The Center of our Attention
01/07/17 (11/08) Video Broadcast
Well, at this time in the
broadcast we're going to
go ahead and share our
study portion for today
and I have a question
for all of us: In a
distraction filled world
what is the center of our
attention? What is the thing that we are focusing on? That is the title of today's study. We're surrounded by things that are often trying to take our attention; anything from advertisements and billboards to the media, the television, to magazines and books. Advertisers know the things that have our attention, if it's their product, then we'll buy their product. But, what is the center of our attention? If you were to take a camera and make everything blurry except one object, the one object would be the center of your attention.
I think the enemy has a number of things that will potentially take our attention away from what's really important, and this is one of them, little
smart phones right? Sometimes the smart phones have a way of taking your attention away from our family members, taking our inventions and if used properly can be a powerful tool for good, can take our attention away from attention away from Yahweh. Sometimes our computers, and our devices and our television sets are things that are marvelous
the things that are really important.
So my question for all of us is: What is the center our attention?
Are we placing all the things that we see and come in contact with, are we putting it through a filter? And filtering out the junk a hanging on to what is good. The scripture says, "Test all things and hold to
what is good. Dispose of what is evil."
When we were born into this world our mind was blank, our brain was blank everything was kind of just reflexes. But as we grow we learn about the world we live in and we learn about certain behaviors that have negative consequences. Others have positive consequences. We learn we did not create ourselves, hopefully. Yaweh, as our Elohim, he created us. He has a purpose in creating us, there is a reason for our existence. And we learn through the scriptures that man has chosen not to walk in the image of Elohim but that we can be restored to the image of Elohim through the Messiah and so everything happening in the world today, all the noise, all the things that might get us sidetracked. What is the big picture? What is the main priority of our life? What has our attention?
In the end, what does Yahweh mean to us? It's not going to matter how much money you made yesterday, it's not he who dies with the most toys wins. That's a lie. Is it going to matter what happens to the government or this government or that government or who's the President next year or the big picture. It kind of makes all that seem awful small to me. I mean I look at the big picture, that seems awful small.
Is it going to matter what kind of cars are being invented next year, what models are going to be out? Is it going to matter how we solve the energy problems, or the economy? What is going to matter? When we stand before Yahweh in judgment, is it really going to matter what the economy is like? The important question all of a sudden becomes clear.
So I want to talk about some of these things. The scriptures say, "If you are raised with Messiah take those things which are above, where the
Messiah is sitting at the right hand of Elohim."
Is that where you're mind is set?
Not on things of the earth. Set your mind on things above; spiritual things, heavenly things. Why? Something was supposed to happen, you died and your
life now is hidden with Messiah in Elohim.
So what is your point of emphasis? What is our focus? Where is our attention?
Is it on earthly things or on heavenly things?
There is all kinds of distractions today.
Even in our faith, even in those who believe in scripture there are even distractions in terms of majoring on the minors.
Some people are caught up in the racial background, whether you are physically Israel or not. There groups out there who spend most of their time talking about "Oh we are the lost tribes of Israel.
If you're Caucasian, if you don't have a lot of melanin in your skin that means you are Israel." Others say "If you have lots of melanin in your skin your Israel." Now, I don't think Joseph, when he married an
Egyptian, cared about the color of her skin or how much melanin was there or whatever. I mean I don't care about that I really don't. I'm not saying to totally ignore it, I mean what really matters is not your physical lineage.
What matters is whether you walk the Yahushua walk. I don't care what your flesh looks like. A lot of things go on, even in our circles today. People talk about two house and one house. I'm a one house guy. Yahushua is going to join us together. But people assume because you have a great great great great grandpa who was maybe an Israelite that gives you a higher standing somehow.
I don't think so. But race was a major issue in the first century it kept the Jews from reaching out to the Gentiles. It kept the Gentiles, eventually in the second century, from accepting the things that were so-called Jewish. And the belief in the first century among Jewish people was, "Well we are sons of Abraham, they are the Gentile dogs over there we can't touch them, they are unclean. We are above them. We are the head, they are the tail." And the focus on race presented a number of problems, and even some of the early apostles got caught up in it. That's why Paul had to rebuke Peter about being straightforward with the good news. So, they couldn't believe it! Those of the circumcision who believed were astonished! What! As many as came with Peter because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. They heard them speak with tongues and magnify Elohim. Then Peter answered, "Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized to have received the Holy Spirit such as we have?" They weren't even baptized yet and they received the Spirit. And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Master and he asked them to stay a few days. They were shocked! How could it be, because they have a different lineage, that they could have the Holy Spirit?
You know you could enter some Messianic congregations today and if you're Gentile they will put you in a second position. Because they say "Well the Jews are the head, the Gentiles are the tail." You find if you're a Gentile you're a second-class citizen. They will accept you but you can't sit on the Board of Elders. And some of them might tell you "Don't worry about the law, just keep the "Noachide law" okay. Be a good Noachide." And they pat you on the head. And so their their focus is still on race where scripturally we are all the seed of Abraham and the Messiah Yahushua. Galatians 3:29 "We are all the seed of Abraham." In other groups you will be told if you are white European you are one of the 12 tribes. If you are outside one of those you are a second-class citizen. Now I'm not trying to paint all groups as being racist but some people say the Christian identity, they call it, they keep the Torah, they believe in keeping the laws, some of them even use the name Yahweh. And they'll belong to different groups and they can get away with it. They probably belong to the KKK. Because really, they are racist. They are white supremacists. And so I see this happening also on the Jewish side. I see black Hebrew Israelites doing the same thing. And there're people who get caught up in this. And they base everything on lineage. What did you earn by being born a certain way? I mean you didn't earn anything. Yahweh chose your parents, that's about it. But everyone is trying to focus on the race. I just say "Listen, we've got to walk the Yahushua walk."
I had a Jewish believer a number of years ago, he joined his little club, you know his organization, saying his organization is uniting the 12 tribes.
I just don't think your organization is going to do the job. I just don't think Yahweh is going to give credit to the organization. He's going to do it because he wants to do it. Not to force anything. It's interesting, don't get me wrong. But Hey! What is our focus? What are our priorities? What is it that has our attention? Is it "my dad's better than your dad?"
Every six-year-old says that. Let's grow up. You are losing sight of what is important.
And what matters is not who your daddy is.
What matters is that you walk the Yahushua walk. We all have to try ourselves. We all have to seek righteousness. You have to realize Yahweh can raise up the children of Abraham from a pile of rocks.
It's not going to be the important thing. The important thing is going to be whether or not we live the way Yahushua lived. If we are sons of Abraham great! Then live like a son of Abraham. Walk like a son of Abraham. Talk like a son of Abraham.
Yahushua was talking to the people of his day; Yahushua said to them "If you abide in my word, you're my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." What is their response? "Well we are Abraham's descendants. I have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say we shall be made free?" What is his answer? "Moses surely I say to you whoever commits sin is a slave of sin." It doesn't matter who your daddy is. If you commit sin you are a slave of sin. And only the son can make you free. Right? The slave does not abide in the house forever but his son abides forever. If the son makes you free you shall be free indeed. No matter who your daddy is. He says "I know you were Abraham's descendants that you seek to kill me because the word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father." What? Abraham? Wait a minute! They answered and said "Well Abraham is our father." Yahushua said to them "If you were Abraham's children (which they are not) you would do the works of Abraham." Oh they are his descendants but they are Abraham did not do this, you do the deeds of your not his children. father." And then they said "Then we are not born of "But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I have heard from Elohim.
fornication, we have one father Elohim." Yahushua said to them "If Elohim were your father you would love me. For I proceeded forth and came from Elohim. Nor, have I come of myself but he who sent me. Why don't you understand my speech? Because you're not able to listen to my word.
You are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do. He is a murderer from the beginning and he does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie he speaks of his own resources. For he is a liar and the father of it.
But because I tell you the truth you do not believe me." So he's looking at the character qualities here.
These men had murderous intent. They did not stand in the truth. They were purveyors and conveyors of lies. Therefore, their true father was not Abraham. Even though they were descendants of Abraham. So much for putting confidence in the flesh. Their father was the devil. That's what he told them. The focus in Yahushua's mind was not in the physical ancestry, the focus was, the thing that had the center of his attention, was whether one was doing the works of Abraham or the works of the devil. You have to be careful, your flesh, don't put confidence in it. You still have to walk the Yahushua walk. Yahweh's mercy is given to those who turn away from sin receiving Yahushua in their life for atonement and cleansing, and in the end what's really going to matter is what is going on in their hearts.
I wonder how many of us can really prove that we are an Israelite anyway? For all you know, some grandpa was the milkman. You don't know. You don't know if someone committed adultery and hid it and had a child that really was not an Israelite. I don't know, maybe DNA can prove it, I don't know. But what is that going to prove really? It doesn't prove that you're saved.
So there is a danger about race being the center of our attention or undue emphasis in our life. Genealogies, striving's about the law, they are not profitable. Endless genealogies I should say. And so Yaweh says "Don't worry about that stuff." Our goal is to maintain good works.
Another area we have to be careful in our hearts, that can take away and become a distraction, is the way in which we study Yahweh's word. Yahweh's word is an amazing document. I mean layers upon layers of depth. So many different topics and the knowledge of him is inexhaustible. You could not possibly exhaust the width and height and depth of his knowledge.
And sometimes I hear study topics that really aren't
all that centered on pursuing righteousness. Now its kind of interesting some things, "Oh look Messiah is seen here in the Old Testament verse isn't that amazing?" Yeah, it's great. Hallelujah. Could be. Other times we hear what I call "Could Be Sermons." The author has an idea, something he saw in the Bible, and so he finds his Bible verses to justify the idea rather than getting bible verses and that be the location where he is getting his ideas. Two different things. And so he presents a "Could Be Sermon." It could be. But he's never really been able to prove what he's saying, it just could be. If it was, wouldn't that be really neat? I am not trying to pick on other people and claim that I am any better than anybody else, I am just saying it alarms me! Because when you go through a bunch of maybes and could be's and maybe that goes here and maybe that goes there and mix-and-match and put things together yet you can't really prove it. And what happens is we start to lower our criteria for determining what truth really is.
Because we're in all these maybes and could be's and might be's. And they all sound really cool and neat and amazing and then we say "Well that could be, you know it probably is, in fact I think I will just bank on it, you know?" We start accepting these kinds of things as fact which could be wrong because we have lowered our criteria for what truth is and accept other things that are not so innocent that are actually dangerous doctrines. Because our emphasis is not on looking for the facts and looking for truth. I knew one person years ago, she studied, I mean she just studied daily, hour after hour. And, you know she would come to me with things and she would say "What about this and what about that?" and I would say "Well maybe, it could be, I mean you can't really prove it, it might be." Oh, they accepted it as fact. That person no longer believes in Yahushua today. That was maybe 12 or 13 years ago. Just to give you an idea of some of the dangers, Because they fell into this thing where it didn't take much to prove anything. The scripture says "Prove all things, hold fast to what is good." What does the word really say? "There is a way that seems right to a man but in thereof is the way of death." So we have to be careful about being caught up in these "Could Be Sermons" that sound fascinating. It could be kind of neat but you can't really prove it. When I read in Paul's letters, in Caiphus' letters to Peter, I read the scriptures, the book of Acts, what I find there is if anything significant happened, it was always the word of Elohim was magnified. The word of Elohim grew and was multiplied.
That needs to be the center of our attention. The word and the will of Elohim, that is our focus. Another area that can be dangerous is doctrine. In fact, here's what happens, I'm not saying doctrine is bad but there is some, and it could be us if we aren't careful, get unbalanced. We focus too much on one particular doctrine and scripture. The doctrine may be in the scriptures, it may not be in the scriptures. But they get caught up in it, and that is all they think about. It is all they talk about and they get out of balance. There are some people who are staunch Calvinists or staunch Armenianists or whatever you want to call it, whatever doctrine or whatever it might be. And that is all they talk about, or most of what they talk about.
And you don't hardly even know their name, the first thing out of their mouth is they are talking to you about what ever it is.
