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Man can not live by bread alone...

Pride and the Tower of Babel 2.0

10/31/2019

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Written by Daniel Prinsloo
There are similarities between what happened at Babel and what we see taking place all over the world and sadly within the body of Messiah also.
Genesis 11:1 “Now the entire earth had the same language with the same vocabulary.”
Genesis 11:4 “Then they said, “Come! Let’s build ourselves a city, with a tower whose top reaches into heaven. So let’s make a name for ourselves, or else we will be scattered over the face of the whole land.”
Genesis 11:9 “This is why it is named Babel, because
Adonai confused the languages of the entire world there, and from there Adonai scattered them over the face of the entire world.”
As we grow in knowledge it is as if we’ve been united by a new “language” of knowledge, the internet. We seek within it all of the answers to explain our existence and to explain God and His Word therefor opening a doorway for pride to enter into our lives. 
We become so distracted and confused as we share information that it is “scattering” us, each in his own direction as every person is seeking his own way in the sea of information and gaining knowledge for prideful pursuits. Brothers and Sisters argue over trivial matters that only add to the confusion. That is what the adversary wants, to sow confusion and in such a way create division and discord. 
This is extremely evident within the Messianic and Torah communities. What is supposed to unite us is becoming a divider because we have allowed our focus to be removed from He who brought us together, Yeshua/Jesus.
All the while we as believers are missing the mark that Torah is pointing to and that is to walk in the humility and love of Yeshua/Jesus and upholding His Word and His instructions out of love, not pride. All of Torah was given by God for His children and for us to walk in love and obedience to Him and to always point to His holiness. To walk in Torah is to deny self and to glorify God. Without the love of God within us our knowledge means nothing. We are nothing before His splendor, magnitude and sovereignty.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all that I own and if I hand over my body so I might boast but have not love, I gain nothing.”
We become the very thing we were disillusioned by, institutionalized religion and following a set of man made instructions, customs and traditions instead of being focused on walking in the Way of Yeshua and following His Torah. Believers get caught up in trying to know and understand something in a “new” or an “inspired” way more than the next person as the entrapment of self-knowledge becomes attractive and everyone is seeking for a “divine revelation” from the Holy Spirit when all the answers are given plainly and clearly in God’s Word. Pursuits to obtain “spiritual gifts” that aren’t aligned with the Bible leads to deception. The enemy wants this as he knows his time is short and the hour is very late in an ever darkening world.  
The author of Hebrews describes it best in what we should pursue, Hebrews 12:14-17 “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble! And make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame will not be pulled out of joint but rather be healed. Pursue shalom with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; and see to it that no bitter root springs up and causes trouble, and by it many be defiled. Also see to it that there is no immoral or godless person—like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He found no chance for repentance, though he begged for it with tears.”
Return to the truth and the heart of God’s Word. It’s all about glorifying Him and His Word is a blessing that yields no burdens. In the pursuit of knowledge and being united under one “language” we are becoming “scattered” and disillusioned. We are getting to a point where our pride is creating a world where nobody understands one other and we should be asking ourselves why this is happening. 
Have we allowed our pride to become more important than God’s Word and what Yeshua/Jesus came to proclaim? Have we become loveless in the pursuit of “wisdom”? Have we become as the people of Babel in trying to “reach the heavens” with our limited knowledge and understanding chasing after the next “divine revelation”, obtaining a new “spiritual gift” or understanding Torah in a “new” way. 
We all have the responsibility to study and seek truth, but we have to do so with humility and not in any way glorifying ourselves. All teaching and sharing of Scripture should be done with focus on glorifying God in love, truth and in humility. When you stand before God, you cannot say, "But I was told by others to do thus or follow that." Or that, "Virtue was not convenient at the time." This will not be acceptable. Remember that you have a responsibility that only you have in your faith walk. It doesn’t matter what we or others think is right, what matters is what God determined to be right from the very beginning of His glorious creation.
Regard the words of acclaimed Christian authors regarding pride:
§ “Pride will always be the longest distance between two people.”
§ “For pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.”
§ “Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.” 
§ “Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.”
Think on these things and ask to be lead in prayer as we live humbly in service to our King, Yeshua HaMasiach/Jesus Christ.
1 John 2:3-6 “Now we know that we have come to know Him by this—if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God is truly made perfect. We know that we are in Him by this-- whoever claims to abide in Him must walk just as He walked.”
Shalom to everyone!
Daniel
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The Perpetual Divorce

