The Ten Commandments? Most of us think, “well, I think we got those down pretty well, what are the other commandments?”

When Yahushua talked about the Ten Commandments and when we look at other scriptures where they talk about the principles mentioned in the Ten Commandments – even in the old testament, we may find that there are some areas that we didn’t realize before, but maybe we are actually violating them.

Anyway, we want to continue our study here on “The Ten Commandments: Are We Really Keeping Them? Part 4.” In the theme of Pentecost or Shavuot which is coming up next month, we understand that the Ten Commandments were quite possibly given at that time.

So, I think it is a good time of year to take an examination of ourselves and the word of Yahweh, to see if there might be any areas where we are falling short here. We might find that we actually are. What is the Commandment that we are on?

We’ve gone over the first six already; have no other Elohim before you; not to make a graven image and bow down to it; not to take his name in vain; keep the Sabbath; honor our parents and not commit murder. Now, we are at Commandment number seven – “You shall not commit adultery.”

Last week I planned on sharing some Scriptures on spiritual adultery or adultery in the heart; lust and different things that go on, particularly that men may struggle with. But you know what? I kept running into this: Spiritual adultery. Spiritual adultery against Yahweh.

When you look at the word adultery in the prophets, the most frequent adultery that is mentioned is not adultery between a man and a woman, but rather it is adultery between Yahweh and His people. We have Messiah as our bridegroom and the congregation is the bride that is pictured.

We are one spirit with Him and so are there areas that we are unknowingly committing adultery against the bridegroom?

Most of the time when you see people being accused of this in Old Testament times, it was dealing with them going off and worshiping other gods.

But when I got to looking at the book of James, I come to realize that for us to even involve ourselves and interest ourselves in worldly things (things that have nothing to do with Yahweh and his spirit), we are in danger of adultery. The text I’m thinking of is this:

James 4:4 – Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Elohim.

Now the word enmity means hatred. It means enemy and to be at variance.

James 4:5 – Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?

So Yahweh’s spirit is in us and yearning jealously over any of us who might be involved in anything that is characterized here as a “friendship with the world.” Now the word in the Greek there has to do with “loving the world or having affections for the world.”

So to have this “love of the world,” according to this Scripture is to be at enmity or hostility with Yahweh. The word there is “philia” which has to do with being friendly; an associate; one who is joining together with or perhaps being unequally yoked with the world.

As I began to look at this, I began to realize how important this is. If Yahweh is looking at us and He’s saying “adulterers and adulteresses,” then I don’t want him to feel that way about me. I know that most of you, hopefully will not want him to feel that way about you. So, what is this? What does it mean?

This is a real dangerous area and I want to go over this. We don’t want to be committing adultery against Yahweh. Yahweh delivers us from darkness; from every unclean thing and He sanctifies us to be his children; we are very blessed to have his spirit dwelling in us and yet the spirit that He places in us yearns jealously.

It’s only through Yahushua, Ha-Mashiach’s spirit that leads us to the way of life, peace and righteousness that we can ever be cleansed from our adulterous ways. In fact, if we didn’t have His spirit we would just be dead dust.

Yahweh formed us and breathed life into us so that we would have the breath of life and He wants to fill us with that life eternally. We are created to be in his image. When we walk in his image, then we know that we’re not committing adultery against Him. The word spirit in the Hebrew is “Ruach,” which means breath. So, His breath of life is in us.

When He breathes in us, He is giving us life. His word breathes in us. In fact, Yahushua, Ha-Mashiach made a very interesting statement. He said:

John 6:63 – It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and [they] are life.

Therefore, it’s His word (the words of the Messiah) that is placed in our hearts because Yahushua is dwelling there. Our savior is there. We are called to allow the words of Messiah to dwell in us richly with all wisdom speaking and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

That’s the spirit that we yearn for; that we long for; that we want to be in us in such a way that we live as He did. That’s how we want to conduct ourselves among the world – differently than what the world does. Our priorities are different. Our thoughts are different and we want our thoughts to be more like His thoughts.

It’s by His spirit and His word dwelling in us.

Psalms 119:11 – Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!

The promise of the new covenant is that this spirit (the word of Yahweh – the Messiah) would be written in our hearts.

Because the spirit of Yahweh dwells in us, when something foreign to that spirit begins to enter in the dwelling place of Elohim, then there should be a strong, strong check.

Because there is an unclean spirit that is very, very active in the world today and instead of Love it brings hatred; instead of humility it brings pride; instead of peace it brings confusion; instead of hope it brings hopelessness; instead of righteousness it brings wickedness and that does not bring life.

It’s filled with the things that are contrary to the spirit of Yahweh and we should not love the things that are of that other spirit or we may find ourselves committing adultery against Yahweh. We shared earlier this year about the thorns.

