Category Archives: Love

Compassion, Compassionate, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Healer, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Help / Serve Others, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Loving / Kind, Miracles, Miracles, Peace / Rest, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil

Our Messiah Provides Thought Provoking Context Regarding Sabbath

Yeshua provides us thought provoking commentary regarding Sabbaths in Matthew 12. He was confronted by Pharisees seeking to condemn Him by finding Him guilty of violating the letter of the law of Torah. They were not interested in learning from His reply, but we should be as His servants and disciples.

Matthew 12:1-21

Sabbath Questions

      1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” 3But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, 4how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5“Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? 6“But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. 7“But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Lord of the Sabbath

      8“For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

      9Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse Him. 11And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12“How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

      15But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, 16and warned them not to tell who He was. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

      18“BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN;
MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL–PLEASED;
I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM,
AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.

      19“HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT;
NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.

      20“A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF,
AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT,
UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.

      21“AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”

There are a handful of really important points.

  • If we are simply trying to find a reason to condemn Christ or those who follow Him, we will not learn anything about our LORD. We will simply go about trying to set traps and miss the opportunity to grow in relationship with Him.
  • Yeshua does not deny the Sabbath or the Sabbath instructions are important.
  • Yeshua highlights that there are times when certain needs may take priority over following the letter of the law for Sabbath. He states that in this case it is about compassion, truly caring for people which is more important than strict adherence to the law. Of course, this puts great responsibility on us to know our LORD and to apply this carefully and not simply disobey whenever convenient.
  • Yeshua is Lord of the Sabbath. He has authority over it. This is also a claim to being divine… being God and not simply a prophet or a teacher.
  •  Yeshua was deeply aware of prophecy and careful to act in keeping with what the God previously declared about Messiah so as not to contradict what God had said.
  • I find it really interesting that He warned the people healed not to say who He was. He was obviously not concerned about Pharisees knowing He was healing. He did so in front of them, deliberately. What a different approach than what we would expect from a man. Men typically want recognition or personal gain. God’s ways are not our ways.

To read more about Sabbath, consider our teaching, Remember the Sabbath.

The Barnes Notes for Matthew 12, on BibleHub.com, provides more background and context well laid out. However, we must always remember that the notes and commentary are supplemental tools representing someone else’s study and conclusions… they are not part of the infallible word of God. Test them.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Compassion, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, How do I get started?, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Love

Who Taught the Golden Rule and on What Authority?

Even in our highly secularized society, many of us have heard about the “golden rule”, to treat others as we would want to be treated. We are often not told who taught this first, who established this and upon what authority.

We find this in Matthew 7, and Yeshua is teaching.

Matthew 7:12

      12“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

For additional context, let us compare to some additional teaching that is used to describe the Law and the Prophets later in Matthew.

Matthew 22:34-40

   34But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

I would conclude rather simply that treating others as we would like to be treated is a simplified way of remembering how to love them and love Yahweh. This is not exclusively all that we are instructed to do to love Yahweh and love one another, but it is a nice, easy to remember guide to help us in many situations.  To understand all that the Bible records on this subject, we study the Law and the Prophets, all of it.

This does not mean that everyone wants everything exactly the same. That is not the point. For example, if I would want someone to give me a skateboard, that does not mean that my friend also wants a skateboard. But if I reframe it a touch to say, “I would want someone to understand my likes and dislikes, my interests and hobbies, to show that they really care about me”… that is spot on how we would want to apply this scripture.  So in this simple example, maybe my friend would want a fishing pole.

Of course there can be more deep application. If I did not know Yeshua, and someone else did, and they knew that I was going to be separated from Yahweh for eternity if I did not come to know Him through Yeshua, I would want them to tell me. I would want this even if it was hard for me and I would initially reject the message. Thus, I should flip that around and realize that I need to live out my life as a light for others to draw them to Christ and then tell them about Him. By definition this means I can not simply quietly blend in with society. That is like salt that has lost its saltiness. It is worthy only to be thrown on the ground and trampled under foo.  (Matthew 5:13-16).

Let us keep the simple “golden rule” in mind, but remember on who’s authority it was taught. Let us use that as a simple reminder to help guide us in loving others and loving Yahweh. Do not let that keep us from studying and understanding and applying the rest of the Law and the writings of the prophets. That is there to help us understand more deeply how to love others and love Yahweh. Do not miss that Yeshua, our Messiah, pointed to the Law and the Prophets as the authority for which we should abide in this instruction. This only makes sense in the recognition that the Law is not done away with, which is exactly what Yeshua emphasizes a few chapters earlier.

Matthew 5:17-19

  17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Pray and ask the Spirit to guide you in this application in your life.