And they want to get into a debate over it. They want to talk about it, they want to prove to you their pet doctrine. And we've got to be careful. We can think we have the whole cow when all we are really holding up is a piece of meat. We think we've got the whole cow but it's not the whole cow. There is a whole lot of other things that we need to look at in the scriptures. Not just the one little piece of meat there. I mean it's good stuff, maybe, maybe it's not good, maybe it's garbage and we think we've got a piece of meat. So, we've got to be careful about that brothers and sisters. Watch out! The enemy is going about like a lion seeking whom he can devour. Conspiracy theories are another area. People say "Oh that is happening! This is happening!" And that is the center of their attention, it's "What is the evil government going to do
next?" Most of the time they are wrong, I've found. Cutting edge websites about things going on. I remember when Bill Clinton was president, all those sites were saying "Oh he'll never give up his presidency, he will call martial law to come in." It never happened. George Bush too, "George Bush, oh he will never give up his presidency. He will make sure martial law takes place he will take over." It never happened. Barrack Obama, "Oh he will never give up his presidency. He will make martial law. Something will happen." I don't believe it. I never did believe it. I don't believe it. Look, they say it's going to happen, that's going to happen. I mean it's almost like some of these conspiracy sites are like reading a National Enquirer. A bunch of gossip that no one can prove. So listen, maybe some is true and maybe it isn't. the devil is going to do next they've lost what is supposed to be the center of our attention. It is what Yahweh wants to do in you next. How can you know? I'm not a fly in the room in the president's Oval Office. A lot of these things can bring us to a place where I mean can you really prove it? Can you really prove it? we are not even thinking about what Yahweh wants to I say look let's not get caught up in fear. And there are so many people so focused on what do in our life. We are so focused on what that enemy has planned; we are not listening to the spirit of Yahweh.
We are running from the devil. And the devil is laughing his head off. He is enjoying it because you are afraid. He has you running from him and his plans. I'm not saying it's wrong to get a proper understanding or figure out what might be happening next in the perfect timetable. But we cannot let that be our primary area of attention.
Another area, this is my personal commentary on the things I've noticed over the years, having been in the Hebrew Roots Movement since 1990. There're people who are so focused on historical proofs and sciences and academia and things like that and they look at the Bible as some kind of historical textbook or something. Rather than words of life that are supposed to direct our paths. And unless they've got some kind of historical evidence behind it, they have a difficult time really accepting what the scriptures teach. They want the cultural context. You know, I understand cultural context. A lot of the cultural context you can find right in the scriptures. You don't even have to look outside scriptures to find it. I think a lot of our cultural information can be found right there in the pages of scripture if we just look and listen carefully.
Now, sometimes we can find little facts and things and figures and inscriptions but they can be highly interpretive at times so we've got to be careful what we are accepting. Yahweh's word and that's in the highest place. That's the center of our attention. Because that is where Yahweh is speaking to us. And when Yahweh speaks to us he needs to have our attention. What man finds in some old dusty tablets buried under a pile of rubble, I mean that's interesting only if it confirms what scripture says. But, actually I take that back it doesn't confirm what scripture says. Scripture itself confirms what it says is true. Those things happened to do with scripture and therefore they are confirmed. Do you understand? A lot of that can be interpreted wrongly.
Another area of imbalanced focus is some people say "Well you know I don't really have to pay so much attention to scripture I just get my daily downloads from the spirit. If I don't get my daily download from the spirit
at my time of prayer then that thing over there in the scriptures must be spurious or somebody added to it or some Catholic guy monked with the scriptures
or some false pen of the scribes so I'm going to follow the spirit. The words on paper? Oh yeah, you can follow that if you want to I am following the spirit." I have heard those kinds of words. You know when everybody does that you can get all kinds of false spirits teaching you things. You go down a dangerous path, a dangerous road. There have been people I've seen led astray by those who are claiming to follow the spirit and they kind of turn a "poo-poo" to the scriptures like "Oh well that's like, that has all been corrupted, it's not reliable just listen to the spirit."
Sorry buddy, but if its not according to the Torah and the prophets and the writings and the Hebraic ____, that's the New Testament, then there is no light in it. I don't care what you think you got from the spirit.
Because the scriptures I know are from the spirit. I don't know what you're getting for sure, it might be, it might not be. But the scriptures I know is my anchor and I know the spirit is speaking when I read the Scriptures.
Another area of dangerous focus is the so-called Hebraic mindset.
Now don't get me wrong, I'd like to say, let's look at the Hebrew mindset, look at the Hebrew roots. While we are researching that but I have serious questions when someone turns that Hebrew mindset into the, "Let's find out what the rabbis teach. Let's find out what the sages say. Let's look at what the Talmud has to say." And they are messianic rabbi wannabes who are trying to emulate that. I have serious questions as to whether we are supposed to learn what we need to learn from the Hebraic mindset from the very kind of men who were wrong in the first Century about who the Messiah was. They had the Hebraic mindset. They were Hebrews but that particular element of the
Hebraic mindset was wrong. They had a rabbinic mindset which can be quite different. A "followers of tradition" mindset. A mindset of tradition is more important than scripture. A mindset that follows what the sages say, what the rabbi says is what we need to listen to. That Is dangerous those sages rejected the Savior of men. Not all of them, but a lot of them. Yahushua says "Beware of the leaven." That is the doctrine of the Pharisees and scribes. He warned us about that. So, I will tell you what, if you want to have a Hebraic mindset go learn Hebrew. If you learn Hebrew guess what? You have a Hebraic way of looking at scripture. You will be reading it in Hebrew. If you want to have a Hebraic mindset go out and get yourself a farm and start shepherding a bunch of sheep or some goats. Raise some barley, some wheat, get a vineyard going. If you know Hebrew and you do those things I would say you will be closer to having their mindset then some rabbi out there telling you this is what it is.
Now I understand you don't really have to do all of that in order to understand Yahweh's word. He can reach you no matter what. But it can add color to the black-and-white we read in the English language. They say reading in Hebrew is like reading in color.
But see their lives were centered around agriculture and so if you want that, live like they did. If you're looking for historical background, great! A lot of things people look for in historical background you can actually find in the scriptures. Again, I am not against it all. I am talking about what has the center of our attention? We do not need historical documents to explain scripture. The scripture explains the scripture.
It can be neat, it can be helpful but it is not the center of our attention. It is the word of Elohim. It is when he speaks, that should have our attention. It is living, it's powerful, it's sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, the discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart. The discerner of thoughts and the reason why you think them. And there is no creature hidden from his site but all things are naked and open to the eyes of to whom we must give account.
Are we listening? Does he have our attention? John 6:63 Yahushua said "It is the spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they
are life." Have you ever thought about that verse right there? When I saw that verse years ago I was just totally floored. I mean I thought that was awesome! The words Yahushua speaks, he says, they are spirit.
So if you're looking to hear from the spirit, find out what Yahushua said. And he is not just the word in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He is the word in Genesis to Revelation. And the words that come are life.
And sometimes we get caught up in other people's words that are spirit that are a wrong spirit and they are not life they are death. Newspaper articles, academia, archaeology, theories, ideas, websites, YouTube videos, whatever videos. There's no scripture in it. We have to look up what he says. If you want the spirit listen to his words. The spirit will rest upon you and fill you as you listen intently to his words with a repentant heart and a faith in the Messiah Yahushua.
Now, another area that is dangerous, you might think I am really off the wall on this one, but it is Bible teachers and even ones that tell you the truth. Even the one you're watching right now or listening to. There are a large number of people who focus on listening to the latest Bible teacher, their favorite Bible teacher. And most of the spiritual food they get comes from listening to a spiritual teacher and they don't really read the scriptures themselves. They are content to just let the Bible teachers tell them what to believe. That is spiritual laziness, really! Rather than doing your own research into the word and letting the Spirit of Yahweh lead you, instead of listening to a plethora of teachings on any given subject and making a decision on what seems right, why don't you just do your own research? But what if it's none of the above? What if they are all wrong?
There's a danger in only relying upon man to give you truth and to give you the bread. I mean anyone who opens the word can be taught by him, anyone, by the spirit of Yahweh. You don't even need a man. The scripture says "You can be guided to all truth by doing your own reading, your own hearing, your own studying of Yahweh's word." You don't have to tune into EliYah.com's broadcast to do it. Now Yahweh has sent the assembly teachers and different people doing different things and it's okay to do that. Yahweh wants you to connect with him personally. He wants a relationship that is void of distractions.; men, people, whatever is standing in the way. And you need to have your own relationship with Yahweh and the word. You need to be reading daily and have your own relationship with him in the holy scriptures. Your own personal communication with him in the holy scriptures. If you don't, you're missing out! Maybe there is something he wants to tell you personally that you could be tremendously blessed by. And you are missing out because all you listen to is men and what the man tells you the Bible says. And you could be led astray. I could make a mistake! And unless you know the scriptures yourself how would you know? And so our focus is not this teacher, that teacher, this teacher, that teacher, this teacher that teacher, and that is what is qualifying or demonstrating our life. Yahushua... You've got to open that Bible yourself and labor to the word.
Again, it's not wrong to listen to the Bible teacher obviously I'm here right now! Right? I'm doing this I'm teaching you something but I'm trying to direct you to make sure you have your own personal relationship with Yahweh in the scriptures. Bible teachers should not be your sole method of study. Man is capable of making errors. I am subject to making errors. I try to be careful and stick to the scriptures. I put a lot of scripture in my sermons, but you have to be careful. Because I don't care how much a guy tells you, how
much knowledge he has, whatever Yahweh has shown him, I mean I can show you too but maybe Yahweh has something to show you that you would never know.
And nobody really knows except he wants to reveal it to you. So, another area of danger is, you've got all these
denominations.
The original followers all had one mind they were in one accord altogether, they had unity with each other. Yahweh had established that unity it must've been really awesome! But we have to be humble enough to admit we don't really have that right now; that kind of unity they had. They walked with Yahushua three years. They had the truth and were trying to preserve it but we lost the truth of the last 2000 years. We are trying to get back to it. Some of the early reformers recognized that. Martin Luther and others " We are a follower of scriptures not tradition." Overtime most people developed their own traditions. Lutherans had their little group over here, people respected them I wanted to follow them but then someone rose up in that group and said "The Bible doesn't teach that. Why are we doing this? Well that's not what Luther taught!" . . ." Well, that's what the Bible says." . . ." I want to follow what Luther taught, I think Luther has the spirit." And so we have a division. A new denomination arises. And that guy starts his group and then somebody else in that group says "Well, what about this?" You've got all these different men who are limiting people from following what the pure and adulterated word would teach. And so now you have this gigantic choice of different denominations, groups, organizations that has been built and they all kind of have their own thing going on. They are all set up so that everything will stay the same because if they were to change the whole thing would fall apart.
And so denominations are built. Statements of doctrine are posted. You have to agree to them and sign a three-page questionnaire before you can get baptized and all kinds of man centered religion.
We all have more to learn. Let's not stop and be hindered by denominationalism. Some new truth comes up I don't want to have some men telling me I'm going to get kicked out because I believe it. I think we need to love each other no matter what. If we have repentance and faith in Yahushua hallelujah! As far as I am concerned, that is the main thing. We are not all at the same point in our walk, and that is okay, as long as we are all seeking to grow in our growing. I find it very interesting in the time I live in, all the things going on where I'm seeing thousands and thousands of Gentiles coming in and Christians coming in and starting to realize the blessing and importance of the Torah, The Sabbath, the feast days, the holy names, The Commandments and so on. And I am seeing thousands and thousands of Jewish people who are starting to accept the Messiah. Little messianic synagogues are popping up everywhere. No denomination can claim they did it; it is the spirit that is doing it. I don't know if there's ever been a time since the first century, when people have embraced both Torah and Messiah. I'm excited about it! It's a wonderful time to be alive. We are seeing a revival, it is right under the church's nose and they don't even see it. They are crying out for revival and they don't even see it happening. But it is happening. Since the first century have this many people ever come to know both Torah and Messiah? I don't think so. I don't think so. But we also have a danger in setting up another, what I would call, prison house. Isaiah 42 verse 21: Talking about Yahushua, Yahweh is well pleased for his righteousness sake. He will exalt the law and make it honorable." Yahushua did. "But this is a people robbed and plundered, all of them are snared in holes and they are hidden in prison houses. ( Synagogue walls) they are for a prey and no one delivers for plunder and no one says restore."
