inside of us yearns for mastery and fulfillment that seem to be just outside our reach, as if we were meant for a destiny different than the one we are living. It is as though we long to return to a place we once inhabited, but lost somewhere along the way; and now we have no idea how to get back. The majority of humans lead lives of quiet desperation.




This is, indeed, the exact plight of humanity. Each of us is tailor-made for rulership. Our Designer and Manufacturer built into us both the inclination and the capability for exercising dominion over the natural order. Our original destiny was to rule as kings and queens on the earth as vice-regents of our Creator, the King of Heaven. In this way we would extend the government, authority, and influence of His invisible supernatural realm into the visible realm of the natural world.




That destiny was altered, however, when the first human pair abdicated to a usurper and pretender to the throne, an unemployed cherub who arrogantly ascended to the place of earthly authority designed and reserved for man. Our deepest heart cry ever since, although unidentified by most of us, has been to return to that place of dominion our original human ancestors once enjoyed. We long to find what they lost.




“The greatest failure in life is being successful in the wrong assignment.”




THE KEYS TO LIFE




Every human is searching for the simple formula to a successful, fulfilled life. They want to find the one key that unlocks the door to the good life and answers the questions of their heart. Perhaps this is why The Secret became a sudden best-selling book even though its reign was short lived. This book promised the final key to life and success. (I was amazed to find when I read this book, that is was simply a restatement of all the principles already written in the Bible, and the same material I and many others have been sharing for years. In essence, the secret was never a secret.)




If you conducted a sidewalk poll in any city, anywhere in the world, and asked people, “What is the key to life?” you would get many different answers. Some would say the key to life is to make as much money as you can, as quickly as you can, and to hold onto it as long as you can. Others would “see gaining political power and influence as the key to life. Love would be the key for many.




Then there are always those who would say that there is no key to life. Life is an accident; it just happened and therefore has no key or significance. The fact is, most people don’t know the key to life. This is why so many people live tragic lives; they don’t know why they are here. They haven’t a clue about how to make their time on this earth count for something worthwhile. Their existence is, in many ways, a kind of “living death,” because a life without purpose is not really a life at all.




So what is the key to life? Finding your true purpose and living it. I know the word purpose has been almost over-used in recent years and many think they understand it, but I wish to advise that this most essential component in life has never and can never be exhausted. Let me sum this up in four statements that all relate to purpose—four “keys” to understanding the difference between a purpose-filled life and a life with no meaning.




The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life without a purpose. Many people today are obsessed with finding ways to prolong their lives. They are so caught up with trying to live longer that they never stop to consider why they are living at all. Drifting from one day to the next without purpose, with untapped potential and unfulfilled dreams; this is for many a fate worse than death. The rising suicide rate in modern society bears this truth out. Many people, bereft of hope, take their own lives because they find death more appealing than continuing what is to them a meaningless existence. Finding our purpose in life is critically important.




Second, the greatest challenge in life is knowing what to do. We get up every day and go about our daily activities, but are we doing what we are supposed to be doing? With all the options and choices that lie before us every day, that can be a difficult question to answer. Do you know what to do with your life? What drive gets you out of bed every morning? What purpose propels you through each day? Are you living for a paycheck? Or are you living for a purpose? With each passing day you grow older and use up more of your time and energy. Are you doing what you are supposed to be doing? Do you even know what to do? These are tough questions, but learning the answers is vital to your future.




Next, the greatest mistake in life is being busy, but not effective. Being busy is a common human pastime. But just because you’re busy doesn’t mean that what you’re doing is worth doing. Many people deceive themselves into believing that being busy all the time gives their lives significance. Significance has nothing to do with busyness but everything to do with effectiveness. Yahusha of Nazareth was the most effective person who ever lived but He was never busy. Everything Yahusha did had purpose. He knew what He was supposed to do and did it, and that made Him effective. It is a tragedy to waste time and energy on unfocused busyness because those resources, once expended, can never be regained. We must learn how to live effectively without being busy.




And finally, the greatest failure in life is being successful in the wrong assignment. Success alone is not enough; you must succeed in the right thing. Sincerity alone is not enough because you can be sincerely wrong. Faithfulness alone is not enough and because you can be faithful to the wrong faith. Commitment alone is not enough because you can be committed to the wrong cause. Succeeding in the wrong assignment is failure.




If a teacher gives you a test and instructs you to answer only the odd-numbered questions, and you answer the even-numbered questions instead, even if you answer every question correctly you will still fail because you didn’t follow instructions. You succeeded in the wrong assignment, which means you failed. Yah is not impressed with our sincerity, faithfulness, commitment, or success unless we are pursuing the right assignment—His assignment. Anything else is failure.




ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS




As any successful person will tell you, one of the fundamental keys to success in any field of endeavor is learning to establish priorities and then living by them. Any activity that does not fit into or advance any of those priorities is put on the backburner or even eliminated, even if that activity is good in and of itself. Even good activities, if they are incompatible with our established priorities, can become unnecessary distractions that hinder our progress toward success. A priority is the principal thing upon which we place our primary focus. It is that thing we consider to be of highest value and worth, first among all others. Establishing priorities means ranking everything in order of importance, determining which is most important, and then focusing our time, attention, and energy there. It is a matter of putting first things first.




Essentially, our success boils down to the issue of how efficiently and effectively we use our time. Learning to establish priorities, or to put first things first, is a critical key to effective time management. Most of us are busy people for whom time is at a premium. Remember, however, that busyness does not necessarily mean effectiveness. Successful people are effective people because they know how to set priorities. Priorities help us avoid distractions, focus on the most important things, and get the most value out of our time every day.




Success in life is the effective use of time. Each of us is the sum total of what we spend our time on. The person you are today is a result of how you have used your time in the past. If you are overweight, for example, it may be because you have spent too much time sitting around eating and watching television, and not enough time exercising and being active in other ways. If you are ignorant and lacking in knowledge, you may be spending time on aimless and unproductive activities that would be better spent reading books or going to school. The way you invest your time determines the level of your success.




We need to pay close attention to time because time is the true measure of life. Our life on earth is essentially human consciousness residing in a physical body that exists in a linear but finite continuum of time and space. In the life to come, in eternity, time will not be a factor, but now it is. In our physical existence we are bound by the constraints of time.




Time is also the currency of life. Currency is the medium of exchange used in an economy to purchase goods and services. Just as money is the currency of an economy, time is the currency of life. And just as we use money to purchase things, we use time to purchase life. Financial success always involves the wise investment of money to get the biggest possible return for the smallest outlay. In the same way, success in life means receiving the greatest returns and benefits—to ourselves as well as to others—for the time invested. Every morning we all wake up with the same amount of time currency: 24 hours. Where we go and how high we rise in life depend on how we spend and invest that irreplaceable currency.