A parting observation: It is worth noting for those of us who see the value in the golden rule, it only makes sense in the authority of Christ. It makes no sense when atheists who believe in evolution as route to creation of man apply this type of rule. It is contradictory to their main premise of the strong survive. I find it odd when they hold to some godly principles while denying the Creator.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Fear / Reverence for God, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Love, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Thankfulness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Don’t Focus on the Bare Minimum “Required” to Please YHWH

Sacrifices are not always something we understand fully in our culture today. The end of 1 Kings 8 does however make one thing clear even for those somewhat unfamiliar with sacrifices… Solomon spared no expense or effort to honor YHWH. He was not concerned about what was the minimum required. He was focused on how to really honor YHWH in a big way. We would do well to adopt this attitude in our lives generally and not only at special occasions.

In fact, if we are always focused on doing the bare minimum to please YHWH, we will not be pleasing to YHWH. He looks into our heart and not just our actions. Solomon acted out of love and desire to honor YHWH. He did not act out of “requirement”. Our attitudes combined with our actions are what can be pleasing to YHWH.

1 Kings 8:62-66

Dedicatory Sacrifices

      62Now the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the LORD. 63Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD. 64On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD, because there he offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.

      65So Solomon observed the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, for seven days and seven more days, even fourteen days. 66On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David His servant and to Israel His people.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Love, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant

Truly Loving the LORD Translates to Obeying His Statutes as Best we Can

Young Solomon, when taking over the throne of David, loved the LORD. Notice what immediately follows in the text that goes hand in hand with loving the LORD… “walking in the statutes of is father David”. If we love our Father, we obey Him and His ways.

We can see in this scripture that Solomon did have a problem in that he was sacrificing in the high places. There was no house built for the name of the LORD yet. It is noted that this was an exception to following the statutes, but then immediately reconciled as not having a proper place to do the sacrifices at that time. It was not a matter of rebellion in Solomon.

In fact, YHWH met him at Gibeon, where he went to perform these sacrifices. It would appear that YHWH was very pleased by Solomon. We will see as we continue to read on later in 1 Kings that YHWH becomes even more pleased with Solomon because of his attitude toward his responsibility as king and a servant of YHWH.

1 Kings 3:1-5

Solomon’s Rule Consolidated

      1Then Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. 2The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

      3Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Consequences of Sin, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Patience, Love, Mercy, Parenting

The Heart of David for His Son

David is a very interesting figure to study and since scripture identifies him as a man after God’s own heart, we should take heed. His son rose up against him and would have killed him, and yet David wanted not to kill him and then mourns him. Perhaps this is because David knows some of this is based on punishment for his sin with Bathsheba. Perhaps he just loved or favored his son, Absalom. Perhaps David was living out the example of forgiveness and grace that he experienced from YHWH in his own life and wished for Absalom to have a chance to repent.

None the less, we see David mourn genuinely.

The decision of Joab is a more traditional approach to deal with someone who is trying to take over your kingdom. He slays Absalom, despite David’s instructions to “deal gently” with him. This is an interesting choice to ponder as well given that Joab knowingly went against the desires and instructions of King David… likely to do what he thought best for David and the kingdom.

1 Samuel 18

Absalom Slain

      1Then David numbered the people who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2David sent the people out, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will surely go out with you also.” 3But the people said, “You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city.” 4Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. 5The king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom.

      6Then the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7The people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. 8For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

      9Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. For Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going. 10When a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” 11Then Joab said to the man who had told him, “Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” 12The man said to Joab, “Even if I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Protect for me the young man Absalom!’ 13“Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.” 14Then Joab said, “I will not waste time here with you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 15And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him.

      16Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people. 17They took Absalom and cast him into a deep pit in the forest and erected over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his tent. 18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to preserve my name.” So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

David Is Grief-stricken

      19Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and bring the king news that the LORD has freed him from the hand of his enemies.” 20But Joab said to him, “You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day; however, you shall carry no news today because the king’s son is dead.” 21Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. 22Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why would you run, my son, since you will have no reward for going?” 23“But whatever happens,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed up the Cushite.

      24Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself. 25The watchman called and told the king. And the king said, “If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.” And he came nearer and nearer. 26Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, another man running by himself.” And the king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” 27The watchman said, “I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “This is a good man and comes with good news.”

      28Ahimaaz called and said to the king, “All is well.” And he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, “Blessed is the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.” 29The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was.” 30Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

      31Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, “Let my lord the king receive good news, for the LORD has freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.” 32Then the king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man!”

      33The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Purposeful / Intentional, Thankfulness

A True Friend Is Closer than a Brother

A true friend is closer than a brother and infinitely more valuable than a large collection of companions or those who would call themselves “friends”.

Proverbs 18:24

   24A man of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

David and Jonathan were true friends. We should all consider praying for such a friend for ourselves and for others. So, too, we should strive to be that friend for others who are truly seeking the LORD in their lives. If you are fortunate enough to have that friend, give thanks to YHWH.

