Tag: Jesus

How to BE a Sheep

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English: Sheep

I recently felt led to write a post, “How to Spot a Goat”, in response to what, in my opinion, was a poorly written, scripturally-unsound article entitled “How to Spot a Legalist”. However, I think the most important idea that should come from that post is how to BE a sheep.

Throughout His ministry, Yeshua makes the comparison between wheat and weeds (Matthew 13:24-30), sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46), and ready and unready virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). I’ve always thought these were interesting teachings, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized that He is comparing believers. This realization combined with Matthew 7:21-23 that says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’”, has given me great pause for thought, reflection, prayer, and studying the scriptures. Our focus should be on how to be wheat, how to be sheep, how to be ready, because not everyone that says they believe in Yeshua and has done things in His name is going to go to Heaven. Yeshua said it Himself.

So here is a list for “How to BE a Sheep”. This is not an all-inclusive list, but some important guidelines on our journey with Yahweh.

 1. We must enter THE door. John 10:7-10 says, “So Jesus said again, “I assure you: I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. We must be saved by grace, through faith, for good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

2. We must love Yahweh with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, with all our strength. Absolutely nothing should get in the way of our love of Him. And, our love for Him must be His way. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 22:34-38; 1 John 2:3)

3. We must love each other. We must be willing to put others ahead of ourselves and love them with the heart of Christ. (Mark 12:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 13:8-10; 1 John 3:11-18; 1 John 4:7)

4. We must be totally souled out and committed to Yahweh. We must be willing to take up our cross and count the cost. We must be prepared to follow Him no matter what may come our way. (Matthew 10:32-39; Mark 8:34-38; Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 2:20)

5. We must hear and obey His voice. It is more than mere mental assent. We must have a saving faith that leads to obedience to His Word. We must understand that if we are living by the Holy Spirit, He will not lead us to do anything that is contrary to God’s Word. (Matthew 7:24-25; John 8:31-32; John 10:27; Romans 2:13; 1 John 2:3-6; 2 John 1:6)

6. We must bear good fruit. We are known by our fruit. What kind of fruit are we producing? (John 15:1-17; Luke 6:43-45; Galatians 5:16-26)

7. We must be servants. We must have a servant’s heart. If our Messiah was willing to wash His disciples’ feet, how much more should we be willing to serve Him and each other? (Psalm 119:125; Mark 10:42-45; John 12:26; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Galatians 5:13; Philippians 2:5-7)

8. We must forgive. We must be willing to forgive others if we want Yahweh to forgive us. (Proverbs 17:9; Matthew 6:14-15; Mark 11:25; Ephesians 4:31-32; Colossians 3:12-14)

9. We must be humble. We must stay away from self-righteousness and a proud and haughty attitude. We must be humble before Yahweh and realize that every breath we take is because it is from Him. (2 Chronicles 7:14; Micah 6:8; Matthew 23:12; Luke 18:9-14; Philippians 2:3-11; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:6)

10. We must be holy. Holiness is not optional; we must pursue holiness or we will not see Yahweh. (Isaiah 35:8; Leviticus 20:26; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:4; 2 Timothy 2:21; 1 John 3:6-10; 1 Peter 1:14-16)

 Are you a sheep? Are you wheat? Are you ready?

How to Spot a Goat

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Sheep and Goats
Sheep and Goats (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I recently read an article with the intriguing title “How to Spot a Legalist.” The article begins by discussing how “legalists” will tell you that salvation comes by grace and then adds to it by telling you a list of do’s and don’ts to follow. The author then goes on to say, “21st Century Pharisees have replaced circumcision and keeping of the law with a more accepted evangelicalized list of do’s and don’ts. These pious sounding party poopers are getting Christians to doubt their salvation, get discouraged in their salvation and trying to prove, keep and/or earn their salvation. They are robbing believers of the joy that was once theirs in Christ and replacing it with the heavy yoke of legalism (Acts 15:5-11)” One of the problems I have with that statement is the only time that following the commands of God become a heavy yoke and therefore burdensome is when people keep the commands for their salvation. The Scriptures clearly and explicitly tell us that the Law is a delight (Psalm 1:2, Psalm 19:7-11, Psalm 40:8, Psalm 119, Romans 7:22) and His commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). We are saved by grace through faith…a faith that leads to obedience and good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). After all, we are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20), the precious atoning blood of our Messiah. We are sternly warned against trampling the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:26-31). And, I will reiterate my point from previous posts Law vs. Grace and Law and Grace Collide, that it takes both to fully and totally follow God.