4/3/2019

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​“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our
gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled,
neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at
hand.   Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
  who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped;
so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”

- 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5

Paul wrote this epistle to the church in Thessalonica to correct them in an error
in thinking. They mistakenly believed the return of Yeshua (Jesus) was extremely
close to being fulfilled and that it may have even already happened. One factor
leading to this misconception is the infiltration of false teachers into the church. Paul
rebukes the Thessalonians for allowing these teachers to lead them astray. Paul
instructs the church in the signs that will lead up the actual return of Messiah. He
tells the church that there must first be a falling away before the return of Yeshua.

I must admit that I have read this passage many times, but for some reason it
resonated within my spirit more vibrantly this day. I was led to hear something that I
had previously overlooked. It seems that most of the time I look at this passage, the
focus of my attention centers on the revealing of the son of perdition. This is
probably due to the dramatic nature of this subject. We all want to know who the bad
guy is and how we can stand against him. It is only human nature to want to know
our enemy in an effort to prepare for the battle ahead. We can also feel within
ourselves that time must be drawing to a close, therefore we seek to inform ourselves
of the tribulation that is written of in Scripture. While these things will come, we are
not to have a spirit of fear but one of victory because we serve a Righteous King
(Deut. 20:4; John 16:33)! Our Lord fights for us and He has overcome, already, all
things that come against those who are His!

The truth that jumped out at me as I read this passage was the falling away of
the church. More accurately my attention fell to verse three, “Let no man deceive you

by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and
that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” The return of our Messiah will
come and this son of perdition will be revealed, only when a falling away takes place
within the church. Paul clearly states that Yeshua will not come until there is
apostasy.

The word apostasy come from the Greek ἀποστασία (G646). This word
means a falling away, to forsake or a defection from truth. We can extend this
meaning in view of Scripture as a turning away from truth. Paul instructs the church
in Thessalonica, and us, that before the revealing of this anti-christ figure and before
the ultimate return of our Messiah, there will be an effort to set aside or forsake the
truth of the Word of our Father. Until this unfortunate rejection of His Word takes
place, the Messiah will not return.
The falling away also opens the door for the son of perdition as written in 2
Thessalonians 2:3. The term perdition carries the connotation of being given over to
utter destruction, eternal damnation and to be made obsolete. Those who reject the
salvation offered to us by the shed blood of Messiah, bear the weight of perdition.
They will be given over to the sinful lusts of their hearts and condemned to hell. The
son of perdition will be the one who will exalt himself above God. he will sit in the
temple of God and shew himself to be God (2 Thess 2:4). he will follow the
footsteps of his father the devil as did this abomination declare that he will ascend
above the throne of the Most High God (Isaiah 14). The son of perdition will be the
physical embodiment of the pride of mankind, the antichrist. he is and will be heir to
damnation.

The son of perdition will be revealed and the Messiah will return when the
church becomes apostate, giving up the truth for the convenience of compromise.
The prophet Zechariah warns of a time when the world will appear to be at peace
(Zechariah 1). It is during this time that the Lord will find the people at ease, though
the world breaks under the weight of sin. The Lord is provoked to anger because the
people add to, they added to the disaster about to befall the earth because of the lack
of fear of the Lord. The church will fall away. But what exactly will the church fall
away from?

In the book of Acts chapter 21, we find a cause which contributes to the fall.
In this chapter, Paul returns to Jerusalem to meet with the Elders of the Jerusalem
church. Paul returns to meet with the Elders to discuss the inclusion of Gentiles into

the faith alongside Jewish believers. Paul related to those at this council of Elders all
of the great things the Lord has been doing throughout His missionary journeys (Acts
21:19). Paul gives glory to the Father for the many Gentile’s living in pagan nations
who have come to know salvation. The council then relates to Paul the reality of the
“thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all
zealous for the Law. (Acts 21:20).” The power of the Gospel was opening the eyes
of both Jew and Gentile toward the Saving Grace of Messiah.

