Tempering our Zeal & Passion with Meekness and Compassion
06/16/18 (04/02) Video Broadcast
We are ready to begin our
study portion for today's
broadcast, I was hoping to
get another segment in of
our 10 commandments study
but I feel that we're
supposed to go a different
direction this week.
And we're going to kind of
dovetail on last week's
broadcast study; we talked
about the importance of
serving Yahweh with
zeal and with passion.
And today's topic is
tempering our zeal and
passion with meekness and
compassion; we did talk
about that a little
bit last week.
But we're gonna go into
more detail on this very
thing, this is something
that we often see as a
problem when people come
across some new truth that
they have discovered very zealous about it.
And it's good to be zealous we want to be zealous, we love our father in heaven, a lot of times it is our love for our father in heaven that is causing us to be zealots and be passionate.
But then you know we learn new things in the scriptures and we're so excited about what we learn and we just see it so clearly and then we want to share this with our family members and with our friends and everybody we know, we want to share it with. And that's natural when we find something that blesses us that inspires us, that moves us we want to share that with other people and that is a good desire. And Yahweh wants us to, he wants us to share it, he doesn't want us to hide it under a bowl or anything, okay. But, then we find out, wait a minute not everybody sees the same thing I'm seeing here. It's not like discovering a math problem and you got the solution this is you know it's a spiritual issue. It is an interpretation, there's all kind of you know things are gonna affect someone's life kind of thing you're sharing. So you know the first time you might share it you're like everyone may kind of seem little interested and act like they're listening and then they nod their heads and then you know and next time they see it its kind of like you're starting to get the cold shoulder a little bit you know. You try to share again they're like well I don't know about that you know and pretty soon it's outright people are concerned for you, I'll pray for you don't you love that? I'll pray for you, know a spiteful way and then next thing you know they extend to you the right foot of fellowship. So it's not what you expect in your family members you know okay they think you had a call, they think you've gone off the deep end you try to become Jewish pretty soon you're gonna go headlong to Judaism and their concern for you. And sometimes it's a real legitimate concern they care about you and they're not seeing what you see. And then you realize the things that you have found
could only be given to you by Yahweh himself. When Peter knew Yahushua was Messiah he said "flesh and blood did not reveal this to you", and so whoever you're sharing with Yahweh has to choose to reveal to them whatever it is you have to share. It's not like some new scientific discovery or something you have the proof from the word but
even scientific things you know some people have an evolution mindset, some people have a creationist mindset. And so things didn't work out like you had hoped and pretty soon everyone's against you and maybe if you have interest in, and maybe you know you tend to get upset by that. And then maybe get angry too yet they don't see what you're sharing and they get angry and that provokes you in the flesh. And so we want to be zealous we do, we want to be zealous, we want to evangelize, Yahushua was the greatest evangelist that ever walked this earth there wasn't anyone who could possibly exceed his perfect example of zeal and passion for Yahweh's ways. And yet what he said to the multitude was this;
come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. I will give you rest, is this what you are exhibiting in how you communicate the things of Yahweh? He says take my yoke upon you, and learn for me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls. Is this how you have placed additional burdens
or additional things that people have to do? Is this how you have communicated it? For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. And some are saying well Tom how else do we
communicate these things to them, I mean how do you do it? Well you have to make a distinction between having a holy passion and an unholy pride he said lowly in heart. And this is one of man's greatest troubles, we aren't lowly in heart. There's a difference between zealousness and arrogance, I remember very early in my walk with Yahweh I was so on fire for his ways, I wanted so much to proclaim what he had done for me, changed my life, turned my life around I want to help other people see the things I see. And I want to walk out the Torah and the Sabbath and calling on his name and I was very zealous filled with passion. I was also very young only 19 or 20 years old and I walked around with this 80 pounds sword and cutting people down wherever I went and I dismissed anyone who wouldn't listen to me as being insolent and hard-hearted and I did some damage to our cause.
I'll never forget one time, I'm ashamed to say it but I said to one of my relatives just out of the blue, are you keeping Sabbath yet? The person said no I'm not, I said well I feel sorry for you needless to say the person's response was very negative. They said, you sound so arrogant I don't like it, I said, what do you mean? I really do feel sorry for you. The Sabbath is so wonderful it's such a wonderful blessing. And the person went on to explain how they felt and I got an important lesson in humility, yeah I was really that arrogant I mean I thought I was just being zealous and it probably was just jealousness but there was a zeal that wasn't tempered with meekness and humility. I have a long way to go and my character development and I still need Yahushua every single day to teach me about the flaws in my own heart and at that time I had a lot to learn and I didn't know a lot of scriptures and even today sometimes I feel I need to be more humble in how I share the word particularly with my children and my family members. But scriptures teach us 1 Peter 3:15; sanctify Yahweh Elohim in your hearts: and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. So Yahushua if he being the king of the universe, the king of kings, a master of masters could be lowly in heart I'll tell you what we need to be lowly in heart, meekness and fear. Meekness and fear, what is meekness? Meekness is not necessarily weakness, you know. I mean the word here says praotes, mildness of disposition, the gentleness of spirit, meekness. You know when we're sharing Yahweh's word it's so important that it's done with the right kind of attitude an attitude of meekness not arrogance and pride. The context of our zealousness and passion is with pride and arrogance we are only going to provoke the other person's flesh rather than appeal to their spirit. But, again, meekness is not weakness, there is another language I can't remember what it is, might be Spanish or something where the way they describe a horse that is quote broke or trained is the horse is meek, a meek horse. And it's not that the horse is lacking power and
strength, the horse is every bit as powerful and strong as it ever was but that strength and that
power is directed in the under the rulership of his master's hand. And so whatever strength in the spirit we have, whatever strength we have does not mean we have to somehow reduce that, we have to direct that strength we have toward; in the right direction. And that's it. We have to, Yahweh has given us strength, Yahweh has given us the truth we have, he's given us you know the love for him that we have but we need to direct that rightly. Scripture says a servant of Yahweh must not quarrel, that means we don't argue.
We do not quarrel, no arguments, no fighting but be gentle to some people, no it says gentle to all, able to teach, patient and humility correcting those who are in opposition. If Elohim perhaps will grant them repentance for them to even be in a place where they come to repentance Yahweh has to give them that so that they may know the truth. So that doesn't mean he controls us and makes us do this or do that, what it means is that he calls them and no one can come to Yahushua unless they are called. No one can accept truth unless Yahweh reveals it to them, he may choose not to reveal whatever you have to share to them maybe he will one day but
not right now so they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil having been taken captive by him to do his will Yahushua has to free them from captivity and grant them repentance. But there are some people who are hard-hearted they don't want to listen to Yahweh and so he does not grant them that, repentance and that's the saddest thing there is to witness because they don't love the truth. Now if we fail in this area we choose not to be gentle to all, if we choose instead resort to fighting and carnal arguments we are simply disobeying Yahweh. This the way we put it, it will be like a man teaching his son how to change the oil in a car and then he uses brake fluid for the oil. He's not doing it right, he's not teaching them right. You can't effectively tell others about Yahushua unless you're doing it in the way scripture instructs us to do it. You can't be doing it wrong and expect it to turn out right, you can't it's not the right way.
Scriptures tell us we must not quarrel, the word quarrel means to fight, armed combatants or those who engage in hand to hand struggle, those engaged in a war of words, I have seen enough of those in my life, been in quite a few myself quarrel, wrangle, dispute and there's a whole lot going on Facebook, Chat rooms, forums.