It stands to reason, then, that how we spend our time determines the quality of our life and death. How will people feel when you die? Will they be sad…or relieved? The way you invest your time on this side of the grave will make the difference. Our quality of life (and that of the people closest to us) is directly related to how we spend our currency of time. We will be healthy, wealthy, wise, and spiritually mature in direct proportion to the time we invest in these things. In a very real sense we become what we spend our time on. Time is a precious commodity that must be carefully and wisely invested.




Because time is currency and a precious commodity, it should come as no surprise to discover that everything and everyone is after our time. Modern life is a constant bombardment of voices, ideas, opinions, causes, and expectations, from people in every degree of acquaintance, all vying for our time and attention. Some of it is worthwhile and deserves our attention; most of it does not.




How do we tell the difference? This is where establishing priorities comes in. Without clear priorities, we run the danger of wasting precious time listening to the wrong voices or allowing ourselves to be drawn in the wrong direction.




Knowing your priorities will help you evaluate the voices pulling at you and identify those that are the most important. The best way to minimize confusion is to get into the habit of deciding beforehand how you will spend your time each day. Personally, I plan out my time and focus for each day the day before. I have found that knowing where I am headed as I go into each day helps me avoid unnecessary distractions along the way. You can’t give your time or attention to every competing voice, so let your priorities help you zero in on those that are the most important. Let the others go.




Coming full circle, then, we see that the key to success is effective use of time, and the key to effective use of time is correct priorities. The only way to spend your time currency effectively is to identify the correct priorities for your life. If you do not know what you are supposed to do, where you are supposed to go, or how you are going to get there, you are in constant danger of abusing your currency and allowing others to do the same. Take it from me, nothing is more rewarding than to wake up in the morning knowing exactly what to do and knowing that what you are doing is right and correct.




Notice that I did not use the word “good.” Good is not always right. Many times we end up abusing our currency because we are distracted by good things that take the place of right things, thereby causing us to be busy, but not effective.




Yah is not impressed with busyness. The only way to live effectively is to use your time on the correct priorities for your life. Some of your priorities may be good, but not correct. It is important to learn the difference. Time wasted on incorrect priorities is currency that is gone forever. It can never be regained.




THE PRIORITY OF PRIORITY




In addition to helping us use our time effectively, there are numerous other significant reasons why establishing priorities should be a priority for us. For one thing, preoccupation with priority preserves and protects life. What is life? Time. And what is priority? Doing the right thing at the right time in the right way. Priority will protect your life because doing the right thing at the right time in the right way keeps us from doing the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong way. Priority enables us to spend our days putting first things first.




Second, correct priority is the principle of progress. True progress is measured not by how much we get done but by whether or not we are moving in the right direction. We may accomplish many good things, but if we are focused on the wrong things, we will not make any progress toward our true goal.




If I set out to drive from Denver, south to Colorado Springs, but end up heading north toward Fort Collins, I may “progress” many miles, but in the wrong direction. I will never reach my intended objective. Movement is not necessarily a sign of progress any more than busyness is a sign of effectiveness.




It’s important to move in the right direction, and that means finding Yah’s priority. Aligning ourselves with Yah’s priority ensures that we will always travel in the right direction in life. And what is Yah’s priority? Kingdom first!




Correct priority also protects time. As we saw earlier, knowing and doing what is most important helps us avoid abusing time and wasting that precious currency.




In addition to protecting time, correct priority also protects energy. When our lives are correctly prioritized, we can afford to exert our energy with confidence because we know we are using it effectively, correctly, and for the right purpose. We should strive not to be busy but to be correct. Our energy and Yah’s priority are too important for us to wake up one morning and realize that everything we have done for the last ten or twenty years was wrong! Correct priorities give us the energy to put first things first—to seek first the Kingdom of Yah and His righteousness.




A fifth reason for focusing on priorities: correct priority protects talents and gifts. Knowing your priorities will help you avoid expending your talents and gifts on unimportant or unworthy endeavors. Most people today use their gifts and abilities in the pursuit of selfish and worldly goals that have nothing to do with the Kingdom of Heaven. Their top priority is gratifying their own desires. However, even good and honorable pursuits can become a problem if they distract us from other endeavors that are more important.




Imagine looking back from the autumn years of your life and realizing that you wasted your gifts and talents on the wrong things, never accomplishing what you were put here on earth to do. What a tragedy that would be! Establishing correct priorities in your life now will help ensure that never happens. Correct priorities means Yah’s priority, and Yah’s priority is Kingdom first! With Yah’s priority in place as your priority, you can pursue life with confidence and no fear of later regret.




Correct priority also protects decisions. Once you know what your priorities are, decision making becomes very easy because you understand not only what you should be doing but also what you should not be doing. This gives you confidence to say no to requests, even honorable ones that would distract you from your primary focus. Every decision you make either helps or hinders you in fulfilling your life purpose. Unless you know the priorities of your life, you have no guidelines to help you make the correct choice. Setting your heart on Yah’s priority will enable you to choose the right course and maximize your life’s effectiveness.




Along with decision making, correct priority protects discipline. People without priorities usually are undisciplined people. Since they do not know which direction to go, they shoot out in every direction, following every whim, going nowhere, and dissipating any possible effectiveness they could have. Establishing correct priorities injects automatic discipline into your life because it gives your life a sharp and narrow focus with laser-like intensity. Priority-induced discipline protects you from wasting your time, energy, effort, talents, gifts and, especially, your life.




It is easy to say no when you know what yes is. Having correct priorities takes the guesswork out of decision making and discipline.




This brings us to the final point for the importance of priority: correct priority simplifies life. If you want your life to become simple, simply find out what your priorities should be and live accordingly. That’s really all there is to it. The young country preacher, Yahusha Hamachiach, lived life more effectively than all others, yet His life was very simple.




What was the secret to His amazingly effective life? He reduced all of life to two simple pursuits: (1) a Kingdom from a place called Heaven, and (2) a concept He called righteousness. In fact for the entire duration of His earthly ministry He focused only on these two subjects and related all of His principles, precepts, laws, and instructions to them.




He had only one message—the Kingdom of Heaven and righteousness—and He promised that those who made this pursuit their priority would lead a full, successful, and satisfied life. The majority of those who claim to represent Him do not promote the message He taught, and many have never considered it. It is hardly ever heard from the pulpits or the classrooms of the educational institutions that claim to train professional speakers and ministers to represent Him.




I strongly admonish and encourage you as you read the rest of this work, to take time to read the record of His life and ministry on earth found in the four Gospels of the biblical New Testament. I am certain you will be amazed and perhaps shocked to discover His original message and focus.