In verse 21, we see in the Greek the same use of the word apostasy
ἀποστασία (G646). The writer of the book of Acts (Luke) uses this term to denote
the rejection of the Mosaic Law by some of the Jews who accepted Messiah as their
Savior. Luke writes that there are Jews who are falling away, becoming apostate, from
the Law of the Most High. They are turning from the fullness of truth and rejecting
their customs.

Now, there is a lot to be said about what is happening in this short group of
verses. It would take an extensive exposition to work through all of the intricacies
that are being spoken of in this context. I do not wish to gloss over the weight of
what is being stated in verse 21, but to truly develop all that is going on would be
beyond the scope of this writing. The point that I am trying to make in this writing is
the connection of the word ἀποστασία (G646), apostasy, in both 2 Thessalonians
and in the book of Acts. I am trying to draw a theological parallel in the use of the
word apostasy. There is a greater truth that is being revealed, and this truth relates to
us this very day. Therefore, we will zero in on only the spiritual connotations
connected to the word apostasy and its impact on the contemporary church.

To reiterate, Luke points out that the Jewish believers in Messiah were
forsaking the Law of the Most High. In the original Greek the word that is translated
as forsake in English, is the word ἀποστασία (G646), apostasy (Acts 21:21). Luke
uses this word to describe the softening of the standard of faith of those Jews who
were living among the Gentiles. They were allowing the culture to draw them away
from the ordinances that distinguished them as set apart. They were becoming
apostate to the things that defined their faith. They were forsaking their covenant
with the Father.

This is where we could enter into the debate of keeping the Law and its
relevance to contemporary believers. But again, delving into this debate would divert

our attention from the weight of the matter set before us concerning apostasy. Thus,
I will again refocus the attention of the reader on the matter at hand in an effort to
draw out the urgency falling upon the modern church. The shadow of apostasy bites
at our heels; the falling away of the church looms in wait for those who give up the
fight.

To gather a more rich understanding of the term ἀποστασία (G646), we will
look a little deeper at this word as it is used in other places in Scripture. In the
Gospel of Matthew, the male counterpart of the word apostasy is used. Like many
languages, Greek words carry grammatical gender determined by contextual use. In the
following verses Matthew recounts the teaching of Yeshua regarding marriage.
Matthew writes,
“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male
and female,   and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?    So they are no longer two,
but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”    They
said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and
send her away?”    He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted
you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.    And I say
to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman
commits adultery (Matthew 19:4-9 NASB).”
The word Matthew uses for our word divorce is ἀποστάσιον (G647). This word is
a male counterpart to the word apostasy used in 2 Thessalonians and Acts. Both of
these words translated apostasy come from the root word ἀφίστημι (G868). This
word means to remove, revolt, desist, depart or fall away. The picture we are to
gather from the use of the word apostasy is one of an active drawing away or
rejection. This is not a passive fall into ignorance, but an intentional choice to revolt.

In the context of the verses in Matthew, Yeshua is teaching that because of the
hardness of the hearts, Moses made provisions for divorce ἀποστάσιον. This
provision of divorce was allowed because of an intentional decision on the part of the
one seeking the divorce. Behaviors and attitudes that were allowed to fester within
the hearts of those seeking divorce enveloped the individual leading them to revolt
against what was once love. The certificate of divorce was a result of the rejection of
fellowship with another.

In the synoptic Gospel of Mark, the same word is used in this account of Jesus
teaching on divorce. Mark 10: 2-5 reads:

“Some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it
was lawful for a man to divorce a wife.   And He answered and said to them, “What
did Moses command you?”   They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate
of divorce and send her away.”   But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of
heart he wrote you this commandment.”
In Mark’s account he adds that because of the hardness of the heart, the certificate of
divorce allowed a husband to “send her away.” The sending away does not connote a
passive action, but a determined effort to be rid of something that no longer holds a
place of honor. The commitment to grow in love for one another by entering into
the marriage covenant was extinguished and replaced with stubborn revolt as the
heart tuned to stone.

Both the Gospels of Matthew and Mark use the word apostasy in the context
of a discussion of divorce. And in both examples, it is implied that there were
purposed actions taken leading up to the divorce. The husband allowed his heart to
become hard toward his wife which resulted in the falling away, apostacy of the
marriage. We can therefore gather that the Father sees the pursuit of divorce as active
permission to allow the heart to turn to stone.