This word as also found in the Septuagint which is a Greek translation of the Old Testament word, describes the quarrel between Abraham and Lot's herdsmen. The herdsmen Gerar quarreled with Isaac over the wells he had dug, describe that too. And what did Abraham and Isaac do? Abraham says well please you go to the right, I'll go to the left let there be no contention, let there be no fighting between us. Then what did Isaac do when they quarreled over the one well? He says well I'll just take another one, he died to self, Abraham died to self, Isaac died to self and he dug another well. It was hard to get a water well going in Israel I mean, so he dug another one and they fought over that one too he did not quarrel he dug a third one
and finally they didn't argue over that one I guess they were too ashamed. But don't engage in a carnal war of words with people it only turns them off, provokes their flesh to pride and strife and hinders the ability for the word of Yahweh to go from point A (the throne room) to point B (their hearts). And probably there is no greater test for us in this area than when we're trying to reach our relatives with the things we learned, our immediate family members. But we must understand, there are two methods of fishing. Yahushua said Peter you will be fishers of men right and there are two ways you can fish you can use a large net or if you know and go out and evangelize the crowds and I guess Internet would be you know into the net, it would be one way of fishing. Just watch out for the World Wide Web of course. Or you can use a fish hook and bait right and both methods are seen in with Peter, Peter would still go out and put the fish in water in a hook and that will come a fish and it has a coin in it. And he also uses nets and so both methods were used then, with the net you can go out and gather men if that's really hit miss you may or may not come across the school of fish. Or you can use the bait method with the bait method you sit in the way, you wait for the fish to find interest in what you're offering. And if he's interested he will take the food and you can bring them in. So the net method is most effective when you don't know the people very well and you may only see them once or a few times or they do not closely associate with you. The bait method is more effective with close friends and relatives you already know there is a school of fish there and that's why you're fishing in that spot right. So you have your school of fish, your friends and relatives are already there and people are more impressed particularly people who are friends and relatives by living examples of love. Then they are by mere words you may speak, they know you too well. Yahushua refines our character and as we begin to live our lives for others rather than living for ourselves this provides the kind of context we need to be effective with our words. And there's probably no greater turn off than a pompous and religious spirit.
And here is why it's ineffective, number one,
it provokes the flesh rather than convicts the soul. If your pride and pompous and carnal in your presentation that's only going to provoke their carnality and therefore hinder them from being able to be convicted in their spirit.
And here's another problem too many times it reminds them of a pompous man who once fell in the sin and hypocrisy you know televangelists up there preaching, preaching, preaching, condemning, condemning and then next thing you know they're on the same thing. And the third reason why it's problematic is those who are already humble may see our walk as really unreachable to anyone but the elite. They may feel that they could never be worthy enough to be accepted by us or by Yahweh and we see this in a congregation setting sometimes. You know there are people there who are really there trying to start a social club and you know and there are other people who don't fit their mold you know. And so when other people who don't fit that mold try to come in the congregation and they kind of get this I don't know it's not necessarily a cold shoulder it's just sort of indifferent to their presence and don't feel welcomed intentionally welcomed and loved and or if they see people fighting over little details of their faith you know and they're not even close to this point where they're getting and all these details that. They feel like they can never fit into that group, they feel like they can never fit in and be accepted by that group. And so they're turned off and so you know you got someone who's fighting addictions and they're walking in to a congregation, they're arguing over 14, 15th crescent or conjunction or how you pronounce a name and they are like man I just need Yahushua in my life I don't know what they're all talking about. They are way-way beyond where I'm ever going to probably ever be so I'll go somewhere else or just forget the whole thing. You see what I'm talking about, we all need to be approachable, we all need to be meek and humble and be aware of what people are experiencing, you are new coming into a group but we're told to walk in humility when we correct people. So now meekness is an attitude that comes out of a heart that is naturally humble, it is I should say not even naturally humble but choosing to be humble.
And some feel like well if I'm really I got this pride and then I act, act humble I feel like I'm being fake, no you're not being fake you are choosing to walk in the spirit and you continually make a habit of choosing to walk in the spirit eventually it'll become a part of you.
But listen we didn't you know we have to have the right perspective we did not earn our way into the sheepfold Yahweh gave us grace and without Yahushua having died for us we totally unworthy being even called his people. And for most us meekness and humility was probably there on the day we gave our lives to Yahushua, we are totally broken, we're ready to you know lay everything out there and but then we get some victories and sometimes we forget to pick from the pit from which we were dug and then those who oppose us end up provoking our flesh. And we feel the need to defend ourselves and maybe even defend Yahweh against those who oppose him and oppose us and because we're attacked we resort to the fleshly pride. And because this is what we've done in the past defend ourselves it comes quite naturally. So we resort to this thought that meekness is weakness and so we have to stand up for ourselves and you know put somebody in their place or whatever but if Yahushua says I am you know meek and lowly of
heart and all these things you are not gonna deny he was the king of kings I mean.
So please you don't have to really defend Yahweh, Yahweh can defend himself quite well you just present the word and you do, yeah you do your defending but do it in a way of love in a way of humility. We're not called a weakness, we're called to direct our love and strength and power to be in complete submission to the king of kings and it's his decision that we would not quarrel, we would not fight, we would walk in meekness and humility and if we do we will inherit the earth.
That's a pretty awesome promise there and along with the new heavens and earth as well. So those who inherit the earth are those who are given eternal life, those are the ones who receive the promise of Abraham. It is important that we are called to be a humble people, we're called to be a meek people, not brash, not abrasive and loud and obnoxious, the arrogant minded trying to draw attention to ourselves: we're called to be meek disciples. And for his disciple we're taught by him this lowliness of attitude, now disciples and the taught ones, that what the word disciple means by the way (taught ones) are going to be a meek people because they see what Yahushua does and respond accordingly. We're going to look at some scriptures but I wanna look at important characteristic of meekness mainly because in order for us to truly repent and receive the good news we come to a place where we seek baptism and seek to live as Yahushua lived we have to humble ourselves. Now there may be some people listening to this broadcast they have never really taken a moment and just given their lives to Yahushua, I mean just completely humble themselves before him. And says not my way your way, is that you or is that somebody in the room, is that someone who is watching an archive perhaps or somebody is watching this after Sabbath or somebody watching right now as I'm sharing? Maybe you haven't totally just humbled yourself before your maker and said you know what I'm gonna commit my life to you. What does it take to be saved? It takes 2 things number one repentance that means we're turning away from what we know is wrong and we're going to submit ourselves to what he says is the right way to live. And then secondly we put our faith in Yahushua for the forgiveness of sin, we allow him to cleanse us, we allow him to take all of our burdens, we give him all of our burdens and we don't carry guilt anymore we give it all to him. And he wants to carry your guilt by the way, you got guilt for something you did or whatever he wants to carry it. You can't carry part and him carry part he wants it all, so you need to give it all to him. If you've never taken that moment and given your life to him and humbled yourself before him, do it, do it now. Do it in some room off by yourself or, you want someone to pray for you? Let me know but that humility that we have when we bow ourselves before him should permeate through everything we do. It's an attitude it's a part of the personality of one who has humbled himself before Yahweh. And meekness should be found, our conversations, our tone of voice and the way we look at other people, how we react to someone who has wronged us or is doing wrong. And maybe meekness is most often lacking in our own houses I mean, yet that's where it's probably needed the most. Look at the example of Moshe in his household he was faced with opposition from his own brother and sister, they were older but Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moshe because of the Ethiopian woman he had married and he married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, has Yahweh indeed spoken only through Moshe? Has he not spoken through us also? And Yahweh heard it. Now the man Moshe was very meek above all the men
which were upon the face of the earth. If you want to be used by Yahweh there you go,
here's a man who was responsible for delivering the Torah the law of Yahweh to that generation and every generation of people that came after. I tell you what at onetime Moshe lifted up himself in pride and they kept him from the Promised Land and that's when he struck the rock. But other than that he was very meek, now suddenly Yahweh said to Moshe, Aaron and Miriam, Come out you three to the tabernacle of meeting.
Now I'll tell you what if I was Aaron and Miriam at this point I'll be shaking in my shoes. So the three came out. Then Yahweh came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both went forward. And now I'm really shaking in my shoes if I was them. And he said, hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I Yahweh will make myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moshe, who is faithful in all my house. I speak with him face to face, even apparently, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of Yahweh: why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moshe? In other words Yahweh says I put him in this position why weren't you afraid to speak against him. And Moshe himself he didn't lift himself up and say look who saw the burning bush and call me and I have done all these things and yet you're speaking against me? He never defended himself he just kind of like got on his face next thing you know Yahweh defends him.