They have their little sects, denominations and they were robbing people of tithes and offerings, robbing widow's houses Yahushua said. And they all settled into their little doctrines and
that's where they stuck. And I think it's happened again. Yahweh has exalted the law and made it honorable but then there're a lot of Christian groups who don't want to recognize that. And they have got their little prison houses, their little church denominations, and that keeps you from growing outside wherever that church happens too have grown.
So I think we need to be one of the voices that say, "restore!" It is time the prison houses are broken down.
Let's not put our faith in man and denominations.
That's why when one man falls in these denominations; people's faith is shaken. Some leader, Elder or someone, they fall and they fall into some kind of sin and there're people who lose their faith because their faith was in man, not in Elohim.
Jeremiah 17 verse 5 says "Cursed is the man who trusts the man and makes flesh his arm whose heart departs from Yahweh." Yahweh is not the center of his attention..." I really like this Bible teacher," and that guy gets caught up in the scandal and their faith is tested. The one man we need to look to is Yahushua Hamashiach. He is our master, he is our rabbi, and we are brethren. I'm speaking the word to you here.
First century Judaism had their denominations. And Paul 1st Corinthians chapter 1 says "Well some people say I'm of Paul, I am of this, I am of that." Today some people are saying "Well, I am a John Wesley, I am a Menno Simons, I'm a John Calvin, I'm a that." Paul rebuked them strongly for that.
We don't need politicking in the body of Messiah, we don't need it. We need Yahweh's spirit leading us individually. And if the same spirit that is leading me is leading you we will be in unity with one another eventually. Our emphasis is not on trying to unify people under certain things, our emphasis is on our own personal unity with the most high. And if we have unity with the most high then the unity with each other will just come. It will just happen. There are many dangers, and traps and snares and
distractions from what is really important we need to make sure Yahweh has our full attention. We cannot be having attention deficit disorder when out father is speaking to us because we'll face the judgment seat of Messiah and we will face him. You know what, when all the confusion and the noise of the Bible teachers are silenced and the hammers and nails of the denominations and organizations being built is heard no more and the sounds of debates and doctrines and arguments over which race is more saved then the other, and that has all quieted down. And the houses of academia and all that is going on there are no more and there are no presidents, news outlets, no more smart phones, No more wars and all those things are gone. And the noise and the confusion And the madness is over it is going to be you and him.
That is it!
And the intercessor Yahushua Hamashiach. In all of this stuff, he wants to know, did you
really seek to know him? To love him? Are you zealous for good works? Do you read his word because you love him or because you need to prove your little pet doctrine or something? Do you want to see his will prevail in your life and in the lives of others? Is that your intent? What does Yahweh really say he requires of you? You know it is very simple.
Micah 6 verse 8 "He has shown you a man what's good,." And what does Yahweh require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your
mighty one. Is that it? That is really it. What does Yahweh require of you? To build denominations? No. Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly. Pretty simple message. It is a formula Yahweh requires of us.
Everything needs to come out of those things. I want to do justly and therefore I will try to understand the word of God because I want to do justly. That is my goal is to learn how to walk in love. To learn how to love Yahweh better. To learn how to love my fellowman better. That is why I do what I do, right? That is what it needs to be. Not to prove how much smarter you are than the next guy because you also have to walk humbly. Don't be arrogant, knowledge puffs up, love
edifies. And love mercy, that means you are going to seek Yahushua Hamashiach and receive the mercy that comes through him.
So you're going to repent, that's to do justly, you're going to love mercy you're going to love and seek Yahweh's mercy for yourself. And you're going to extend mercy to your fellow man. Because you love mercy and you're going to forgive so you may also be forgiven. And you're going to walk humbly. You're not going to stand in judgment of other people. "Judge not that you be not judged." Walk humbly with your Elohim. Isn't that amazing? All that Yahweh requires is summed up right here. Repentance and faith and humility. Everything kind of flows out of those things.
Another example is Deuteronomy 10 verse 12 "Now Israel, what does Yahweh, you're mighty one, require of you but to fear Yahweh you're mighty one. If you fear him then you will do justly, love mercy and walk humbly. To walk in all his ways and to love him because you love justice you want to do justly. To serve Yahweh you're mighty one with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the commandments of Yahweh and his statutes which I command you today for your good, your benefit." What does he want? He wants all of you. He wants all of your heart all of your strength. He wants you to love. That is what part of doing justly is all about. He wants you to walk in his image. He is merciful, he is just. You need to be humble before him. You know the scripture says it humbles Yahweh to look upon man? That is how amazing and awesome he is. He wants to delight himself in you brothers and sisters. He wants to smile at you. He wants to rejoice at the creation that he has made. We being the crowning act of his achievements. He is looking for a seed, he's looking for children who will delight in him, That he can delight in. Can we come together as his children and be that special people for him? I don't mean denominationalism I don't mean esotericism I am talking about not crying out "We are the only ones!" I mean a special sense that we each give ourselves completely to his service and we love one another because we see each other doing the same things and we have that common bond, the common love of Elohim. So whatever we do in word and deed we are doing it in the name of Yahushua. Can you say that about your life? Can we all say that? Everything we do is in Yahushua's name? If you ever wonder why something was wrong ask yourself "can I do this in Yahushua's name?" Would he be honored by this? Would he do it himself? If there's some activity you are participating in, something you are focusing on, and you wonder, "is this appropriate? Can you do that in Yahushua's Name?"
His leadership in our life is the wisest possible leadership there is. And we want his rule to be the rule in our life. Can we as his body of believers avoid little clicks and compartments and dividing each other up into little segregated people? Can young people enjoy being around the old? Can old enjoy being around the young?
Can we avoid clumping together in better fitting groups of denominational compartments and just accept each other and learn from each other no matter where our differences are? And seek out that unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace? If we would focus on being unified with Yahweh we will know that unity will come that we are looking for in doctrine. Because we are all headed that direction.
Can we hold each other's hands along the way and help each other out? We don't have to force unity; you don't even have to worry about it. You seek Yahweh. Don't worry that your brother is not exactly on par with you, he doesn't see it the way you do. Yahweh is leading him, he will show him eventually or he will tell you what you need to do. Maybe you are wrong. There is no peace unless we are at peace with Elohim. There's no unity unless there is unity with Elohim. We've got to walk in the fruits of the spirit. The love and joy and peace and long suffering and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control. Let that flow through us, because that is how we are going to come to unity is by walking in love. That is his way. And we are going to love each other.
I wonder if Yahushua still loves you even though you're not perfect? I think he does. What do you think? I think he does. If he doesn't, we are all in trouble, by the way! It is not where you are now so much and how much
truthfully you have and how much of this you have or that you have, where do you want to be? Where is your zeal? Where is the center of your attention? The scripture says in Romans 5 verse 7 "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man some won't even dear to die." But Elohim demonstrates his own love toward us while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us. That is how we need to be with each other. While your brother is yet a sinner, love them anyway. Demonstrate your love for him anyway while he's yet a sinner. Nehemiah chapter 8 verse 8 says "They read distinctly from the old book and the law of Elohim and it gave the sense and the help to understand the reading and Nehemiah who was the governor as with the priests and scribes Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, this day is holy to Yahweh your mighty one. Do not mourn nor weep because all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Why are they weeping? They realized they had failed Yahweh! They did not want to fail Yahweh, and yet they did. And they knew they did. They had big time made a mistake and they were weeping over it. And what did he say? "Don't weep or mourn. It is a holy day to Yahweh. Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. This day is holy to Yahweh. Do not sorrow." And what? The joy of Yahweh is your strength. Hallelujah! That is the fruit of his spirit.
When you fail Yahweh and you feel terrible about it
and you're grieving over it, you come to him, you confess it, you forsake it (1 John 1:9) confess your sins. He is faithful, he is just to forgive you, and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. What does it say in scripture? There is joy in the presence of Elohim and all the angels when one sinner repents. So now, you have given to Yahushua that sinm it has been placed on Yahushua , you don't have to bear it anymore. You don't have to grieve about it, you don't have to cry about it, you can be sorry you did it and all that and not want to do it anymore, but you don't have to feel guilt about it anymore. Because that is on Yahushua Hamashiach. He is the expert at resolving our guilt. Because that sin is not on you. Scripture says, "Upon him was laid the iniquity of all." He resolves the problem. He shows you your value and your worth by dying for you and then he takes your sin and says, "Put that on me, I'm the one who did it. Give me the guilt, I will take it." Because Yahweh has laid it on him, the iniquity of us all. And we have a reason to rejoice now.
Psalms 16:11 "He will show me the path of life, in your presence is fullness of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures for evermore." Isn't that amazing? There will never be a time when we are in Yahweh's presence; there will never be a time where we are lacking joy. That is awesome! Yahweh is long-suffering. Exodus 34 verse 6 "Yahweh passed before and proclaimed "Yahweh, Yahweh Elohim is merciful, gracious and long-suffering, abounding in goodness and truth." So who says there is no grace in the Old Testament? They do not know what they're talking about.
Psalms 63 verse 3 "Because your loving kindness is better than life." Wow! There's nothing in life you could find better then Yahweh's loving kindness. Because your loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise you. Thus, I will praise you while I lift up my hands in your name. Faith, you've got to have faith.
Psalm 18:35 "You also have given me the shield of your salvation your right hand has held me up." That is where there are pleasures, that's where there is joy. Your gentleness has made me great.
We read in scripture about how awesome David was. A man after Yahweh's own heart. That man made a lot of mistakes. You know, the gentleness of Yahweh made him what he was. Will you allow Yahweh's spirit of gentleness to dwell on you in such a way that you receive his leadership? You don't feel always dragged down by your sin.
You can sense his gentleness nudging you and directing you and leading you to press on toward the goal. The high calling that's in the Messiah Yahushua, forgetting those things which are behind, looking to the things which are before you, and pressing on. Can we let Yahweh's Spirit dwell in us in such away that we bear the fruit of gentleness towards another person who is not where they need to be? Can we just be loving, merciful, humble people who do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our Elohim as one body of Messiah?
I hope so. I hope so. That is what I love about the feast that we've been hosting. I have seen that at every feast I have ever hosted. Yahweh's people come together and you see love.
And I tell people "Look we all come here, you all come from different backgrounds and ideas and denominations or whatever. You may look over at your brothers camp and go "Man, he's involved in that kind of deal?" Act shocked, maybe even offended, surprised, you didn't know he had that issue. Didn't know you had that difference with him. I daresay your gentleness with him will make him great too. Your gentleness with them will build him up and edify him. We can know, we can understand, it's not where we are right now in terms of knowledge that matters, it is the direction you are headed. It is where your arrow is pointed. We all need Yahweh's mercy, every single one of us need it. We all have overcoming to do. So let's get back to the center of our attention.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. You hunger and you thirst for it, He will fill you.
It does not say blessed are those who have these particular lineages. Blessed are those who have these certain Bible teachers in their lives. Blessed are those who built that denomination. Blessed are those went to Bible school, who went to seminary. No! Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they shall be filled. If you hunger and thirst for it, I don't care where you are, He will fill you.
The point of everything is to pursue righteousness. And there're two ways one can pursue righteousness
and hunger and thirst for it. Number one, when we see the unrighteousness in ourselves we want ourselves to be righteous. And we say "Yahweh I am not righteous. I am not a righteous man." And we humble ourselves before him and we say "Will you make me righteous, because I hunger and thirst for it. Will you make me righteous? Not by my own righteousness but by accepting Yahushua the Messiah in who is Yahweh's righteousness and through whom I can be made righteous." I hope so. And the second way is because we hunger and thirst for righteousness we want to walk it out! We want to live like Yahushua did. We want to walk in that image of Elohim like Messiah did. We want to walk in uprightness and truth and love and mercy and righteousness because the men who did that were blessed. Look at Noah, Yahweh said unto Noah "Come unto the ark, you and your household because I have seen that you're righteous before me in this generation." Abraham, he brought him outside looking out toward heaven and count the stars if you're able to. Number them, he said to him. So shall your descendants be and he believed Yahweh and he accounted it to him for righteousness, because he believed. He had faith. It wasn't some empty thing. Yahweh said "I have known him in order that he may
command his children, his household after him that they may keep the way of Yahweh to do righteousness and justice that Yahweh may bring to Abraham what was spoken to him." It wasn't just some empty faith, it was real. Genesis chapter 26:4 "I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven I will give your descendants all these lands and in your seed all the nations, the earth will be blessed because Abraham obeyed my voice, kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." There was no Torah in those days. Where did they find them? The Commandments and statutes and laws were already well known. And it all pointed to one thing, love.