The next thing the author does is to write a list of 10 ways to spot a legalist. Well, I got to thinking and pondering about that and I thought about the wheat and the weeds and how they grow together. “He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. The landowner’s slaves came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ “‘An enemy did this!’ he told them. “‘So, do you want us to go and gather them up?’ the slaves asked him. “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you gather up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but store the wheat in my barn.’” (Matthew 13:24-30) And, I also thought about how Jesus will separate the sheep and the goats and how they are both believers…but judged by their works. (See Matthew 25:31-46).

Then, I came up with a list…How to spot a goat.

  1. They cheapen grace by saying it doesn’t matter what you do; you can go to Heaven because you’ve said a prayer. But the bible says believers are called to good works (Matthew 5:16,  Romans 2:6-10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Ephesians 2:10, Titus 2:14, James 2:26 just to name a few!)
  2. They’ll say non-sensical things like, “Salvation is free and you don’t have to conform your life to His…you can keep on living however you want to live.” But the bible says believers are called to conform their lives to His (Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18); believers are called to die to self (John 12:24-26, 1 Corinthians 15:31, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 5:24 etc.).
  3. They give their stamp of approval to everyone, even if their fruit stinks. But the bible says believers are called to hold each other accountable (Proverbs 27:17, Ezekiel 33:7, Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6:1-2, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 4:25); and to recognize good and bad fruit (Matthew 7:16-20).
  4. They focus on things like salvation without repentance. But the bible says believers are called to repent (which means to turn completely away from sin; change your heart and your mind) (Matthew 4:17, Mark 6:12, Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38).
  5. Their “gospel” teaches it’s okay to sin because grace covers a multitude of sin. But the bible says believers are commanded to, “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11, Ephesians 4:22-24)
  6. They let people run amok with too much grace and not enough justice. But the bible says believers know God loves them unconditionally (Romans 5:8), but that He is also a God of justice (Psalm 33:5, Acts 17:30-32), and they will be held accountable for their actions (2 Corinthians 5:10, Hebrews 9:27).
  7. They conveniently leave out the entire Old Testament (which is the foundation) and then James, 1 John, and any other books or verses that tell us we have to do something after we’ve been saved. But the bible says believers are called to obey God’s commandments (John 14:23-24, Romans 2:13, Hebrews 5:8-9, 1 John 2:3-6, 2 John 1:6).
  8. They discard any verse that opposes their viewpoint and say, “Well sometimes the Bible contradicts itself.” But the bible says believers are called to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). God’s Word never contradicts itself (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:16-21)…however, our interpretation of scripture can be contradictory.
  9. They concoct a grace alone recipe that holds fast to the traditions of man and leads people to the wide and smooth path that leads to Hell. But the bible says believers are to enter through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14).
  10. They cheapen grace and cause nonbelievers and believers alike to steer clear of Christianity because of the hypocrisy that goes on day in and day out. They honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.  (Matthew 15:8-9). But the bible says believers are called to be ambassadors for Christ and therefore represent Him wherever we go (2 Corinthians 5:20).

The author then goes on to state, “But grace that cannot be abused is no grace at all.” Uhmmm…excuse me…doesn’t God’s Word say in Romans 6:1-2, “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”

I absolutely agree that salvation comes by grace alone. It is undeserved mercy. We don’t deserve to get out of Hell, but Jesus paid that price for us. It’s what we do with that grace that matters. Are we going to take it lightly and trample the blood of Jesus to continue to live our very same lives? Or are we willing to give up our lives, crucify our fleshly desires and follow Him in all the ways He walked? Are we willing to allow the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us as believers to transform us into His image? Are we willing to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age? Are we willing to be slaves to righteousness? Are we willing to stop cherry picking which verses we will follow and submit ourselves to the whole word of God?