So the anger of Yahweh was aroused against them; and he departed. And when the cloud departed from the tabernacle; suddenly, Miriam became leprous, as white as snow: and Aaron turned toward Miriam, and, there, she was a leprous. So Aaron said to Moshe, O, my master, please do not lay the sin on us, in which we have done foolishly, and which we have sinned. Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb. So Moshe cried out to Yahweh, please, Heal her now, O Elohim, I pray. Well so here's a man who was humble enough to go Yahweh please healer, he didn't like gloat or say see I told you so or you should have done that: he says O please heal her. He just cared and Yahweh said unto Moshe, if her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut out from the camp seven days and afterward she may be received in again. So Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people did not journeyed until Miriam was brought in again. And so Yahweh did not allow this bad fruit of murmuring against Moshe to remain very long, because the moment Aaron and Miriam began to speak against Moshe Yahweh immediately took action. Because Moshe was given a great responsibility and with that responsibility came authority. When Moshe's authority and position were being questioned we see Moshe was very meek about it he had died to self, he knew he didn't need to defend himself Yahweh did it for him. Doesn't mean that you can never speak a word to defend what you're doing, even Paul wrote a lot in his own defense there in 2 Corinthians and other places but there are times even Yahushua spoke in his own defense. But this is a challenge to his position of authority and Moshe did not put himself in this position it was something that his brother and sister didn't realize that Yahweh was the one who put him in that position. It wasn't based on merit it was based on his calling and so you know the similar situation happening in families today that husbands are the head of the household and like Miriam and Aaron sometimes wives want to challenge that position and get out of there meekness and get into a place of pride and say well you're not doing this right that right I hear from Yahweh and you need to do this you need to do that. But we men did not choose this role; we didn't appoint ourselves as head of household. Men are not the head of a household because we earned it or because we're smarter or more spiritual, men are head of a household because they're the ones on Yahweh is going to hold responsible for leadership and for directing affairs and it would be lovely if all women with respect and understand that but that's not always the case. So what can we do? Well we men can be like Moshe and just pray Yahweh will intervene and reveal things to those who were insubordinate and hopefully they won't be leprous or have some other kind of thing because of their attention but hopefully they'll have the meekness that you yourself are exhibiting in this area. But if you're going to jump in and use pride and arrogance and unlike Moshe it's gonna be much harder for them to exhibit that meekness that they need because pride sows the carnal fruit of pride. And so we all need to set the example of meekness at our household like Moshe because listen if Moshe became lifted up, if Moshe became proud Yahweh could just wipe him like a dish and choose somebody else. And that's the same for all of us, so you know this ministry that Yahweh has given me I hope, I pray I would never allow anything to enter my mind and entertain it any length of time that all by my hand or my wisdom or my power or my strength or my this or my that. The truth is if there's anything good in me brothers and sisters it's just Yahushua because there is nothing in me that's. If there's anything that's happening it is him and I want to keep that mindset because he can wipe me like a dish too So Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. And this is a fruit of Yahweh's spirit, Yahushua had it, now the New King James typically translates meekness as gentleness and gentleness is certainly a character trait of one who is meek. The word in the Greek language praotes there, gentleness, mildness, meekness. So if Yahweh's spirit is manifesting itself through us, then these fruits of that spirit will be as well. And we can recognize when the spirit of Elohim is operating and when someone's carnality is operating by whether or not these fruits are coming out of them right. Now the word meekness in the Hebrew anawah means
humility, the outcome of affliction which is humility, our attitude if we are this way will be one of gentleness, mildness and a very patient spirit. This is not to be mistaken with spiritual weakness once again it has nothing to do with when one has nothing to do with the other. But in order for us to really be used by Yahweh and manifest his power we have to be humble otherwise it's just our own power.
When somebody wrongs us it's going to take a lot of spiritual power for us to deny ourselves and be slow to anger and rule over our own spirit. Scripture says in Proverbs 16:32; he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who rules his spirit than he that takes a city. When we touched on this Psalm we examined the very scriptures on anger and in this anger study I shared a few years ago. But you know this is an amazing verse here. I find this to be pretty amazing, if you can rule your spirit and be slow to anger you're greater than a mighty man and greater than a man who can go in and conquer a city.
Psalm 25 verse 8 says; good and upright is Yahweh: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. So if you want to learn you need this right here, the meekness and that's who he will guide in matters of judgment and in determining what his way truly is. And if we are meek we will have a tendency to not allow our own emotions, our own anger to guide us in our judgment but let reason the holy scriptures that Yahweh speaks to us by his spirit and will be more open to learning the way of Yahweh and humbling ourselves when we see some area of correction we need to make in our life. If we're prideful then we know Yahweh resist the pride and he's gonna give grace and understanding to the humble. So we have to be a meek and humble people. Psalm 149 verses 1-4; Praise ye Yahweh. Sing unto Yahweh a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises to him with the timbrel and harp. For Yahweh takes pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. It is the meek who were beautified with salvation remember, the humble state we were when we gave our life Yahushua that's why he gave us salvation.
We probably some of you were in a state of weeping out of humility realizing we're nothing, he's everything and when we need to still feel that way. Someone thinks he's something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. So why should we ever depart from the attitude? I don't think we should, sometimes it can be hard I mean, it can be difficult different circumstances arise we forget and we gained new information, we're excited and so we want to share but be aware of this. 1 Corinthians 8:1, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
Knowledge puffs up but love edifies, what's the purpose of all this knowledge that you've got?
It is so that you can more effectively learn how to love, not so that you can more effectively show how smart you are, what you found or all this stuff. You know you can go in discussion forums, you can go where people gather and you can kind perceive some of the conversations, those battles going on between men, battles for respect and honor. You'll notice two people talking a lot of times it tends to be men more than women but two men will be talking and they both talking about the things they've done, things they have accomplished. And there's this little undercurrent of battle going on for respect, maybe not very open and obvious, very subtle, little dispute going on of whose the greatest. You know Yahushua's disciples onetime fell on that right and we can perceive that when we get stories going on different things have happened in discussion forums is this topic or whatever they are talking about. The things that take place whenever they're trying to talk about there will be a shift. At first we're talking about what is truth and then it kind of shifts to who has it and when it goes from what's right to who is right it all goes downhill from there believe me. Because now it's not a battle of or reasoning together it's a battle who is going to get the honor here, who's going to be the one who will humble the other, who is going to be the greatest who is. We need to be seeking Yahweh's honor Mark 9:31; he taught his disciples, and said to them, The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and after he is killed, he will rise the third day. But they did not understand that saying, and were afraid to ask him. And he came to Capernaum: and was in the house he asked them, what was it that you disputed among yourselves on the road?
They didn't wanna say they kept silent: for on the
road they had disputed among themselves, who will be the greatest. And think about this he just told them he is going to die and now they're arguing who is going to be the great one after the after he dies. How insensitive, Yahushua so patient he was; he sat
down, and called the twelve, and said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.
Yahushua said if you call me Teacher and Master: and you say it well; for so I am. If I then, your Master and Teacher, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. So the greatest is the servant the ones who
serve, now think about this who is the greatest
servant there is?
Yahweh the father, is it not he who has served us by giving us awesome gifts, awesome blessings who abundantly supplies our every need? Was it not he who gave his only begotten son for our sakes? Does he not rain down blessings on the just and even to the unjust? Doesn't he provide for both? We know he's the greatest of all, he gave us life,
he gave us everything we have, every good thing we have he has given it to us. He has served us all in greater ways that we could ever possibly imagine, even when you pray you're not only declaring his greatness you're asking him to do something for you. We're asking if he will serve us by doing this by doing that, heal this person, help that person, I need this will you do this for me, help me with this he's always serving.
We want Yahweh to do for us, we want him to serve us in some capacity, in some way whether it be healing or to reveal his will whatever, we're wanting him to do something for us and he does it. He does what we ask, he's really waiting on us hand and foot we just don't think about that. He is loving us and serving us and do you know what the Hebrew word for bless in its most literal form means? It means to bow the knee, barak to bless or to kneel. To kneel, to be blessed, blessed, blessed to cause to kneel. So now the picture I have is what Yahushua did where he kneeled down and he washed the feet of his disciples. This word barak is also found here, Genesis 24:11 where it says; he made his camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the evening time, when women go out to draw water.
