We want to talk specifically about a very pervasive and type of leavening, actually, that’s often hidden and not easy to detect that might be in our own lives if we are not diligent to try and seek it out and that is “the leavening of pride.” As you can see, the leaven in bread causes the bread to puff up, doesn’t it?

That’s a big old loaf of bread and it’s very tall and puffed up. Pride, that’s what pride is all about – puffing yourself up, trying to make yourself something that you’re not. That’s it. We need to remember the importance of getting this particular leavening out of our lives.

One might say that pride is the main thing that a lot of other sins are rooted in. We’re going to be going into that as we progress through the Scripture’s in today’s study. A lot of things are rooted in pride. If we can get the pride out, a lot of times we can get the other things to come out of that as well.

So, we can get to the root of a lot of sins. Maybe we have areas of our life in which Yahweh is trying to show us something. He’s trying to shine the light on some dark part of our heart, but we ‘re just too proud to realize it, look for it, care about it or acknowledge it.

Maybe we’re afraid of what others may say if we have to change this part about us or maybe there’s something in our heart that just doesn’t want to do that part of Yahweh’s command. Maybe it doesn’t bring all these good, happy feelings.

We’ve got to look at Yahweh’s word and say “you know what, it’s really not worth it to just ignore that part of His word and think that I’m going to still make it.” And say, “I can live and unrepentant lifestyle and still call myself a repentant believer.” We have to be among those who hunger and thirst for what’s right.

It’s so easy, isn’t it? To look at the Scripture’s and say “boy, that Scripture there really hits those other people over there hard doesn’t it? I don’t know how they can live their life and ignore that one verse right there,boy, they’re very wrong for that.” It’s easy to do that! But, how about ourselves?

As they say, “you got one finger pointed at somebody else and then there’s three pointed back at you.” And that’s true. But, you know, sometimes it’s pride that compels us.

If we hear other people who are uninformed, give their arguments and their reasoning’s to justify their behavior, we may listen to it, laugh and think they’re funny and how silly they are. How could they possibly think that?

Yet, Yahweh is in heaven looking at us and saying “you’re no different in this other area over here; you are doing the same thing and here you’re laughing at others.” So, there’s all kinds of nooks and crannies that pride manages to take residence inside our hearts. There’s a danger of denominationalism.

By nature the idea of setting up a denomination and saying “come to us! We have all the truth; we found it; come to us and we will teach you the right way; we’ve learned it, we’re here, we’ve arrived.”

“You need to go to our church and if you’re not a part of our church; our congregation; our fellowship then you’re really not His, you know. Because His people are supposed to be doing this and you’re not doing that, therefore”……….. it’s all pride, all pride.

So, I say forget the denominations; forget the organizations; whatever they’re doing, if they found some truth – great! But there’s more; there’s more truth, I know, that I have yet to discover; that you have yet to discover; that we need to illuminate – not necessarily even in doctrine but just about ourselves.

Some truth about ourselves that Yahweh sees that we don’t see. We want to continually ask him: what areas of my life, Yahweh, do you want me to change; what do I need to change? And one of the biggest barriers is pride. It’s very rampant, common sin and also very silent.

Sometimes it’s very elusive, very hidden, but it’s almost every where a man is; everywhere carnal man is. I want to start off by saying that myself, I continually learn and Yahweh shows me often little things I do that are motivated in pride. Pride of life and just overall pride. I’m not claiming to be one who has arrived.

Especially in this area of overcoming pride. But I want to share with you some things that is either something I’ve noticed and observed through reading the Scripture or something Yahweh has shown me in my own walk that I have had to get purged out.

I don’t want to teach this message and end up being guilty of hypocrisy, so I’m just saying that I’m here alongside you as a brother in the faith saying, “look, we all got some overcoming to do and here’s some things I think we really need to look at.”

We’re going to look at the Scriptures and see what we can find in this, because pride at times, keeps us from seeing our own pride! See? The sin itself has a way of concealing the fact that we have a sin. We’re to prideful to recognize our own pride-fullness.

I’m laughing not because it’s funny but because it’s so true and that’s the nature of it. It’s a wild beast that has to be whipped out of us and it’s a sad state to be in. Scripture says “the heart is desperately wicked, who can know it? And, whoever follows his own heart is a fool.”

So be careful about our heart; pride be hidden there and you don’t even realize it. And Yahweh hates it! Boy, does he hate pride. Over and over again he talks about that.

Proverbs 30:32 – If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, Or if you have devised evil, [put your] hand on [your] mouth.

Wow! Put your hand over your mouth and say “boy, that was foolish!” Have you ever done that? I remember in first or second grade, all the school kids would be around you and they would put their hand over their mouth and then say, “ahhhhhhh!” That would happen when one of the kids would say or do some terrible thing.

Scripture says “if you’ve been foolish and exalting yourself, put your hand over your mouth.” You know, zip it up so to speak.. Because that’s an awful thing and Yahweh hates it. Scripture teaches us and this is how it relates to the feast days and the feast of unleavened bread.

1Corinthians 5:6 – Your glorying [is] not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

7 – Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Messiah, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

Yahushua has made us unleavened, so let’s live our lives as being men who are without leaven. Get that glorying out of you. Quit glorying in your own self and sometimes people even glory in their sin as they were here in 1 Corinthians 5.

1Corinthians 5:7 – Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Messiah, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

To make us unleavened; to purge out the old leaven.

1Corinthians 5:8 – Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened [bread] of sincerity and truth.

Don’t get that old sin out that you used to commit in the old days, before you knew Messiah; don’t get that back out again! So, that’s how we want to keep the feast. Get the leavening out. Purge it out! Get this glorying out; this pride out and become this new lump that the Messiah has created.

A new loaf of bread that Yahweh wants to create that’s unleavened. So, we partook of the unleavened body of the Messiah through the unleavened bread and that went into our bodies representing the Messiah, His indwelling – the Word made flesh. It says His flesh is the veil that dwelt among us.

The Word is now within us because Yahushua is resident there. We have the word there and we have cleansing because we partook of the fruit of the vine; the cleansing blood of the Messiah is now on the door posts of our hearts and the lentils of our frame, which is Yahweh’s dwelling place that He has given us.

Because that’s true lets live like it is. Since the law of Yahweh is written in the hearts of all of us – the cup of the new covenant in His blood – since that’s true, lets live our lives in that unleavened manner. That is what we are being admonished to do here in the scriptures.

Luke 12:1 – In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first [of all], Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

He referred to their leavening as being hypocrisy. Some examples of that in Matthew 23

Matthew 23:5 – But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.

Phylacteries are the little scripture boxes that they tie to their wrist and so on and the “enlarged borders of their garments” are their tassels. It’s one thing to have tassels but they had to have the biggest tassels because you’re really going to make sure that you follow the commands, so your tassel is going to be bigger than everybody else.

It’s like those that have that big old King James Bible – the biggest one you ever saw, you know, they got that under their arm while it collects dust at home. It never gets read.; it’s all for a show.

Matthew 23:6 – They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

7 – greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, `Rabbi, Rabbi.’

8 – But you, do not be called `Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Messiah, and you are all brethren.