Choices………………………..and eternal consequences.

 

 

 

Stier, G. (March 16, 2013). How to Spot a Legalist. The Christian Post. Retrieved May 14, 2013, from http://www.christianpost.com/news/how-to-spot-a-legalist-92015/.

Walk This Way

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Footsteps
Footsteps (Photo credit: Admean)

But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him: The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked—1 John 2:5-6.

How did Yeshua walk? Well, scripture tells us that He was sinless (Hebrews 4:15). It also tells us that sin is transgressing God’s Law (1 John 3:4). So, that should lead us to the logical conclusion that Yeshua followed God’s Law…to the letter…so He wouldn’t sin and could be our atoning sacrifice.

So if we are to walk…just as He walked…shouldn’t we follow God’s Law…Genesis to Revelation? Shouldn’t we be willing to give up our ways and the traditions of man to obey our Father who has adopted us and called us into His glorious kingdom? (Mark 7:8-9; Ephesians 1:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9-10) Shouldn’t we be willing to walk in the footsteps of the One who gave His life for us so we could overcome sin? (Psalm 119:9-10; Hebrews 2:17-18; Hebrews 5:8-9) Shouldn’t walking as our Master did be our joy and privilege? (Psalm 1:2; Psalm 19:7-11; Romans 7:22) … not for our gain, but because of all He did and continues to do for us … because we were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20).

In the end, I would rather give my all to following in the footsteps of Yeshua and pursue holiness (Hebrews 12:14) and strive to go through the narrow gate and stay on the difficult path (Matthew 7:13-14), and work out my salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), than to have Him say on that day, depart from me you who practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23).

In John 12:44-50, Jesus tells us, “The one who believes in Me believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness. If anyone hears My words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects Me and doesn’t accept My sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should say and what I should speak. I know that His command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” (John 12:44-50)

What standard are we going to be judged by?

Holy Days vs. Holidays

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What’s the difference? Well, to be honest, I had never really thought about it. As a matter of fact, I never even knew about Yahweh’s feast days. Growing up, I noticed some odd holidays on the calendar that we didn’t celebrate…those are Jewish holidays I was told. I grew up celebrating the “traditional” holidays…Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and on the list goes. And I learned the “true” meaning of the holidays in amongst all the extra fluff…you know…Santa, the Easter bunny, coloring Easter eggs, all the important traditions that go along with celebrating. And I taught them to my children as all good parents do.

Fast forward to 2010 and I was presented with the fact that some (or even all in some cases) of the holidays and traditions that I had been celebrating came from pagan roots and were not scriptural in the least. Well, let me tell you, that rocked my world. Really…how can that be…that can’t be right…I was happy and comfortable in my traditions…my family’s traditions. But, I also knew I had to investigate for myself. What I found out turned my world upside down. I discovered that it was true! Great…so what do I do now? Well, through much prayer and study, I decided not to celebrate Christmas and Easter. (I had given up celebrating Halloween many years ago…that was a no brainer!) But, I didn’t stop there. I continued to study the bible and pray, which led me to studying about the Feast days.

The first thing that I discovered was that when Yahweh told Moses about His appointed times, they were permanent statutes throughout the generations. The next thing I discovered was that He gave those eternal statutes to the Israelites, the people, that if we claim to be believers in Yeshua, have been grafted into (Romans 11:17)…adopted into His family (Romans 8:14-16). Think about that…if you adopt a child, do you follow the child’s traditions or does he/she become part of your family and take on the teachings and traditions of your family? If we are Yahweh’s children, we are to take on His ways…His traditions. And the Feasts of Yahweh are just that…His appointed times. He did not say they were for the Jews, the Christians, etc. They were His feasts, His appointed times (Leviticus 23:1-2).

But, you cry out, “Those are part of the old covenant which is a shadow. Jesus is the substance.” And I say, “EXACTLY!!!!!” How much more depth and meaning do these appointed times have now that we have the substance of them? Yahweh’s feast days tell the story of Yahweh and His people. It begins when Yahweh called His people to Himself and continues through to the end of time that John saw in his vision and wrote about in the Revelation. They identified special times throughout the year to give glory and honor to Yahweh for specific acts done on behalf of His people. But they also have a spiritual meaning as well.