Love. So love needs to be the center of our attention. Yahushua was asked a question "Teacher which is the great commandment and the law?" Yahushua said to him "You shall love Yahweh the mighty one with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment and the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets." I don't care how many commandments you think you keep, if you don't walk in love you are missing it.
If your house is not a household of love, some
people are missing it.
And you cannot claim to love either unless you are keeping the Commandments. You cannot sever the law and the prophets from these two great commandments off of which they hang.
You can't take a set of bolt cutters and cut them off because all the Commandments have one thing in mind and that's how to love. If you're failing to keep a commandment that means you are failing to love.
Yahushua said "Do not think I come to destroy the law of the prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill", that means to do it. If your son or daughter, you told them to go to bed and they went to bed they fulfilled your commandment. Right? If I said to my daughter, "Bring me a glass of water," and she brought it, she fulfilled my He did not come to destroy it, He came to do it. commandment. Now I can drink, right? So when Yahushua fulfilled the commandment that means he did it.
"For surely I say, to you until heaven and earth shall pass away one dot or one tittle by no means shall pass from the law until all is (actually the Greek use a different word here, it means accomplished.) This is pleroo, which means fulfill. But here's the word having to do with accomplishing something. And there are still, last I checked, still a heaven and earth out there. And so there are still things that need to be accomplished and done and fulfilled. There are still things that have to be done. The last enemy has not yet been destroyed which is death. And when the last enemy is destroyed which is death and sin is no longer, you won't need a law anymore to tell you you're doing something wrong. Right? And so Yahushua said "Whoever therefore breaks one of the the least of these Commandments, that means failure to walk in love, and teaches men so, teaches other men to no longer walk in love. They will be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But, whoever does and keeps and teaches them, that means those who walk in love, and teach each other to love he shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven. Now scripture says, "The wicked will be ashes under the soles of your feet." They are there, but they won't be the least. The serpent is the least of all beasts because they are crawling on the belly. Right? So don't take confidence that you can break the least of the Commandments and teach men to do it. You think you'll still be there? Well, you'll be there but you won't be in the right place. So, we want to do and teach the Commandments. In the end, it's not going to be how proficient you were in Hebrew that determines whether or not you're in the kingdom. It is going to be whether you are willing to walk in love. The scripture says, "Knowledge puffs up, Love edifies." Right? Did you walk in love? That is the question. And so we want to look to the wisdom of Yahweh, it is not so that we can prove ourselves right, it is so we can more effectively walk in love. Because the purpose of the Commandment is love from a pure heart, from a sincere faith, from which some have strayed. Strayed from what? The purpose of the commandment, which is love. In a competitive nature is what they are really seeking is to be right, rather than to be righteous. It's not always the same thing. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. And so they don't understand the things they say or the things they affirm because they don't understand the purpose of the commandment which is love. To be doers and not hearers only. So many times you here the word and you are like "Okay, now I understand. That is why I couldn't do it before. That is why I didn't seem to get it before. But now I understand this. I am home free. I have done that before, now once I understand it , then I will be able to stop doing this particular thing, this bad habit I've got. Once I fully understand everything." Well it does help, I have to admit, but you still have got to do it. Just understanding it does not get you there. You've got to actually do it. So, unless you've done it, don't deceive yourself. And if thinking you've arrived just because you've heard it. One verse in the Old Testament says, "One who
puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off." In other words, if we go to battle don't boast. Right? So, James chapter 1 verse 23 says "If anyone is at hearer of the word and not a doer he is like a man observing himself, his natural face in the mirror for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work. This one will be blessed in what he does." Do you want to be blessed in what you do? Do you really want to be blessed? Are you looking for blessing? Simple, be a doer not just a hearer. And you will be blessed.
The word says, "Blessed are those that do his commandment and have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates of the city." Looking for a blessing? There you go. Walk in love.
Those who are loving are keeping the Commandments. Those who are keeping the Commandments are walking in love. A lot of people think that the love command replaces everything else. No, the love commands are a synopsis or a summary of everything Else. So, we are talking about loving our creator. We are talking about loving one another. That is the center of our attention. Out of love we want to know the word of Yahweh so we can love him effectively. And we love him because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). And because his love for us is so intense, when his spirit is dwelling in us our love for each other will also be so intense. That is why the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, kindness and so on. It's when we see someone who is imprisoned, we visit them, when we hear someone is sick we pray for them, when we see someone grieving we weep with them and we help them. When we see someone hurting we desire to seek them out and heal them. When we see a hungry soul we feed them. Whether physically hungry or spiritually hungry ,so actions demonstrate love.
No, actions themselves don't necessarily prove love. You know that? There is this man, he spoke the word of Yahweh I mean with power and authority. His words he spoke in sermons infected the hearts of thousands.
He could actually prophesy; he was a prophet. He understood mysteries he had tremendous amounts of knowledge and when he prayed mountains moved. He didn't own thing he gave everything he had to the poor. No house, no car, nothing. And finally there was a certain class of people that hated his guts and they burned him alive because he was a believer. Do you think that man will be found in the Kingdom? Nope. Not necessarily. " Though I speak with the tongues of man and of angels but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging symbol. Though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I could remove mountains, but I have not love I am nothing. And though I may sell all my goods to feed the poor but have not love it profits me nothing."
Love suffers long and is just and kind, love does not envy, love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up. Too often on Facebook there are pictures of people parading themselves. You're not supposed to be puffed up; we are supposed to be humble. "Does not behave rudely, does not seek his own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth. Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Love never fails."
Yahweh is love. The entirety of Yahweh's word it is centered around his love for us and how we are to love him and how we are to love one another. And if we are missing that we are missing the whole thing. It is about loving. Some people accuse me of being legalistic.
I realize if my motive is off I'm not really anything. Some people might accuse you of being legalistic because although you are calling his name and observe the Sabbath, you might appear to be doing what seems scriptural and the right things but you don't really have any love and so it is nothing.
Now the fact that you might pay attention to detail and that you might care about the little things in the scriptures, that doesn't make you a legalist.
In fact, let me give you an example. There was a husband who wanted to make dinner for his wife so he went to McDonald's, he sat Big Macs on her plate, and Big Macs on his plate.
He found a little flower out there in the weeds, put it in a jar and they had dinner. And there was another husband who wanted to have dinner with his wife. He got out the best dishes, the best tablecloth, the finest glasses.
He found out what her favorite meal was and he made it himself. He got the candles going and everything was just right. Was he being a legalist? He is walking in love. So, the fact that we want to have this desire to please Yahweh in every tiny little thing does not make us a legalist. It may just mean we love him. But it's got to be out of love not out of religion.
It has to be out of a relationship not out of religion.
Because again, the purpose of the commandment is love
from a pure heart, a good conscience and from a sincere faith from which some have strayed, have turned aside to idle talk. Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, or the things they affirm. Why? Because they have strayed from what? The purpose of the commandment which was love from a pure heart, from a sincere faith. If that is not the center of your attention, that learning how to love Yahweh more, praise him more because you love him and learning how to love your fellowman more, All your knowledge doesn't mean a thing to him.
You don't even understand what you're talking about because you quote scriptures you don't even understand what they're saying or even what you're trying to affirm. You don't understand it because you don't understand the reason for the command. So you're looking for a mindset, How about the
mindset of love. It is not wrong to thirst for knowledge. Just make sure Yahweh is your attention, not the
things of this world. Are you walking in love and doing justice and loving mercy? Because listen, no other foundation can anyone lay then which was laid, which is Yahushua Hamashiach. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, straw... each one's work will become clear the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test one's work of what sort it is.
No other foundation can you lay then Yahushua Hamashiach. You can keep all those commandments all you want. Unless Yahushua Hamashiach is your foundation; his walk, his love, his example, the cleansing you receive from him, you are missing it. If your life is not seasoned with grace, it is all about law law law, command command command, control control, control, you've missed it.
No other foundation can anyone lay but Yahushua Hamashiach. Some people think law and love are opposites. They are not necessarily opposites. When you offer correction it can seem harsh or mean or cruel and if you are being harsh or mean or cruel that is probably why. You can say your gentleness will make a person great if you're gentle with them. The law is holy and just and good. If you want to walk in the goodness and holiness and justice yes, you should follow Yahweh's law. And that is all good, but you know that you cannot point, I daresay, you cannot show me a single scripture in any of the Bible that if understood He doesn't do anything that is contrary to love. properly, in the context in which it was given, How could that be love you probably wonder? love was not its aim. Love is the aim of every single verse inspired by Yahweh in scripture. You know, even Yahweh's choice to condemn, he put people in the lake of fire ,is actually an act of love. It has to be, Yahweh is love right?
You know, Yahweh's choice to put an unrepentant man in the lake of fire is love because if Yahweh is going to set the kingdom up where only love is permitted, and along comes some man who doesn't want to walk in love, that wouldn't be very loving to put him in our place; where we are trying to walk in love. It wouldn't be very loving for him to be in our society, that we are trying to build in the age to come because the unloving man would corrupt the rest of us and hate the rest of us. So it is actually loving if he's not with us. And so when Yahweh gives commandments, When he gives the so-called law which is actually teaching in scripture. The word law in Torah means teaching. It is only that we may more effectively understand how to live. Yahushua says "If you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever."
You want the spirit of living Elohim in you. Keep the Commandments, love him, and he will give you the spirit of truth and the world cannot receive because it does not love him. It does not see him or know him but you know him because he dwells with you and will be in you.
Yahweh created a beautiful world for us to live in. He has given us every good thing we have. He gives us life, he gives us hope and in spite of men's choice to ignore him and use his own way he still loves us and offers us his own son who died for us and for our sin. Is it too much to ask that we would love him back? No, It is not too much to ask.
And so here is the conclusion my brothers and sisters; let's hear the conclusions. This is the love of Elohim that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not burdensome. Let's hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear Elohim and keep his commandments for this is a man's all. Elohim will bring every secret work, every work in his judgment including every secret thing with the good or evil; every secret thing.
At that time Michael shall stand up, the great Prince who stands watch over the sons of their people. Daniel Chapter 12 verse 1-3 "And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time. At that time your people shall be delivered everyone who was found written in the book and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall wake, some to everlasting life. Some to shame and everlasting contempt, and those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever." We need to seek wisdom. There is a dear sister I know whom we lost this week who turned many to righteousness.
She is going to shine like the stars forever and ever. Are you turning people to righteousness, do you care about your fellowman?
Many are running to and fro but the goal is that we love. That we walk in righteousness. Many are trying to build their own little kingdoms on the earth but unless that is Yahweh's kingdom it is all for not. Castles made of sand. And so, with a love for Yahweh and with a love for our fellowman being the place where we have placed our attention that it might be said in that final day "Well done thou good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your master." Let's set aside the things which will never really matter in the final day. sure our attention is on the things that truly do The distractions of the devil that take our focus matter and that is the way of truth, the way of life, away from what really matters, and let's make
and the way of love. Do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our
Elohim. Heavenly Father, Yahweh, qadosh, qadosh, qadosh be your awesome name oh Yahweh we desire your kingdom to be established, your will to be done on this earth as it is in heaven. Continue to provide for us our daily provisions spiritually and physically and forgive us where we have failed you as we forgive one another who have failed us as we all fail each other father. Keep us from temptation, deliver us from the evil one. Let's orient ourselves father, please teach us to orient ourselves, to focus on the things that really matter. Unloading the distractions of the devil even if it is something that takes so much of our time there's no time left for you, as the thorns often do. Lead us father by your spirit.