In spite of what is seen in Messianic circles today brothers, not one of the twelve apostles or any man that was a follower of the Messiah and a part of the Messiah’s assembly in the first century – never is there any scripture seen where any of them called themselves Rabbi – not one. Maybe they heeded this word here, not to be called Rabbi.

Matthew 23:9 – Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

Now, it’s talking about spiritual Father here.

Matthew 23:10 – And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Messiah.

Don’t ever call me teacher EliYah. I might have the gift of teaching, but that doesn’t mean you call me your teacher. Yahushua is your teacher, I’m just letting his word go that’s all; it’s his word that’s teaching you, not me. So, I’m illuminating here; shining a light on the word, that’s all – a messenger, that’s all – carrying a message.

Matthew 23:11 – But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 – And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

So here’s the leaven of the Pharisees – pride, hypocrisy. Hypocrisy which is rooted in pride. They were interested in what others would say about them and to receive honor from men. But they regarded the honor from men to be more important than having the praise of Yahweh. That’s a terrible position to be in.

We are told to “beware of that leavening.” How many have heard of that Scripture “pride goes before a fall?” Actually, that Scripture is nowhere in the Bible although it’s sort of similar.

Proverbs 16:18 – Pride [goes] before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

So, if were prideful we’re headed for destruction but if were of a haughty spirit – our spirit is just a little bit arrogant, a little haughty, a little prideful in our spirit – then we may find ourselves in a major fall.

Proverbs 16:19 – Better [to be] of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Sometimes it’s the people we hang around. You know, they’re all focused on the glory of man, maybe. We want to associate with the humble. Scriptures tell us “associate with the humble.” Pride is very deceptive:

Obadiah 1:3 – The pride of your heart has deceived you, [You] who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high; [You] who say in your heart, `Who will bring me down to the ground?’

You know, the sign of a man who has not fallen under deception is a man who is humble. Those who are prideful are more likely to find themselves under a cloud of deception; if they have pride in their heart.

Obadiah 1:4 – Though you ascend [as] high as the eagle, And though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down, says YAHWEH.

Don’t they have space stations these days kind of nesting around the stars, I don’t know. But Yahweh has a habit of humbling the proud, doesn’t he? It’s a good habit though. It really is! It’s a good thing. Because, we need that; that humbling, so that we will draw ourselves near to Yahweh. Yahweh hates the pride.

He doesn’t even like it when we have a smug look about our face or a prideful look.

Proverbs 6:16 – These six [things] YAHWEH hates, Yes, seven [are] an abomination to Him:

17 – A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,

18 – A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,

Proverbs 6:19 – A false witness [who] speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

It all starts with what? A proud look, doesn’t it? This is a picture of one who is yielded their members – parts of their body – to being instruments of unrighteousness. That’s what this is. So, we want to be among those who yield their members to be instruments of righteousness.

In this Scripture, the face is prideful; the tongue is lying; the hands are shedding innocent blood; the heart is devising wicked plans; the feet are quick to run to evil and then they use that tongue to speak lies and create discord among brothers (people who are at peace). Yahweh hates these things and it all starts with this prideful look.

“Lifted eyes” is what the literal phrase is there in Hebrew – “lifted up eyes.” He hates that! Why does Yahweh hate pride so much? Well, it’s the root of a lot of other sins and Yahweh knows that.

It deceives us and sometimes we don’t think we have it, but later we realize we had a prideful motivation somewhere; it’s very unusual; it’s deceptiveness; it’s a state of mind, more so than maybe just some one sin that you created or committed at one time.

It’s a state of mind, more so than something that you just commit on occasion and so it’s part of the character of a person; that we are either humble or prideful. Maybe will have moments of humility or moments of pride but if we have a humble state of mind, then pride won’t find its way in there.

Why does Yahweh hate the pride? What’s so bad about it? Pride can drive a man to do a lot of things, even good things. Giving to the poor. “Oh, look at me, I’m giving to the poor.” Why does Yahweh hate it?

Some people say “I’m proud to be this or I’m proud to be in an American; I’m proud to do this; I’m proud to be part of this company; I’m proud to be in this family” or on this team or whatever it is. Now, what do we really have to be prideful about? I understand what people are saying by that phrase.

“I’m not ashamed to be a part of this group here. I’m glad I’m a member of this.” But, there’s sometimes when it crosses over into worldly pride. Really, we have nothing to be proud of if you really think about it. What does man have to be proud of?

I mean Yahweh created the heavens and the earth and everything in them; He gave man everything he has. Yet man since the beginning of creation, has rebelled against his creator. We didn’t make ourselves and we can’t do a thing apart from Yahweh. Every breath we take we are borrowing from Him and we can’t give it back.

We take the oxygen away and we can’t give it back. Our heart beats by His mercies and yet all the world acts as though He doesn’t exist. Yahweh even sends His own son to die for us on the tree and many are too prideful to accept Him. It’s Yahweh who gave us the breath of life.

Remember Job and all the awful things that happened to him and Job got caught up in pride himself. People were accusing him and he started justifying himself and then he kind of got caught up in exalting himself a little bit. He was justifying himself rather than Yahweh.

Maybe if Job had said “I don’t know what I’ve done wrong but I really don’t deserve anything; I don’t really deserve to not have these boils on my skin; I don’t deserve anything that I’ve gotten.” But instead, he started detailing his own righteousness and he got caught up in it a little bit and it was even one area that Yahweh bragged about.

“How about my servant Job, the one who fears Elohim and eschews evil.” He got caught up in it and Yahweh answered him out of the whirlwind.

Job 38:1 – Then YAHWEH answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

2 – Who [is] this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?

You’re creating darkness in your counsel Job.

Job 38:3 – Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

Since He got questioned.

Job 38:4 – Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell [Me], if you have understanding.

5 – Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?

How many times I’ve heard people say this or say that and the above Scripture comes to mind. Where were you when He laid the foundation of the earth anyway? Yahweh spends the next two chapters declaring His worthiness to know exactly what He is doing.

Yahweh knows what He’s doing. And our inability to even come close to His might and His power. Imagine and just think for a moment. One thing happens that causes another thing to happen, which causes another thing to happen. If one of those things changed just a little bit then this would not have happened and that would not have happened.

Have you ever thought back in your history, “boy, if I would never have gotten this job over here, then I never would’ve met this person who introduced me to that person and then I met my wife through that person.”

“If I never had gotten that job and I went to work for someone else, I never would’ve met my wife and I never would have had these children.” Yahweh has all this stuff in his head.

He knows exactly how to plan everything out just perfect and arrange circumstances so it will maximize our life and our ability to serve Him properly and to be faithful and to reach others with His Messiah also.

We stand back and if we’re not careful we find ourselves pridefully questioning circumstances – “why did this happen and why did that happen?” And Yahweh who hears every prayer of every person; sees everything going on and we think that He doesn’t know what He’s doing? He knows exactly what he’s doing.

We don’t know what He’s doing, so we have to be humble and recognize that He knows exactly how to handle things. So, sometimes will be in the midst of this trial and going through things. Do you know what trials are? Trials are opportunities to justify Yahweh rather than yourself.