The thorns start as an innocent plant at first and then starts growing and before you know it you’ve got this big briar patch in front of you. Thorns in your face and you can’t receive the light of Yahweh to grow. And you can’t bear fruit. That’s a problem with the spirit of the world. That’s the problem with it.

Therefore, as believers we have to be careful that we are not getting involved in what is called “worldly things.” Worldly things that are not of Him and take us away from Him. That take the edge off our spiritual walk. I want to share some Scriptures today about that and the deceptiveness of it.

Because the thorns are just entwined and entangled in the only way you can get the thorns out is if you yield to the word of Yahweh and He comes in with the sword and cuts away all the briars. I’m hoping that through today’s study that some of us, including me might be more convicted to get any thorns that may be growing up around us out of our life.

Anything that may keep us from growing spiritually, we want to get out of our life so that we don’t have the spirit of Yahweh dwelling in us, yearning jealously because we have a friendship and an unholy love of the world. The world belongs to Elohim and not us.

Psalms 50:12 – If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world [is] Mine, and all its fullness.

Psalms 9:8 – He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

This world that He has created; He’s coming to judge it! So if we have this friendship with it and we are connected with it, then are we going to be among those that He has to correct and judge?

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.

So, the spirit of Yahweh dwelling within us ought to be saying no, no, this is not what we’re about. This is not what Yahweh is about Yahushua made a prediction about when the spirit of Yahweh would come and dwell in us.

John 16:7 – Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

8 – And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

John 16:9 – of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

10 – of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;

11 – of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

So the whole world will be judged, including its residing Prince. Yahweh put man in the garden of Eden to rule this world and take dominion; to walk in His image; to keep things under subjection of Yahweh and then man goes along and follows unclean spirits led by the Prince of the world, the Prince of darkness who man chose to be their ruler.

He chose a liar to be their Prince. The father of lies. This is what Yahushua said about that Prince:

John 8:44 – You are of [your] father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own [resources], for he is a liar and the father of it.

45 – But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

You see, He told them, “you are of your father the devil.” He called them “devil’s children.” Why? Because they were a friend of the world. They were following the ways of Yahweh’s enemy. So whose image are we walking in?

Most will not walk in the image of Elohim. How do you tell the difference?

1John 3:10 – In this the children of Elohim and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of Elohim, nor [is] he who does not love his brother.

So, we have to have a love for righteous things. Things of Yahweh’s spirit and not a love of the things of the spirit of His enemy. Because if we end up not loving truth and end up loving lies instead, Yahweh will allow us to believe the lies.

2Thessalonians 2:9 – The coming of the [lawless one] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

10 – and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

They love the world and the Prince of the world. They didn’t love the truth and Yahweh, Who is of the truth. Because of that, if we continue to read we find that He allowed them to believe their lies.

2Thessalonians 2:11 – And for this reason Elohim will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

So He allowed them. “Go ahead, you don’t love the truth; you will believe a lie.”

2Thessalonians 2:12 – that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Obviously, we should not be taking any pleasure in unrighteousness. Unrighteousness, lies and the world are all synonyms and they are all working together; originating from the spirit of the world. We should not have any love for those things. The Prince of the world is a liar and he seeks to deceive the whole world.

That is exactly what was predicted in revelation.

Revelation 12:9 – So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

You see, the whole world is deceived. The whole world is deceived because they have pleasure in unrighteousness and do not love the truth. In fact, we ought to be so separate from the world that we will be ready to judge it at the appropriate time.

1Corinthians 6:2 – Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

The point being there is that they had trouble in the assembly there in Corinth, namely worldliness. He says, “don’t you realize that you’re going to judge the world and you guys are going to the world to help you with your judgments and how to handle things?” Our attitude brothers is to be one who is prepared with Messiah to judge the world.

Not now! But later. We will be among those judging the world and telling them to cease from uncleanliness, lies and unrighteousness. Therefore, what is pure and undefiled religion? I don’t like the word religion, I like the word relationship better.

James 1:27 – Pure and undefiled religion before Elohim and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, [and] to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Do we have any stains on us? Have you ever felt the stain? I’ve felt the stain. I remember years ago after a very wonderful and beautiful Sabbath meeting, I went and visited the house of some relatives who were not yet repentant believer’s in Messiah. They had the television on and pouring out its worldly spirit into the room.

I don’t know how to describe it but when I left the residence after spending a few hours there, I felt that “yuck.,” that stain on me. I felt it. Another time I was visiting a relative and they had a football game on television and they had all this worldly music and heavy metal guitars blaring out.

After sitting there and trying to have a conversation with the person, I was then supposed to be going to a family bible study that we do every morning but for some reason I didn’t feel like having the bible study. The worldly persona of the whole thing just kind of sucked dry any desire for righteousness or pursuing the ways of Elohim.