Become a people who are growing and learning and loving. For truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty and all honor praise and worship belongs to you. Yahweh Elohim, Yahweh our mighty one, forever and ever. In Yahushua's great name we pray these things, so let it be Amen.
attention? What is the thing that we are focusing on? That is the title of today's study. We're surrounded by things that are often trying to take our attention; anything from advertisements and billboards to the media, the television, to magazines and books. Advertisers know the things that have our attention, if it's their product, then we'll buy their product. But, what is the center of our attention? If you were to take a camera and make everything blurry except one object, the one object would be the center of your attention.
I think the enemy has a number of things that will potentially take our attention away from what's really important, and this is one of them, little
smart phones right? Sometimes the smart phones have a way of taking your attention away from our family members, taking our inventions and if used properly can be a powerful tool for good, can take our attention away from attention away from Yahweh. Sometimes our computers, and our devices and our television sets are things that are marvelous
the things that are really important.
So my question for all of us is: What is the center our attention?
Are we placing all the things that we see and come in contact with, are we putting it through a filter? And filtering out the junk a hanging on to what is good. The scripture says, "Test all things and hold to
what is good. Dispose of what is evil."
When we were born into this world our mind was blank, our brain was blank everything was kind of just reflexes. But as we grow we learn about the world we live in and we learn about certain behaviors that have negative consequences. Others have positive consequences. We learn we did not create ourselves, hopefully. Yaweh, as our Elohim, he created us. He has a purpose in creating us, there is a reason for our existence. And we learn through the scriptures that man has chosen not to walk in the image of Elohim but that we can be restored to the image of Elohim through the Messiah and so everything happening in the world today, all the noise, all the things that might get us sidetracked. What is the big picture? What is the main priority of our life? What has our attention?
In the end, what does Yahweh mean to us? It's not going to matter how much money you made yesterday, it's not he who dies with the most toys wins. That's a lie. Is it going to matter what happens to the government or this government or that government or who's the President next year or the big picture. It kind of makes all that seem awful small to me. I mean I look at the big picture, that seems awful small.
Is it going to matter what kind of cars are being invented next year, what models are going to be out? Is it going to matter how we solve the energy problems, or the economy? What is going to matter? When we stand before Yahweh in judgment, is it really going to matter what the economy is like? The important question all of a sudden becomes clear.
So I want to talk about some of these things. The scriptures say, "If you are raised with Messiah take those things which are above, where the
Messiah is sitting at the right hand of Elohim."
Is that where you're mind is set?
Not on things of the earth. Set your mind on things above; spiritual things, heavenly things. Why? Something was supposed to happen, you died and your
life now is hidden with Messiah in Elohim.
So what is your point of emphasis? What is our focus? Where is our attention?
Is it on earthly things or on heavenly things?
There is all kinds of distractions today.
Even in our faith, even in those who believe in scripture there are even distractions in terms of majoring on the minors.
Some people are caught up in the racial background, whether you are physically Israel or not. There groups out there who spend most of their time talking about "Oh we are the lost tribes of Israel.
If you're Caucasian, if you don't have a lot of melanin in your skin that means you are Israel." Others say "If you have lots of melanin in your skin your Israel." Now, I don't think Joseph, when he married an
Egyptian, cared about the color of her skin or how much melanin was there or whatever. I mean I don't care about that I really don't. I'm not saying to totally ignore it, I mean what really matters is not your physical lineage.
What matters is whether you walk the Yahushua walk. I don't care what your flesh looks like. A lot of things go on, even in our circles today. People talk about two house and one house. I'm a one house guy. Yahushua is going to join us together. But people assume because you have a great great great great grandpa who was maybe an Israelite that gives you a higher standing somehow.
I don't think so. But race was a major issue in the first century it kept the Jews from reaching out to the Gentiles. It kept the Gentiles, eventually in the second century, from accepting the things that were so-called Jewish. And the belief in the first century among Jewish people was, "Well we are sons of Abraham, they are the Gentile dogs over there we can't touch them, they are unclean. We are above them. We are the head, they are the tail." And the focus on race presented a number of problems, and even some of the early apostles got caught up in it. That's why Paul had to rebuke Peter about being straightforward with the good news. So, they couldn't believe it! Those of the circumcision who believed were astonished! What! As many as came with Peter because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. They heard them speak with tongues and magnify Elohim. Then Peter answered, "Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized to have received the Holy Spirit such as we have?" They weren't even baptized yet and they received the Spirit. And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Master and he asked them to stay a few days. They were shocked! How could it be, because they have a different lineage, that they could have the Holy Spirit?
You know you could enter some Messianic congregations today and if you're Gentile they will put you in a second position. Because they say "Well the Jews are the head, the Gentiles are the tail." You find if you're a Gentile you're a second-class citizen. They will accept you but you can't sit on the Board of Elders. And some of them might tell you "Don't worry about the law, just keep the "Noachide law" okay. Be a good Noachide." And they pat you on the head. And so their their focus is still on race where scripturally we are all the seed of Abraham and the Messiah Yahushua. Galatians 3:29 "We are all the seed of Abraham." In other groups you will be told if you are white European you are one of the 12 tribes. If you are outside one of those you are a second-class citizen. Now I'm not trying to paint all groups as being racist but some people say the Christian identity, they call it, they keep the Torah, they believe in keeping the laws, some of them even use the name Yahweh. And they'll belong to different groups and they can get away with it. They probably belong to the KKK. Because really, they are racist. They are white supremacists. And so I see this happening also on the Jewish side. I see black Hebrew Israelites doing the same thing. And there're people who get caught up in this. And they base everything on lineage. What did you earn by being born a certain way? I mean you didn't earn anything. Yahweh chose your parents, that's about it. But everyone is trying to focus on the race. I just say "Listen, we've got to walk the Yahushua walk."
I had a Jewish believer a number of years ago, he joined his little club, you know his organization, saying his organization is uniting the 12 tribes.
I just don't think your organization is going to do the job. I just don't think Yahweh is going to give credit to the organization. He's going to do it because he wants to do it. Not to force anything. It's interesting, don't get me wrong. But Hey! What is our focus? What are our priorities? What is it that has our attention? Is it "my dad's better than your dad?"
Every six-year-old says that. Let's grow up. You are losing sight of what is important.
And what matters is not who your daddy is.
What matters is that you walk the Yahushua walk. We all have to try ourselves. We all have to seek righteousness. You have to realize Yahweh can raise up the children of Abraham from a pile of rocks.
It's not going to be the important thing. The important thing is going to be whether or not we live the way Yahushua lived. If we are sons of Abraham great! Then live like a son of Abraham. Walk like a son of Abraham. Talk like a son of Abraham.
Yahushua was talking to the people of his day; Yahushua said to them "If you abide in my word, you're my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." What is their response? "Well we are Abraham's descendants. I have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say we shall be made free?" What is his answer? "Moses surely I say to you whoever commits sin is a slave of sin." It doesn't matter who your daddy is. If you commit sin you are a slave of sin. And only the son can make you free. Right? The slave does not abide in the house forever but his son abides forever. If the son makes you free you shall be free indeed. No matter who your daddy is. He says "I know you were Abraham's descendants that you seek to kill me because the word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with my father and you do what you have seen with your father." What? Abraham? Wait a minute! They answered and said "Well Abraham is our father." Yahushua said to them "If you were Abraham's children (which they are not) you would do the works of Abraham." Oh they are his descendants but they are Abraham did not do this, you do the deeds of your not his children. father." And then they said "Then we are not born of "But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I have heard from Elohim.
fornication, we have one father Elohim." Yahushua said to them "If Elohim were your father you would love me. For I proceeded forth and came from Elohim. Nor, have I come of myself but he who sent me. Why don't you understand my speech? Because you're not able to listen to my word.
You are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do. He is a murderer from the beginning and he does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie he speaks of his own resources. For he is a liar and the father of it.
But because I tell you the truth you do not believe me." So he's looking at the character qualities here.
These men had murderous intent. They did not stand in the truth. They were purveyors and conveyors of lies. Therefore, their true father was not Abraham. Even though they were descendants of Abraham. So much for putting confidence in the flesh. Their father was the devil. That's what he told them. The focus in Yahushua's mind was not in the physical ancestry, the focus was, the thing that had the center of his attention, was whether one was doing the works of Abraham or the works of the devil. You have to be careful, your flesh, don't put confidence in it. You still have to walk the Yahushua walk. Yahweh's mercy is given to those who turn away from sin receiving Yahushua in their life for atonement and cleansing, and in the end what's really going to matter is what is going on in their hearts.
I wonder how many of us can really prove that we are an Israelite anyway? For all you know, some grandpa was the milkman. You don't know. You don't know if someone committed adultery and hid it and had a child that really was not an Israelite. I don't know, maybe DNA can prove it, I don't know. But what is that going to prove really? It doesn't prove that you're saved.
So there is a danger about race being the center of our attention or undue emphasis in our life. Genealogies, striving's about the law, they are not profitable. Endless genealogies I should say. And so Yaweh says "Don't worry about that stuff." Our goal is to maintain good works.
Another area we have to be careful in our hearts, that can take away and become a distraction, is the way in which we study Yahweh's word. Yahweh's word is an amazing document. I mean layers upon layers of depth. So many different topics and the knowledge of him is inexhaustible. You could not possibly exhaust the width and height and depth of his knowledge.
And sometimes I hear study topics that really aren't
all that centered on pursuing righteousness. Now its kind of interesting some things, "Oh look Messiah is seen here in the Old Testament verse isn't that amazing?" Yeah, it's great. Hallelujah. Could be. Other times we hear what I call "Could Be Sermons." The author has an idea, something he saw in the Bible, and so he finds his Bible verses to justify the idea rather than getting bible verses and that be the location where he is getting his ideas. Two different things. And so he presents a "Could Be Sermon." It could be. But he's never really been able to prove what he's saying, it just could be. If it was, wouldn't that be really neat? I am not trying to pick on other people and claim that I am any better than anybody else, I am just saying it alarms me! Because when you go through a bunch of maybes and could be's and maybe that goes here and maybe that goes there and mix-and-match and put things together yet you can't really prove it. And what happens is we start to lower our criteria for determining what truth really is.
Because we're in all these maybes and could be's and might be's. And they all sound really cool and neat and amazing and then we say "Well that could be, you know it probably is, in fact I think I will just bank on it, you know?" We start accepting these kinds of things as fact which could be wrong because we have lowered our criteria for what truth is and accept other things that are not so innocent that are actually dangerous doctrines. Because our emphasis is not on looking for the facts and looking for truth. I knew one person years ago, she studied, I mean she just studied daily, hour after hour. And, you know she would come to me with things and she would say "What about this and what about that?" and I would say "Well maybe, it could be, I mean you can't really prove it, it might be." Oh, they accepted it as fact. That person no longer believes in Yahushua today. That was maybe 12 or 13 years ago. Just to give you an idea of some of the dangers, Because they fell into this thing where it didn't take much to prove anything. The scripture says "Prove all things, hold fast to what is good." What does the word really say? "There is a way that seems right to a man but in thereof is the way of death." So we have to be careful about being caught up in these "Could Be Sermons" that sound fascinating. It could be kind of neat but you can't really prove it. When I read in Paul's letters, in Caiphus' letters to Peter, I read the scriptures, the book of Acts, what I find there is if anything significant happened, it was always the word of Elohim was magnified. The word of Elohim grew and was multiplied.
That needs to be the center of our attention. The word and the will of Elohim, that is our focus. Another area that can be dangerous is doctrine. In fact, here's what happens, I'm not saying doctrine is bad but there is some, and it could be us if we aren't careful, get unbalanced. We focus too much on one particular doctrine and scripture. The doctrine may be in the scriptures, it may not be in the scriptures. But they get caught up in it, and that is all they think about. It is all they talk about and they get out of balance. There are some people who are staunch Calvinists or staunch Armenianists or whatever you want to call it, whatever doctrine or whatever it might be. And that is all they talk about, or most of what they talk about.
And you don't hardly even know their name, the first thing out of their mouth is they are talking to you about what ever it is.