If we’re not careful, sometimes as people we get caught up in bad things happening to us and then we think in our hearts “I didn’t do anything to deserve this.” Yeah, right. Yahushua was sent to the world to be tortured and killed but you; you deserve better, right? Not. Yahweh does not send trials upon us necessarily for our evil.

If we are believers in Him he sends them upon us for our good. Maybe we think “oh, this terrible thing happen to me, so how could Yahweh do this to me?” Well, how did he do it to his son? His own son. His only begotten son. He had a reason for it. For the greater good.

The big picture good for all the people and were called to be walking in His footsteps. So, we may have to suffer some things. We may have to let go of some things; and it’s for the greater good. Yahweh understands all the inner workings of why. Maybe you See some area of imperfection and He wants to glorify Himself in our weaknesses.

But one thing a trial will often do, is bring us to a place of humility if were willing to be humbled by it. One day that’s going to occur to everyone who is on the face of the earth.

Isaiah 2:12 – For the day of YAHWEH of hosts [Shall come] upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up — And it shall be brought low —

The day of Yahweh has a whole lot to do with humbling the proud. So we want to be sure that we are not among the ones who need to be humbled at that time, right? We need to be humble already without the need of some kind of trouble or the day of Yahweh to come and to put us in our place.

Because when the day of Yahweh comes, He will put all things back in its proper perspective; all the mountains will be made low all; the valleys will be raised up and Yahweh alone will be exalted above all things in that day. Isn’t that the sin that Satan got caught up in? Wasn’t it pride to exalt himself above Yahweh?

In fact, he is still caught up in it and he’s constantly trying to provoke men to get caught up in it with him and join him in that rebellion. That rebellion is rooted in pride and not recognizing Yahweh, that He is the Elohim and not us.

Psalms 100:3 – Know that YAHWEH, He [is] Elohim; [It is] He [who] has made us, and not we ourselves ; [We are] His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Evolutionists think that we made ourselves. Evolutionists think “oh, we created ourselves out of this primordial soup.” No, Yahweh says He made us; not we ourselves. Get off your high horse and quit claiming your own greatness – we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

We didn’t evolve from some swampy pit. Don’t make a monkey out of yourself. Living matter cannot come out of dead matter. I don’t care how long you stare at a rock. It’s not going to turn into a monkey, or a banana, or a fruit tree. It’s not! It’s dead!

Life from above, Yahweh, is what gave us life. We are created in His image. Let’s give Him the honor due His name. He made us, not we ourselves. Let’s cease from being wise in our own eyes and submit ourselves, fear Yahweh and depart from evil.

Scripture talks over and over and over again about – you hear the Scripture “a fool said in his heart, there is no Elohim” – well there’s one man in a worse condition – at least one man who’s in worse condition than a fool. Yup, that’s right! There is at least one person who is in worse condition than a fool.

Proverbs 26:12 – Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? [There is] more hope for a fool than for him.

You see, even a fool can stop his foolishness. He can turn away from his foolishness. But, someone who is wise in their own eyes, they are in worse condition because they don’t see the need to turn away from anything. They are already wise in their own eyes. They are in worse condition than a fool. That’s pretty serious.

Romans 12:16 – Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

So we want to associate with men that are humble. I’ve learned a lesson in that area, brothers. I’ve associated with people in the past who have had major, major pride in their life and I’ve found myself in a world of trouble because I thought that maybe I could help them or rehabilitate them or something, I don’t know.

Don’t be wise in your own conceit and associate with people who are humble so that you don’t get tempted and drawn in by the pride-fulness. A lot of debates that you see out there today in which nobody can prove one way or the other, deteriorate into not so much what is truth, but into who has the truth – me or you?

And who’s smart enough to figure all this out? That really becomes the topic of conversation sometimes. Discussion forum debates and chat room debates. It’s not what is truth but “I’ve got it and you don’t and I’ll prove to you that I have it.” It’s not bad to have a discussion about Scripture but let’s not get caught up in who’s the greatest.

Who’s wise in their own conceit sometimes becomes victorious and the humble one just walks away. The prideful one thinks he won the argument when really the other one didn’t want to get involved in who’s the greatest. We’re not supposed to be that way. If Yahweh reveals something to us, then He gets the glory, right?

Not us. He gets the glory! Because we didn’t deserve it, right? We didn’t deserve any revelation that we got. So, if we exalt ourselves through that, then we are definitely missing something here, aren’t we? We don’t want to exalt ourselves; we want to exalt Him through that!

Even if we think we’ve been revealed something, don’t be afraid to say “well, I could be wrong. Maybe I didn’t understand properly; maybe it isn’t a revelation from Elohim; the Scripture right here is showing I’m wrong, so it must not have been Him.” We can’t be too prideful to acknowledge that either.

A lot of times a lot of our troubles come because we choose to add to Yahweh’s word something that doesn’t exist.

Proverbs 30:5 – Every word of Elohim [is] pure; He [is] a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

6 – Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

Sometimes we get these revelations and ideas which are not really in Scripture but we think “oh, this is a revelation” and we may find ourselves adding to His words and Yahweh has to correct us later.

When our thoughts are all the time on ourselves and our own revelation, our own words and interpretation– me, me, me – and not on Yahweh were actually more in danger of adding to His words because our thoughts are void of Yahweh. We are not keeping Him in our thoughts.

It’s really more about, oh I can’t wait to tell somebody about this thing so that I can exalt myself. See? Little inner workings of nooks and crannies of pride find their way in.

Psalms 10:3 – For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; He blesses the greedy [and] renounces YAHWEH.

4 – The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek [Elohim]; Elohim [is] in none of his thoughts.

That was the danger of the Scribes and Pharisees; they were always debating about whether this was right and that was right and Elohim wasn’t really in their thoughts; it was more about who is the greatest? Who was right, not what is right.

So, it’s when Elohim is not in our thoughts that we have a tendency to answer sins knock on our door and thoughts of self tend to dominate. Well, if we’re so great in our own eyes, then how can we receive the meekness of wisdom?

How can we receive the wisdom from above which is at first pure, peaceful, gentle, willing to yield, without partiality, without hypocrisy? Will Yahweh show us his truth? I think we have to be out of the way. We have to be out of the way. Out of the way of His glory in order for us to truly be used by Him in the way He wants to use us.

I mean, He can just wipe us like a dish. Brothers listen, if I start exalting myself on this web-cast; in my life; in the way I live and I start getting the glory instead of Yahweh or His Word getting the glory then Yahweh come along and just wipe me like a dish.

I would rather Him get the glory because I don’t feel like being wiped like a dish; I don’t know about you? I would rather be used by Him and He get the glory. If I share a word that encourages you and blesses you, I just say blessed be Yahweh because He’s the one that does it, if it’s done and if there is anything that is good at all.

To Him be the glory. Because, I don’t want to be in His way. If we are in His way, He can take us out of the way. So, Yahweh help us.

James 4:13 – Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit;

14 – whereas you do not know what [will happen] tomorrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Even that is boasting.

James 4:15 – Instead you [ought] to say, If YAHWEH wills, we shall live and do this or that.

16 – But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Do you see pride in this? Just to say, I think we are going to go to this city for a year, buy and sell and make a profit. Wait a minute. You are talking about the future as though you know what is going to happen tomorrow. You don’t even know if you’re going to live tomorrow. You life is just this little mist that flies up and then you’re gone.