But I saw then that the things that come out of that box are often unfriendly to the things of Elohim. We’ve got this force of Hollywood that is constantly fighting against everything that we are trying to accomplish.

Years ago, back in 1997 or 1998, I realized what Hollywood was doing to my home and so I grabbed the television and went to throw it off the porch and my wife says, “hey, we might need that to watch home videos.” So I did turn around and put it back, but we haven’t had it hooked up since.

What I’m finding now is the internet is becoming more and more like television. So, it’s like if he doesn’t get you one way, then he’s going to get you another way if he can. We want to be able to minister, share and speak out of an overflowing cup.

Yahweh has filled our cup to overflowing to flow on to others but we’ve got these competing forces in our lives that make it very difficult to do that. We have to have our guard up at all times. I’m not saying that everything that is on the television is always wrong and always evil.

I’m not saying everything on the internet is always wrong and always evil. But you know what? If I don’t have the TV hooked up, then I don’t have to question is this right or wrong? The problem with the Television is that it thrust scenes upon you and you only find out after the fact that something was disgusting and you shouldn’t have watched it.

That’s the problem with it. So we have to be very careful and very on-guard. Brothers, if we can find a way to be discerning in these areas and be wise in these areas. You expect the world to be worldly but the real danger is when the world is in the brethren.

1Corinthians 5:9 – I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.

10 – Yet [I] certainly [did] not [mean] with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.

1Corinthians 5:11 – But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person.

So we expect the world to have worldly people and so we have our guard up but Yahweh forbid that the worldly things be in the brethren. A lot of us are a work in progress.

Hopefully we all recognize that we are all works in progress and we are trying to get the worldly stuff out of us. But don’t think that just because you are around believers that these people are automatically going to have the world removed from their mindsets; their lives; the way they conduct themselves and what their affections are for.

When you visit people and they are not believer’s, I have a recommendation for you. The number one thing is to pray. Get your family together in the car and pray and ask Yahweh to let your spirit to be the spirit that influences them and not any unclean spirits influencing you.

This is not to say that you’re being judgmental but it’s more about trying to keep oneself unspotted and unstained from the world. That is pure and undefiled worship toward Elohim. We know that the things we are involved in are greater than the things of this world. If we are born of Elohim, we are going to overcome the world.

We don’t look at the world as something that we are trying to become friends with. We look at the world as something that we are trying to overcome and gain victory over through our faith.

1John 5:4 – For whatever is born of Elohim overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.

Wait a minute. Didn’t Yahweh love the world? Didn’t we read that somewhere and wasn’t it one of the most popular scriptures?

John 3:16 – For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 – For Elohim did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:18 – He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of Elohim.

19 – And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

So what do we love? Do we love light? The light of Yahweh’s word? Do we love darkness and the things of darkness? So we don’t love the world in the sense that we long to dwell in darkness. We love the world in the sense that we want to shine light upon it, so that they may come out of their darkness. That is what Messiah has done for us.

He has shown the light that we would not perish and we want to shine His light to others. But if the light that is in us is darkness, then how much greater is the darkness then darkness? We know that one day the world is going to follow after the beast.

Revelation 13:3 – And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

We know the world is going to follow the beast, so if we’re loving the world when the beast comes we may find ourselves deceived and end up loving the things that they love and marveling the things that they marvel after. All based on lies. All based on good messages; peace; safety.

1Thessalonians 5:3 – For when they say, Peace and safety! then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

Peace is a good thing, is it not? I mean, peace is not evil. Peace is good. Safety is good. Not to be harmed, right? So during this time period we have to be more sensitive than normal.

Maybe we should be so far removed from the things of the world, that when something foreign comes in we automatically just recognize it and we see it for what it is. There are so many scriptures about the dangers of this time period that we are living in.

But we know, what they call peace is not really peace. Yea, they put their two fingers up – peace, ya know. But what does Yahweh say about that.

Isaiah 48:22 – [There is] no peace, says YAHWEH, for the wicked.

Because only through the prince of peace, Yahushua Messiah are we going to have any peace at all. There is no peace unless we are at peace with our maker. There is no peace my brothers because when we are at enmity with Yahweh, through a love of the world, then we are definitely not at peace. Yahushua says:

John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

“Not as the world gives do I give to you.” The world doesn’t really have peace and the foundation of their peace is that they will be safe in THIS age. That they won’t be at variance with each other. But they are at terrible variance with Yahweh. The enemy and his demons have peace, I think with each other it seems to me.

They all work together pretty well. But they’re at peace to do wickedness against our maker. One day the world will gather together and be at peace with each other, but not with Yahweh. Therefore, examine the things in you own walk. Are we doing some of the things that the worldly people do? Do we act the way they do?