And they want to get into a debate over it. They want to talk about it, they want to prove to you their pet doctrine. And we've got to be careful. We can think we have the whole cow when all we are really holding up is a piece of meat. We think we've got the whole cow but it's not the whole cow. There is a whole lot of other things that we need to look at in the scriptures. Not just the one little piece of meat there. I mean it's good stuff, maybe, maybe it's not good, maybe it's garbage and we think we've got a piece of meat. So, we've got to be careful about that brothers and sisters. Watch out! The enemy is going about like a lion seeking whom he can devour. Conspiracy theories are another area. People say "Oh that is happening! This is happening!" And that is the center of their attention, it's "What is the evil government going to do
next?" Most of the time they are wrong, I've found. Cutting edge websites about things going on. I remember when Bill Clinton was president, all those sites were saying "Oh he'll never give up his presidency, he will call martial law to come in." It never happened. George Bush too, "George Bush, oh he will never give up his presidency. He will make sure martial law takes place he will take over." It never happened. Barrack Obama, "Oh he will never give up his presidency. He will make martial law. Something will happen." I don't believe it. I never did believe it. I don't believe it. Look, they say it's going to happen, that's going to happen. I mean it's almost like some of these conspiracy sites are like reading a National Enquirer. A bunch of gossip that no one can prove. So listen, maybe some is true and maybe it isn't. the devil is going to do next they've lost what is supposed to be the center of our attention. It is what Yahweh wants to do in you next. How can you know? I'm not a fly in the room in the president's Oval Office. A lot of these things can bring us to a place where I mean can you really prove it? Can you really prove it? we are not even thinking about what Yahweh wants to I say look let's not get caught up in fear. And there are so many people so focused on what do in our life. We are so focused on what that enemy has planned; we are not listening to the spirit of Yahweh.
We are running from the devil. And the devil is laughing his head off. He is enjoying it because you are afraid. He has you running from him and his plans. I'm not saying it's wrong to get a proper understanding or figure out what might be happening next in the perfect timetable. But we cannot let that be our primary area of attention.
Another area, this is my personal commentary on the things I've noticed over the years, having been in the Hebrew Roots Movement since 1990. There're people who are so focused on historical proofs and sciences and academia and things like that and they look at the Bible as some kind of historical textbook or something. Rather than words of life that are supposed to direct our paths. And unless they've got some kind of historical evidence behind it, they have a difficult time really accepting what the scriptures teach. They want the cultural context. You know, I understand cultural context. A lot of the cultural context you can find right in the scriptures. You don't even have to look outside scriptures to find it. I think a lot of our cultural information can be found right there in the pages of scripture if we just look and listen carefully.
Now, sometimes we can find little facts and things and figures and inscriptions but they can be highly interpretive at times so we've got to be careful what we are accepting. Yahweh's word and that's in the highest place. That's the center of our attention. Because that is where Yahweh is speaking to us. And when Yahweh speaks to us he needs to have our attention. What man finds in some old dusty tablets buried under a pile of rubble, I mean that's interesting only if it confirms what scripture says. But, actually I take that back it doesn't confirm what scripture says. Scripture itself confirms what it says is true. Those things happened to do with scripture and therefore they are confirmed. Do you understand? A lot of that can be interpreted wrongly.
Another area of imbalanced focus is some people say "Well you know I don't really have to pay so much attention to scripture I just get my daily downloads from the spirit. If I don't get my daily download from the spirit
at my time of prayer then that thing over there in the scriptures must be spurious or somebody added to it or some Catholic guy monked with the scriptures
or some false pen of the scribes so I'm going to follow the spirit. The words on paper? Oh yeah, you can follow that if you want to I am following the spirit." I have heard those kinds of words. You know when everybody does that you can get all kinds of false spirits teaching you things. You go down a dangerous path, a dangerous road. There have been people I've seen led astray by those who are claiming to follow the spirit and they kind of turn a "poo-poo" to the scriptures like "Oh well that's like, that has all been corrupted, it's not reliable just listen to the spirit."
Sorry buddy, but if its not according to the Torah and the prophets and the writings and the Hebraic ____, that's the New Testament, then there is no light in it. I don't care what you think you got from the spirit.
Because the scriptures I know are from the spirit. I don't know what you're getting for sure, it might be, it might not be. But the scriptures I know is my anchor and I know the spirit is speaking when I read the Scriptures.
Another area of dangerous focus is the so-called Hebraic mindset.
Now don't get me wrong, I'd like to say, let's look at the Hebrew mindset, look at the Hebrew roots. While we are researching that but I have serious questions when someone turns that Hebrew mindset into the, "Let's find out what the rabbis teach. Let's find out what the sages say. Let's look at what the Talmud has to say." And they are messianic rabbi wannabes who are trying to emulate that. I have serious questions as to whether we are supposed to learn what we need to learn from the Hebraic mindset from the very kind of men who were wrong in the first Century about who the Messiah was. They had the Hebraic mindset. They were Hebrews but that particular element of the
Hebraic mindset was wrong. They had a rabbinic mindset which can be quite different. A "followers of tradition" mindset. A mindset of tradition is more important than scripture. A mindset that follows what the sages say, what the rabbi says is what we need to listen to. That Is dangerous those sages rejected the Savior of men. Not all of them, but a lot of them. Yahushua says "Beware of the leaven." That is the doctrine of the Pharisees and scribes. He warned us about that. So, I will tell you what, if you want to have a Hebraic mindset go learn Hebrew. If you learn Hebrew guess what? You have a Hebraic way of looking at scripture. You will be reading it in Hebrew. If you want to have a Hebraic mindset go out and get yourself a farm and start shepherding a bunch of sheep or some goats. Raise some barley, some wheat, get a vineyard going. If you know Hebrew and you do those things I would say you will be closer to having their mindset then some rabbi out there telling you this is what it is.
Now I understand you don't really have to do all of that in order to understand Yahweh's word. He can reach you no matter what. But it can add color to the black-and-white we read in the English language. They say reading in Hebrew is like reading in color.
But see their lives were centered around agriculture and so if you want that, live like they did. If you're looking for historical background, great! A lot of things people look for in historical background you can actually find in the scriptures. Again, I am not against it all. I am talking about what has the center of our attention? We do not need historical documents to explain scripture. The scripture explains the scripture.
It can be neat, it can be helpful but it is not the center of our attention. It is the word of Elohim. It is when he speaks, that should have our attention. It is living, it's powerful, it's sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, the discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart. The discerner of thoughts and the reason why you think them. And there is no creature hidden from his site but all things are naked and open to the eyes of to whom we must give account.
Are we listening? Does he have our attention? John 6:63 Yahushua said "It is the spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they
are life." Have you ever thought about that verse right there? When I saw that verse years ago I was just totally floored. I mean I thought that was awesome! The words Yahushua speaks, he says, they are spirit.
So if you're looking to hear from the spirit, find out what Yahushua said. And he is not just the word in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He is the word in Genesis to Revelation. And the words that come are life.
And sometimes we get caught up in other people's words that are spirit that are a wrong spirit and they are not life they are death. Newspaper articles, academia, archaeology, theories, ideas, websites, YouTube videos, whatever videos. There's no scripture in it. We have to look up what he says. If you want the spirit listen to his words. The spirit will rest upon you and fill you as you listen intently to his words with a repentant heart and a faith in the Messiah Yahushua.
Now, another area that is dangerous, you might think I am really off the wall on this one, but it is Bible teachers and even ones that tell you the truth. Even the one you're watching right now or listening to. There are a large number of people who focus on listening to the latest Bible teacher, their favorite Bible teacher. And most of the spiritual food they get comes from listening to a spiritual teacher and they don't really read the scriptures themselves. They are content to just let the Bible teachers tell them what to believe. That is spiritual laziness, really! Rather than doing your own research into the word and letting the Spirit of Yahweh lead you, instead of listening to a plethora of teachings on any given subject and making a decision on what seems right, why don't you just do your own research? But what if it's none of the above? What if they are all wrong?
There's a danger in only relying upon man to give you truth and to give you the bread. I mean anyone who opens the word can be taught by him, anyone, by the spirit of Yahweh. You don't even need a man. The scripture says "You can be guided to all truth by doing your own reading, your own hearing, your own studying of Yahweh's word." You don't have to tune into EliYah.com's broadcast to do it. Now Yahweh has sent the assembly teachers and different people doing different things and it's okay to do that. Yahweh wants you to connect with him personally. He wants a relationship that is void of distractions.; men, people, whatever is standing in the way. And you need to have your own relationship with Yahweh and the word. You need to be reading daily and have your own relationship with him in the holy scriptures. Your own personal communication with him in the holy scriptures. If you don't, you're missing out! Maybe there is something he wants to tell you personally that you could be tremendously blessed by. And you are missing out because all you listen to is men and what the man tells you the Bible says. And you could be led astray. I could make a mistake! And unless you know the scriptures yourself how would you know? And so our focus is not this teacher, that teacher, this teacher, that teacher, this teacher that teacher, and that is what is qualifying or demonstrating our life. Yahushua... You've got to open that Bible yourself and labor to the word.
Again, it's not wrong to listen to the Bible teacher obviously I'm here right now! Right? I'm doing this I'm teaching you something but I'm trying to direct you to make sure you have your own personal relationship with Yahweh in the scriptures. Bible teachers should not be your sole method of study. Man is capable of making errors. I am subject to making errors. I try to be careful and stick to the scriptures. I put a lot of scripture in my sermons, but you have to be careful. Because I don't care how much a guy tells you, how
much knowledge he has, whatever Yahweh has shown him, I mean I can show you too but maybe Yahweh has something to show you that you would never know.
And nobody really knows except he wants to reveal it to you. So, another area of danger is, you've got all these
denominations.
The original followers all had one mind they were in one accord altogether, they had unity with each other. Yahweh had established that unity it must've been really awesome! But we have to be humble enough to admit we don't really have that right now; that kind of unity they had. They walked with Yahushua three years. They had the truth and were trying to preserve it but we lost the truth of the last 2000 years. We are trying to get back to it. Some of the early reformers recognized that. Martin Luther and others " We are a follower of scriptures not tradition." Overtime most people developed their own traditions. Lutherans had their little group over here, people respected them I wanted to follow them but then someone rose up in that group and said "The Bible doesn't teach that. Why are we doing this? Well that's not what Luther taught!" . . ." Well, that's what the Bible says." . . ." I want to follow what Luther taught, I think Luther has the spirit." And so we have a division. A new denomination arises. And that guy starts his group and then somebody else in that group says "Well, what about this?" You've got all these different men who are limiting people from following what the pure and adulterated word would teach. And so now you have this gigantic choice of different denominations, groups, organizations that has been built and they all kind of have their own thing going on. They are all set up so that everything will stay the same because if they were to change the whole thing would fall apart.
And so denominations are built. Statements of doctrine are posted. You have to agree to them and sign a three-page questionnaire before you can get baptized and all kinds of man centered religion.
We all have more to learn. Let's not stop and be hindered by denominationalism. Some new truth comes up I don't want to have some men telling me I'm going to get kicked out because I believe it. I think we need to love each other no matter what. If we have repentance and faith in Yahushua hallelujah! As far as I am concerned, that is the main thing. We are not all at the same point in our walk, and that is okay, as long as we are all seeking to grow in our growing. I find it very interesting in the time I live in, all the things going on where I'm seeing thousands and thousands of Gentiles coming in and Christians coming in and starting to realize the blessing and importance of the Torah, The Sabbath, the feast days, the holy names, The Commandments and so on. And I am seeing thousands and thousands of Jewish people who are starting to accept the Messiah. Little messianic synagogues are popping up everywhere. No denomination can claim they did it; it is the spirit that is doing it. I don't know if there's ever been a time since the first century, when people have embraced both Torah and Messiah. I'm excited about it! It's a wonderful time to be alive. We are seeing a revival, it is right under the church's nose and they don't even see it. They are crying out for revival and they don't even see it happening. But it is happening. Since the first century have this many people ever come to know both Torah and Messiah? I don't think so. I don't think so. But we also have a danger in setting up another, what I would call, prison house. Isaiah 42 verse 21: Talking about Yahushua, Yahweh is well pleased for his righteousness sake. He will exalt the law and make it honorable." Yahushua did. "But this is a people robbed and plundered, all of them are snared in holes and they are hidden in prison houses. ( Synagogue walls) they are for a prey and no one delivers for plunder and no one says restore."