In the First Testament, our Almighty Father laments over His people who have
turned away from Him. The Most High speaks through the prophet Jeremiah saying:
“Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what
faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and
she was a harlot there. I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return
to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw that
for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of
divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot
also. Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed
adultery with stones and trees. Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did
not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the Lord
(Jeremiah 3:6-10 NASB).”
The Northern Kingdom of Israel turned from the Father and allowed the people to
practice idolatry. The Father sees this as harlotry because the people gave their heart
over to the false gods of stone and wood. God then declares that He would divorce
this people because of the harlotry they committed against Him. He gives them over
to their lusts which ultimately brings about their destruction at the hands of the
Assyrian Empire (2 Kings 17). God allowed this to happen because the people of the
Northern Kingdom refused to repent of their sins and turn back to Him. The Father
also allowed this to happen to serve as an example to the Southern Kingdom of

Judah. They too dabbled in idolatry. The Father allowed the Assyrians to overthrow
Israel in the hope that the Kingdom of Judah would realize their sins. But,
unfortunately as written by Jeremiah, the Kingdom of Judah saw the actions of the
Northern Kingdom and they did not fear the Lord. The Kingdom of Judah also
turned to harlotry against the Most High.

In the Hebrew the סֵפֶר (H5608) cepher of כְּרִיתוּת (H3748) of divorce was issued by
the Father because of the hardness of their hearts. The people who were called out,
set apart by the Most High God rejected Him as their God and they turned to
inanimate objects. They were thus, given over to the deceptions of sin and they
eventually were bound in exile.

The apostasy, the falling away, comes when we do not remember. In both
Matthew and Mark, Yeshua tells us of the husbands who did not remember the
covenant of marriage they entered into with their wives. Jeremiah speaks of the
people of God not remembering their deliverance by His grace from slavery in Egypt.
They turned to the lusts of the flesh and fornicated with the fallen gods that bring
death. In the book of Acts, the falling away, the apostacy, became a rejection of a
standard of conduct that set the people apart from other pagan peoples. Some Jews
turning to Messiah, forgot who they were, and they gave up their heritage. Yeshua did
not come to replace the heritage of the Hebrew people, He came to graft them back
into the cultivated olive tree (Romans 11). The Father, in Messiah, was offering them
an opportunity to remember the covenant He declared over them when He promised
Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4). It is a covenant
that is written on the hearts of mankind (Jeremiah 31:31-14). This is an everlasting
covenant of life for all people who call upon the true Name of Salvation. The Most
High God did not replace, He restored. All who come to Him in humility will also be
grafted into the Kingdom of the Most High.

Unfortunately, we see in the book of 2 Thessalonians that the apostasy, the
falling away, will return. The perpetual divorce will unleash havoc yet again. This will
be the final, great divorce that allows the son of perdition to boast in his pride. But,
this final apostasy will also be the catalyst that brings forth the return of our KING!

This apostasy will come when the church revolts against the instructions of the
Father. The heart of the church will be hardened to the things of God and the church
will forget the covenant that was written to restore the heritage of the people of the

Most High. The Complete Jewish Bible offers an insightful translation of this great
falling away:
“But in connection with the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and our
gathering together to meet him, we ask you, brothers, not to be easily shaken in your
thinking or anxious because of a spirit or a spoken message or a letter supposedly
from us claiming that the Day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone
deceive you in any way.
For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who
separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom. He will
oppose himself to everything that people call a god or make an object of
worship; he will put himself above them all, so that he will sit in the Temple of
God and proclaim that he himself is God.
  Don’t you remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?
And now you know what is restraining, so that he may be revealed in his own time.
For already this separating from Torah is at work secretly, but it will be secretly only
until he who is restraining is out of the way. Then the one who embodies separation
from Torah will be revealed, the one whom the Lord Yeshua will slay with the
breath of his mouth and destroy by the glory of his coming.
  When this man who avoids Torah comes, the Adversary will give him the power to
work all kinds of false miracles, signs and wonders. He will enable him to deceive, in
all kinds of wicked ways, those who are headed for destruction because they would
not receive the love of the truth that could have saved them.   This is why God is
causing them to go astray, so that they will believe the Lie. The result will be that all
who have not believed the truth, but have taken their pleasure in wickedness, will be
condemned (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 CJB).”
The son of perdition, the man of lawlessness will set himself up against Torah.
He will set himself up as a god and draw others away, to become apostate to the
Torah of the Most High. In place of the instructions of the Father, this son of
perdition will cause people to be given over to believing in a LIE. The word
translated from the Greek meaning lie is ψεῦδος (pseudos G5574). This word
means to tell a lie but more accurately this word brings forth the connotation of
intentionally creating a falsehood. Again, there will be determined effort to divorce
the truth of God’s Word from the heart of humankind. Those of faith will actively
turn away from the instructions of the Almighty. The apostasy in the church will not
come by accident, it will be voluntary. As Paul tells us in the passage above, because