Do we look the way they do? Do we think the way they do? Do we talk the way they do? Or are there marked differences in our conduct? It’s so easy to go along with the other sheep. There are thousands and thousands of other sheep all headed together in one direction and they’re all going off a cliff.

They think their okay because everybody else is headed that way so it must be the safe way to go. But we’re called to be of a different sheepfold. We’re called to follow the Masters voice. The voice of the Good Shepherd. Listening to His spirit and not the spirit of this world.

It is so easy to get caught up in everything flowing against us that it can get tired. You can get tired of saying “excuse me, I’m going another way. Get out of the way please.” We feel like we are the only one sometimes.

But we’re listening to that shepherd’s voice – the Word, the scriptures by His spirit we’re hearing His voice. We listen to His voice but there are other voices around us – strangers voices. Strange shepherd’s, hireling shepherd’s that are leading their sheep to destruction. All competing voices among the words that we hear.

We need to be focused completely on the voice of the Good Shepherd that leads us to green pastures, still waters and ultimately into the house of Elohim. Because that’s where life is; where true peace is. Even if we lose our life in this world because of it, we know that true peace is what we come to find in the age to come.

Some people think “Oh, I got to look like the other sheep, you know! I got to act like them, I got to look like them; that way they’ll be attracted to me and become a believer.” Wait a minute. If you win them, what have you won them to. They are attracted by the darkness? They’re attracted by the worldliness in you?

If that is what they’re attracted to, then they’re still not converted and in fact we’re not either. If that’s what we are trying to do. But no, we have to be different March to the beat of a different drum. We’re just different and it should be an attractive difference. A joy of salvation difference.

A loveliness; a purity; a peace; a kindness; a gentleness difference. Too many people are trying to imitate the world to win the world. That’s how we got Christmas and Easter! By trying to imitate the world to win the world and Christianize pagan things. You can’t bring something clean out of the unclean.

Worshiping of the devil and you’re going to try and make it clean somehow? You can’t do that. If there is ever any question about the way we act, is it just like Yahushua would do? In other words, when you’re doing something and you just kind of wonder, “I wonder if this is right.” Ask your self, “is this what Yahushua would be doing.”

Then all of a sudden, the answer becomes very clear. How do we spend our time? How much time do we spend seeking and doing things that do not give peace. Speaking, doing and spending our time doing things that really don’t have any spiritual benefit to it. What would Yahushua be doing today? The world likes their amusements.

They like things to be amusing all the time. They’re always looking for something to be amused by. The word amused means: “A” is the negative particle and “mused” means to think.. If they don’t have to think, then they feel like they’re amused. They just get entertained.

Something isn’t right because the spirit of Yahweh within us yearns jealously, adulterers and adulteresses. The things of the spirit should be foremost on our minds, but most of the time we have the competing forces; chasing the dollar bill; chasing a manufactured joy through jokes and comedic entertainment.

But when it comes to spiritual things, we say “okay, we have to put our spiritual hat on now and do the things of the spirit.” By the time its over, we’re ready to get the worldly hat back on. Something just isn’t right! Adulterers and adulteresses!

James 4:4 – Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Elohim.

5 – Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?

Are we provoking the spirit of Yahweh to jealousy by the things that we do? Well, we have hope. We have hope.

James 4:6 – But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: Elohim resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.

7 – Therefore submit to Elohim. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

8 – Draw near to Elohim and He will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [you] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [you] double-minded.

James 4:9 – Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and [your] joy to gloom.

10 – Humble yourselves in the sight of YAHWEH, and He will lift you up.

So, if we have been adulterers and adulteresses and we have sought friendship with the world and we have this love of worldly things, where we are making ourselves the enemy of Yahweh, then we can change. We don’t have to remain in that condition. We can humble ourselves in the eyes of Yahweh and He will lift us up.

James 4:10 – Humble yourselves in the sight of YAHWEH, and He will lift you up.

Years ago I called this ministry called “Plugged in.” It’s run by James Dobson’s organization and it’s about movies, how good a movie is, content of movie etc… What they do is, they watch all the worldly movies and then tell you what bad stuff might be in it. I said, “I feel bad for the person that has to sit and watch all this stuff!”

They’re just constantly being assaulted and I said “What about the scripture that says, don’t set any wicked thing before your eyes in Psalm 101? Aren’t they doing that” They would answer “well you know, it’s for the greater good.” I would ask, “why do we need any of it?

Why do we need any of the worldly movies manufactured by Hollywood, why?” They really had no answer because really it’s like an addiction that is out of control. People have to have their movies, “therefore we’re doing this.”

I’m just concerned because people who would otherwise consider themselves to be believer’s, fall into an addiction for loving movies, T.V. Shows or things that are not authored by people who fear Elohim.

Through this magician’s wand (Hollywood) – a magician’s wand is made of Hollywood – they go off and receive that spirit of the world through “channels.” They sit spell bound for hours where they get “programmed” ( through programming) into being desensitized to the things of corruption and perversion.