The first three feasts of Yahweh have been fulfilled through the death, burial, and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua. Let’s start with Passover as it is the first feast day of Yahweh’s calendar. Passover not only represents the Israelites rescue from Egypt, it is also the day of Yeshua’s sacrificial death. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 tells us, “Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch. You are indeed unleavened, for Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old yeast or with the yeast of malice and evil but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” He is our Passover! This feast has certainly been fulfilled through Messiah Yeshua and is observed on the 14th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. (As a side note, did you know that Christians commemorated the death and resurrection of Christ on Passover until the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, in its quest to rid Christianity of anything Jewish changed the date to coincide with the pagan carnival Easter which celebrated the goddess of fertility Ishtar?)

The next feast, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, has also been fulfilled by Yeshua at his burial in the tomb on Nisan 15. Yeshua is our bread of heaven. John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

Next is the Feast of Firstfruits. This was fulfilled by Yeshua at His resurrection. (One thing that I noticed when studying these appointed days, Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits, there is actually three days between the death and resurrection of Christ, unlike Good Friday to Easter.) 1 Corinthians 5:20-23, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at His coming, those who belong to Christ.”

Fifty days from the Feast of Firstfruits, we are to observe the Feast of Pentecost. This feast was fulfilled by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1-4, “When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.”

The last three feasts of Yahweh, the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles, have yet to be fulfilled by Yeshua. They represent future events in Yahweh’s master plan. They point to His return, judgment, millennial reign, and final triumph over evil. The last feast, the Feast of Tabernacles (also known as the Feast of Booths or Feast of Ingathering), represents the fulfillment of Yahweh’s plan. The Messiah will return to “tabernacle” with His people. Zechariah sees the ultimate fulfillment of this feast, Zechariah 14:16, “Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to celebrate the Festival of Booths.” See also, Revelation 7:9-17, Revelation 21:1, and Revelation 22:5.

But you cry out, “Christmas and Easter don’t mean anything about paganism to me! It’s how I celebrate Christ’s birth and resurrection. God knows my heart.” First of all, the heart is deceitful above all things…(Jeremiah 17:9) Jeremiah 17:5-8 also says, “This is what the Lord says: The man who trusts in mankind, who makes human flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord is cursed. He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives. The man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.  He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.” Colossians 2:8 says, “Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.”

I will be the first to tell you that celebrating Yahweh’s appointed Holy Days is not a matter of salvation or acceptance by Him. However, as a child of the Most High God, Yahweh, I have been adopted by Him and as such, I am going to follow His ways and His traditions. Since Yahweh says His feasts are to be celebrated forever and He never changes, it is quite clear to me that He still desires to be worshipped the way He has outlined in His Word. “Therefore, let us keep the feast…”

“As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh.” (Joshua 24:15)

Heartbroken

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As a parent, I can’t even begin to imagine the heartache and pain of the parents in Newtown, CT whose babies will not be coming home. I can and do imagine, as a parent, the fear and confusion and questioning of how something this horrifying and evil can happen. As an educator, I can’t even begin to imagine the heartbreak of losing colleagues and students in one horrid event like the one that took place on December 14, 2012.

I am reflecting on this event because it is the most recent…the most close to home. But there are others…Virginia Tech, Columbine, Jonesboro, and the list goes on and on. Unfortunately. What causes people to have such a reckless disregard for people, for each other, for life? There are no easy answers…there are some commonalities, but there are no absolute markers…flashing neon lights pointing to the individual or individuals who will commit the next heinous act.

And, unfortunately, I am all too sure there will be a next heinous act. The one word that keeps coming to mind is evil. Pure and unrestrained evil. There are several verses in scripture that talk about the last days. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.” Matthew 24:12 says, “ Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” There are other scriptures in 2 Thessalonians, 2 Peter, and on the list goes. But we know this…we see this all around us…we are living among it. So what do we do about it?