Time after time Yahusha said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…the Kingdom of Heaven is like…the Kingdom of Heaven is like.” Without a doubt, the Kingdom was His priority and He instructed that it must be ours too. His priority was never religion or rituals, but the introduction of a heavenly Kingdom to the earth realm.




We tend to prioritize our lives around things: food, drink, clothing, a paycheck, a car, a house. A lack in any of these areas causes us to become stressed-out and fearful, and our prayers start to focus almost exclusively on our needs. Yahusha, however, tells us not to worry about these things because our heavenly Father knows that we need them (see Matt. 6:31-32). Instead, Yahusha says, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). In other words, if we take care of Yah’s priority—His Kingdom—He will take care of ours.




The Kingdom of Heaven was the singular focus of Yahusha’ life and message. It was His priority because it was His Father’s priority. It was His first priority.




And it must be our priority as well. First things first!




PRINCIPLES




1.We each have a built-in drive to rule and dominate, to exercise control over our circumstances and environment.




2.Yah’s highest priority is restoring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.




3.When we understand Kingdom first! we will understand how to live effectively on earth.




4.The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life without a purpose.




5.The greatest challenge in life is knowing what to do.




6.The greatest mistake in life is being busy, but not effective.




7.The greatest failure in life is being successful in the wrong assignment.




8.Success in life is the effective use of time.




9.The key to effective use of time is correct priorities.




10.Aligning ourselves with Yah’s priority ensures that we will always travel in the right direction in life.

WHY THE WHOLE WORLD NEEDS THE GOVERNOR

Genesis Chapter 3










Today we are walking in: Why The Whole World Needs The Governor










Today we look to the word-NEED- H4270- machcowr- deficiency; hence, impoverishment:—lack, need, penury, poor, poverty, want.









The Torah testifies………...




Deuteronomy 15:8




But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need H4270, in that which he wanteth.









The Prophets proclaim………….




1 Samuel 21:15




Have I need H4270 of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?









The Writings witness……….




2 Chronicles 2:16




And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need H4270: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.







Why the Whole World Needs the Governor




Any effective and appropriate help for our world and its plight cannot come from the world itself.




As the millennial clock struck, measuring and recording the passage of time on planet earth, ushering us into the uncharted waters of the twenty-first century, everything in our world and generation seemed to begin to unravel. All the secure foundations of our long-established institutions have been shaken to the core.




With the advent of global terrorism; economic uncertainty and insecurity; escalating oil prices and fuel costs; the reemerging threat of nuclear weapons; ethnic, cultural, religious, and racial conflicts; political and diplomatic compromise; moral and social disintegration; and a global upsurge in human fear, the Ruach of despair among earth’s planet dwellers is becoming a norm.




This fear is compounded by the attempts of humankind, with its limited appreciation for human beings’ inherent defects, to address these global conditions through intellectual, religious, scientific, philosophical, and political systems. Perhaps the greatest evidence of humanity’s failure in this regard is the seemingly impotent effects of primary human institutions and coalitions, such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, and the Group of Eight.




If one is to be honest, perhaps it may be realistic to conclude that any effective and appropriate help for our world and its plight cannot come from the world itself. We need help from another world. It is my conviction and experience that humankind cannot and will not solve its self-generated problems. Humanity must look to another world for assistance. My conviction of this fact was the foundation for, and became the essence of, this teaching. Our natural world needs relevant, practical, and effective help. We need our governing institutions to be governed by a higher, more superior government.




This is why the whole world—each individual in it, as well as the world collectively—needs to acknowledge and experience the return of the Governor. We have seen that the restoration of the heavenly kingdom on earth can come only through the life and power of the King, given to us through the Governor. This kingdom is infinitely higher and more powerful than any government on earth, and yet it is immediately relevant to the world we live in.




Nations are only as good as their communities, and communities are only as good as the families that comprise them. Families are only as good as the individuals of which they consist. Therefore, the quality of a nation is determined by the quality of its people. This is especially true and critical in regard to the leadership of a nation. Often, as the leaders go, so goes the nation. The values, standards, and moral consciences of our leaders frequently determine the decisions and laws of our nations, and they influence the lifestyles and cultures of the people.




It is imperative, therefore, to understand that if the people of our nations, the individuals we appoint as leaders over us, and the institutions of our societies do not have a higher source of reference for their convictions, beliefs, morals, values, and standards, then we will continue to be victims of our own corrupt nature.




This is why the Creator’s design for humankind’s life on earth requires that human beings be filled with the very Ruach of the Creator himself—the Ruach HaQadesh—the Governor of heaven. In essence, national community and global life on earth was intended to be lived through and by the Ruach HaQadesh, the Governor. The person and role of the Ruach HaQadesh is not a religious issue, but a social, economic, cultural, and political concern. The Ruach HaQadesh is therefore a national and international issue and must be seen and presented as such.




Individual Purpose and Fulfillment




As individuals, each of us needs the Governor for true life, purpose, and effectiveness. The breath of the Ruach that originally ignited life in the first human being did so in three distinct ways: (1) in the invisible Ruach of man, made in the image of Yah; (2) in the soul of man—the total human consciousness of mind, will, and emotions; and (3) in the physical body of man, the living vessel housing his Ruach and soul. While Adam’s soul and body gave him an awareness of his earthly environment, the Ruach of Yah within him gave his Ruach a consciousness of his Creator-King and the ability to communicate directly with the heavenly government.




Human beings must return to this life and wholeness again. We were created to express the nature of Yah, and we can relate to and reflect his nature only if we actually have his nature within us through his indwelling Ruach.




The meaning of our individual lives—living out our purposes and exercising our full potential—is therefore totally dependent on our receiving the Governor.




A World Community of Kings and Priests




While our King communicates with us individually, it is not his intention that the citizens of his kingdom live in isolation. His plan is a community of kings and priests who will reign on earth. The Governor is the key to life for all of humanity. The world community therefore needs to be led by the Governor if it, also, is to become what it was created to be.




Corporately, the world has rejected the presence and influence of the Governor. This is why we experience wars, natural disasters, and social crises on earth.

The King wants the world to receive the Governor again. He wants the earth to be rid of the pain, sorrow, destruction, and death that are plaguing it. The restoration of the heavenly government reinstates humankind’s ability to affect and control circumstances on earth through the Ruach HaQadesh.




When a community of kings and priests works together for the right reasons—honoring and expressing the nature of our King—and acts in genuine unity, we will have powerful potential to influence the earth with the nature of the kingdom.




It will enable us to encourage and create...




√ social stability.




√ economic development.




√ environmental soundness.




√ educational advancement.




√ physical health and wholeness.




√ scientific innovation.




√ political honesty.




√ governmental justice.




√ intercultural understanding.