When all the world follows after the beast, it would be real easy for someone who is desensitized to these things to follow after the beast just like them.

There is a strong deception coming down the pike. Maybe it’s already here. Even the news. The news is always coming out with some new disgusting thing to be shocked by. If I go down and read the headlines, I cringe and think “I wouldn’t want to click on that and find out more about that!” Why?

Because it’s disgusting, gross, morally and repugnant. All the world thinks, “oh it’s funny” or “here’s why you should fear” or whatever. A headline is about as far as I need to go with anything. I don’t really like to even look at that. But the bottom line is brothers, we need to be focused, we need to be ready and we need to be on guard.

We need to be careful that we are not falling in love with the things of the world. Things that are contrary to the spirit of Yahweh.

1John 2:15 – Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 – For all that [is] in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.

17 – And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of Elohim abides forever.

That’s where we need to be. Loving the eternal things. Wanting to abide forever. Seeking the things that abide, that we might abide forever, or we may pass away with a lust of this world. Lot was tormented and vexed with his soul due to the wickedness that was around him.

In the very same way, the sight of these things should torment and vex our souls. We don’t want to be allowing those things to be a part of us or a part of our families. But the spirit of the world has a way of slowly grabbing a person who doesn’t have his guard up. We have to be very careful.

Let that sword that we carry with us be in our mind if we are tempted to do something that’s not of Him. We just say “Ya know, it’s not me who lives anymore, but Messiah lives in me. And that which I now live in the flesh I live by belief in the Son of Elohim, who loved me and gave Himself for me and I want no part of those things.

I reject those things in the name of Yahushua and that’s not what I’m about. I’m about Him. I’m about my Father’s business.” So have a scripture ready and memorized. Because the days are coming brothers when Yahweh alone will be exalted.

Isaiah 33:10 – Now I will rise, says YAHWEH; Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up.

11 – You shall conceive chaff, You shall bring forth stubble; Your breath, [as] fire, shall devour you.

12 – And the people shall be [like] the burnings of lime; [Like] thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire.

See, they love the things of the world. The thorns grew up and choked the word and like the thorns they get burned in the fire.

Isaiah 33:13 – Hear, you [who are] afar off, what I have done; And you [who are] near, acknowledge My might.

14 – The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

The one who doesn’t have thorns.

Isaiah 33:15 – He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil:

16 – He will dwell on high; His place of defense [will be] the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water [will be] sure.

So, when we see and hear the ugliness that is in the world, we want to shut our eyes to those things. We want to close our ears and we don’t want to have any part of those things. They vex our soul. The world wants to tell you all the gory gruesome details of murders and crimes. We know there are murders out there. We don’t have to hear all that!

We don’t want to hear that. We want to dwell with Yahweh who is a consuming fire. I’m not saying be ignorant. Be aware but at the same time don’t let it grab you. There is no reason to participate in gossip. Political figures in big trouble. John Edwards is in big trouble; you see the headlines.

It’s just a bunch of gossip and we don’t want to hear that. There is no reason to read and focus on the ugliness. I mean sin is nothing new. We don’t have to know all there is to know about it. Let’s focus on what is pure; what is lovely; what is praiseworthy; what is of good report.

Let’s focus on those things and not the things that are not praiseworthy. The things that are not pure; the things that are not lovely. Let’s focus on the pure things. We’re in this information age and the internet is like this tree of good and evil. You’re going to hear good and you’re going to hear evil.

We’ve got to choose what’s good! We can’ really blame Hollywood. We go after it. We grab the evil. “ Let’s know more about this. What’s this going on here.” Yes we want to be wise; we want to be understanding.

1Corinthians 14:20 – Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.

We want to be wise in the sense of understanding righteousness; understanding the danger of wickedness. But in terms of all the ins and outs of how to be wicked we want to be babies. We don’t want to hear all that stuff. Got no use for it. So, the knowledge that we gain is spiritual understanding.

We don’t have to find out how evil something is before we realize that we don’t need to be listening to it. We can discern evil for what it is. Before we even know all the ins and outs about it, we can discern it and avoid it. We want to keep our minds focused on pure and lovely things.

We’re going to use this time we have, right brothers, the end of the age and blessing of learning information, getting understanding to seek the ways of Yahweh. To search the scriptures.

You know, we can just hit a few keystrokes, find the scripture we want; research it; find the Greek and Hebrew and the information that we can gain is just amazing. Take your keyboard, get your e-sword out and type. Yahweh’s word is so widely available!

Do we spend our time searching other things out and googling other things and there is nothing healthy in it for us at all? Only what drags us down? While it’s day are we going to squander our time on worldly things while the scriptures collect dust? While our spiritual lives and the lives of our families suffer?