people turned from the truth of the Father, they were given over to the power of the
LIE. The people rejected the love of the Father resulting in the hardening of the
heart toward the things of His Kingdom. They embraced wickedness falling under
the influence of the lawless one.
What does it mean then to turn from “the love of the truth that could have
saved them (2 Thessalonians 2:10).” In the context of Paul’s epistle, the source of the
truth is found in God’s instructions. From the passage above in the CJB translation
the word Torah is used to determine the truth. In other translations this word Torah, is
sometimes translated simply as the word law. Paul warns us that in the end there will
be a time when the people refuse to hear the Father’s Torah/Law. In other words, the
son of perdition will be revealed when the people will no longer hear the instructions
of the Father. The standard of truth comes from the Father’s instructions, not our
own.
To discuss submission to the Father’s Torah or law, often causes many to be
uncomfortable. We are saved by grace through faith because of the shed blood of our
Savior (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our salvation comes not of our own works but by a
precious gift of God. We can never speak against this gift or attempt to gain salvation
through our own works. The Gospel of Salvation through the death, resurrection and
return of our Messiah is our only hope. Yeshua (Jesus) is divine and He eternally
upholds our Salvation by the strength of His hand (John 10:28-30). Yet, while we
wait for His return, we must seek to glorify Him through our witness (Acts 1:8). We
are to be a Kingdom of Priests representing His Name (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9).
We do not function under a democracy, but a theocracy whose authority flows only
from the Almighty throne of the Living God (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-
15). We must seek to be in compliance with His Kingdom because we will stand
before Him.
To truly understand the true implications of Torah, and in an attempt to remove
the negative reverberations of suggesting that believers are still subject to the
instruction of the Father, through His Word, we have to examine the word Torah in
the Hebrew. In doing so, we will see that the instructions of the Father are not meant
to be oppressive. He gave us His Torah, as a means to bring light to the path.
In Hebrew the word Torah is spelled תּוֹרָה (towrah H8451). Gesenius’
Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon defines this word as: instruction, doctrine, law. The initial
meaning of this word is one of a Father’s instruction to His children. The Lord gives
us His Torah as a way of communicating His intent for our lives. In early Greek
translations of the Bible, the word Torah has been relegated to simply meaning law,
regardless of the context. This simplified translation carried over into modern

translations. The point I am making is in the fact that giving a blanket definition of
the word Torah as just meaning the law disregards the context in which the word is
being used. In some cases, the word may connote the Father’s instructions (Exodus
13: 9; Romans 7:12). Sometimes the word may be referring to the Ten
Commandments (Exodus 24:12). At other times the word law may be referencing the
law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). In Romans 8:2, the term “law of sin and death” is
used in reference to the penalty of death born in the sin of Adam (Genesis 3:17). We
are all partakers of this sin (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12). Because the word Torah is
often simply translated as law, it is then imperative that when interpreting a text, the
entirety of that text is taken into account to avoid misunderstandings. The Father
never intended His instructions to be taken as a burden (1 John 5:3).
In order to draw an even deeper meaning from the word Torah, it is essential
to look at the individual Hebrew letters that make up the word itself. Hebrew is a
pictorial language. Hebrew words obviously carry contextual meaning, but
additionally the letters themselves carry imagery that adds to interpretive meaning.
The word Torah is spelled, from right to left, תּוֹרָה (Tav, Vav, Resh, Hey). Each letter
again carrying its own pictography. The letter תּ, translated our letter T, carries the
imagery of a mark, sign or a monument. The letter ו, our letter V or sometimes W,
means nail, or hook. The letter ר, our letter R, is seen as the head of a man. Finally,
the letter ה, connotes breath often symbolizing the breath of God. The letter Hey
also symbolizes a window. It is through a window that something is revealed or light
is allowed to be cast upon the darkness. The meaning that we can then draw out of
the pictograph is the Torah is meant to be a mark, hooked upon the head of the
children of God imparting upon them His breath/presence. His instructions are a
sign of His covenant with His children. His Word is meant to be a sign of those who
are called out to be His.