You’re history. Your time has come; your time has gone. Instead say “if Yahweh wills, we will have breath of life in us and then we will do this or we will do that.”

So our life is just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. That’s what our life is.

So, it’s prideful to say were going to do something tomorrow for your benefit when Yahweh holds the breath of life in His hands and you may be boasting of something that will never come. We assume too much for ourselves.

We read this and some of us think “what’s the big deal?” But we see here that He says it’s evil.

James 4:15 – Instead you [ought] to say, If YAHWEH wills, we shall live and do this or that.

16 – But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

It’s evil to boast like that. Why? Because there is no humility in that. It’s prideful. It’s arrogant. As if you’re the one who is the decider of whether you even live tomorrow. It’s by His mercies that we are not consumed. It is by His mercies that we live, breathe and we have our being, isn’t it? HallelluYah!

So, in everything that we do brothers, we want to do it for Yahweh. He’s the one we seek to please. He’s the one deserving of our attention. Efforts to please Him will yield eternal rewards. Our efforts to please men will perish when they perish. Our efforts to please men are not actually efforts to please men.

Our efforts to please men rather than Yahweh are actually efforts to please our self. If we can do things to please others, then our self can be exalted; you feel like you’re worth something and that’s all vanity. Let’s use our gifts for the glory of Yahweh.

Let’s use our gift to magnify His name and when He blesses us with something let’s use it to advance the things that we need to move forward in the spiritual realm. When you do that, He will want to bless you even more. We use our blessings to serve others; to edify others; to bless others. He’ll want even bless us even more.

And it’s okay to please others to some degree with the perspective that it’s Yahweh we are seeking ultimately to please. Not one at the expense of the other. You don’t want to please man and displease Yahweh. For instance, sometimes it’s easy for musicians to come up before a congregation and sing and seek the praise of men.

The praise of men is really the focus of what they’re trying to do and not the praise of Elohim. Singing a song or playing an instrument well you see this in some worldly musicians. Fancy colored lights with the big stages, smoke-filled stage – everything is there to glorify the singers and the band.

The people raise their hands and worship them and they are adored by the masses. We see the same thing in Christian contemporary music. Imagine if you come to the Feast of Tabernacles in Eminence, Missouri and I set this big stage up with lights and smoke and some announcer comes out and says “and here’s EliYah!”

And then I proceed out of the smoke, onto the stage and give a sermon. Everyone would say wow, what is he trying to do, exalt himself? It would be so prideful to do that. And yet, when people do that with guitars in their hand and sing a song, it’s all normal.

Why is that?

Because that’s what the world does. But do we see the prideful arrogance in that? And they call themselves guitar heroes. What’s so heroic about playing a guitar? Did anybody’s life gets saved? What happened? Did somebody die for somebody else’s life? There’s nothing heroic about it. You’re just playing an instrument.

But they’re called guitar heroes because they’re getting glorified by men. We don’t want to be gloating or be ashamed in our gifts, whether it be the quality of voice or anything that we do for Yahweh. It’s Yahweh who gives us the abilities we have.

And even if we don’t have the gift of music or singing, it doesn’t mean that we can’t sing to him with all of our hearts because it’s “make a joyful noise,” right? Even if it’s a noise at least it’s from the heart.

We had people come to our feast a few years ago that were deaf and they couldn’t hear themselves singing, but they were singing and it didn’t sound the greatest musically. But, in Yahweh’s eyes I know that it was precious and that’s what really matters.

If you’re going to write a study for other people to listen to or book or a posting to the discussion forum or a contribution in the chat room, we have to be careful that were not doing this for the purposes to be seen by men. Our goal is to be seen by Elohim. We see this in conversations of “who’s the greatest”thing.

But we need to understand that it’s Yahweh we’re working for here. It’s Yahweh that we’re doing all these things for. He’s the King. He’s in first place. He’s already there and we just have to live our lives in recognition that He is first and He is the ultimate King. We have to humble ourselves.

Isaiah 42:8 – I [am] YAHWEH, that [is] My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.

“My glory I will not give to another.” It’s His glory.

Colossians 3:23 – And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to YAHWEH and not to men,

24 – knowing that from YAHWEH you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve YAHWEH Messiah.

So, we’re not out for man pleasing and eye service; with singleness of heart we’re looking for Yahweh to be pleased with our conduct. That’s our intent, goal and hope, right? In whatever we do! Whatever we do, do it as unto Yahweh. Get that frame of mind; everything we do, that we’re doing it for Yahweh.

Then, when the sin comes knocking on our door, we’re so accustomed to doing everything we’re supposed to do for Yahweh that we’re going to be a whole lot stronger and just say no. “I’m not working for that king over there – the God of this world – I’m working for Yahweh, the true Elohim.”

We become aware of His presence when we’re focused on daily doing things to glorify Him rather than doing things to serve our self. To make our own life better or to make our standing better. Our goal ultimately is to glorify Him; to glorify Yahweh. Look at David.

He was a fighter who was going to be a highly exalted man for what he was about to do.

1Samuel 17:45 – Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of YAHWEH of hosts, the Elohim of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

He boasted in Yahweh. Everyone else was looking at the flesh: “look at the size of that man, how could anybody beat him in battle?” David saw beyond the flesh. David was small in the eyes of the people around him.

Even his own brothers were mocking him – “oh, you left the sheep, you were supposed to be caring for them, why are you here? I know the pride of your heart.” Wrong! David had the right perspective. His eyes weren’t on what man would do or not do, his eyes were on Yahweh.

And Yahweh often will take someone who is small in the eyes of men and do awesome things with him, so His name will be honored rather than the man being honored.

Think about some of the things in Scripture: the humble beginnings of Yahushua – born in a stall of farm animals; the humble prayer of Hannah; the humble beginnings of Saul the King hiding among the equipment – too meek to accept being a king until he got prideful by making monuments to himself and not acknowledging who really is the King.

Then of course Moshe, the meekest man on the face of the earth.

Numbers 12:3 – (Now the man Moses [was] very humble, more than all men who [were] on the face of the earth.)

Here we are the most humble man on the face of the earth, that is what it was going to take for Yahweh to do an awesome work in him. He needed to find a meek and humble man because He was going to perform great things through him.

If we want to be used by Yahweh, then meekness and humility have to be one of the first things on the agenda for us, right? We need to remain little in our own sight because once He begins to use us, we want to not be exalting ourselves.

Saul was told by Yahweh, “when you were small in your own sight, weren’t you made the King of Israel?” When he was no longer little in his own sight, Yahweh wiped him out like a man wipes a dish. You can’t be in Yahweh’s way of getting glory.

Acts 12:21 – So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.

22 – And the people kept shouting, The voice of a god and not of a man!

23 – Then immediately an angel of YAHWEH struck him, because he did not give glory to Elohim. And he was eaten by worms and died.

Acts 12:24 – But the word of Elohim grew and multiplied.

See? Here’s Herod and the people said “oh, here is the voice of an Elohim” and because he didn’t give glory to Yahweh, that was the end of him. And what happened? Instead of Herod growing, the word of Elohim grew, right? Instead of Herod being exalted, Yahweh’s word got exalted.