It shouldn’t be so. You father’s, do you think the more money I make, the happier my family will be? Not true!

You meet a lot of people whose parents were rich and had all kinds of money, but when they’re children grow up you hear them say all the time “I would have traded all those vacations to Europe and all those things for one thing and that would be time with my father.”

Because what we can offer our children in terms of relationship is far more weighty and important in their eyes (and should be in our eyes), than any money that we can throw at them. And there are some people who spend their entire lives trying to build this big, humongous pile of money.

They get to be sixty, seventy years old and they’ve done all this effort, and spent all this energy and what they have at the end is a big pile of money. So what! So what! They get on their death bed and they can’t take it with them.

Who has ever heard a man say on his death bed, “boy, I just wish I would have spent more time at work and made more money.” They always say, “I wish I wouldn’t have wasted so much time chasing things that I can’t bring with me and spent more time with my family and children.”

Wouldn’t it be glorious if we could be on our death bed and our children were there praying for us and with us. That’s my dream; my goal. We’ve got to be careful about the dangers of covetousness and the dangers of worldly pursuits.

However, it’s better to live in a box under a bridge with love than it is to have the biggest, nicest house in the world, than have no loving relationships in the home. Everybody is in their own little world, doing their own little things. We don’t want to enjoy the things of the world.

We want to put our focus on things that are spiritual and seek to live soberly. Scripture says:

Titus 2:11 – For the grace of Elohim that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

12 – teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

13 – looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great Elohim and Savior Yahushua Messiah,

Titus 2:14 – who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself [His] own special people, zealous for good works.

15 – Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

So we’ve gotta be looking for that blessed hope . We’re looking beyond this age. We’re building up a spiritual retirement account. We’re heaping up treasures for us in the age to come. You know, the worldly things brothers have a way of killing the zeal; setting aside this hope that we read about, and marginalizing our own reverence to Yahweh.

But if we’re redeemed we’re going to be different, we’re going to be peculiar, we’re going to be unlike the world and we’re not going to enjoy its customs of vanity, nor the revelry within them. Because the spirit within us will groan at the vanity of it all. So let’s be zealous for good works, rather than works that don’t profit.

Let’s find a way whether or not truly under the microscope of the word of Yahweh it really ought to be something that we should be involving ourselves in. Mainstream Christianity as a whole comes up with a Christian version of everything. We don’t want to imitate that kind of thing.

We want to set the standard high, and that high standard is found in the Torah! That standard is found in the Word of Yahweh – Genesis to Revelation! Not just Matthew to Revelation. We don’t want this watered down faith. We want to think soberly. I think soberly means to be “clear minded.”

Our mind can be muddied by alcohol, drugs and worldly things. Yahushua says:

Matthew 24:48 – But if that evil servant says in his heart, `My master is delaying his coming,’

49 – and begins to beat [his] fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,

50 – the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for [him] and at an hour that he is not aware of,

Matthew 24:51 – and will cut him in two and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In scripture, drunkenness is likened to false doctrine.

Matthew 24:48 – But if that evil servant says in his heart, `My master is delaying his coming,’

49 – and begins to beat [his] fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,

50 – the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for [him] and at an hour that he is not aware of,

Spiritual drunkards walking in false doctrines and they beat their fellow servants because they don’t go along with their doctrines. They beat them up with their words, because they don’t go along with their false doctrines.

The times of prosperity kind of leads to the spiritual drunkenness and getting into all kinds of strange things that don’t really have their foundation in scripture. Just theories; just ideas. Not satisfied with scripture alone so we got to come up with our theories and that is the main focus.

I think that maybe is the evil surmising’s – there is a scripture about that. Just ideas and theories that have no proof. They like the idea and they present it and like to hear what people have to say about it. As we shared recently, idle time is dangerous time.

If we have lots of idle time on our hands then we’re really in spiritual danger. This was the inequity of your sister Sodom.

Ezekiel 16:49 – Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

So what we’re called to be is just the opposite.

2 – Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child [is] my soul within me.

3 – O Israel, hope in YAHWEH From this time forth and forever.

I love this Psalm. “Like a weaned child. I don’t concern myself with great matters, I trust in Yahweh.” I trust my Father. I like that. So let’s establish our beliefs on what we know is His word. The undeniable word of Yahweh and then we will walk in faith, brothers, because:

Romans 10:17 – So then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of Elohim.

Let’s cleave to that first love, that word made flesh. Let’s not lose that first love. I’ve met believers who have been believers for decades and yet they’ve never read the scriptures all the way through from cover to cover. You know what the phrase “I don’t really have the time,” really means?

The phrase “I don’t have time” really means it’s not a priority. Because we all have the same number of hours in a day, right? We choose to get involved in the things we get involved in. What we do with our time really determines how much Yahweh really is in our life. Is He a priority?