It's also found here, O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before Yahweh our maker, Psalm 95:6. So when we're saying Yahweh bless you, we're saying Yahweh bow the knee to you and serve you and give you great blessings. It doesn't seem, even almost seems backward and but we're called to bless one another to serve one another. We know Yahushua he blessed us with eternal life, he gave his whole life for us in his service to us. And he saw what his father was doing in serving, now the father can't die but father serves us and so he served us and he served his father and that was his main goal was to serve. So in light of the fact that Yahweh is continually serving me and continually serving you shouldn't we also be serving him? Shouldn't our main service to him be with zeal and compassion and passion because that's the way he loves us, that's the way he serves us? And shouldn't we also serve one another? Serve our spouse, serve our children, and serve the community. The one who lives their life that way is truly fulfilled and truly walking in love. The greatest is not necessarily the one with the most knowledge, the most wisdom, the most revelations the teachers of the word actually get a lot of attention but they will also be given stricter judgment. I suppose I'll be one of those who receive instructor judgment and probably I already am. So pray for me that Yahweh has mercy on me and pray I'll have a meek spirit all the days of my life and that I would be anyway prideful about myself that he will show me. I don't ever want to depart from that, not I'm perfected at it but I want to always be meeking his eyes. The last thing I need to have done is for me to be judged in pride and ruin the whole thing through pride and so when we serve when we do what's commanded do we boast, do we say O look what I did here, look what I did there? No, when you're done the things that they have been commanded you, Luke 17:10, say, we are unprofitable
servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. So we look at all that Yahweh has done for us and it pales in comparison to what we have done for him
and what we would ever do for him.
So the spirit of Yahweh was upon Yahushua; Isaiah 61 verse 1 Yahushua actually quoted this, because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those that are bound. So who did he give the good news to? The meek who were the ones who ended up rejecting Yahushua the Messiah when he came on the earth, who were the ones who ended up receiving him, who was the meek disciples that were chosen even though they might have been more learned men for Yahushua to choose?
Look what he said to Peter, he fell down at Yahushua's knees, saying; depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Master. He recognized his own sinful state and he was humble falling down at Yahushua's knees and yet Yahushua gave him the keys. Also I say to you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, Matthew 16:18. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven: and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Imagine that a man going from a position of saying I'm not even worthy to be in your presence to be given the keys him locked a lot of things he was the first one to speak in Acts chapter 2. The first one to minister to gentiles but there are other people in the first century who did not receive the truth.
They were prideful once, the disciples came, and said to him (Matthew 13:10), why do you speak to them in parables? He answered and said to them, because it is being given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not being given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance: but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Therefore I speak to them in parables: because seeing they do not see; and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, by hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive. For the hearts of his people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart, and turn, so that I should heal them.
Yahweh didn't want to heal them, Yahweh did not want them to hear and so they were given strong delusion thinking they were in a relationship with him, thinking that they were his when in reality they weren't because they did not want to hear, did not want to change. They had pleasure in unrighteousness, they did not care to be righteous, sad condition to be in, and prideful, very very prideful men they were. 1 Corinthians 1:26; for you see your calling, brethren, not many wise men according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But Elohim has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise; and Elohim has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. And the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, Elohim has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are. That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Pretty amazing, Yahweh does not want any flesh; glory in his presence, wow. And you get a sense when you read the scriptures and you realize that it was a key difference between the believer and an unbeliever, between one who was accepted by Yahweh and one who was not. Psalm 147 verse 6; Yahweh lifts up the meek: he casts the wicked down to the ground. As if they're just polar opposites, it's almost synonymous to say one who is prideful is one who is wicked and the one who was meek is the one he will lift up.
And in times to come we're going to be having tremendous turmoil on the earth and tremendous difficulty, tremendous upheaval on the earth. Don't be deceived by the supposed peace talks,
until there is peace in men's heart there is no peace. Until the prince of peace resides in the hearts of men there is no peace. And we know the scripture says that when they say, Peace and safety; sudden destruction comes upon them, right. So don't take any confidence in that, Seek Yahweh, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld his justice; seek righteousness, seek humility: it may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Yahweh's anger.
So all these judgments that will come upon the earth who will be spared? The humble, the meek, the ones who are seeking humility. So if you wanna be hidden in the day of Yahweh's anger, if you wanna be one of those who are, Yahushua spoke to the Philadelphia assembly and says; because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. If you want to be spared persevere and maintain an
attitude of gratitude, humility and love and
that's what it boils down to.
The ones who were not the Scribes and the Pharisees were by and large, thought they had all the answers, thought they knew the truth, along comes Yahushua lowly sitting on a donkey entering Jerusalem.
Simon sees him themselves on and John the Baptist kind of figure you know crying in the wilderness and all this stuff and you know the bold statements Yahushua spoke was to the prideful man.
The bold statements John the Baptist spoke were too prideful men and they needed to be humbled, they needed to be exposed. So they would humble themselves that was the best possible way to reach them because they needed to be humbled and them prophets of Yahweh spoke in such ways to try to bring them to a place of humility. But their pride kept them from receiving it, look
how Paul spoke with and reacted to and treated those who were in that's what I can. 1 Thessalonians 2:5; for neither any time do we use
flattering words, as you know, nor a cloke for covetousness; Elohim is witness. Nor did we seek glory for men, either from you, or from others, when we might have made demands, as the apostles of Messiah. But we were gentle among you, as a nurse cherishes her own children. So affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel of Elohim, but also our own lives, because you have become dear to us. That's a true servant right there, tender, affectionate, gentle that's what we need to be toward one another. Many times what we get is harsh, harshness it's very opposite. Who are we? Which one are we? It's important. We need to we need to recognize that when we are choosing humility it is the spirit of Elohim that is flowing through us. You may think you have to jump in and do it your way and get something done and what you do may change the actions of the people that you are directing and that's the deceitful way of anger of control. You may scare someone into doing what you want but you haven't changed the heart and they get no credit. It's not out of a true heart there's no credit to that, it's gonna come out of true burden and conviction of the heart. People are doing what you say because they're afraid of you and you have been intimidating them that's not the way you want to do it.
James 1:19; so that my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of Elohim. It doesn't. Don't be deceived we speak many words, we dominate conversations, we're lacking humility, we're losing the ability to listen and properly judge how to respond to people.
And I found in my walk the most difficult people to reach are those that are always talking never listening. You open your mouth to say a few words and they're already interrupting you, they don't listen you just, you throw your hands up. A few times I've said now I've listened to you speak and I would like to share something with you. One year at the feast there's someone I try to talk and try to talk to him and he wouldn't listen I said will you please just give me 5 minutes, just give me 5 minutes to speak without interruption. And because they gave me 5 minutes to speak it completely sold everything you know, I brought them
to a place where they were at a point where they weren't so defensive.
So you know one of the most difficult things is when you're trying to talk to somebody and they won't give you a chance and it's a sign that they're not listeners, they're talkers. And so we have to always be people who are willing to listen to others, willing to hear and sometimes you try witnesses somebody and the reason why you're not reaching is because you're not listening to them and so they don't listen to you either or you're not hearing them well enough to be able to be more effective in how you speak to them.
And so you're ineffective, you're unable to share properly because you don't know where they're coming from, you don't know enough about them to be able to direct your words in such a way that can be effective to them.
So first we need to hear and then we can share, we can more effectively share the things that whatever it is that Yahweh has given us. And when you finally do share remember these words
to David in his prayer he says; you have also given me the shield of your salvation, your gentleness has made me great, wow. That's a really an awesome scripture because Yahweh's gentle spirit is what makes us do the things that we do and that spirit of gentleness dwelling in us needs to flow out on the other people and help bring them to greatness also.
Is that how we've been sharing? Is that how we have been presenting the things of Yahweh's spirit? Are we trying to make it all happen through our carnal flesh? That is a very very important question. Let's pray, father Yahweh in the name of Yahushua,
we thank you for your gentleness, we thank you for your patience, we thank you for your word your convicting word. Father forgives us where we have misrepresented you, where we have not manifested the fruit of
your spirit of gentleness and meekness, forgive us father where you told us to speak and we did not out of fear. And when we did it was out of carnality and in frustration and not out of the flow of your words toward us and through us. We pray father that you would heal hearts many of which are bitter and hurting over the way they've been treated by people who have not been gentle help us to do love instead of reviling back,
goodness instead of evil back, light instead of darkness back and to love those who don't love us
that you might be glorified. For truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty forever and ever in Yahushua's great name we pray these things, where would we be without his grace and we thank you for it father, Amein.
they have discovered very zealous about it.