A Benevolent Ruler




Who wouldn’t want to function under a government that provides for, encourages, and enables the fulfillment of the greatest individual and corporate potential in life? The prophet Isaiah described this heavenly government, under the rule of the King-Son through the Governor:




Power and peace will be in his kingdom and will continue to grow forever. He will rule as king on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom. He will make it strong by ruling with justice and goodness from now on and forever. The Most High All-Powerful will do this because of his strong love for his people.




Again, this rule is a reality only because of the King’s great love for his citizens, and his desire for their highest good in life.




The Scriptures, however, also talk about the very real presence of another, malevolent ruler and his cohorts who seek to control this world:




The ruler of the kingdom of the air, the Ruach who is now at work in those who are disobedient.




Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.




For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.




The ruler of this dark world is Lucifer, or Hasatan, the treasonous former general and worship leader of heaven who has attacked the good of humankind since the very beginning of our existence. He would like to perpetuate the sorrow and darkness of the world so that he can continue to control it. He desires to consolidate the people of the world under his harsh rule so they can never become free.




This is why it was essential that the King-Son came to destroy Hasatan’s power over the world, transferring us from being under the darkness of a corrupt world into the light of the heavenly kingdom. The prophet Isaiah wrote,




The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.




While Hasatan is described in terms of darkness and death, Yahusha, the King-Son, is described in the Scriptures in terms of light and life:




[He will] shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.




He was with Yah in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.




Yahusha spoke of himself in these terms:




I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.




Yahusha told the theologian-apostle Paul,




I am sending you to [the world] to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Hasatan to Yah, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.




Paul taught first-century kingdom believers,




For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Most High. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth).




For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.




The nations of the world urgently need the light and life of the kingdom, which comes only from the Son-King through the Governor. The presence of the kingdom of heaven on earth, through the Ruach HaQadesh’s return, is the message of the Scriptures, and it is the message of Yahusha. The story of humanity—and therefore of all of us—is inextricably tied to this kingdom. Exercising kingdom dominion on earth, under the guidance of the Governor, is our collective purpose and calling.




As we yield to the Governor’s presence and work in our lives, we will spread the kingdom of Yah on earth. Change will take place in all areas of life and in people of all national and ethnic backgrounds, East and West; and from all social and economic circumstances. The CEO, the teacher, the artist, the financial analyst, the health care worker, the farmer, the scientist, the economist, the seamstress, the governmental leader, and the homemaker will be transformed according to the heavenly kingdom, so that life, and not confusion, stress, and death, will be the result.




The Ruach gives life to the world, in the fullest extent of the word. Whatever comes into being through the influence of the Ruach will eventually bring life to people, and can reach whole countries and influence the world community. For example, if all the judges in a nation are under the guidance of the heavenly Governor, and if their minds are immersed in the philosophy of the kingdom, you will not have to wonder what kind of judgments they will hand down, nor will you have to suffer under unjust laws. A culture influenced by the Ruach will be a culture that preserves and protects life. “The mind controlled by the Ruach is life and peace.”




The Complete Transformation of the Earth into the Kingdom




The world is ultimately moving toward complete transformation into the King’s image and nature. This plan will climax in the creation of a new heaven and earth. In effect, heaven and earth will become one, so that there will be no essential distinction between the two, and Yah himself will live among his people.




The disciple John described the earth’s total transformation into the kingdom of heaven’s nature, mind-set, and values. In the italicized words in brackets, I describe what I see as the implications for kingdom life:




Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away [the earth is totally aligned with the heavenly kingdom, with no trace of the kingdom of darkness]....




I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Yah, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband [the citizens of the kingdom are totally pure, set apart, and integrated; they are one with the nature of Yah and in harmony with themselves]....




And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of Yah is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and Yah himself will be with them and be their Yah.” [The Governor continues to dwell within the King’s people, and there is nothing to separate the King from his beloved children.]




He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” [The kingdom of darkness has been completely destroyed, and the kingdom of life and light totally reigns on earth.]




The creation of a new heaven and earth will be the apex of the plan of the King for the coming of the Governor, which he had in mind from the beginning. The people of earth will be a true world community of kings and priests living out the kingdom life in its fullness.




Citizens of the Kingdom




The disciple Peter wrote the following declaration to the kingdom citizens of his day, which applies to us, as well.




But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to Yah, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of Yah; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.




The Ruach HaQadesh is the key to the world; he is the most important person on earth because he brings us the presence and power of the kingdom of heaven. May you be reconciled to your Creator-King, receive the Governor into your life, and live as the royal kingdom citizen you were always meant to be!

THE GOVERNOR’S ADMINISTRATION PART 2

Genesis Chapter 3










Today we are walking in: The Governor’s Administration Part 2







Today we look to the word-POWER-H3027 yad-- strength, power







The Torah testifies...............




Deuteronomy 32:36




For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power H3027 is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.












The prophets proclaim..................




Nehemiah 1:10




Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. H3027















The writings bear witness...........................




2 Kings 19:26




Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, H3027 they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.







The Authorized Power of Miracles




“To another miraculous powers.” In one sense, all gifts of the Ruach are miracles because they are beyond our natural experience. But miraculous powers or the working of miracles are specific acts that defy human understanding. They “blow the mind.” As such, a miracle is a supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of nature, a temporary suspension in the accustomed order of things by an act of the Ruach of Yah. Some examples of this gift include...




√ Moses’ parting of the Red Sea, which allowed the Israelites to escape the pursuing Egyptians on dry ground.




√ The continual flow of a widow’s supply of oil and flour during a famine, through the intervention of the prophet Elijah.




√ Yahusha’ feeding of more than five thousand people by the multiplication of just five small loaves and two fish.




√ Yahusha’ raising of Lazarus from the dead.




√ Peter’s raising of Dorcas from the dead.




√ The temporary blinding of Elymas the sorcerer, who opposed Paul’s proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom.




Interestingly, the Greek word for miraculous or miracles, in reference to this gift, is dunamis, the same word used for the power that Yahusha said would come upon his followers when the Ruach HaQadesh was poured out upon them. Miracles are an “explosion” of kingdom power; they are wonders that bring astonishment to people who witness them.




In the administration of the kingdom of heaven on earth, then, miracles are the government providing for the special needs of people. Whatever the miracle is, whether it is supplying food, raising the dead, or something else, it is provision. Miracles are not entertainment; they are the result of the Governor, through citizens under his authority, performing actions that confirm the presence of the kingdom and its ability to transform the environment of the colony.




The Authorized Power of Prophecy




“To another prophecy.” Prophecy is a message from the King, supernaturally given, in an earthly language known to the hearer or hearers. It is the heavenly government giving its citizens confirmation about information the government has previously told them.




Paul wrote this concerning the gift of prophecy:




Pursue love, yet desire earnestly Spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to Yah; for no one understands, but in his Ruach he speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation [or, “comfort”]. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the community. Now I wish that you all spoke in languages, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in languages, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.