Our time is our life and our life is our time. That’s what it consists of. So Let’s give Yahweh the time. That’s the blessing of the Sabbath. You’re going to give one seventh of you time to Him. On a daily basis we need to give Him time too and focus on the spiritual.

The more we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, the less we’re going to like what we hear coming from the world – the false shepherd’s. The less the spirit of the world is going to deceive us. So we’re called brothers not to believe every spirit but to test them.

1John 4:1 – Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of Elohim; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 – By this you know the Spirit of Elohim: Every spirit that confesses that Yahushua Messiah has come in the flesh is of Elohim,

1John 4:3 – and every spirit that does not confess that Yahushua Messiah has come in the flesh is not of Elohim. And this is the [spirit] of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

We know brothers that there are lots of sheep being carried off by grievous wolves. Anti-Yahushua; anti-New Testament; anti-Old Testament teachers of lawlessness. We need to receive the whole word. The full council of Elohim and do not be ensnared by these false doctrines.

I take a strong stand against those who would like to pull a rug out from underneath this and pull the foundation out from underneath this, which is Yahweh’s word – the scriptures. Anyone who wants to try and pull that out, is going to come up with a fight, I hope. Because I don’t want any part of that.

I have people everyday, brothers, try and pull that rug out from underneath me, to cause me to doubt the word. To not follow after what’s right. We have to be careful. Sometimes you share a scripture with somebody and they say, “oh, that was added by the Catholic Church” or “that was wrong, that is not according to the Torah” or whatever.

“It’s not in the law” or whatever. You know, Yahweh said it – that’s all I need to know. If it’s in the scriptures, then that’s all I need to know. I want to build my understanding on Yahweh’s word, not on man’s alternative words, that he might think are right.

So we have to be over- comers and not allow anyone to steal the word out of our hearts. That’s what the enemy does. He might let the world get sown, but he’ll come in and steal it, take it away. But brothers:

1John 4:4 – You are of Elohim, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5 – They are of the world. Therefore they speak [as] of the world, and the world hears them.

I’ve noticed that the closer we get to Yahweh, the harder the enemy tries to fight back and keep us from it. But we’ve got to be willing to overcome these small matters and not just cave in, otherwise our strength is very small.

Proverbs 24:10 – [If] you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength [is] small.

We can’t waste our time on other things that are easy. “Oh, it’s easy to spend time doing this.” Rather than spending time fighting Yahweh’s battles. Let’s fight Yahweh’s battles! Don’t let the enemy enter our homes through internet; through television; through books, magazines,friends, visitors, relatives or whatever.

The enemy is always looking for a breach in the wall and we have to be very careful about that choking effect of Yahweh’s word.

Matthew 13:18 – Therefore hear the parable of the sower:

Matthew 13:22 – Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

23 – But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands [it], who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

That’s a fitting description. It doesn’t really yank it out, it just kind of chokes you out. Because otherwise:

2Peter 2:20 – For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Master and Savior Yahushua Messiah, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

Because:

2Peter 2:21 – For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

22 – But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to his own vomit, and, a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.

So get up! Get out of the mire and let the word of Yahweh and the blood of Messiah cleanse you from all the yuk, and turn back again to the holy commandments that were given to you. The ones that you rejoiced in.

The ones that were the joy and rejoicing of your heart at first, but then the mud came with the mud slinging of the enemy. The desires of the flesh came. We need to get back on Yahweh’s timetable and being about His business and not the enemy’s business. So if that’s the condition you’re in brothers, get cleaned up and start walking uprightly.

Yahweh has such a fantastic way of cleansing us. He cleans us in such a way, it’s as if we never sinned. All we have to do is repent and turn to Him, believe in the master Yahushua and we are clean. Just as simple as that. HalleluYah! What a blessing. Then look what you become:

1Peter 2:9 – But you [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Because of that, the world hates you.

John 15:18 – If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before [it hated] you.

19 – If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Don’t be surprised when the world hates you. That’s what you signed up for! To be hated by the wold, but loved by Yahweh. To be His special treasure. We shared this last week; Yahushua says:

John 15:20 – Remember the word that I said to you, `A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

21 – But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

So don’t look back brothers, because Yahushua also said this:

Luke 9:62 – But Yahushua said to him, No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of Elohim.

Remember Lot’s wife? There is no turning back. You need to move on in the spirit and set our affections on the things that are above and not on things that are beneath.

Colossians 3:1 – If then you were raised with Messiah, seek those things which are above, where Messiah is, sitting at the right hand of Elohim.

2 – Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Because all that stuff is death; it’s not life. That’s where it leads is death.

Colossians 3:1 – If then you were raised with Messiah, seek those things which are above, where Messiah is, sitting at the right hand of Elohim.