And it's good to be zealous we want to be zealous, we love our father in heaven, a lot of times it is our love for our father in heaven that is causing us to be zealots and be passionate.
But then you know we learn new things in the scriptures and we're so excited about what we learn and we just see it so clearly and then we want to share this with our family members and with our friends and everybody we know, we want to share it with. And that's natural when we find something that blesses us that inspires us, that moves us we want to share that with other people and that is a good desire. And Yahweh wants us to, he wants us to share it, he doesn't want us to hide it under a bowl or anything, okay. But, then we find out, wait a minute not everybody sees the same thing I'm seeing here. It's not like discovering a math problem and you got the solution this is you know it's a spiritual issue. It is an interpretation, there's all kind of you know things are gonna affect someone's life kind of thing you're sharing. So you know the first time you might share it you're like everyone may kind of seem little interested and act like they're listening and then they nod their heads and then you know and next time they see it its kind of like you're starting to get the cold shoulder a little bit you know. You try to share again they're like well I don't know about that you know and pretty soon it's outright people are concerned for you, I'll pray for you don't you love that? I'll pray for you, know a spiteful way and then next thing you know they extend to you the right foot of fellowship. So it's not what you expect in your family members you know okay they think you had a call, they think you've gone off the deep end you try to become Jewish pretty soon you're gonna go headlong to Judaism and their concern for you. And sometimes it's a real legitimate concern they care about you and they're not seeing what you see. And then you realize the things that you have found
could only be given to you by Yahweh himself. When Peter knew Yahushua was Messiah he said "flesh and blood did not reveal this to you", and so whoever you're sharing with Yahweh has to choose to reveal to them whatever it is you have to share. It's not like some new scientific discovery or something you have the proof from the word but
even scientific things you know some people have an evolution mindset, some people have a creationist mindset. And so things didn't work out like you had hoped and pretty soon everyone's against you and maybe if you have interest in, and maybe you know you tend to get upset by that. And then maybe get angry too yet they don't see what you're sharing and they get angry and that provokes you in the flesh. And so we want to be zealous we do, we want to be zealous, we want to evangelize, Yahushua was the greatest evangelist that ever walked this earth there wasn't anyone who could possibly exceed his perfect example of zeal and passion for Yahweh's ways. And yet what he said to the multitude was this;
come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. I will give you rest, is this what you are exhibiting in how you communicate the things of Yahweh? He says take my yoke upon you, and learn for me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls. Is this how you have placed additional burdens
or additional things that people have to do? Is this how you have communicated it? For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. And some are saying well Tom how else do we
communicate these things to them, I mean how do you do it? Well you have to make a distinction between having a holy passion and an unholy pride he said lowly in heart. And this is one of man's greatest troubles, we aren't lowly in heart. There's a difference between zealousness and arrogance, I remember very early in my walk with Yahweh I was so on fire for his ways, I wanted so much to proclaim what he had done for me, changed my life, turned my life around I want to help other people see the things I see. And I want to walk out the Torah and the Sabbath and calling on his name and I was very zealous filled with passion. I was also very young only 19 or 20 years old and I walked around with this 80 pounds sword and cutting people down wherever I went and I dismissed anyone who wouldn't listen to me as being insolent and hard-hearted and I did some damage to our cause.
I'll never forget one time, I'm ashamed to say it but I said to one of my relatives just out of the blue, are you keeping Sabbath yet? The person said no I'm not, I said well I feel sorry for you needless to say the person's response was very negative. They said, you sound so arrogant I don't like it, I said, what do you mean? I really do feel sorry for you. The Sabbath is so wonderful it's such a wonderful blessing. And the person went on to explain how they felt and I got an important lesson in humility, yeah I was really that arrogant I mean I thought I was just being zealous and it probably was just jealousness but there was a zeal that wasn't tempered with meekness and humility. I have a long way to go and my character development and I still need Yahushua every single day to teach me about the flaws in my own heart and at that time I had a lot to learn and I didn't know a lot of scriptures and even today sometimes I feel I need to be more humble in how I share the word particularly with my children and my family members. But scriptures teach us 1 Peter 3:15; sanctify Yahweh Elohim in your hearts: and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. So Yahushua if he being the king of the universe, the king of kings, a master of masters could be lowly in heart I'll tell you what we need to be lowly in heart, meekness and fear. Meekness and fear, what is meekness? Meekness is not necessarily weakness, you know. I mean the word here says praotes, mildness of disposition, the gentleness of spirit, meekness. You know when we're sharing Yahweh's word it's so important that it's done with the right kind of attitude an attitude of meekness not arrogance and pride. The context of our zealousness and passion is with pride and arrogance we are only going to provoke the other person's flesh rather than appeal to their spirit. But, again, meekness is not weakness, there is another language I can't remember what it is, might be Spanish or something where the way they describe a horse that is quote broke or trained is the horse is meek, a meek horse. And it's not that the horse is lacking power and
strength, the horse is every bit as powerful and strong as it ever was but that strength and that
power is directed in the under the rulership of his master's hand. And so whatever strength in the spirit we have, whatever strength we have does not mean we have to somehow reduce that, we have to direct that strength we have toward; in the right direction. And that's it. We have to, Yahweh has given us strength, Yahweh has given us the truth we have, he's given us you know the love for him that we have but we need to direct that rightly. Scripture says a servant of Yahweh must not quarrel, that means we don't argue.
We do not quarrel, no arguments, no fighting but be gentle to some people, no it says gentle to all, able to teach, patient and humility correcting those who are in opposition. If Elohim perhaps will grant them repentance for them to even be in a place where they come to repentance Yahweh has to give them that so that they may know the truth. So that doesn't mean he controls us and makes us do this or do that, what it means is that he calls them and no one can come to Yahushua unless they are called. No one can accept truth unless Yahweh reveals it to them, he may choose not to reveal whatever you have to share to them maybe he will one day but
not right now so they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil having been taken captive by him to do his will Yahushua has to free them from captivity and grant them repentance. But there are some people who are hard-hearted they don't want to listen to Yahweh and so he does not grant them that, repentance and that's the saddest thing there is to witness because they don't love the truth. Now if we fail in this area we choose not to be gentle to all, if we choose instead resort to fighting and carnal arguments we are simply disobeying Yahweh. This the way we put it, it will be like a man teaching his son how to change the oil in a car and then he uses brake fluid for the oil. He's not doing it right, he's not teaching them right. You can't effectively tell others about Yahushua unless you're doing it in the way scripture instructs us to do it. You can't be doing it wrong and expect it to turn out right, you can't it's not the right way.
Scriptures tell us we must not quarrel, the word quarrel means to fight, armed combatants or those who engage in hand to hand struggle, those engaged in a war of words, I have seen enough of those in my life, been in quite a few myself quarrel, wrangle, dispute and there's a whole lot going on Facebook, Chat rooms, forums.