So, in the good things that he did speak, he needed to give glory to Yahweh. What does Yahweh really require of us?

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what [is] good; And what does YAHWEH require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your Elohim?

Very interesting, because those three basic things; walk in righteousness, be merciful towards those who don’t walk in righteousness and stay humble. If we can stay humble? That’s it. If we can walk in righteousness and have mercy on others; those three things are the basic requirements of all of us. Sums it up right there doesn’t it?

The whole Bible right there is summed up.

Isaiah 66:1 – Thus says YAHWEH: Heaven [is] My throne, And earth [is] My footstool. Where [is] the house that you will build Me? And where [is] the place of My rest?

2 – For all those [things] My hand has made, And all those [things] exist, Says YAHWEH. But on this [one] will I look: On [him who is] poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

Do we do that? Do we tremble at His word? It means that when we hear His word and we are thinking about ourselves – our own lack; our own failures; our own weaknesses; our own struggles – and we recognize our need to change. That’s what we do when we hear His word.

Or are we looking “well, oh yea, that really applies to so and so, they really need to hear that one.” Maybe we read His word looking for things to show others that we are right, so that we can get glory. How about that one? Maybe we read His word looking for things to convict our hearts.

That’s a little better, isn’t it? It’s better than reading the word looking for things to glorify self and make self look like that we know everything about the Bible. You don’t have to look very far in a chat room or a discussion forum to see that very thing going on a lot of times.

When the conversation changes from what’s right to who’s right is when it all goes downhill from there. Having discussions of Scripture; it’s all about the truth and that’s great, but then we get into this personal thing. Who has it? Oh no, here it comes! Pride comes in.

The work of the flesh came in and it muddied up the whole thing. You know, it’s good to share the word with brothers – don’t get me wrong. But, it’s when it convicted us first is when it really has the power. When it convicted us first, spoke to us and we recognized it. You’ll hear this sometimes in conversations; especially men. Okay men.

I’m going to pick on you for a minute. Conversations between men, you see it out there in the workforce or different gatherings of believers. One man will tell a story that really serves to exalt himself. “Well I just did this!” And then somebody else will tell another story that exalts himself.

And there’s this little undercurrent of “I deserve respect, you know, I did this and this is what I’m about.” And you see that and you hear it. If we’re sensitive to recognizing where pride is rearing its ugly head, then we’ll hear these things. Sometimes it will degrade to even worse to telling stories about how bad other people are.

And then, of course you’re suggesting by your story that you’re not that way, right? And by doing that, you’re exalting yourself by putting others down. I know there are people out there and I’m sure you met them, right? But it couldn’t be you and it couldn’t be me, of course, right?

Part of their personality was putting others down so they might appear to be better and wiser. They might even make up false accusations about others so as to appear to be distant from such things. We see someone always speaking evil of others but then they speak well of you, of course, right? Or they say nothing about you.

That trend will continue when you’re not around. They will be talking about you also, you see. They feel insecure and so they have this need to exalt themselves so others will not reject them. That’s really the root of it. They don’t want to feel rejection of men.

Scripture warns us about associating yourselves with the slanderous; men and women that gossip. Sharing stories about other people that reflect on other people negatively. All these things are often rooted in pride and Yahweh doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like talebearing. He says “you shall not go up and down as a talebearer among your people.”

So let’s be aware of these things. Is there anything in our heart that eases our conscious a little bit toward our own struggles and we start telling stories about how bad others are. “Well at least I’m not as bad as that guy, right?”

If there is a neighborhood of 14 houses and 13 of them are murderers. But there’s one guy there and he never murdered. Well, he must think that he is something great. Yahweh looks at him and says no. You haven’t murdered but you’ve stolen, committed adultery etc… And all the while he takes comfort and solace in the fact that he’s not a murderer.

We don’t compare ourselves with ourselves. That’s not where it’s at.

2Corinthians 10:12 – For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

We don’t compare ourselves with ourselves. That’s where pride comes in. “Oh look at me compared to you. You’re not that and I am.” What we need to do is compare ourselves to the true example. Continually we should be comparing ourselves to Yahushua Ha-Mashiach. Because He’s really the only one who is worthy of that position.

I’m not saying it’s wrong brothers that when you see a good example of someone in your life; that you see who is “Messiah like”and you say, “yeah, I need to emulate that.” But, it’s Messiah in them that you’re wanting to emulate.

We get caught up in this, “okay, I feel like I belong in this group because in this particular group I’m not going to be put down and I can handle this group. But this group over here, oh they’re all prideful people and they’re all arrogant.” When really they’re not.

It’s just when you’re with them you are feeling like you don’t belong because you have not arrived at their level of character yet. It’s better to associate with people who you view as a much higher degree of character than you are so that you can learn the “Messiah- like”character they exhibit.

This reminds me of a story. I used to work in the heating and air-conditioning trade and it seems like every company had its main guy who was the best technician of all of them. One day I had to leave the company because I wasn’t getting enough hours and he said, “well go find a company where your the best guy, see?

Then you will get paid well and everybody will like you.” That’s what he was doing. It’s no different. People join churches – this denomination – “oh, I feel like I can belong here.” And they don’t challenge themselves. So let’s be aware of pride fullness in these areas. Pride is also a source of anger.

If we’re angry at another person because of some wrong that they have done to us or somebody else, are we mindful of the fact that we’ve done wrong things in our lives too. Do we really deserve to be so very angry at that other person for what they’re doing wrong when we ourselves have been guilty in our life of doing the same thing.

Pride-fullness! See how it just kind it finds its way in there and hits that little spot in the heart, just waiting to manifest itself. Anger almost every time is really just comes out of pride. We’re committing other sin, maybe not the same one as them.

We sinned yesterday over this and we’re mad at somebody else because they sinned over this other area. Be mad at yourself. Don’t be angry at others. It’s not going to do you good anyways. We think through our anger we can make somebody righteous. Do you think so?Do you think you can make somebody else righteous?

We get mad at them, intimidate them and they’ll change, right? Well, they might change their external conduct, but we don’t change the heart because “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of Elohim.” I don’t care if they’re your children or another man. Hard lesson for me.

Don’t let anger take root in you or in your household. So, pride causes arguments and strife.

Proverbs 28:25 – He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in YAHWEH will be prospered.

Let’s not stir up the strife. Instead let’s be of humble hearts. Notice the Scripture above. Pride and anger are related to one another.

Proverbs 29:22 – An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.

A prideful heart is the root of rebellious children. Also wives who rebel against the head of the household. A child who thinks he’s worthy to argue with an adult needs to learn a lesson in humility.

Leviticus 19:3 – `Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I [am] YAHWEH your Elohim.

So, there’s pride-fullness and a lack of proper reverence and respect toward one who is in authority in our life. It could be a boss at work. Yahweh has allowed that person to get in that position. It could be a leader of a nation or someone in political authority or whatever. So, we want to show proper reverence toward those who are in authority.

Also, the husband who acts like he is the God of the house. He’s Elohim of the house because he’s got the authority. He needs to learn a lesson from Yahushua because Yahushua just didn’t sit back and fire off Commandments. No, he earned the respect of others through His servant leadership.