This one thought has brought me comfort over the past couple of days…Even in the midst of all this darkness, Jesus is still the Light. And, He will continue to be the Light, yesterday, today, and forever. Romans 12:14-21 talks about how we are to act. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.  “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Here is a short list of scriptures that bring comfort in difficult times…there are many other verses that are not listed here. Please feel free to leave a comment with your favorite comforting scripture. Psalm 27:4-5, Psalm 30:5, Psalm 34:18, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 56:8, Isaiah 61:1-3, Nahum 1:7, Lamentations 3:22-23, John 16:22, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, 1 Peter 5:10

My heart is broken for all those touched by this most recent tragedy. My heart is broken for this country. Please join me in praying for all those affected by the events in Newtown, CT. Please join me in praying for our country. “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 And remember…Jesus is still the LIGHT.

Belief and Trembling?

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You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. (James 2:19) What makes us any different than the demons? As a matter of fact…even the demons who are destined to be tortured in Hell know enough to shudder at the belief in the Most High God. So, how do we know that our belief is a belief that leads to salvation? How are we different than the demons? How can we be saved from being burned in the fire of Hell? The “church” today paints a “wide gate” picture of salvation…that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ will be saved. They believe that no matter what people do, if they believe in Jesus, they will go to Heaven…They pervert the Scripture of Romans  10:10, “For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Don’t the demons meet those requirements as well? We know from James 2:19 they believe. Don’t they confess that Jesus is Lord…Mark 5:7, “and shouting with a loud voice, he said , “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God, do not torment me!” So if this is what we are basing our salvation on…that gives us faith that is equal to that of the demons…who are still going to Hell…….so what is the difference?

Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls.'” Jesus Himself tells us what we must do to become his disciple, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. Therefore, salt is good; but if salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Luke 14:26-35) Our belief…our faith must move us to obedience and action. We must be willing to forsake all and count the cost to become true disciples of, not just travelers with our Lord and Savior. Godly faith requires action…Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being of itself. (James 2:17) Jesus died to give us a faith that works obedience in us (Romans 1:5). True faith begins and ends with obedience…obedience to God’s commands, carrying out God’s commands through His power, the way He tells us to do them. We must be willing to submit to God’s righteousness and forsake man’s “religious” ways. In Matthew 7:21-27, Jesus is speaking to believers when he says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me you who practice lawlessness.’ Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and great was its fall.” 

I know that I for one, do not want to be one whom the Son of the Most High God declares that He never knew me. I want to be “diligent to present myself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) I want to be “diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless”. (2 Peter 2:14) I want to “diligently keep the commandments of the Lord my God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded me.” (Deuteronomy 6:17). I want to “diligently take heed to myself to love the Lord my God.” (Joshua 23:11). My prayer for you is that you will find the saving kind of faith…greater than the faith of the demons…faith that changes you, faith that makes you obedient to God’s ways. Faith that doesn’t change you, doesn’t change your destination.

Lip Service

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As my husband and I were reading Matthew 22 together this morning, verses 34-40 caught my attention. “But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” So I got to pondering…what does it mean to love the Lord? A lot of people profess to “love the Lord”. But…what does that mean? As I was praying about it, the verse in John 14:15 was impressed on me. “If you love Me, obey My commandments.” So there is action involved…love is a verb. God wants us to show our love for Him by obeying His commandments.

In the past, I used to pay the Lord “lip service”. I would tell Him I loved Him with my words, but my actions didn’t always show it. I was a member of the Matthew 15:8 club, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” How many of us today still do the same thing…tell Yahveh we love Him and then go and live as we please? Then Yahveh reminded me what it feels like to be told that you are loved when the actions didn’t always match the words. In my first marriage, I would be told, “I love you” and then be called horrible names and be physically abused. The words didn’t match the actions…and actions definitely speak louder than words. 

Praise Yahveh!!! I have been delivered from the Matthew 15:8 club, both giving “lip service” and receiving it!!! As the veil has been lifted and my eyes opened to the whole word of God, I can honestly say that I do love the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind. I am obeying God’s commandments because I love Him. “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.” (2 John 6)

Let’s revoke our membership in the Matthew 15:8 club and stop paying Yahveh and each other “lip service”. Let’s start truly loving Yahveh and one another, not just in word, but in deed also, not the way the world loves, but as we are commanded to in the Bible…by obedience (which is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22))…by loving as Christ has loved us (John 13:34-35)…by being devoted to and giving preference to one another (Romans 12:10)…by esteeming one another (Philippians 2:3). Let’s love according to Yahveh’s way, not man’s.