The purpose of prophecy, Paul said, is for edification, exhortation, and consolation or comfort. He indicated that prophecy is the most important gift of all because it edifies kingdom citizens. The word edification in the Greek means “‘the act of building’...in the sense of...the promotion of Spiritual growth.” It therefore signifies strengthening or building people up in the ways of the kingdom. The Greek word translated exhortation means “‘a calling to one’s side’; hence, either ‘an exhortation, or consolation, comfort.’” Comfort means “‘a speaking closely to anyone,’ hence denotes ‘consolation, comfort,’ with a greater degree of tenderness” than exhortation. I think of this word in the sense of calming people down in the face of difficulty and bringing peace to them.




Paul specifically said that the gift of prophecy should be earnestly sought, for the betterment of others. As the prophet Joel said, “Your sons and daughters will prophesy,” and “Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Ruach in those days, and they will prophesy.”




Prophecy is obviously a vital gift to kingdom citizens, but it has been too often misused. Here are some guidelines in using this gift:




1.Prophecy is not one-sided. It must be confirmed by giver and receiver.




2.Prophecy usually confirms something already known by the receiver, rather than being the means of giving direc- tion to that person.




3.Prophecy speaks to the intellect and understanding.




4.Edification, exhortation, and comfort may be delivered through a biblical teaching from a leader in an assembly of kingdom citizens.




5.The gift of prophecy should not be rejected. Paul wrote, “Do not quench the Ruach. Do not despise prophecies.”




6. Prophecy should be tested rather than automatically accepted. Paul also said, “Test everything. Hold on to the good,” and “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.”




7. Someone who gives a prophecy is not “under the control” of the prophecy. He has a choice whether or not to speak it and can decide when is an appropriate time to speak it. When someone receives a prophecy, he must draw on the qualities or fruit of the Ruach, exercising self-control in regard to its use. As Paul said, “For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged,” and “The Ruachs of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For Yah is not a Yah of disorder but of peace.”




We should also note that there is a distinction between the gift of prophecy, which all citizens are encouraged to seek, and the office of prophet, which is given by the Ruach to certain kingdom citizens. We can think of the distinction in this way: the gift of prophecy is about forthtelling, or declaring the will of the King, while the office of prophet also includes foretelling, or the government giving a citizen the ability to receive news before it happens. This may be an announcement of what the King plans to do in the future. A prophet usually has other revelation gifts operating in his life, as well, such as the word of knowledge or wisdom, or the discerning of Ruachs.




If someone exercises the gift of prophecy, this doesn’t necessarily mean he has the office of prophet. In other words, this may not be his regular position or responsibility on behalf of the heavenly government. It just means he has been given special information from the King at that particular time. Some people witness others exercising the office of prophet and decide that they’d like to foretell the future, too. If they try to prophesy in an unauthorized way, this leads to confusion and an abuse of the gift. Each person should function only in the gifts the Governor gives him.




The following are some examples of prophecy:




√ The disciples at Ephesus “spoke in languages and prophesied” when they received the baptism in the Ruach HaQadesh.




√ Philip the evangelist had four daughters who prophesied.




√ Agabus the prophet predicted the famine in the Roman world as well as Paul’s being taken prisoner to face Caesar in Rome.




The authorized power of prophecy, therefore, is the Governor providing a kingdom citizen with information that supports and encourages his fellow citizens in the life of the kingdom. For example, when the Bahamas was still under the kingdom of Great Britain, we would receive various communications from the government, such as, “A storm is coming, but we have a plan in place to address any problems that may arise. If something should happen, here’s what the government will do.” Similarly, a prophecy from the heavenly kingdom might be, “You’re going through a tough time, but we’re sending help to address the problems and relieve your distress.”




In this way, prophecy is a reminder to kingdom citizens that the heavenly government is still at work on their behalf, no matter what they might be going through. After we have received a prophecy, even if we don’t see it immediately manifested, we can know that everything we need is on the way— whether it’s deliverance, freedom, peace, or healing.




The Authorized Power of Discernment




“To another distinguishing between Ruachs.” Distinguishing between Ruachs or the discerning of Ruachs gives a kingdom citizen insight into the supernatural world and its workings. Its revelation is focused on a single class of beings, Ruachs, and should not be confused with discernment that comes as a result of a word of wisdom. It is not a kind of Spiritual mind reading, psychic insight, or mental penetration. Neither is it the discerning of other people’s character or faults. It concerns nonhuman Spiritual entities. Some believe it only has to do with discerning evil Ruachs; however, it refers to discerning both good Spiritual beings, who are part of the heavenly kingdom, and evil Spiritual beings, who are part of the kingdom of darkness. Paul wrote, “HaSatan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” We need to be able to tell whether messages or impressions we receive are from the King or his enemy.




One example of the authorized power of discernment is the ability to discern the visible likeness of Yah.




√ Moses was given this capability, as he recorded in his second book, Exodus:




Then the Most High said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”




√ Isaiah the prophet was given this capacity through a vision of the holy King of heaven. He wrote,




In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Most High seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Most High Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”




Another example of this gift is the revelation of the source of a supernatural manifestation:




√ Paul discerned that the slave girl who had a Ruach of divination, or the ability to predict the future, was under the control of the power of the kingdom of darkness, and he cast the demon out of her.




√ A centurion named Cornelius recognized that the angel who appeared to him in a vision was from Yah, and he acted on the instructions he was given in that vision, so that he and his family and friends were connected to the heavenly kingdom.




The authorized power of discernment often works in conjunction with the word of wisdom or the word of knowledge. In terms of kingdom administration, this gift is the government giving a kingdom citizen sensitivity to the supernatural environment around him. For example, if you are experiencing difficulty in an area of delegated authority and can’t seem to accomplish your assignment, the authorized power of discernment may enable you to see that you are under attack from agents of the kingdom of darkness, and tell you what you need to do to overcome them.




The Authorized Power of Special or Different Kinds of languages




“To another speaking in different kinds of languages.” Different kinds of languages are supernatural utterances given by the Ruach HaQadesh in languages not necessarily understood by the speaker or hearer. They are either expressions from the Governor to the King on behalf of the citizens, or expressions from the King through the Governor in response to the citizens.




In the previous teaching, we talked about languages as the initial evidence of a kingdom citizen being filled with the Ruach HaQadesh. The emphasis was on heaven-given languages that every believer may receive. The purpose of speaking in these languages is for communication with the King- Father. It is mainly a devotional experience through which we praise and worship him and offer him requests.




We may therefore call the gift of different kinds of languages the public ministry of languages, as opposed to the personal expression of languages. The gift of different kinds of languages is manifested within a gathering of kingdom citizens. Paul wrote, “Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in languages? Do all interpret?” He was referring to specific and special gifts given by the Governor to whom he wills, for the benefit of all citizens.