It’s easier, even natural to follow someone who is spending his time serving you. It’s harder to follow someone who only serves himself. So, a wife who thinks she’s in a position to fight and argue against her husband needs to read what Yahweh thinks about that.

If a man is working to supply food and shelter for the family, then he is serving the family. Now, he’s doing the bare minimum of what it takes to not be called an infidel, but he is serving the family and so a wife should honor that and not exalt herself to act like the head of a household by trying to overthrow her husband’s headship.

It’s all about humility and none of us should ever think of ourselves of being in a higher place or position than we are actually in. Remember the garden of Eden. That is what Satan tempted Eve with. “Oh, you can be just like Elohim knowing good and evil.” That was a mistake and that gets repeated from one generation to another.

Satan pulls the same deception every year. Every new generation comes along and both men and woman fall for it. So, let’s not think of ourselves as being more highly than we ought or place ourselves in a position higher than were actually in. Yahushua talked about this:

Luke 14:10 – But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, `Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.

11 – For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

There it is again. How many times I have seen this in my life. That saying right there. “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” It is such an awesome saying in that little verse there. But so, so, so many times I see this happening today.

Now, seating arrangements are not so important in our culture today, but there are other applications.

For example, let’s say there are 15 people in a room having a conversation and one person is just dominating everything, everything he says, he’s always talking, he’s dominating the whole conversation and very few other people can really get a word in. It’s no different than seeking a seat in the highest place.

It really is no different. “My words are more important than everybody else’s words and so I’m going to talk, talk, talk and no one else will ever be able to say anything because what I say is the most important thing.” Do we do that? Do we seek to be the center of attention?

Yes, Yahushua gave sermons, so there is a time to give somebody a hearing of what they have to say and then let other people talk as well.

Sometimes it’s a desire be accepted; to get other people to like you and to be glorified by men and it is accomplished through the use of the tongue in order to be one who is respected. And then the one’s who are just sitting there quietly at the table, someone might look over and say, “hey what you think about this?

You’re awful quiet over there.” I think it was George Washington who was at some big gathering and all these people were there. George Washington was probably the most honored man present and yet he was saying almost nothing. Then somebody came up to him and said “George, why aren’t you talking?”

George paused and then said “well, when I talk I like people to listen.” So that’s it! There are certain ones who are more dominant in a conversation or whatever it might be. So be careful, because there is a time to speak and a time not to speak. So we want to make sure that we are not being motivated by pride and seeking the glory of men.

What kept the pharisees and scribes and rulers from accepting the Messiah? There it was – pride . When Yahushua came to Peter, what happened? Peter was like, “depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Yet he was chosen to be a leader in the assembly in the first century. The other men, rulers of the synagogues:

John 12:42 – Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess [Him], lest they should be put out of the synagogue;

Why?

John 12:43 – for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of Elohim.

They did not want to be humbled, shamed and kicked out of the synagogue. You know, that may be one major reason right there why people who attended various churches will not accept the truth of Sabbath keeping; calling on Yahweh’s name; keeping feast days; eating clean foods; keeping Torah. Why?

They don’t want to be cast out of their Church, because they love the praise of men more than the praise of Elohim. It’s pride. Same problem, different century. Same thing that was going on back then, is going on today.

If it’s something that’s going to cause you to be looked down upon by others when you start doing something different, everybody individually; all of us individually – I, you, everyone – has to face the question. Am I refusing to do this thing I see in the Scripture because I’m afraid of what people will say about me?

“I’m afraid of what my wife will say about me; my husband will say about me; my children; my father; my mother; my grandfather; my friends; my neighbors. What will they say about me?” That has absolutely no factor whatsoever in what truth is or is not. None.

Because what they say about you is not going to matter on judgment day. They’re not going to be all crowded around you on judgment day saying “well I think he was a nice man and he deserves to go in, so go ahead and let him in the kingdom.” And Yahweh says: “all right! all these people said you’re a good guy, I’ll let you go in.”

Some people, that’s the way they think and it’s not true! Look, we gotta put Yahweh first! We’ve got to put Yahweh first! It doesn’t matter what people think, say, or do. And that was the danger right here.

John 12:42 – Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess [Him], lest they should be put out of the synagogue;

43 – for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of Elohim.

Loving the praise of men more than the praise of Elohim. Yahweh help us. We want Yahweh to give us these revelations, these understandings and help us hear his word, yet, we shoot ourselves in the foot. We don’t accept things because we want the praise of men and we don’t want to be looked down upon by others.

Do we assume even in what we have found and because we found it, that we’re better than another person who hasn’t found that yet? Do we consider one another to be better than ourselves, which the scripture tells us to do?

You know, most people you can learn something from. I spoke with my father this morning on the telephone and talking about a particular teacher on the TV, he said, “was about 39 barrows of things you don’t want to listen to and one wheel barrow of something that was really good.” From that one wheel barrow of good, okay, you’ve learned the good.

So, we can never have this attitude that “I can’t learn from that person, because they don’t have this particular truth over here.” We want to be careful we’re not deceived by the 39 other wheelbarrows, but at the same time, not be so prideful and say “well, I can’t learn from this person because this other thing over here they got wrong.”

I’ve learned a lot about myself just from observing my own children. Have you ever noticed that? “Son, you need to not be ….ahhhhh…..doing what I do.” Right? Or, “Children, don’t”….and then Yahweh is in your mind – “you do the same thing,” right? Have you ever had that one? I bet you have. Oh, come on!

Brother David you’ve had that right? Ahh haa. Okay, I’ve had that too. I know we’ve had that conversation before. So all of us brothers can learn from others mistakes, others good examples, or even our own children. Especially when they get older into their teenage years. Ask your children, “What do I need to improve on?”

Don’t be to prideful, because they’ll respect you for it, right? I knew a guy who is very very learned. He knew Hebrew backwards and forwards and could read it fluently and understand it too. He studied many other subjects, had a quick mind and a very high IQ. Yet, I used to hear him always say, “yeah I know a lot, I know a lot.”

I used to think to myself, “why do you say that?” I never rebuked him, but maybe I should have. He used to say that all the time and later I realized that Scripture that came to mind for that:

1Corinthians 8:2 – And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.

3 – But if anyone loves Elohim, this one is known by Him.

So, it’s not about what you know, it’s about Who knows you! So, in the end I hope it’s not just raw knowledge that Yahweh will judge us by but what we do with what we have that He judges us by.

Luke 12:48 – But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

So, so it’s what we do with what we have and sometimes we have more than we think we do. I’ve heard people say, “why I didn’t know that!” Well, you should have known. You should have known better. You should have sought it out. Other times, we think we know something but we don’t know anything yet.

You also see pride in prayer sometimes. Sometimes you hear this on the radio – People praying. First they’re talking to the heavenly father and then after a while, they stop talking to the heavenly father and they start talking to the congregation.

In other words, it’s no longer really a prayer because Yahweh is no longer in the first person, but they are now talking about Yahweh rather than to Yahweh. Who is he really praying to? Prayer is not a performance, it’s an offering; a holy offering without blemish to Yahweh. That’s what it’s supposed to be; a sweet incense to Yahweh.