Am I Willing…

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As I was in prayer this morning, I began to question…Is Yahveh, who is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:33), really going to leave his children to follow and worship Him any way they see fit…by how they “feel”…by what it means to them…by what seems right…Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way  of death.” And Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things. And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” And then God reminded me he has given us His Holy Spirit and His Word. He has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3) And, He  will not contradict Himself.

I used to live by my feelings. I used to twist the Word to justify my actions. I used to follow the ways and traditions of man rather than God. And…I used to pray for more…for a deeper walk with God…for a truly changed life that follows after God and His Righteousness and His Holiness. And now that Yahveh is answering my prayer and my life is changing and my walk is stronger and deeper and because of who Yahveh is and all that Yeshua has done for me…am I willing?

Am I willing to give up my ways, ways of man, ways of excuses, ways of doing what “feels” right…

Am I willing to examine my beliefs and convictions…

Am I willing to die to self…self-will, self-righteousness, selfish desires, self-fulfillment…

Am I willing to lay down my life and offer it as a living sacrifice…(Romans 12:1)

Am I wlling to conform my life to that of Yeshua’s…(Romans 8:29, Romans 12:2, 1 Peter 1:13-15)

Am I willing to count the cost…(Luke 14:25-33)

Am I willing to worship Yahveh the way He demands to be worshipped and follow Him the way He demands to be followed…(Deuteronomy 13:4, Jeremiah 7:22-24, Micah 6:8, John 14:15)

Am I willing to do all to stand (Ephesians 6:13) for Yahveh, for His Word, for Truth, for His Righteousness and Holiness…

Am I willing…

YES!!! Praise Yahveh!!! I am willing…are you?

Lead me in your Truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation;

On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:5)

 

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:24-25)

On Crosses, Criminals, and Christ

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Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a ...
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 I recently read a little diatribe based on Galatians 6:14. It got me to pondering…and researching…and the more I thought about it, the more worked up I became. So I thought I would give my two cents about this verse, put in the proper context. Galatians 6:14 says, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” The author of the post that I read talks about how the cross is not an idol and it is an image (emphasis mine) of the two great commandments to “love God” and “love others”. The author ends with this, “No, I don’t make an idol of the cross or Christ, but I will boast of it all the more!”

And I say, if you are boasting in anything except Yahveh, you have created an idol. You see, it’s not the cross that has the power, but The ONE who hung on the cross. The criminals that were being executed with Jesus were also hanging on crosses. The cross is powerless. The Sacrificial Lamb of God that hung on the cross is the Savior…not the cross he was hung on.

When looking at Galatians 6:11-15, we see Paul telling the Galatians that they do not need to be circumcised to be saved, but to boast in the death of Jesus for salvation, and to crucify their worldly desires and live for Him. That is a far cry from using this verse to justify idolatry.

The bible is full of commands not to worship idols or create graven images, the most obvious being in Exodus 20:3-4. Then, in Leviticus 26:1, Numbers 33:52, Deuteronomy 7:25, 1 Kings 14:9, and on and on the list goes in the “Old Testament”. But for those that don’t think the old testament is for today and that the law has been done away with, here are some new testament verses…1 Corinthians 10:14, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” 1 John 5:21, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

Maybe the confusion lies in the definition of idolatry or graven image. Well, let’s look at them: idolatry—the religious worship of idols; idols—an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed; graven image—a carved idol or representation of a god used as an object of worship. Is the cross an idol? It certainly sounds like it to me, especially if we are boasting in it rather than Him.

I know idolatry goes way beyond the cross in this generation. In my own life, God has been showing me the “high places” that need to be torn down. You know, things like self-reliance, love of material things, time-wasters, and on and on my own list goes. But as I grow in the likeness of Yeshua, and work out my own salvation with fear and trembling, those places, those idols are coming down one at a time. What freedom and joy there is in following my Rock, my Redeemer, my All in All.

Lead me to Christ, not to the cross.