They have their little sects, denominations and they were robbing people of tithes and offerings, robbing widow's houses Yahushua said. And they all settled into their little doctrines and
that's where they stuck. And I think it's happened again. Yahweh has exalted the law and made it honorable but then there're a lot of Christian groups who don't want to recognize that. And they have got their little prison houses, their little church denominations, and that keeps you from growing outside wherever that church happens too have grown.
So I think we need to be one of the voices that say, "restore!" It is time the prison houses are broken down.
Let's not put our faith in man and denominations.
That's why when one man falls in these denominations; people's faith is shaken. Some leader, Elder or someone, they fall and they fall into some kind of sin and there're people who lose their faith because their faith was in man, not in Elohim.
Jeremiah 17 verse 5 says "Cursed is the man who trusts the man and makes flesh his arm whose heart departs from Yahweh." Yahweh is not the center of his attention..." I really like this Bible teacher," and that guy gets caught up in the scandal and their faith is tested. The one man we need to look to is Yahushua Hamashiach. He is our master, he is our rabbi, and we are brethren. I'm speaking the word to you here.
First century Judaism had their denominations. And Paul 1st Corinthians chapter 1 says "Well some people say I'm of Paul, I am of this, I am of that." Today some people are saying "Well, I am a John Wesley, I am a Menno Simons, I'm a John Calvin, I'm a that." Paul rebuked them strongly for that.
We don't need politicking in the body of Messiah, we don't need it. We need Yahweh's spirit leading us individually. And if the same spirit that is leading me is leading you we will be in unity with one another eventually. Our emphasis is not on trying to unify people under certain things, our emphasis is on our own personal unity with the most high. And if we have unity with the most high then the unity with each other will just come. It will just happen. There are many dangers, and traps and snares and
distractions from what is really important we need to make sure Yahweh has our full attention. We cannot be having attention deficit disorder when out father is speaking to us because we'll face the judgment seat of Messiah and we will face him. You know what, when all the confusion and the noise of the Bible teachers are silenced and the hammers and nails of the denominations and organizations being built is heard no more and the sounds of debates and doctrines and arguments over which race is more saved then the other, and that has all quieted down. And the houses of academia and all that is going on there are no more and there are no presidents, news outlets, no more smart phones, No more wars and all those things are gone. And the noise and the confusion And the madness is over it is going to be you and him.
That is it!
And the intercessor Yahushua Hamashiach. In all of this stuff, he wants to know, did you
really seek to know him? To love him? Are you zealous for good works? Do you read his word because you love him or because you need to prove your little pet doctrine or something? Do you want to see his will prevail in your life and in the lives of others? Is that your intent? What does Yahweh really say he requires of you? You know it is very simple.
Micah 6 verse 8 "He has shown you a man what's good,." And what does Yahweh require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your
mighty one. Is that it? That is really it. What does Yahweh require of you? To build denominations? No. Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly. Pretty simple message. It is a formula Yahweh requires of us.
Everything needs to come out of those things. I want to do justly and therefore I will try to understand the word of God because I want to do justly. That is my goal is to learn how to walk in love. To learn how to love Yahweh better. To learn how to love my fellowman better. That is why I do what I do, right? That is what it needs to be. Not to prove how much smarter you are than the next guy because you also have to walk humbly. Don't be arrogant, knowledge puffs up, love
edifies. And love mercy, that means you are going to seek Yahushua Hamashiach and receive the mercy that comes through him.
So you're going to repent, that's to do justly, you're going to love mercy you're going to love and seek Yahweh's mercy for yourself. And you're going to extend mercy to your fellow man. Because you love mercy and you're going to forgive so you may also be forgiven. And you're going to walk humbly. You're not going to stand in judgment of other people. "Judge not that you be not judged." Walk humbly with your Elohim. Isn't that amazing? All that Yahweh requires is summed up right here. Repentance and faith and humility. Everything kind of flows out of those things.
Another example is Deuteronomy 10 verse 12 "Now Israel, what does Yahweh, you're mighty one, require of you but to fear Yahweh you're mighty one. If you fear him then you will do justly, love mercy and walk humbly. To walk in all his ways and to love him because you love justice you want to do justly. To serve Yahweh you're mighty one with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the commandments of Yahweh and his statutes which I command you today for your good, your benefit." What does he want? He wants all of you. He wants all of your heart all of your strength. He wants you to love. That is what part of doing justly is all about. He wants you to walk in his image. He is merciful, he is just. You need to be humble before him. You know the scripture says it humbles Yahweh to look upon man? That is how amazing and awesome he is. He wants to delight himself in you brothers and sisters. He wants to smile at you. He wants to rejoice at the creation that he has made. We being the crowning act of his achievements. He is looking for a seed, he's looking for children who will delight in him, That he can delight in. Can we come together as his children and be that special people for him? I don't mean denominationalism I don't mean esotericism I am talking about not crying out "We are the only ones!" I mean a special sense that we each give ourselves completely to his service and we love one another because we see each other doing the same things and we have that common bond, the common love of Elohim. So whatever we do in word and deed we are doing it in the name of Yahushua. Can you say that about your life? Can we all say that? Everything we do is in Yahushua's name? If you ever wonder why something was wrong ask yourself "can I do this in Yahushua's name?" Would he be honored by this? Would he do it himself? If there's some activity you are participating in, something you are focusing on, and you wonder, "is this appropriate? Can you do that in Yahushua's Name?"
His leadership in our life is the wisest possible leadership there is. And we want his rule to be the rule in our life. Can we as his body of believers avoid little clicks and compartments and dividing each other up into little segregated people? Can young people enjoy being around the old? Can old enjoy being around the young?
Can we avoid clumping together in better fitting groups of denominational compartments and just accept each other and learn from each other no matter where our differences are? And seek out that unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace? If we would focus on being unified with Yahweh we will know that unity will come that we are looking for in doctrine. Because we are all headed that direction.
Can we hold each other's hands along the way and help each other out? We don't have to force unity; you don't even have to worry about it. You seek Yahweh. Don't worry that your brother is not exactly on par with you, he doesn't see it the way you do. Yahweh is leading him, he will show him eventually or he will tell you what you need to do. Maybe you are wrong. There is no peace unless we are at peace with Elohim. There's no unity unless there is unity with Elohim. We've got to walk in the fruits of the spirit. The love and joy and peace and long suffering and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control. Let that flow through us, because that is how we are going to come to unity is by walking in love. That is his way. And we are going to love each other.
I wonder if Yahushua still loves you even though you're not perfect? I think he does. What do you think? I think he does. If he doesn't, we are all in trouble, by the way! It is not where you are now so much and how much
truthfully you have and how much of this you have or that you have, where do you want to be? Where is your zeal? Where is the center of your attention? The scripture says in Romans 5 verse 7 "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man some won't even dear to die." But Elohim demonstrates his own love toward us while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us. That is how we need to be with each other. While your brother is yet a sinner, love them anyway. Demonstrate your love for him anyway while he's yet a sinner. Nehemiah chapter 8 verse 8 says "They read distinctly from the old book and the law of Elohim and it gave the sense and the help to understand the reading and Nehemiah who was the governor as with the priests and scribes Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, this day is holy to Yahweh your mighty one. Do not mourn nor weep because all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Why are they weeping? They realized they had failed Yahweh! They did not want to fail Yahweh, and yet they did. And they knew they did. They had big time made a mistake and they were weeping over it. And what did he say? "Don't weep or mourn. It is a holy day to Yahweh. Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. This day is holy to Yahweh. Do not sorrow." And what? The joy of Yahweh is your strength. Hallelujah! That is the fruit of his spirit.
When you fail Yahweh and you feel terrible about it
and you're grieving over it, you come to him, you confess it, you forsake it (1 John 1:9) confess your sins. He is faithful, he is just to forgive you, and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. What does it say in scripture? There is joy in the presence of Elohim and all the angels when one sinner repents. So now, you have given to Yahushua that sinm it has been placed on Yahushua , you don't have to bear it anymore. You don't have to grieve about it, you don't have to cry about it, you can be sorry you did it and all that and not want to do it anymore, but you don't have to feel guilt about it anymore. Because that is on Yahushua Hamashiach. He is the expert at resolving our guilt. Because that sin is not on you. Scripture says, "Upon him was laid the iniquity of all." He resolves the problem. He shows you your value and your worth by dying for you and then he takes your sin and says, "Put that on me, I'm the one who did it. Give me the guilt, I will take it." Because Yahweh has laid it on him, the iniquity of us all. And we have a reason to rejoice now.
Psalms 16:11 "He will show me the path of life, in your presence is fullness of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures for evermore." Isn't that amazing? There will never be a time when we are in Yahweh's presence; there will never be a time where we are lacking joy. That is awesome! Yahweh is long-suffering. Exodus 34 verse 6 "Yahweh passed before and proclaimed "Yahweh, Yahweh Elohim is merciful, gracious and long-suffering, abounding in goodness and truth." So who says there is no grace in the Old Testament? They do not know what they're talking about.
Psalms 63 verse 3 "Because your loving kindness is better than life." Wow! There's nothing in life you could find better then Yahweh's loving kindness. Because your loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise you. Thus, I will praise you while I lift up my hands in your name. Faith, you've got to have faith.
Psalm 18:35 "You also have given me the shield of your salvation your right hand has held me up." That is where there are pleasures, that's where there is joy. Your gentleness has made me great.
We read in scripture about how awesome David was. A man after Yahweh's own heart. That man made a lot of mistakes. You know, the gentleness of Yahweh made him what he was. Will you allow Yahweh's spirit of gentleness to dwell on you in such a way that you receive his leadership? You don't feel always dragged down by your sin.
You can sense his gentleness nudging you and directing you and leading you to press on toward the goal. The high calling that's in the Messiah Yahushua, forgetting those things which are behind, looking to the things which are before you, and pressing on. Can we let Yahweh's Spirit dwell in us in such away that we bear the fruit of gentleness towards another person who is not where they need to be? Can we just be loving, merciful, humble people who do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our Elohim as one body of Messiah?
I hope so. I hope so. That is what I love about the feast that we've been hosting. I have seen that at every feast I have ever hosted. Yahweh's people come together and you see love.
And I tell people "Look we all come here, you all come from different backgrounds and ideas and denominations or whatever. You may look over at your brothers camp and go "Man, he's involved in that kind of deal?" Act shocked, maybe even offended, surprised, you didn't know he had that issue. Didn't know you had that difference with him. I daresay your gentleness with him will make him great too. Your gentleness with them will build him up and edify him. We can know, we can understand, it's not where we are right now in terms of knowledge that matters, it is the direction you are headed. It is where your arrow is pointed. We all need Yahweh's mercy, every single one of us need it. We all have overcoming to do. So let's get back to the center of our attention.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. You hunger and you thirst for it, He will fill you.
It does not say blessed are those who have these particular lineages. Blessed are those who have these certain Bible teachers in their lives. Blessed are those who built that denomination. Blessed are those went to Bible school, who went to seminary. No! Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they shall be filled. If you hunger and thirst for it, I don't care where you are, He will fill you.
The point of everything is to pursue righteousness. And there're two ways one can pursue righteousness
and hunger and thirst for it. Number one, when we see the unrighteousness in ourselves we want ourselves to be righteous. And we say "Yahweh I am not righteous. I am not a righteous man." And we humble ourselves before him and we say "Will you make me righteous, because I hunger and thirst for it. Will you make me righteous? Not by my own righteousness but by accepting Yahushua the Messiah in who is Yahweh's righteousness and through whom I can be made righteous." I hope so. And the second way is because we hunger and thirst for righteousness we want to walk it out! We want to live like Yahushua did. We want to walk in that image of Elohim like Messiah did. We want to walk in uprightness and truth and love and mercy and righteousness because the men who did that were blessed. Look at Noah, Yahweh said unto Noah "Come unto the ark, you and your household because I have seen that you're righteous before me in this generation." Abraham, he brought him outside looking out toward heaven and count the stars if you're able to. Number them, he said to him. So shall your descendants be and he believed Yahweh and he accounted it to him for righteousness, because he believed. He had faith. It wasn't some empty thing. Yahweh said "I have known him in order that he may
command his children, his household after him that they may keep the way of Yahweh to do righteousness and justice that Yahweh may bring to Abraham what was spoken to him." It wasn't just some empty faith, it was real. Genesis chapter 26:4 "I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven I will give your descendants all these lands and in your seed all the nations, the earth will be blessed because Abraham obeyed my voice, kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." There was no Torah in those days. Where did they find them? The Commandments and statutes and laws were already well known. And it all pointed to one thing, love.