This word as also found in the Septuagint which is a Greek translation of the Old Testament word, describes the quarrel between Abraham and Lot's herdsmen. The herdsmen Gerar quarreled with Isaac over the wells he had dug, describe that too. And what did Abraham and Isaac do? Abraham says well please you go to the right, I'll go to the left let there be no contention, let there be no fighting between us. Then what did Isaac do when they quarreled over the one well? He says well I'll just take another one, he died to self, Abraham died to self, Isaac died to self and he dug another well. It was hard to get a water well going in Israel I mean, so he dug another one and they fought over that one too he did not quarrel he dug a third one
and finally they didn't argue over that one I guess they were too ashamed. But don't engage in a carnal war of words with people it only turns them off, provokes their flesh to pride and strife and hinders the ability for the word of Yahweh to go from point A (the throne room) to point B (their hearts). And probably there is no greater test for us in this area than when we're trying to reach our relatives with the things we learned, our immediate family members. But we must understand, there are two methods of fishing. Yahushua said Peter you will be fishers of men right and there are two ways you can fish you can use a large net or if you know and go out and evangelize the crowds and I guess Internet would be you know into the net, it would be one way of fishing. Just watch out for the World Wide Web of course. Or you can use a fish hook and bait right and both methods are seen in with Peter, Peter would still go out and put the fish in water in a hook and that will come a fish and it has a coin in it. And he also uses nets and so both methods were used then, with the net you can go out and gather men if that's really hit miss you may or may not come across the school of fish. Or you can use the bait method with the bait method you sit in the way, you wait for the fish to find interest in what you're offering. And if he's interested he will take the food and you can bring them in. So the net method is most effective when you don't know the people very well and you may only see them once or a few times or they do not closely associate with you. The bait method is more effective with close friends and relatives you already know there is a school of fish there and that's why you're fishing in that spot right. So you have your school of fish, your friends and relatives are already there and people are more impressed particularly people who are friends and relatives by living examples of love. Then they are by mere words you may speak, they know you too well. Yahushua refines our character and as we begin to live our lives for others rather than living for ourselves this provides the kind of context we need to be effective with our words. And there's probably no greater turn off than a pompous and religious spirit.
And here is why it's ineffective, number one,
it provokes the flesh rather than convicts the soul. If your pride and pompous and carnal in your presentation that's only going to provoke their carnality and therefore hinder them from being able to be convicted in their spirit.
And here's another problem too many times it reminds them of a pompous man who once fell in the sin and hypocrisy you know televangelists up there preaching, preaching, preaching, condemning, condemning and then next thing you know they're on the same thing. And the third reason why it's problematic is those who are already humble may see our walk as really unreachable to anyone but the elite. They may feel that they could never be worthy enough to be accepted by us or by Yahweh and we see this in a congregation setting sometimes. You know there are people there who are really there trying to start a social club and you know and there are other people who don't fit their mold you know. And so when other people who don't fit that mold try to come in the congregation and they kind of get this I don't know it's not necessarily a cold shoulder it's just sort of indifferent to their presence and don't feel welcomed intentionally welcomed and loved and or if they see people fighting over little details of their faith you know and they're not even close to this point where they're getting and all these details that. They feel like they can never fit into that group, they feel like they can never fit in and be accepted by that group. And so they're turned off and so you know you got someone who's fighting addictions and they're walking in to a congregation, they're arguing over 14, 15th crescent or conjunction or how you pronounce a name and they are like man I just need Yahushua in my life I don't know what they're all talking about. They are way-way beyond where I'm ever going to probably ever be so I'll go somewhere else or just forget the whole thing. You see what I'm talking about, we all need to be approachable, we all need to be meek and humble and be aware of what people are experiencing, you are new coming into a group but we're told to walk in humility when we correct people. So now meekness is an attitude that comes out of a heart that is naturally humble, it is I should say not even naturally humble but choosing to be humble.
And some feel like well if I'm really I got this pride and then I act, act humble I feel like I'm being fake, no you're not being fake you are choosing to walk in the spirit and you continually make a habit of choosing to walk in the spirit eventually it'll become a part of you.
But listen we didn't you know we have to have the right perspective we did not earn our way into the sheepfold Yahweh gave us grace and without Yahushua having died for us we totally unworthy being even called his people. And for most us meekness and humility was probably there on the day we gave our lives to Yahushua, we are totally broken, we're ready to you know lay everything out there and but then we get some victories and sometimes we forget to pick from the pit from which we were dug and then those who oppose us end up provoking our flesh. And we feel the need to defend ourselves and maybe even defend Yahweh against those who oppose him and oppose us and because we're attacked we resort to the fleshly pride. And because this is what we've done in the past defend ourselves it comes quite naturally. So we resort to this thought that meekness is weakness and so we have to stand up for ourselves and you know put somebody in their place or whatever but if Yahushua says I am you know meek and lowly of
heart and all these things you are not gonna deny he was the king of kings I mean.
So please you don't have to really defend Yahweh, Yahweh can defend himself quite well you just present the word and you do, yeah you do your defending but do it in a way of love in a way of humility. We're not called a weakness, we're called to direct our love and strength and power to be in complete submission to the king of kings and it's his decision that we would not quarrel, we would not fight, we would walk in meekness and humility and if we do we will inherit the earth.
That's a pretty awesome promise there and along with the new heavens and earth as well. So those who inherit the earth are those who are given eternal life, those are the ones who receive the promise of Abraham. It is important that we are called to be a humble people, we're called to be a meek people, not brash, not abrasive and loud and obnoxious, the arrogant minded trying to draw attention to ourselves: we're called to be meek disciples. And for his disciple we're taught by him this lowliness of attitude, now disciples and the taught ones, that what the word disciple means by the way (taught ones) are going to be a meek people because they see what Yahushua does and respond accordingly. We're going to look at some scriptures but I wanna look at important characteristic of meekness mainly because in order for us to truly repent and receive the good news we come to a place where we seek baptism and seek to live as Yahushua lived we have to humble ourselves. Now there may be some people listening to this broadcast they have never really taken a moment and just given their lives to Yahushua, I mean just completely humble themselves before him. And says not my way your way, is that you or is that somebody in the room, is that someone who is watching an archive perhaps or somebody is watching this after Sabbath or somebody watching right now as I'm sharing? Maybe you haven't totally just humbled yourself before your maker and said you know what I'm gonna commit my life to you. What does it take to be saved? It takes 2 things number one repentance that means we're turning away from what we know is wrong and we're going to submit ourselves to what he says is the right way to live. And then secondly we put our faith in Yahushua for the forgiveness of sin, we allow him to cleanse us, we allow him to take all of our burdens, we give him all of our burdens and we don't carry guilt anymore we give it all to him. And he wants to carry your guilt by the way, you got guilt for something you did or whatever he wants to carry it. You can't carry part and him carry part he wants it all, so you need to give it all to him. If you've never taken that moment and given your life to him and humbled yourself before him, do it, do it now. Do it in some room off by yourself or, you want someone to pray for you? Let me know but that humility that we have when we bow ourselves before him should permeate through everything we do. It's an attitude it's a part of the personality of one who has humbled himself before Yahweh. And meekness should be found, our conversations, our tone of voice and the way we look at other people, how we react to someone who has wronged us or is doing wrong. And maybe meekness is most often lacking in our own houses I mean, yet that's where it's probably needed the most. Look at the example of Moshe in his household he was faced with opposition from his own brother and sister, they were older but Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moshe because of the Ethiopian woman he had married and he married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, has Yahweh indeed spoken only through Moshe? Has he not spoken through us also? And Yahweh heard it. Now the man Moshe was very meek above all the men
which were upon the face of the earth. If you want to be used by Yahweh there you go,
here's a man who was responsible for delivering the Torah the law of Yahweh to that generation and every generation of people that came after. I tell you what at onetime Moshe lifted up himself in pride and they kept him from the Promised Land and that's when he struck the rock. But other than that he was very meek, now suddenly Yahweh said to Moshe, Aaron and Miriam, Come out you three to the tabernacle of meeting.
Now I'll tell you what if I was Aaron and Miriam at this point I'll be shaking in my shoes. So the three came out. Then Yahweh came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both went forward. And now I'm really shaking in my shoes if I was them. And he said, hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I Yahweh will make myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moshe, who is faithful in all my house. I speak with him face to face, even apparently, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of Yahweh: why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moshe? In other words Yahweh says I put him in this position why weren't you afraid to speak against him. And Moshe himself he didn't lift himself up and say look who saw the burning bush and call me and I have done all these things and yet you're speaking against me? He never defended himself he just kind of like got on his face next thing you know Yahweh defends him.