Finally, the gift of special languages sometimes takes the form of earthly language(s) that those outside the kingdom can understand, and by which they can be drawn to be reconciled with the King. Therefore, languages are the heavenly government giving a kingdom citizen the ability to communicate its policies, wishes, and intents to both citizens of the kingdom and other inhabitants of the earth.




The Authorized Power of Interpretation of languages




“To still another the interpretation of languages.” The power of interpretation of languages is manifested when the Governor reveals to a kingdom citizen the meaning of an utterance spoken in special languages, and the person speaks that interpretation to the assembly. I believe the word interpretation is important in this context. This is not a word-for-word translation but an interpretation that makes the communication comprehensible in the human language of the citizens.




For example, when we are dealing with human languages, there are some phrases and idioms in one language that cannot be translated into another language on a word-by-word basis and still convey their essential meaning, especially if colloquialisms are involved. This might occur when, for example, we take something spoken in English and interpret it for French- speaking people. For this reason, there may be a difference in length between the original statement and its interpretation. The same thing applies in the interpretation of languages. An utterance in a heaven-given language may lead to an interpretation of longer or shorter length than the original utterance.




Interpretation of languages obviously does not operate as an independent gift; it is dependent on the gift of languages. Its purpose is to render the meaning of languages intelligible to the hearers so that the whole assembly of kingdom citizens can be instructed, warned, strengthened, or encouraged by it. As Paul wrote, “He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in languages, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.”




Effective Service




All these examples of authorized power are very practical and have to do with effective service on behalf of the heavenly kingdom in the colony of earth. Each gift comes from and is working for the same Ruach. Again, the gifts exist to show evidence of the presence of the government in the colony and to reveal the benevolent nature of the King and his desire to give the best to his citizens. All are given by the same Governor, who delegates them as he chooses. He may cause someone to exercise a gift just one time or he may enable him to continually manifest it. We must be sensitive to the ways in which the Governor is working and not try to force something he isn’t doing or quench something he is doing.




Receiving the Baptism in the Ruach HaQadesh




Authorized power comes through the baptism in the Ruach HaQadesh. All kingdom citizens need this baptism in order to live victoriously on earth and fulfill their calling as ambassadors of the King. As we have seen, receiving the new birth is the first step; being baptized in the Ruach HaQadesh is the second step. Without the baptism, we’re not prepared to live on earth and serve the kingdom of heaven as well as we could. Many believers have entered into a relationship with the King but have experienced little of the power of the King, which is necessary for kingdom life to be fully and effectively expressed.




Spiritual power is the privilege of every believer who seeks to be filled to overflowing with the presence of the Governor. We receive the legal right or authority of the King when we receive the new birth. John the disciple wrote, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of Yah.” But Yahusha said we would also receive a different kind of power, a power of enablement, an explosive power: “You will receive power when the Ruach HaQadesh comes on you.” Again, the Greek word translated power here is dunamis, or “miraculous power,” from which we get the word dynamite.




This enablement is present to some degree in conversion, but its fullness is received with the baptism in the Ruach HaQadesh, and as we continue to walk in the Ruach. We receive the person of the Ruach HaQadesh in the new birth, and we receive the power of the Ruach HaQadesh in the baptism. We need the person of the Ruach HaQadesh to enter into the kingdom of heaven, but we need the baptism in the Ruach to live victoriously on earth.




First, this power gives us the ability to witness to the nature and purpose of Yahusha Hamachiach in reconciling the world to the King-Father. Second, this power is available at all times and in all places. Before the outpouring of the Ruach at Shavuot, Yahusha’ disciples experienced kingdom power when he commissioned them to heal the sick and cast out demons in the towns of Judea. Yet this power was not a permanent presence in their lives. However, because Yahusha has returned to the Father and poured out his Ruach into our lives, this power can now remain within us.




The King-Son has placed his plans for redeeming and healing the world in our hands through the administration of the Governor. Enabling power is imperative for us if we are to fulfill this role. But we must also understand the nature of this power. I know some people who have been baptized in the Ruach HaQadesh without really understanding the gift they have been given. At some point, they need to understand the baptism or its power will never be fully realized in them, or they will abuse it.





1.Know that the Ruach HaQadesh, the Governor, is a gift to be received, not earned.




2.Put yourself in a position to receive the outpouring of the Ruach. The new birth, or salvation, is a prerequisite. The disciple Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Yahusha Hamachiach for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Ruach HaQadesh.”




3.Ask the King-Father for the outpouring of his Ruach, and do not be afraid that you will receive something false. Yahusha said, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Ruach HaQadesh to those who ask him!” We can be sure that our King-Father will not give his children a counterfeit when they ask to receive his Ruach HaQadesh.




4.Expect to speak in languages. The Ruach HaQadesh will give you the words, but you will do the speaking. Some people wait for the Ruach HaQadesh to “take over” their languages. Yet the whole experience is a cooperative act between the divine and the human. Allow your Ruach, not your intellect or previous experience, to lead you.




5.Continue to walk in the Ruach. We remain filled with the Ruach and ready to be used by the King-Father in the world as we daily seek the Governor, yield to him, and obey his directions. Since the Ruach works through the Word of Yah, we must read the Scriptures continually to understand the mind and heart of the King and to be ready to combine his will with his power for fulfilling it.




The baptism in the Ruach HaQadesh is a release of heavenly power—in and through you. Praying in languages is an interpersonal experience between you, the Ruach HaQadesh, and the Father. Therefore, as you experience a release of Yah’s power in your life, and as you pray to the Father in a heaven-given language, you may experience emotion. This is not emotion for emotion’s sake, but emotion that is related to Yah’s power and truth. Though the experience can be emotional, Yah expects us to have a proper handle on our emotions. Paul taught, “The Ruachs of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.” In this way, we won’t be carried away with our own desires and plans, rather than Yah’s.




May the King bless you as you administer his nature and will on earth through his kingdom power.

THE GOVERNOR’S ADMINISTRATION

Genesis Chapter 3










Today we are walking in: The Governor’s Administration







Today we look to the word-SPIRIT- H7307-RUWACH-wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being:—air, anger, blast, breath,







The Torah Testifies……………………….




Exodus 28:3




And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit H7307 of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.










The Prophets Proclaim……………………….





Isaiah 31:3




Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit H7307. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.










The Writings Witness………………………..




Psalm 34:18




The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. H7307







The Governor’s Administration




The need for government is evidenced in humanity’s failure to manage itself.




The primary responsibility of a governor is administration over the territory entrusted to him. Likewise, the heavenly Governor is responsible for governmental administration over the colony of earth. He is present to train kingdom citizens on how to have dominion in the territory, because that’s our official function under his leadership.