Love. So love needs to be the center of our attention. Yahushua was asked a question "Teacher which is the great commandment and the law?" Yahushua said to him "You shall love Yahweh the mighty one with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment and the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets." I don't care how many commandments you think you keep, if you don't walk in love you are missing it.
If your house is not a household of love, some
people are missing it.
And you cannot claim to love either unless you are keeping the Commandments. You cannot sever the law and the prophets from these two great commandments off of which they hang.
You can't take a set of bolt cutters and cut them off because all the Commandments have one thing in mind and that's how to love. If you're failing to keep a commandment that means you are failing to love.
Yahushua said "Do not think I come to destroy the law of the prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill", that means to do it. If your son or daughter, you told them to go to bed and they went to bed they fulfilled your commandment. Right? If I said to my daughter, "Bring me a glass of water," and she brought it, she fulfilled my He did not come to destroy it, He came to do it. commandment. Now I can drink, right? So when Yahushua fulfilled the commandment that means he did it.
"For surely I say, to you until heaven and earth shall pass away one dot or one tittle by no means shall pass from the law until all is (actually the Greek use a different word here, it means accomplished.) This is pleroo, which means fulfill. But here's the word having to do with accomplishing something. And there are still, last I checked, still a heaven and earth out there. And so there are still things that need to be accomplished and done and fulfilled. There are still things that have to be done. The last enemy has not yet been destroyed which is death. And when the last enemy is destroyed which is death and sin is no longer, you won't need a law anymore to tell you you're doing something wrong. Right? And so Yahushua said "Whoever therefore breaks one of the the least of these Commandments, that means failure to walk in love, and teaches men so, teaches other men to no longer walk in love. They will be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But, whoever does and keeps and teaches them, that means those who walk in love, and teach each other to love he shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven. Now scripture says, "The wicked will be ashes under the soles of your feet." They are there, but they won't be the least. The serpent is the least of all beasts because they are crawling on the belly. Right? So don't take confidence that you can break the least of the Commandments and teach men to do it. You think you'll still be there? Well, you'll be there but you won't be in the right place. So, we want to do and teach the Commandments. In the end, it's not going to be how proficient you were in Hebrew that determines whether or not you're in the kingdom. It is going to be whether you are willing to walk in love. The scripture says, "Knowledge puffs up, Love edifies." Right? Did you walk in love? That is the question. And so we want to look to the wisdom of Yahweh, it is not so that we can prove ourselves right, it is so we can more effectively walk in love. Because the purpose of the Commandment is love from a pure heart, from a sincere faith, from which some have strayed. Strayed from what? The purpose of the commandment, which is love. In a competitive nature is what they are really seeking is to be right, rather than to be righteous. It's not always the same thing. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. And so they don't understand the things they say or the things they affirm because they don't understand the purpose of the commandment which is love. To be doers and not hearers only. So many times you here the word and you are like "Okay, now I understand. That is why I couldn't do it before. That is why I didn't seem to get it before. But now I understand this. I am home free. I have done that before, now once I understand it , then I will be able to stop doing this particular thing, this bad habit I've got. Once I fully understand everything." Well it does help, I have to admit, but you still have got to do it. Just understanding it does not get you there. You've got to actually do it. So, unless you've done it, don't deceive yourself. And if thinking you've arrived just because you've heard it. One verse in the Old Testament says, "One who
puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off." In other words, if we go to battle don't boast. Right? So, James chapter 1 verse 23 says "If anyone is at hearer of the word and not a doer he is like a man observing himself, his natural face in the mirror for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work. This one will be blessed in what he does." Do you want to be blessed in what you do? Do you really want to be blessed? Are you looking for blessing? Simple, be a doer not just a hearer. And you will be blessed.
The word says, "Blessed are those that do his commandment and have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates of the city." Looking for a blessing? There you go. Walk in love.
Those who are loving are keeping the Commandments. Those who are keeping the Commandments are walking in love. A lot of people think that the love command replaces everything else. No, the love commands are a synopsis or a summary of everything Else. So, we are talking about loving our creator. We are talking about loving one another. That is the center of our attention. Out of love we want to know the word of Yahweh so we can love him effectively. And we love him because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). And because his love for us is so intense, when his spirit is dwelling in us our love for each other will also be so intense. That is why the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, kindness and so on. It's when we see someone who is imprisoned, we visit them, when we hear someone is sick we pray for them, when we see someone grieving we weep with them and we help them. When we see someone hurting we desire to seek them out and heal them. When we see a hungry soul we feed them. Whether physically hungry or spiritually hungry ,so actions demonstrate love.
No, actions themselves don't necessarily prove love. You know that? There is this man, he spoke the word of Yahweh I mean with power and authority. His words he spoke in sermons infected the hearts of thousands.
He could actually prophesy; he was a prophet. He understood mysteries he had tremendous amounts of knowledge and when he prayed mountains moved. He didn't own thing he gave everything he had to the poor. No house, no car, nothing. And finally there was a certain class of people that hated his guts and they burned him alive because he was a believer. Do you think that man will be found in the Kingdom? Nope. Not necessarily. " Though I speak with the tongues of man and of angels but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging symbol. Though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I could remove mountains, but I have not love I am nothing. And though I may sell all my goods to feed the poor but have not love it profits me nothing."
Love suffers long and is just and kind, love does not envy, love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up. Too often on Facebook there are pictures of people parading themselves. You're not supposed to be puffed up; we are supposed to be humble. "Does not behave rudely, does not seek his own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth. Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Love never fails."
Yahweh is love. The entirety of Yahweh's word it is centered around his love for us and how we are to love him and how we are to love one another. And if we are missing that we are missing the whole thing. It is about loving. Some people accuse me of being legalistic.
I realize if my motive is off I'm not really anything. Some people might accuse you of being legalistic because although you are calling his name and observe the Sabbath, you might appear to be doing what seems scriptural and the right things but you don't really have any love and so it is nothing.
Now the fact that you might pay attention to detail and that you might care about the little things in the scriptures, that doesn't make you a legalist.
In fact, let me give you an example. There was a husband who wanted to make dinner for his wife so he went to McDonald's, he sat Big Macs on her plate, and Big Macs on his plate.
He found a little flower out there in the weeds, put it in a jar and they had dinner. And there was another husband who wanted to have dinner with his wife. He got out the best dishes, the best tablecloth, the finest glasses.
He found out what her favorite meal was and he made it himself. He got the candles going and everything was just right. Was he being a legalist? He is walking in love. So, the fact that we want to have this desire to please Yahweh in every tiny little thing does not make us a legalist. It may just mean we love him. But it's got to be out of love not out of religion.
It has to be out of a relationship not out of religion.
Because again, the purpose of the commandment is love
from a pure heart, a good conscience and from a sincere faith from which some have strayed, have turned aside to idle talk. Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, or the things they affirm. Why? Because they have strayed from what? The purpose of the commandment which was love from a pure heart, from a sincere faith. If that is not the center of your attention, that learning how to love Yahweh more, praise him more because you love him and learning how to love your fellowman more, All your knowledge doesn't mean a thing to him.
You don't even understand what you're talking about because you quote scriptures you don't even understand what they're saying or even what you're trying to affirm. You don't understand it because you don't understand the reason for the command. So you're looking for a mindset, How about the
mindset of love. It is not wrong to thirst for knowledge. Just make sure Yahweh is your attention, not the
things of this world. Are you walking in love and doing justice and loving mercy? Because listen, no other foundation can anyone lay then which was laid, which is Yahushua Hamashiach. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, straw... each one's work will become clear the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test one's work of what sort it is.
No other foundation can you lay then Yahushua Hamashiach. You can keep all those commandments all you want. Unless Yahushua Hamashiach is your foundation; his walk, his love, his example, the cleansing you receive from him, you are missing it. If your life is not seasoned with grace, it is all about law law law, command command command, control control, control, you've missed it.
No other foundation can anyone lay but Yahushua Hamashiach. Some people think law and love are opposites. They are not necessarily opposites. When you offer correction it can seem harsh or mean or cruel and if you are being harsh or mean or cruel that is probably why. You can say your gentleness will make a person great if you're gentle with them. The law is holy and just and good. If you want to walk in the goodness and holiness and justice yes, you should follow Yahweh's law. And that is all good, but you know that you cannot point, I daresay, you cannot show me a single scripture in any of the Bible that if understood He doesn't do anything that is contrary to love. properly, in the context in which it was given, How could that be love you probably wonder? love was not its aim. Love is the aim of every single verse inspired by Yahweh in scripture. You know, even Yahweh's choice to condemn, he put people in the lake of fire ,is actually an act of love. It has to be, Yahweh is love right?
You know, Yahweh's choice to put an unrepentant man in the lake of fire is love because if Yahweh is going to set the kingdom up where only love is permitted, and along comes some man who doesn't want to walk in love, that wouldn't be very loving to put him in our place; where we are trying to walk in love. It wouldn't be very loving for him to be in our society, that we are trying to build in the age to come because the unloving man would corrupt the rest of us and hate the rest of us. So it is actually loving if he's not with us. And so when Yahweh gives commandments, When he gives the so-called law which is actually teaching in scripture. The word law in Torah means teaching. It is only that we may more effectively understand how to live. Yahushua says "If you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever."
You want the spirit of living Elohim in you. Keep the Commandments, love him, and he will give you the spirit of truth and the world cannot receive because it does not love him. It does not see him or know him but you know him because he dwells with you and will be in you.
Yahweh created a beautiful world for us to live in. He has given us every good thing we have. He gives us life, he gives us hope and in spite of men's choice to ignore him and use his own way he still loves us and offers us his own son who died for us and for our sin. Is it too much to ask that we would love him back? No, It is not too much to ask.
And so here is the conclusion my brothers and sisters; let's hear the conclusions. This is the love of Elohim that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not burdensome. Let's hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear Elohim and keep his commandments for this is a man's all. Elohim will bring every secret work, every work in his judgment including every secret thing with the good or evil; every secret thing.
At that time Michael shall stand up, the great Prince who stands watch over the sons of their people. Daniel Chapter 12 verse 1-3 "And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time. At that time your people shall be delivered everyone who was found written in the book and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall wake, some to everlasting life. Some to shame and everlasting contempt, and those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever." We need to seek wisdom. There is a dear sister I know whom we lost this week who turned many to righteousness.
She is going to shine like the stars forever and ever. Are you turning people to righteousness, do you care about your fellowman?
Many are running to and fro but the goal is that we love. That we walk in righteousness. Many are trying to build their own little kingdoms on the earth but unless that is Yahweh's kingdom it is all for not. Castles made of sand. And so, with a love for Yahweh and with a love for our fellowman being the place where we have placed our attention that it might be said in that final day "Well done thou good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your master." Let's set aside the things which will never really matter in the final day. sure our attention is on the things that truly do The distractions of the devil that take our focus matter and that is the way of truth, the way of life, away from what really matters, and let's make
and the way of love. Do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our
Elohim. Heavenly Father, Yahweh, qadosh, qadosh, qadosh be your awesome name oh Yahweh we desire your kingdom to be established, your will to be done on this earth as it is in heaven. Continue to provide for us our daily provisions spiritually and physically and forgive us where we have failed you as we forgive one another who have failed us as we all fail each other father. Keep us from temptation, deliver us from the evil one. Let's orient ourselves father, please teach us to orient ourselves, to focus on the things that really matter. Unloading the distractions of the devil even if it is something that takes so much of our time there's no time left for you, as the thorns often do. Lead us father by your spirit.
Become a people who are growing and learning and loving. For truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty and all honor praise and worship belongs to you. Yahweh Elohim, Yahweh our mighty one, forever and ever. In Yahushua's great name we pray these things, so let it be Amen.