But there is more. Most Hebrew words are derived using three letters.
Additional letters are added to these root words to alter tense, gender or to fulfil other
grammatic necessities. The root word from which the word Torah is derived is the
Hebrew word יָרָה (yarah H3384). According to Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon
the word yarah means: to cast, to lay foundations, to sprinkle with water, or to shoot
arrows. We can see then that the root of the Torah, God’s instructions, is built upon
His desire to direct our path by establishing a firm foundation built upon His Word.
Yarah, to cast understanding like the sprinkling of water upon the head. The Father
instructs us to be guided according to His truth so that we can hit the mark.
Looking at the pictograph of the word Yarah, we find additional meaning. I
have already discussed the letters ר (resh) and ה (hey). The Hebrew spelling of yarah

incorporates these letters with the additional letter י, (yod). This is the same letter
Yeshua references in Matthew 5: 18 as He taught on the signs of the end. The letter י
(yod), in pictographic imagery means hand. We can the extrapolate from the word
יָרָה (yarah), that the hand of the Father rests upon our head/mind/thoughts, to bring
us into accord with His Spirit. The Father directs us by His Spirit into the process of
sanctification.
Obviously, the pictographic interpretations cannot be placed on the same level
as Scripture. The symbolic meaning of the Hebrew letters are merely a poetic
metaphor hidden within the language of the Father as He expresses His love for His
children. I gathered much of the information regarding the pictographic imagery
from a book titled “The Wisdom of the Hebrew Alphabet,” written by Rabbi Michael
L. Munk. 1 There are many more resources that discuss the topic of Hebrew
pictographic letters. 2
The pictorial metaphors discussed above reveal that the Father desires for us to
be sanctified by His Word. We can clearly see in Scripture the necessity to allow the
Holy Spirit of the Father to lead us through the process of sanctification. When we
step into the doorway of Salvation in our Messiah, Jesus, we are to continue to allow
the Spirit of the Holy God to wash over us, maturing us as we walk according to our
faith. There are many verses of Scripture that describe the process of sanctification.
The prophet Isaiah:
“Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses.
Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock?
Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them,
12  Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses,
Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,
13  Who led them through the depths?
Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble;
14  As the cattle which go down into the valley,
The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So You led Your people,
To make for Yourself a glorious name (Isaiah 63:11-14 NASB).”
The Spirit of the Lord is in the midst of the people of God. His Holy Spirit both
guides and brings peace to the people. The Spirit of God makes a path for His people
to find safe passage.

1 Munk, Michael L. [Rabbi] The Wisdom of the Hebrew Alphabet (Mesorah Publications, Brooklyn, NY: 1983).
2 Additional internet resources for Hebraic word studies can be found at: biblicalhebrew.com; elshaddaiministries.us

John the Revelator writes:
“ 13  But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He
will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He
will disclose to you what is to come (John 16:13 NASB).”
The prophet John reveals to us that the Holy Spirit brings to us truth. The work of
the Spirit of the Almighty is to draw us closer in fellowship with the Father as the
Spirit speaks only of the things given by the Father.
The Apostle Paul in the book of Romans writes:
“12  So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the
flesh—  13  for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit
you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  14  For all who are being
led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  15  For you have not received a spirit of
slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by
which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”  16  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we
are children of God,  17  and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with
Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him
(Romans 8:12-17 NASB).”
The process of sanctification convicts us of sins committed in the flesh and His Spirit
empowers us to turn from the slavery of sin to freedom in Salvation. It is under sin
that we are condemned by the law of sin and death. But upon receiving the Word of
Life, we inherit a Spirit of adoption as children of the Living God.
And finally, the psalmist and once king of God’s Holy City, David writes:
“7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9  Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.
10  Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11  Do not cast me away from Your presence

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You (Psalm 51:7-13 NASB).”
It is the work and will of our Father that we are purified unto joy and gladness. It is
His will that our brokenness is restored and we are yet again made whole. It is by His
Spirit that we are sustained in this process of sanctification to bring glory to the
Father as we walk out our faith as a witness to those who are lost.