As we saw in a previous teaching, the gifts of the Ruach are the delegation and distribution of powers by the Governor to kingdom citizens, in order to execute government business in the colony. They are for the purpose of impacting the earthly environment. When the King-Son was on earth, he healed people, cast out demons, did miracles, and even turned water into wine to help out the host of a wedding. He did practical works on earth. He was out solving people’s problems through the power of the Governor. And this is the work he continues in our lives today through the Ruach HaQadesh.




Authorized Power Is Given as the Governor Wills




In an earthly kingdom, the governor was given power by the king to appoint various people to governmental posts in the colony. The same is true concerning the heavenly government. Paul, after listing various gifts of the Ruach, wrote, “All these are the work of one and the same Ruach, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” What gifts, and to whom he delegates them, are his prerogative and responsibility. We need to learn how to use the authority and power of the Governor in the right way so we can deliver his wonderful works to the world and bring about a change of kingdoms on earth.




Paul listed a number of gifts of the Ruach in his first letter to the kingdom citizens living in the city of Corinth:




Now about Spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant....To one there is given through the Ruach the message [or, “word”] of wisdom, to another the message [or, “word”] of knowledge by means of the same Ruach, to another faith by the same Ruach, to another gifts of healing by that one Ruach, to another miraculous powers [or, “the working of miracles”], to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between Ruachs [or, “discerning of Ruachs”], to another speaking in different kinds of languages, and to still another the interpretation of languages.




Authorized Power Is Given for the Service of the Heavenly Government




Any authority and power that we receive from the Governor is for the service of the heavenly kingdom; it is not for our private benefit. As the Governor delegates kingdom authority to us, he teaches us, directly and through the Constitution of the kingdom, how to administer his gifts correctly and effectively. He shows us that administration has to do with serving others, not lording it over them. Peter wrote, in his first book, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering Yah’s grace in its various forms.” Likewise, Paul affirmed, There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Ruach. There are different kinds of service [or “administrations”], but the same Most High. There are different kinds of working, but the same Yah works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Ruach is given for the common good.




Unfortunately, there are some disturbing trends today in regard to the use of Spiritual gifts. Some people are using their gifts to make money off fellow kingdom citizens. They’re “selling” healings by telling people they will become well if they send money to them. Or they’re abusing their gifts by using, for example, a gift of prophecy to intimidate others by claiming to have a message from Yah that condemns rather than restores or builds up.




The purpose of true government is to serve its citizens. Therefore, if the Governor of the heavenly kingdom gives you a gift, you are to use it in service to your fellow kingdom citizens. It is not for making money, boosting your ego, or giving you control over others.




Authorized Power Is Not Personal Property




In an earthly government, if a governmental employee is given a car or a computer to carry out his duties, this is not his personal property to use in whatever way he chooses. It is to be used only to help fulfill his official responsibilities. The car or computer doesn’t belong to him; he has to return it if the government requests it or he leaves his employment. His use of such things is a privilege, not a right.




The same thing is true of Spiritual gifts given by the heavenly government. Some kingdom citizens, however, start to believe that the power they have been authorized to use by the Governor actually comes from their own abilities. This leads to the problem we just discussed, that of using this power for their own purposes. This is dangerous for both the person abusing the power and the ones he is supposed to be serving. He fails to fulfill his call, and the ones who are meant to benefit from his service go without the help they could have received.




The Authorization of Power Addresses All the Needs of the Colony




The Governor, in conjunction with the King-Son, delegates power to kingdom citizens in order to address all the needs of the colony for the greatest impact of the heavenly kingdom on earth. Paul wrote to the kingdom citizens in the city of Ephesus,




It was [Yahusha] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare Yah’s people for works of service, so that the body of Hamachiach may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of Yah and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Hamachiach.




Here Paul talked about Spiritual gifts in terms of specific roles, which are for building up all citizens in the kingdom. Thus, the kingdom shows its presence by its influence on the people and environment of the world. The authorized power given by the Governor to kingdom citizens also equips them to deal with conflict and opposition from the kingdom of darkness, which exists not to benefit, but to destroy, the inhabitants of earth.




Manifesting the Authorized Power of the Governor: The Gifts of the Ruach in Kingdom Terms




Let us now explore nine gifts of the Ruach, as listed by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. We will look at them in terms of specific administrations of the Governor on earth. There are three categories of gifts listed:




√ Three of them say something.




√ Three of them do something.




√ Three of them reveal something.




The three that “say” are gifts of utterance: prophecy, different kinds of languages, and the interpretation of languages. The three that “do” are gifts of power: faith, miraculous powers or the working of miracles, and gifts of healing. The three that “reveal” are gifts of revelation: the message or word of wisdom, the message or word of knowledge, and distinguishing or discerning between Ruachs.




While there are a variety of gifts, they have a unity of purpose—serving citizens of the kingdom by enabling them to take on the nature of the King and use the power of the kingdom to transform the earth into the image of heaven. We begin with the revelation gifts, which address things such as facts, events, purpose, motivation, destiny, and whether something is human, whether it is of the kingdom of heaven, or whether it is of the kingdom of darkness.




The Authorized Word of Wisdom




“To one there is given through the Ruach the message of wisdom.” The message or word of wisdom is a supernatural revelation by the Ruach HaQadesh concerning the mind and will of Yah and his divine purposes. It is authorized power from the Governor that gives kingdom citizens the ability to know the best thing to do in difficult or perplexing situations. For example, when you need legal advice, you contact a lawyer, and he gives you legal wisdom that is appropriate to your situation. The word of wisdom is special instructions from the King, through his Governor, about what to say or what to do in a particular instance.




There is natural wisdom that can be gained through a knowledge of the Constitution of the kingdom. For example, in the Old Testament book of Joshua, Yah encouraged Joshua, Moses’ successor, to apply what he learned from the Scriptures in order to have success in life: “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”




A word of supernatural wisdom is different from natural wisdom, however, in that it comes directly from the King to a citizen (or citizens) through the Governor, enabling him to deal judiciously in the affairs of life. Scriptural accounts reveal that this wisdom may come in the form of a vision, a dream, an angel (messenger) from the King, or a word or impression given to a kingdom citizen by the Governor. For example, in the life of Paul...




√ The Ruach HaQadesh spoke to kingdom citizens in the city of Antioch, instructing them that they were to set apart Paul and Barnabas for the work of the kingdom to which they were called.




√ When Paul was being taken prisoner by ship to Rome, and the ship encountered a violent storm, Paul received a message of hope and encouragement for all who were on board:




I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the Yah whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and Yah has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in Yah that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.




Paul’s encouragement, which he received from a messenger of the King, showed them how they were to respond to this life-threatening situation.




A word of wisdom may apply to the person who receives it, or it may apply to someone else. In both instances, the kingdom government is teaching its citizens regarding how to best apply governmental policy and purposes in the colony of earth.