When were praying we are speaking to Him. You might talk about Him as you’re speaking to Him by declaring his worthiness and his awesome ways. But, just remember the prayer of the two men:

Luke 18:10 – Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 – The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `Elohim, I thank You that I am not like other men — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.

12 – `I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’

He’s bragging on himself.

Luke 18:13 – And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise [his] eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `Elohim, be merciful to me a sinner!’

14 – I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

There you go again. Powerful, powerful statement. Yahushua repeated that principle many times, when he spoke about the need to be like children who are humble and willing to follow. He gave illustrations and examples of where pride rears its ugly head. We need to get pride out of our prayers.

Each prayer is the time to humble ourselves before Yahweh. The Pharisee was not doing that; he was exalting himself before Yahweh. If our prayer is not really a prayer and it’s a performance, then we’re just exalting ourselves before Yahweh and we are not any different.

So we don’t want pray in pretense and make long prayers just to seen among men. When we pray our prayers need to be there for the purposes of exalting Yahweh and not for the purposes of causing others to be impressed with our prayers. Lets be humble confessors; more so than eloquent professors.

That are greater in Yahweh’s eyes. Even the humble confessor was justified, so we don’t need Yahweh resisting us. Doesn’t he resist the proud and give grace to the humble? Let me tell you right now, the last thing we need in our life brothers is Yahweh resisting you. And I’m speaking to myself as I look at myself on the monitor.

So it’s very important! Another area of pride: “I will not forgive that person. I will not. They have done it the last time and I will not forgive them ever again.”

Matthew 6:14 – For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 – But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Whoa! For if you be so prideful, you’re not willing to forgive? Wait a minute, you got some sin in your own life. Even now or maybe some point later. Maybe even worse than what you’re judging them for. We’ve all received forgiveness. Or we hope so. But the truth is, we won’t unless were willing to forgive others.

We have to be willing to forgive. We need to heed that warning, because all things hidden will come to light. The harboring of unforgiveness toward another is a lot of times do to our own pride that causes us to forget. Oh, we got her own sins to deal with.

We need Yahweh’s mercy. We need Yahweh’s mercy for some similar thing in the past that we were involved in. Maybe it will be in the future when we will need Yahweh’s mercy for getting caught up in the very same thing that we’re being so judgmental, harsh, bitter and angry at somebody else about.

Pride finds its way into all kinds of areas. Here’s another one:

1Peter 5:5 – Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to [your] elders. Yes, all of [you] be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for Elohim resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.

6 – Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of Elohim, that He may exalt you in due time,

7 – casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

I think this is an area where our generation really fails. That is, honoring the elders and honoring the elderly. Now I think one reason for that is we know that the elderly are not so “hip” on the latest and greatest technologies and things and maybe that’s why people view them as being out of touch.

“Oh look, he can’t even use a little PDA or smart phone” and so people look at them and say “they don’t know anything.” You know, they’ve lived long enough to learn and earn some wisdom that us younger people need and so we need to honor and respect them.

Because it’s not how well you use a computer, laptop or smart phone that is going to help your spiritual walk, it’s how well you develop your character. People who are older that have sought out righteous character are probably much more spiritually developed than you are in many cases. So, we need to honor and respect them.

Even if they don’t deserve it. It’s their position because they are older than you. Young people are not taught respect. I know myself, that I have areas that I have to learn in this. I didn’t always do this as a young person.

People mock them and shove them away in some nursing home, where they don’t have to listen to them. Hollywood spends millions and billions of dollars glorifying and honoring the youth. Gotta be young looking! That’s the goal! Gotta look young! That’s everybody’s focus. No!

Leviticus 19:32 – `You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your Elohim: I [am] YAHWEH.

Just the opposite! So, part of fearing Elohim is to honor the gray-headed and honor the presence of an old man. That’s part of fearing Elohim. If you are failing in this, you are not fearing Elohim. They go hand-in-hand. Yes, some people who are older, maybe are not worthy of honor, but it doesn’t matter.

Proverbs 16:31 – The silver-haired head [is] a crown of glory, [If] it is found in the way of righteousness.

It doesn’t matter because it says a silver haired head is a crown of glory if it is found in the way of righteousness. We need to honor those who are older even if sometimes they don’t act very honorably, which causes some people to dishonor them.

In the same way a child should honor their parents regardless of whether they are acting honorably or dishonorably; it’s the office they hold. The police man comes by and pulls you over. Are you going to start ripping him or give him respect?

Not because he’s not a hypocrite or because he’s perfect in keeping his own law or whatever, but because he’s in a position of authority in the land, you show them proper respect. So, Yahweh puts the older people as the ones that teach the younger.

That’s the way it’s supposed to be. So, respect the age if you can’t respect the behavior. Anyway, before I close I want to point something out. There is a different kind of pride and a different kind of glorying that is okay to be done in this area. I don’t know if I would call it pride, I prefer glorying.

1Corinthians 1:26 – For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called].

27 – But Elohim has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and Elohim has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

Did you ever notice that? Some people in our walk are struggling with character issues and stuff. They are kind of fleshly, maybe? In the eyes of the world, may be they are considered not very valuable and yet they find their identity here. Like the Corinthian assembly, sometimes we have our problems, don’t we?

That assembly in Corinth that we see Paul writing to, had a lot of problems. He’s going on the highways and byways and looking for the ones that are lame, blind and struggling in their life.

1Corinthians 1:28 – and the base things of the world and the things which are despised Elohim has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

29 – that no flesh should glory in His presence.

“Not many wise after the flesh are called. Not very many noble people are called.” Yahweh chooses one’s that are considered foolish, so that no one will glory in his presence. The condition of our mind in regards to how we, as Yahweh’s people are and are willing to conduct ourselves has a lot to do with whether Yahweh even chooses us.

1Corinthians 1:30 – But of Him you are in Messiah Yahushua, who became for us wisdom from Elohim — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption —

31 – that, as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in YAHWEH.

What does that mean, to glory in Yahweh? Well he’s quoting Jeremiah 9:23

Jeremiah 9:23 – Thus says YAHWEH: Let not the wise [man] glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty [man] glory in his might, Nor let the rich [man] glory in his riches;

24 – But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I [am] YAHWEH, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says YAHWEH.

So Yahweh delights when we glory in the fact that He is Elohim. We know him, we understand that He is Yahweh; He exercises loving-kindness, justice and righteousness; we justify Him and glory in Him. Now don’t confuse this with self-righteousness, because it’s easy to do that.

Don’t be ashamed but rather glory, glory in the things that Yahweh is having you do. Glory in the fact that others are putting you down and mocking you because of your obedience to the Father. Glory in that!

As we said earlier, a lot of times people are afraid to do it because of the fear of men. But rather, rejoice that the works of Yahushua are seen in you. When you go through town, you may look a little different or dress more modestly than most of the world. We don’t try to exalt ourselves by our body looks or our clothing.

We might have these tassels hanging off our shirts; the men might have a beard and the woman might be covering their heads or whatever. We neither exalt ourselves nor hang our heads in shame. We don’t have to walk around in shame for these things, we can walk around and rejoice and glory in it.