So the anger of Yahweh was aroused against them; and he departed. And when the cloud departed from the tabernacle; suddenly, Miriam became leprous, as white as snow: and Aaron turned toward Miriam, and, there, she was a leprous. So Aaron said to Moshe, O, my master, please do not lay the sin on us, in which we have done foolishly, and which we have sinned. Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb. So Moshe cried out to Yahweh, please, Heal her now, O Elohim, I pray. Well so here's a man who was humble enough to go Yahweh please healer, he didn't like gloat or say see I told you so or you should have done that: he says O please heal her. He just cared and Yahweh said unto Moshe, if her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut out from the camp seven days and afterward she may be received in again. So Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people did not journeyed until Miriam was brought in again. And so Yahweh did not allow this bad fruit of murmuring against Moshe to remain very long, because the moment Aaron and Miriam began to speak against Moshe Yahweh immediately took action. Because Moshe was given a great responsibility and with that responsibility came authority. When Moshe's authority and position were being questioned we see Moshe was very meek about it he had died to self, he knew he didn't need to defend himself Yahweh did it for him. Doesn't mean that you can never speak a word to defend what you're doing, even Paul wrote a lot in his own defense there in 2 Corinthians and other places but there are times even Yahushua spoke in his own defense. But this is a challenge to his position of authority and Moshe did not put himself in this position it was something that his brother and sister didn't realize that Yahweh was the one who put him in that position. It wasn't based on merit it was based on his calling and so you know the similar situation happening in families today that husbands are the head of the household and like Miriam and Aaron sometimes wives want to challenge that position and get out of there meekness and get into a place of pride and say well you're not doing this right that right I hear from Yahweh and you need to do this you need to do that. But we men did not choose this role; we didn't appoint ourselves as head of household. Men are not the head of a household because we earned it or because we're smarter or more spiritual, men are head of a household because they're the ones on Yahweh is going to hold responsible for leadership and for directing affairs and it would be lovely if all women with respect and understand that but that's not always the case. So what can we do? Well we men can be like Moshe and just pray Yahweh will intervene and reveal things to those who were insubordinate and hopefully they won't be leprous or have some other kind of thing because of their attention but hopefully they'll have the meekness that you yourself are exhibiting in this area. But if you're going to jump in and use pride and arrogance and unlike Moshe it's gonna be much harder for them to exhibit that meekness that they need because pride sows the carnal fruit of pride. And so we all need to set the example of meekness at our household like Moshe because listen if Moshe became lifted up, if Moshe became proud Yahweh could just wipe him like a dish and choose somebody else. And that's the same for all of us, so you know this ministry that Yahweh has given me I hope, I pray I would never allow anything to enter my mind and entertain it any length of time that all by my hand or my wisdom or my power or my strength or my this or my that. The truth is if there's anything good in me brothers and sisters it's just Yahushua because there is nothing in me that's. If there's anything that's happening it is him and I want to keep that mindset because he can wipe me like a dish too So Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. And this is a fruit of Yahweh's spirit, Yahushua had it, now the New King James typically translates meekness as gentleness and gentleness is certainly a character trait of one who is meek. The word in the Greek language praotes there, gentleness, mildness, meekness. So if Yahweh's spirit is manifesting itself through us, then these fruits of that spirit will be as well. And we can recognize when the spirit of Elohim is operating and when someone's carnality is operating by whether or not these fruits are coming out of them right. Now the word meekness in the Hebrew anawah means
humility, the outcome of affliction which is humility, our attitude if we are this way will be one of gentleness, mildness and a very patient spirit. This is not to be mistaken with spiritual weakness once again it has nothing to do with when one has nothing to do with the other. But in order for us to really be used by Yahweh and manifest his power we have to be humble otherwise it's just our own power.
When somebody wrongs us it's going to take a lot of spiritual power for us to deny ourselves and be slow to anger and rule over our own spirit. Scripture says in Proverbs 16:32; he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who rules his spirit than he that takes a city. When we touched on this Psalm we examined the very scriptures on anger and in this anger study I shared a few years ago. But you know this is an amazing verse here. I find this to be pretty amazing, if you can rule your spirit and be slow to anger you're greater than a mighty man and greater than a man who can go in and conquer a city.
Psalm 25 verse 8 says; good and upright is Yahweh: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. So if you want to learn you need this right here, the meekness and that's who he will guide in matters of judgment and in determining what his way truly is. And if we are meek we will have a tendency to not allow our own emotions, our own anger to guide us in our judgment but let reason the holy scriptures that Yahweh speaks to us by his spirit and will be more open to learning the way of Yahweh and humbling ourselves when we see some area of correction we need to make in our life. If we're prideful then we know Yahweh resist the pride and he's gonna give grace and understanding to the humble. So we have to be a meek and humble people. Psalm 149 verses 1-4; Praise ye Yahweh. Sing unto Yahweh a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises to him with the timbrel and harp. For Yahweh takes pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. It is the meek who were beautified with salvation remember, the humble state we were when we gave our life Yahushua that's why he gave us salvation.
We probably some of you were in a state of weeping out of humility realizing we're nothing, he's everything and when we need to still feel that way. Someone thinks he's something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. So why should we ever depart from the attitude? I don't think we should, sometimes it can be hard I mean, it can be difficult different circumstances arise we forget and we gained new information, we're excited and so we want to share but be aware of this. 1 Corinthians 8:1, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
Knowledge puffs up but love edifies, what's the purpose of all this knowledge that you've got?
It is so that you can more effectively learn how to love, not so that you can more effectively show how smart you are, what you found or all this stuff. You know you can go in discussion forums, you can go where people gather and you can kind perceive some of the conversations, those battles going on between men, battles for respect and honor. You'll notice two people talking a lot of times it tends to be men more than women but two men will be talking and they both talking about the things they've done, things they have accomplished. And there's this little undercurrent of battle going on for respect, maybe not very open and obvious, very subtle, little dispute going on of whose the greatest. You know Yahushua's disciples onetime fell on that right and we can perceive that when we get stories going on different things have happened in discussion forums is this topic or whatever they are talking about. The things that take place whenever they're trying to talk about there will be a shift. At first we're talking about what is truth and then it kind of shifts to who has it and when it goes from what's right to who is right it all goes downhill from there believe me. Because now it's not a battle of or reasoning together it's a battle who is going to get the honor here, who's going to be the one who will humble the other, who is going to be the greatest who is. We need to be seeking Yahweh's honor Mark 9:31; he taught his disciples, and said to them, The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and after he is killed, he will rise the third day. But they did not understand that saying, and were afraid to ask him. And he came to Capernaum: and was in the house he asked them, what was it that you disputed among yourselves on the road?
They didn't wanna say they kept silent: for on the
road they had disputed among themselves, who will be the greatest. And think about this he just told them he is going to die and now they're arguing who is going to be the great one after the after he dies. How insensitive, Yahushua so patient he was; he sat
down, and called the twelve, and said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.
Yahushua said if you call me Teacher and Master: and you say it well; for so I am. If I then, your Master and Teacher, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. So the greatest is the servant the ones who
serve, now think about this who is the greatest
servant there is?
Yahweh the father, is it not he who has served us by giving us awesome gifts, awesome blessings who abundantly supplies our every need? Was it not he who gave his only begotten son for our sakes? Does he not rain down blessings on the just and even to the unjust? Doesn't he provide for both? We know he's the greatest of all, he gave us life,
he gave us everything we have, every good thing we have he has given it to us. He has served us all in greater ways that we could ever possibly imagine, even when you pray you're not only declaring his greatness you're asking him to do something for you. We're asking if he will serve us by doing this by doing that, heal this person, help that person, I need this will you do this for me, help me with this he's always serving.
We want Yahweh to do for us, we want him to serve us in some capacity, in some way whether it be healing or to reveal his will whatever, we're wanting him to do something for us and he does it. He does what we ask, he's really waiting on us hand and foot we just don't think about that. He is loving us and serving us and do you know what the Hebrew word for bless in its most literal form means? It means to bow the knee, barak to bless or to kneel. To kneel, to be blessed, blessed, blessed to cause to kneel. So now the picture I have is what Yahushua did where he kneeled down and he washed the feet of his disciples. This word barak is also found here, Genesis 24:11 where it says; he made his camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the evening time, when women go out to draw water.