1 Samuel 20:1-29

David and Jonathan Covenant

     1Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?” 2He said to him, “Far from it, you shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. So why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!” 3Yet David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, or he will be grieved.’ But truly as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is hardly a step between me and death.” 4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.” 5So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening. 6“If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.’ 7“If he says, ‘It is good,’ your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, know that he has decided on evil. 8“Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is iniquity in me, put me to death yourself; for why then should you bring me to your father?” 9Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I should indeed learn that evil has been decided by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you about it?” 10Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?” 11Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out to the field.

      12Then Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and make it known to you? 13“If it please my father to do you harm, may the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not make it known to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And may the LORD be with you as He has been with my father. 14“If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the LORD, that I may not die? 15“You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD require it at the hands of David’s enemies.” 17Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life.

      18Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty. 19“When you have stayed for three days, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on that eventful day, and you shall remain by the stone Ezel. 20“I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target. 21“And behold, I will send the lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the lad, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,’ then come; for there is safety for you and no harm, as the LORD lives. 22“But if I say to the youth, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, for the LORD has sent you away. 23“As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever.”

      24So David hid in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25The king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty. 26Nevertheless Saul did not speak anything that day, for he thought, “It is an accident, he is not clean, surely he is not clean.” 27It came about the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David’s place was empty; so Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” 28Jonathan then answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem, 29for he said, ‘Please let me go, since our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to attend. And now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Curse, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, False Prophets / Teachers, Help / Serve Others, Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Obeying God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin

Yeshua Wants Us to Do Good Deeds and Reject Evil

As I continue to read the different introductions to the letters to each of the seven churches, I begin to notice that Yeshua introduces Himself a bit differently in the letters. In one He highlights the sword (word of YHWH). In another, He highlights the eyes like a flame of fire and feet like burnished bronze. I am almost sure there is significance there to be unlocked through further study and prayer. The symbolism has meaning. I have not conducted a truly deep study of Revelation, however. If you feel led to do so, I encourage you to test multiple sources and ultimately test everything back to scripture itself.

Revelation 2:18-29

Message to Thyatira

      18“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:

      19‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. 25‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. 26‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; 27AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28and I will give him the morning star. 29‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Yeshua reminds the people that He knows their deeds and that their deeds matter to Him. He wants more than just acknowledging Him with words! That goes for us as well.

He is not pleased that the people are tolerating a false prophetess among them, who teaches them to do things which are displeasing to Him. Notice she is not a witch, who outright claims to follow Satan. She is a “prophetess” who would seem to present herself as part of the church. He gave her time to repent and now judgment will follow. He offers the same to those who follow after her.

Let us not miss that He searches our minds and hearts, but also gives us according to our deeds. Living for Christ is so much more than a short sinner’s prayer and coming to the altar once. There is an expectation that we change and live according to His ways. We should not tolerate false teaching. We should not mix and mingle or blend good with evil.

Yeshua clearly tells us here that it is not enough that we live according to His word, but we also reject those who are leading fellow believers astray. We are not to just sit on the sidelines, but speak against and separate ourselves from them.

Those who hold fast to His teaching and overcome the world will be rewarded. There is a blessing of obedience and a curse of disobedience, which is consistent throughout scripture.

Deuteronomy 28:1-68 ESV

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. …

Deuteronomy 30:19 ESV

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Encouragement, False Prophets / Teachers, Guide, Love, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Visions

Let Us Learn from Yeshua’s Letter to Ephesus

Yeshua knows each of His followers’ innermost thoughts and motivations. He knows us fully and truthfully, even when we may deceive ourselves as we rationalize what choices we make. I appreciate how he sends this message to each church, personalized. Each is in a different place. Each has different struggles they face. He compliments them on what they are doing well and then rebukes them on where they need to change… and He does want them to change. He is not accepting them “the way they are”, as so many teach today in churches.

I believe when He refers to angel of the church, He is perhaps referring to the pastor or leader of that body of believers rather than an “angel” literally. For starters, why would He ask John to communicate with angels. Secondly, the Hebrew word for angel and messenger are one and the same. Understanding that this was written in Aramaic, I still conjecture that the Hebrew writer is likely referring to the messenger or leader of the church.

As we read each letter, remember that it has a specific audience, which is not us. However, many of the same issues are still relevant. Look for what warnings and encouragements may apply to you and ask the Spirit to show you what to apply in your life. Expect that Yeshua wants each of us to change, just like He was calling each church in Revelation to change.

Revelation 2:1-7

Message to Ephesus

      1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

      2‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. 6‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

Yeshua hates false teaching that comes from those who claim to teach the word of YHWH. The Nicolaitans are one example in the past, but there are many around today.