The Authorized Word of Knowledge




“To another the message of knowledge by means of the same Ruach.” While wisdom is about application, knowledge is about having the information you need to make the best decisions in executing delegated authority in the colony. It refers to the government providing you with the ability to understand its policies; but especially, it gives you the ability to understand what the King is thinking; it is supernatural revelation by the Governor of certain facts in the mind of the King.




The King has all knowledge, but he doesn’t reveal everything to his citizens. The word of knowledge gives them part of what he knows—what they specifically need to know to carry out their assignments. Some human governments give their employees classified information on a “need to know” basis, which is only what they need to know to fulfill their responsibilities. The word of knowledge operates in a similar way.




The word of knowledge may be manifested through an inward revelation, the interpretation of languages, a word of prophecy, a vision, or an angel. Again, this is not natural knowledge that can be gained from experience or information, or even a profound acquaintance with the Scriptures. It is supernatural, meaning it is something we would not ordinarily be able to know and cannot learn on our own. For example...




√ Yahusha demonstrated a word of knowledge when he talked with a woman he had just met and told her she had had five husbands and was currently living with another man. This demonstration of knowledge was for the purpose of gaining her attention and building faith in the King so she and others would understand how to be reconciled to the heavenly government.




√ A prophet named Agabus was given a word of knowledge that a severe famine would afflict the entire Roman world. (In a demonstration of the relationship between the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom, the kingdom citizens took this knowledge and applied it [wisdom], deciding to send relief to kingdom citizens living in Judea.)




√ Peter was given supernatural knowledge that a couple named Ananias and Sapphira were lying about the money they donated to the community.




√ Through a vision, the disciple John was given knowledge of the inner Spiritual conditions of seven assemblies of kingdom citizens in Asia, so that he could give them messages of warning and encouragement from the King.




Through the word of knowledge, therefore, the Governor may communicate a message from the King to his citizens, saying, “This is what is going wrong here,” or “This is what’s going right in the colony; keep up the good work.” He may also reveal important information to a kingdom citizen, so that he can convey to another citizen what he needs to function properly in the kingdom.




The Authorized Power of Faith




“To another faith by the same Ruach.” The authorized power of faith is a supernatural belief or confidence. It is the government providing its citizens with special ability to believe in its policies so they will take action to carry them out.




Every kingdom citizen has faith. In fact, the author of the book of Hebrews wrote, “Without faith it is impossible to please Yah, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” The gift of faith, therefore, is not the same as the faith with which we enter the kingdom through belief in the sacrifice of the King-Son on our behalf, and the forgiveness we receive as a result. That faith comes through belief in the Constitution of the kingdom. As Paul wrote, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Hamachiach.” Neither is the gift of faith the same thing as the fruit of the Ruach known as “faithfulness.” Nor is it the faith by which kingdom believers daily live as they trust the King to carry out his purposes through their lives and to bring them encouragement and peace. Again, such faith can be increased through exposure to and application of the King’s Word.




Instead, the gift of faith is a special authorization by the government to a kingdom citizen so that he knows, without a doubt, that a particular outcome will ultimately be manifested for the purposes of the kingdom. Some examples of this kind of faith follow. As you review them, note the close relationship between the gift of faith and the working of miracles. (In this context, one Bible commentator referred to the gift of faith as “wonder-working” faith.)




√ The belief of three Hebrew men, who were governmental officials in the ancient kingdom of Babylon, that Yah could deliver them even if they were thrown into a blazing furnace.




√ Yahusha’ confidence that Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, would be raised to life.




√ The unwavering belief of Peter and John that a man who had been crippled from birth would be healed in the name of Yahusha.




The gift of faith is therefore the Governor motivating kingdom citizens to trust in the promises and power of the heavenly government. The Governor encourages the citizens to courageously carry out their assignments in the belief that he will take care of everything that needs to be done to accomplish the work.




The Authorized Power of Healing




“To another gifts of healing by that one Ruach.” Gifts of healing are supernatural cures for disease and disability. No natural means are involved, whether medical science or other forms of the application of human knowledge. In terms of the administration of the heavenly government on earth, healing is the King’s commitment to the welfare of his citizens, as well as his program for securing that welfare.




This healing power is mentioned in the plural—gifts of healing. The word healing is sometimes used in the plural in this context, as well: “gifts of healings.” The plural usage refers to the ability to heal different kinds of diseases. The book of Matthew records, “Yahusha was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.”




The gifts of healing address a variety of sickness, both mental and physical, that bring us into disharmony with ourselves, other people, or the King-Father. This would include things such as fear, loneliness, and depression. Gifts of healing are for the restoration of the whole person.




We should recognize that all healing ultimately comes from Yah, whether it is through a doctor’s care or the body’s natural healing processes. The gifts of healing do not negate doctors. However, we should be aware that supernatural healing, a physician’s care, and the body’s natural ability to heal are distinct channels of healing. The first comes from another world, the second only assists the healing ability that our Creator has placed within our own bodies, and the third is an inbuilt capacity. In addition, there is a distinction between gifts of healing and our receiving healing by exercising faith in Scriptures that state the King’s desire to heal us. A person may be healed by applying to himself statements such as this one from the first book of Peter: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” Yet gifts of healing are manifested through a kingdom citizen to whom the Governor gives a special administration of healing; they occur through the activity of a kingdom citizen as empowered by the Governor.




We should also understand that we cannot make gifts of healing, or any of the gifts, operate according to our own wills. They are given only according to the will of the Governor, and we should maintain an open mind to receive whatever gift he may give us.




The following are some examples of healing that go beyond medical help and were administered through the intervention of a person empowered by the Governor:




√ A man’s shriveled or withered hand was completely restored; a centurion’s servant who was paralyzed and on his deathbed was cured; a man who was born blind was given his sight; a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years—and who had been to many physicians without help—was made completely well. Each was healed by Yahusha working in the power of the Ruach.




√ Through Peter’s ministry, a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and bedridden for eight years, was made totally well.




√ Paul healed a man on Malta who suffered from apparently recurring bouts of fever and dysentery.




It has been said that healing and compassion go hand in hand. Sympathy alone is ineffective. Sympathy means that you feel sorry for the person, empathize with his illness, and want to help him. Compassion, however, is an almost irresistible urge to free a person from the sickness or problem afflicting him. There is true passion in compassion that alleviates suffering.




In the administration of the kingdom of heaven on earth, therefore, the gifts of healing are the Governor’s authorization of kingdom citizens to free others from being invaded by anything that is abnormal to the kingdom. In this way, the government shows evidence that it is present and can address negative conditions in the colony. In the kingdom of Yah, healing is executing justice. The Governor confirms the rights of the citizens to live in wholeness.