It's also found here, O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before Yahweh our maker, Psalm 95:6. So when we're saying Yahweh bless you, we're saying Yahweh bow the knee to you and serve you and give you great blessings. It doesn't seem, even almost seems backward and but we're called to bless one another to serve one another. We know Yahushua he blessed us with eternal life, he gave his whole life for us in his service to us. And he saw what his father was doing in serving, now the father can't die but father serves us and so he served us and he served his father and that was his main goal was to serve. So in light of the fact that Yahweh is continually serving me and continually serving you shouldn't we also be serving him? Shouldn't our main service to him be with zeal and compassion and passion because that's the way he loves us, that's the way he serves us? And shouldn't we also serve one another? Serve our spouse, serve our children, and serve the community. The one who lives their life that way is truly fulfilled and truly walking in love. The greatest is not necessarily the one with the most knowledge, the most wisdom, the most revelations the teachers of the word actually get a lot of attention but they will also be given stricter judgment. I suppose I'll be one of those who receive instructor judgment and probably I already am. So pray for me that Yahweh has mercy on me and pray I'll have a meek spirit all the days of my life and that I would be anyway prideful about myself that he will show me. I don't ever want to depart from that, not I'm perfected at it but I want to always be meeking his eyes. The last thing I need to have done is for me to be judged in pride and ruin the whole thing through pride and so when we serve when we do what's commanded do we boast, do we say O look what I did here, look what I did there? No, when you're done the things that they have been commanded you, Luke 17:10, say, we are unprofitable
servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. So we look at all that Yahweh has done for us and it pales in comparison to what we have done for him
and what we would ever do for him.
So the spirit of Yahweh was upon Yahushua; Isaiah 61 verse 1 Yahushua actually quoted this, because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those that are bound. So who did he give the good news to? The meek who were the ones who ended up rejecting Yahushua the Messiah when he came on the earth, who were the ones who ended up receiving him, who was the meek disciples that were chosen even though they might have been more learned men for Yahushua to choose?
Look what he said to Peter, he fell down at Yahushua's knees, saying; depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Master. He recognized his own sinful state and he was humble falling down at Yahushua's knees and yet Yahushua gave him the keys. Also I say to you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, Matthew 16:18. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven: and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Imagine that a man going from a position of saying I'm not even worthy to be in your presence to be given the keys him locked a lot of things he was the first one to speak in Acts chapter 2. The first one to minister to gentiles but there are other people in the first century who did not receive the truth.
They were prideful once, the disciples came, and said to him (Matthew 13:10), why do you speak to them in parables? He answered and said to them, because it is being given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not being given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance: but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Therefore I speak to them in parables: because seeing they do not see; and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, by hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive. For the hearts of his people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart, and turn, so that I should heal them.
Yahweh didn't want to heal them, Yahweh did not want them to hear and so they were given strong delusion thinking they were in a relationship with him, thinking that they were his when in reality they weren't because they did not want to hear, did not want to change. They had pleasure in unrighteousness, they did not care to be righteous, sad condition to be in, and prideful, very very prideful men they were. 1 Corinthians 1:26; for you see your calling, brethren, not many wise men according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But Elohim has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise; and Elohim has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. And the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, Elohim has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are. That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Pretty amazing, Yahweh does not want any flesh; glory in his presence, wow. And you get a sense when you read the scriptures and you realize that it was a key difference between the believer and an unbeliever, between one who was accepted by Yahweh and one who was not. Psalm 147 verse 6; Yahweh lifts up the meek: he casts the wicked down to the ground. As if they're just polar opposites, it's almost synonymous to say one who is prideful is one who is wicked and the one who was meek is the one he will lift up.
And in times to come we're going to be having tremendous turmoil on the earth and tremendous difficulty, tremendous upheaval on the earth. Don't be deceived by the supposed peace talks,
until there is peace in men's heart there is no peace. Until the prince of peace resides in the hearts of men there is no peace. And we know the scripture says that when they say, Peace and safety; sudden destruction comes upon them, right. So don't take any confidence in that, Seek Yahweh, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld his justice; seek righteousness, seek humility: it may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Yahweh's anger.
So all these judgments that will come upon the earth who will be spared? The humble, the meek, the ones who are seeking humility. So if you wanna be hidden in the day of Yahweh's anger, if you wanna be one of those who are, Yahushua spoke to the Philadelphia assembly and says; because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. If you want to be spared persevere and maintain an
attitude of gratitude, humility and love and
that's what it boils down to.
The ones who were not the Scribes and the Pharisees were by and large, thought they had all the answers, thought they knew the truth, along comes Yahushua lowly sitting on a donkey entering Jerusalem.
Simon sees him themselves on and John the Baptist kind of figure you know crying in the wilderness and all this stuff and you know the bold statements Yahushua spoke was to the prideful man.
The bold statements John the Baptist spoke were too prideful men and they needed to be humbled, they needed to be exposed. So they would humble themselves that was the best possible way to reach them because they needed to be humbled and them prophets of Yahweh spoke in such ways to try to bring them to a place of humility. But their pride kept them from receiving it, look
how Paul spoke with and reacted to and treated those who were in that's what I can. 1 Thessalonians 2:5; for neither any time do we use
flattering words, as you know, nor a cloke for covetousness; Elohim is witness. Nor did we seek glory for men, either from you, or from others, when we might have made demands, as the apostles of Messiah. But we were gentle among you, as a nurse cherishes her own children. So affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel of Elohim, but also our own lives, because you have become dear to us. That's a true servant right there, tender, affectionate, gentle that's what we need to be toward one another. Many times what we get is harsh, harshness it's very opposite. Who are we? Which one are we? It's important. We need to we need to recognize that when we are choosing humility it is the spirit of Elohim that is flowing through us. You may think you have to jump in and do it your way and get something done and what you do may change the actions of the people that you are directing and that's the deceitful way of anger of control. You may scare someone into doing what you want but you haven't changed the heart and they get no credit. It's not out of a true heart there's no credit to that, it's gonna come out of true burden and conviction of the heart. People are doing what you say because they're afraid of you and you have been intimidating them that's not the way you want to do it.
James 1:19; so that my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of Elohim. It doesn't. Don't be deceived we speak many words, we dominate conversations, we're lacking humility, we're losing the ability to listen and properly judge how to respond to people.
And I found in my walk the most difficult people to reach are those that are always talking never listening. You open your mouth to say a few words and they're already interrupting you, they don't listen you just, you throw your hands up. A few times I've said now I've listened to you speak and I would like to share something with you. One year at the feast there's someone I try to talk and try to talk to him and he wouldn't listen I said will you please just give me 5 minutes, just give me 5 minutes to speak without interruption. And because they gave me 5 minutes to speak it completely sold everything you know, I brought them
to a place where they were at a point where they weren't so defensive.
So you know one of the most difficult things is when you're trying to talk to somebody and they won't give you a chance and it's a sign that they're not listeners, they're talkers. And so we have to always be people who are willing to listen to others, willing to hear and sometimes you try witnesses somebody and the reason why you're not reaching is because you're not listening to them and so they don't listen to you either or you're not hearing them well enough to be able to be more effective in how you speak to them.
And so you're ineffective, you're unable to share properly because you don't know where they're coming from, you don't know enough about them to be able to direct your words in such a way that can be effective to them.
So first we need to hear and then we can share, we can more effectively share the things that whatever it is that Yahweh has given us. And when you finally do share remember these words
to David in his prayer he says; you have also given me the shield of your salvation, your gentleness has made me great, wow. That's a really an awesome scripture because Yahweh's gentle spirit is what makes us do the things that we do and that spirit of gentleness dwelling in us needs to flow out on the other people and help bring them to greatness also.
Is that how we've been sharing? Is that how we have been presenting the things of Yahweh's spirit? Are we trying to make it all happen through our carnal flesh? That is a very very important question. Let's pray, father Yahweh in the name of Yahushua,
we thank you for your gentleness, we thank you for your patience, we thank you for your word your convicting word. Father forgives us where we have misrepresented you, where we have not manifested the fruit of
your spirit of gentleness and meekness, forgive us father where you told us to speak and we did not out of fear. And when we did it was out of carnality and in frustration and not out of the flow of your words toward us and through us. We pray father that you would heal hearts many of which are bitter and hurting over the way they've been treated by people who have not been gentle help us to do love instead of reviling back,
goodness instead of evil back, light instead of darkness back and to love those who don't love us
that you might be glorified. For truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty forever and ever in Yahushua's great name we pray these things, where would we be without his grace and we thank you for it father, Amein.