Not being self-righteous type of glory but knowing that this is the right way. This is the way of Messiah; this is the right way and I take my glory from Yahweh in that. I rejoice in that! That He Has given me the ability and the understanding to do this and I’m not ashamed of it. In fact, I rejoice in it. I feel blessed by it.

These are the things Yahweh’s taught us and we don’t have to be ashamed of it. This is the righteous way of conduct and we honor Yahweh with our bodies; the way Yahweh made us; provoking the spiritual nature in people rather than the fleshly passions of the way we dress. We are very blessed to be His servants.

All the long-suffering, mercy and love He had for us, to teach us things that we have learned so that we would be His own and forgiven us of so much of the things that we have done wrong. We are blessed to be called His servants and to be called children of the King. Yahushua paid the ultimate price so that we could be one of His children.

Therefore, when we do what is commanded of us, we rejoice in it, but at the same time we don’t brag about it, we don’t exalt ourselves; we wait on Yahweh.

Luke 17:7 – And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down to eat’?

8 – But will he not rather say to him, `Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?

Luke 17:9 – Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.

10 – So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, `We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’

So many times we hear “oh, so-and-so down the road did this wrong thing, oh I would never do that.” Comparing yourselves with others; don’t lose your reward. If you did something right then say “I did what it was my duty to do.” No big deal. I’m not proud of it because Yahweh gave me the strength to do it, but I’m not ashamed of it either.

So, don’t lose your reward and don’t waste your life on vanity and the glory of men. Rather, exalt Yahweh, He’s worthy of praise.

Psalms 115:1 – Not unto us, O YAHWEH, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth.

Because He showed us His truth and he showed us the mercy we needed to be redeemed from the areas we failed to walk in that truth. So, let’s just praise Yahweh for everything we have. Let’s glorify Him in that while we were sinners Yahushua died for us. Just praising Him and honoring Him from the heart is an act of humility.

Some people feel too ashamed to say “praise Yahweh!” Too ashamed even say that. But scripture says:

Psalms 34:2 – My soul shall make its boast in YAHWEH; The humble shall hear [of it] and be glad.

They’ll be glad to hear it – boasting in Yahweh, because they’re humble too. “Yeah, that’s right! Praise Yahweh! HalleluYah!” They know He’s worthy of glory. The humble here it and they rejoice that you boast in Him. Even Yahushua desired that Yahweh’s name be glorified.

John 12:28 – Father, glorify Your name. Then a voice came from heaven, [saying], I have both glorified [it] and will glorify [it] again.

So let’s say it brothers, you and I together, even all of us including sisters – on the count of three – 1,2,3 Father glorify your name! HalleluYah! Let’s be sure that our lives are such that He does receive glory and not ourselves.

In the end everyone that’s high and lofty will be brought low and so let’s conduct ourselves in such a way that we won’t need to be humbled that final day. Let it be we set aside all pride now, rather than having Yahweh humble us later.

Malachi 4:1 – For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, Says YAHWEH of hosts, That will leave them neither root nor branch.

Isaiah 2:17 – The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; YAHWEH alone will be exalted in that day,

All these people running around in their little cars thinking they look all “hot to trot”in their fancy clothes, with their proud countenances and tough man looks or whatever. None of that stuff is going to be exalted. Yahweh will be exalted and such men will be humbled.

Isaiah 2:18 – But the idols He shall utterly abolish.

19 – They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of YAHWEH And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.

Isaiah 2:20 – In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver And his idols of gold, Which they made, [each] for himself to worship, To the moles and bats,

21 – To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of YAHWEH And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.

22 – Sever yourselves from such a man, Whose breath [is] in his nostrils; For of what account is he?

No, associate with the humble, right?

Isaiah 13:9 – Behold, the day of YAHWEH comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it.

Look around you, it will be desolate!

Isaiah 13:10 – For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

Even that will be humbled.

Isaiah 13:11 – I will punish the world for [its] evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

12 – I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.

13 – Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of YAHWEH of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.

Zephaniah 3:8 – Therefore wait for Me, says YAHWEH, Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination [is] to gather the nations To My assembly of kingdoms, To pour on them My indignation, All my fierce anger; All the earth shall be devoured With the fire of My jealousy.

He’s jealous! He alone is worthy of praise.

Zephaniah 3:9 – For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of YAHWEH, To serve Him with one accord.

Now people don’t call on His name but one day they will. Why don’t we do it now, how bout that!

Zephaniah 3:10 – From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, The daughter of My dispersed ones, Shall bring My offering.

11 – In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds In which you transgress against Me; For then I will take away from your midst Those who rejoice in your pride, And you shall no longer be haughty In My holy mountain.

12 – I will leave in your midst A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of YAHWEH.

HallelluYah! Many of us talk about the day of Yahweh; when Yahushua returns and we look forward to his return but brothers if we have pride in our hearts, then we’ll have to be one of those who are humbled. Let’s get it out. Let’s get it out now. Lets be the meek and humble people that are left in the midst.

The ones who are “left behind,” are the meek and the humble. That’s the “Post-trib rapture,” right? Knowing our place. Not exalting ourselves more highly than we ought and being content right where we are. Because he’s Elohim. We are His people.

Psalms 95:7 – For He [is] our Elohim, And we [are] the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:

8 – Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As [in] the day of trial in the wilderness,

So, do we hear that voice calling us to humble ourselves rather than exalting ourselves. Because Yahweh alone is worthy of exaltation. Just as the four living creatures and revelation , let’s declare to everyone of His Holiness.

Revelation 4:8 – [The] four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Master Elohim Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!

If we exalt Him and humble ourselves, Yahweh will exalt the humble with the crown of glory. And when we receive that crown of glory brothers, even then, we may do what the 24 elders do in the next verses.

Revelation 4:9 – Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

10 – the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

11 – You are worthy, O Master, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.

And with that saying, let’s pray. Father Yahweh, You alone Father are worthy of glory. You alone Father are worthy of praise and we praise You and thank You Father for calling us out of darkness and into this awesome walk that we are not even worthy to be a part of. Thank you father for digging us all from this pit that we dug for ourselves.

Thank you for pulling us out of this miry pit, out of the clay and forming us into the image of Your dear Son. For Your glory Father. For Your glory and Your glory alone. Father lead us to that everlasting river. That river of the water of life. That we might drink and be partakers of eternal life through Yahushua Ha-Mashiach.

Shine the light Father Yahweh in the areas of our hearts that we have pride. Open our eyes to it. If You need to humble us Father, humble us. Just open our eyes because we don’t want to be displeasing in Your site. We want to glorify You and the many ways You serve us Father, we want to serve You. Thank You Father in Yahushua’s name. Amein.

Brothers, let’s never forget that pit from which we were dug. A pit which we dug for ourselves. Let’s remain humble no matter how far Yahweh takes us. No matter how many men may praise us because Yahweh alone empowers us to do anything. If we accomplish anything.

Let’s purge any and all leavening of pride and maintain the humbleness Yahweh desires; that state of mind. So that we may not lose our reward. So that we may receive that crown of life through Yahushua Ha-Mashiach, who is our worthy Master and our King. May Yahweh bless you and may Yahweh have mercy on us all.