They are praised for hating and rejecting evil men, and not encouraged to accept them or invite them into their congregation to fill seats or make donations or even to hear the word taught. We are to be separate from evil men.

Yeshua praises them for testing and judging who is teaching truth and who is teaching false doctrine. They would have used the Old Testament for this task, testing teachers vs. the word of YHWH. We are expected to judge rightly good from evil.

Perseverance and endurance in striving to live for YHWH is recognized and complimented. We will encounter trials and resistance if we stand true to His word in full.

A very important lesson for us to reflect on, truly and prayerfully… Yeshua calls out the church for losing their love for Him and for pursuing Him. They are active and doing “all the right things” on the outside, but they have lost their love for Him. This is a big deal. Even if we “do everything right”, but have no love for Yeshua and for what He calls us to be and do, then we shall be rejected. It is through relationship, not works that we are saved. For more, consider reading at GotQuestions.org/left-first-love.html.

Whatever we are doing for Christ, let us do it with love.

1 Corinthians 13

The Excellence of Love

      1If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

      4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

      8Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, False Prophets / Teachers, Help / Serve Others, Kindness / Gentleness, Love

Walk in the Truth

 

I find the introduction of 3 John to be interesting indeed. John is reaching out to a community of fellow believers, and there is conflict. There is a difference of opinion and approach. We should not be surprised that we see such things even today if it was so even when Yeshua’s disciples were leading the people.

We must seek to walk in the truth. We must recognize that not everything taught or said by a leader in the church is correct. We must test everything against the Bible.

We are also encouraged to help our brethren, even when they are strangers.

3 John 1

You Walk in the Truth

     1The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

      2Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. 4I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

      5Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; 6and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.

      9I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. 10For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church.

      11Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. 12Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

      13I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink;

14but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face.
15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Love, Obeying God, Unteachable / Foolish

Walk According to His Commandments

Truly it is not hidden, but in plain sight. Yet many Christians and Christian churches act as if Yeshua redefined God’s instructions when he became man. Yeshua lived and was judged perfect according to the standard of God’s commandments. We are not talking just about the top 10, but about all of the law and the prophets. Yeshua lived them and taught them. He warned people he did not come to do away with any commandment and those who teach that he did will be least in the kingdom, while those who continue to teach obedience to his commands will be great. Yeshua was not abolishing or changing the law, but fulfilling many prophecies of the coming of the Messiah.

Matthew 5:17-19

  17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

It really makes no sense that we would look at Yeshua’s example to obey the law, the Torah, and his teaching that we do the same and then we suddenly change everything and act like there is a new standard he never spoke of that means the law, or most of it, is no longer relevant. People even teach about loving one another as if this was a new commandment. We see in 2 John 1, that it is not. This is after Yeshua died and rose again. He speaks of walking according to the commandments and of loving one another and that these are not new instructions, but what has been since the beginning. Loving God is walking in his commandments and this is not new.

2 John 1

Walk According to His Commandments

      1The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: 3Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

      4I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. 5Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

      7For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

      12Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full.

      13The children of your chosen sister greet you.

This is a powerful reminder that we are not to make up our own way of living or try to redefine God’s instructions on the basis of man’s teaching on how things have changed. We should study and understand all the commands of God as written in the first five books of the Bible, the Torah. We should not quickly cast any aside without careful consideration and study. Many we can no longer do as prescribed, such as any involving the Levitical priesthood and the temple. Hebrews 10 states the case that Yeshua’s sacrifice in blood is sufficient for cleansing the sins of those of us who accept him as Savior and Lord and thus  one can make the case we no longer need to do animal sacrifices for remission of sin. This is surely so, in particular since the temple and priesthood no longer exist and are part of that process.

However, I encourage each of us to reject the commonly taught notion that the law in its entirety is not relevant. Obeying God’s commands is how we love God and others. John reminds us this in 2 John 1:6 and Yeshua also told us this himself in Matthew 22.

Matthew 22:36-40

36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Let us remember that God, not man, defines how we show love for one another and for God properly. He has given us these instructions and we should strive joyfully and eagerly to learn them, understand them, and apply them in our lives.

Do not be unteachable and foolish, clinging only to what man has taught you in church. Much doctrine that is taught is wrong and always has been. We are repeatedly warned about false prophets and teachers and instructed to read and understand God’s word directly to ensure the teachers we follow are teaching God’s word and not their own. These warnings are found in Deuteronomy and in Paul’s letters and in 2 John 1, above. Let us take them seriously and test every teaching and spirit against the written word of God. Let us pursue learning and knowing God’s ways as we would to please a loving father or to court a spouse. Dig. Search. Seek. Do not be complacent where you are in your relationship with him, wherever that is today.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.