2 – Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 – For you died, and your life is hidden with Messiah in Elohim.

Colossians 3:4 – When Messiah [who is] our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

5 – Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

6 – Because of these things the wrath of Elohim is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

Colossians 3:7 – in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

8 – But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

You know, that word by the way – “filthy language” – if you look it up, it has to do with culturally unacceptable or culturally vile speech. Language that is considered to be foul in the culture that we live in. And so, yes, cuss words are not appropriate for believer’s to be speaking.

Some people have tried to justify it and that is why I bring it up.

Colossians 3:9 – Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

10 – and have put on the new [man] who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

If you don’t understand this; “putting off the old man and putting on the new man.” If you don’t fully understand that and you’re having difficulty overcoming temptation, I strongly encourage you to watch the “Stumbling Blocks” series in the archives. I’ve got “Stumbling Blocks” in five parts. Especially watch the last part.

But the “Stumbling Block” series has a lot of information that can be very helpful for you. Brothers:

1John 4:4 – You are of Elohim, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Why? Because He dwells in us. You mean we don’t have to fear the enemy? We don’t have to yield to the enemy. Because the one who lives in us is greater than the one who is in the world.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to Elohim, [which is] your reasonable service.

2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of Elohim.

So we’ve got to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, not conformed to this world. Even if no one goes with us and everyone around us seeks to walk corruptly, our love and devotion is set to the one who is greater than they are.

Hence when our mind is renewed, that the transformation from the Kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light can take place. We need to have that renewed mind, not one that is constantly conforming itself to the world.

We need to have the renewed mind that’s constantly being fed with the good bread; the good food; the living word that brings life so we can prove what that acceptable and perfect will of Yahweh actually is. So brothers,

Psalms 101:3 – I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.

I don’t want to see it so that it places a stain on me and cleaves to me and cling to me. When you set the wicked things before your eyes, that’s what they do, they cleave to you. Yahweh needs to wash you off. Don’t set them before your eyes. Set that which is holy, and just, and pure, and good, and lovely before your eyes.

And have the right spirit feeding us, dwelling in us; not the spirit of the world affecting our minds. Have the spirit of Yahweh affecting our minds. The spirit gives life, the flesh profits nothing.

John 6:63 – It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and [they] are life.

The words Yahushua has spoken are spirit and they are life. Is it not true? This is the spirit which we have received, not the spirit of the world. As it says in 1 Corinthians 2:12

1Corinthians 2:12 – Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from Elohim, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by Elohim.

Therefore, let’s cease from any and all interest in worldly things. When we see the right things to do. I don’t know if there is anything in this message that is convicting you today, but you know, it convicted me first and that’s why I share it. A lot of things I do differently because of this, in my daily walk.

We need to control our internet use. I work online; I minister online and so it’s easy for me to spend too much time on the internet. It’s like a magnet. If I get up from the computer, I feel bad that I’m not doing work or ministry, but if I sit down at the computer I feel bad that I’m not with my family; so I’m always juggling.

But we’ve got to find that right spot, if you’re like I am. Whatever we got to do brothers and Yahweh help us to do what’s right in His eyes. Everyone has more overcoming to do, including me. We see the standard in Yahweh’s word, so let’s rid ourselves from any and all corruption that is in the world today. Right now! No time to waste.

We need to pray. Pray that we can be among the unspotted, unstained and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Having been renewed by doing the work of Yahweh; seeking His ways; that we might be brought into that good land. That we might be His own peculiar, special people that have chosen to walk in His spirit and not the spirit of the world.

Because when we truly give our lives to the one who will take us to the promised land, we make Him number one in every aspect of our lives. It’s then that we’re really going to be fulfilled. It’s then that we’re really going to be blessed. Because Yahweh then takes residence as the king of our hearts.

And to have Him as the one dwelling in us, there is no greater thing in the world than that. That’s when we are truly fulfilled, and content, and blessed. So when Yahweh comes to take the throne on this earth, we’re not mourning because we loved the things of this world and we didn’t want to see it go. We’re rejoicing to see that yuk go!

We didn’t want that, we didn’t like it, we didn’t enjoy it; there is nothing about it that interested us. We’re looking for the world that’s being ruled by Yahweh, where righteousness will reign. That’s the Kingdom we’re seeking; that’s what’s in our hearts.

And so brothers, we already know; He’s shown His love for us through the Messiah, Yahushua who gave up His own life for our sakes. Can we show love for Him by filling ourselves with His goodness; His purity; His love; His righteousness; and just let His spirit dwell within us and flow through us.

And not……not, not the spirit of the world. May Yahweh strengthen us. May Yahweh cleanse us from any and all adultery of the spirit. So the spirit within us rather than yearning jealously, is leading us faithfully to the promised land. May Yahweh bless you and may Yahweh have mercy on us all.