When we enter into a covenant relationship with Messiah, we enter the process
of sanctification. We are to allow Him to lead us according to His ways, we are to die
to self, allow the presence of Messiah to live and work through us. Yet, we find that
in our “modern” iteration of faith, this definition of sanctification has become quite
blurry. I started this writing talking about the coming apostasy; it is in the denial of
repentance unto sanctification that we find the origin of the falling away. The horror
of apostasy lurks in the rejection of the authority of the Father to draw us along the
path of faith which leads to a closer walk with Him. The apostasy is the divorce of
sanctification. We revolt against the instructions of God. We reject His truth as a
standard of faith. We reject His Word as our heritage. We replace a heritage of
eternal salvation as brothers and sisters in Messiah for a heritage of conformity to the
whims of cultural relevance.
“You have conceived chaff, you will give birth to stubble;
My breath will consume you like a fire (Isaiah 33:11 NASB).”
Oh, how we have conceived chaff and sown discord among the saints. How we have
built a house as straw which is unable to withstand even the slightest breeze of
tribulation. Like a house of cards crumbling under the weight of a pebble, His church
gives itself over to the burden of the voices of conformity.
It is not my intent in this writing to present an exhaustive list of vices within
the church. This list would be far too long to generate. I am also not attempting to
discredit the faith of anyone. The Lord knows your heart. He knows those faithful
followers who truly reciprocate His love and devotion. Nor am I placing myself upon
some self-righteous altar, I am but a sinner saved by faith through the blessed
determination of a humble King. This is our hope and He is the judge. But I do not

think it is difficult to look out upon the landscape of the modern church and notice
the decay of what was once beautiful. Many churches are bowing to the pressure of
the secular culture. Many churches are embracing sin as a viable lifestyle regardless of
the Biblical mandate. The curse of sin is death and the stench of death permeates the
minds of some in the modern church.
The church was never and will never be perfect. The church is made up of
people, thus the church inherits our faults. Yet there was a time when repentance of
sin was preached. There was a time when the Word of God was held up as the
standard of conduct not only within the church but within the culture. There was a
time when we beheld the Holy Name of the Father in Awe and Reverence.
“Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases!
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
2  They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak (Psalm 12:1-2 NKJV).”
Do we bear the Holy Name of the Almighty God in vain? Do we speak words
of affection from our lips but harbor deceit in the depths of our heart? Do we cling
to both the blessing and the curse satiating our desires of the flesh, pious in
proclamations but egotistical in actions? Are we a reflection of His immaculate light
to a world plagued by darkness? There is only One Lord and One faith; only One
who loves us to the fullness of love. He tasted death in our place, taking upon
Himself the wrath directed toward sin.
There is no reconciliation between death and life. Choose therefore LIFE!
Turn back to God. Return to the purity of His instructions. For many have divorced
themselves from their first love (Revelation 2:4). Many have given up the
determination to remain set apart and holy as He is Holy (Leviticus 11:45). He has
delivered us from the slavery of sin, bringing us into the inheritance of His grace.
Like Abraham, we are called out of darkness to walk in His Holy Light. Like
Israel, we are delivered from bondage and reborn into Promise. Let us not fall away.
Let us not become apostate, giving up our heritage in Salvation for a heritage of
separation. For this is the perpetual divorce. The pattern that it too often played out
is this: grace is expressed by God. Grace is received by those who are lost. The
source of the grace is forgotten and trodden under the feet of those whom the Father

expressed His grace to lift up. The unfortunate divorce repeated in the pages of our
Bible as the people of God continually fall away. We also see in the words of
Scripture the veracity of the Father as He pursued His people. He sent prophets and
priests, teachers and kings. Ultimately, He came as Jesus, God in the flesh to bring
the eternal message of Salvation, yet the people divorced themselves from their
heritage.
The Bible tells us, though we know God, we do not honor Him or give thanks
for the blessings poured out by Him. In futility, the wise are made to be fools
(Romans 1:21-22). We become fools in the falling away of our heritage as the people
of the Almighty God. We are wise in our own deceit and disrespectful irreverence of
the Holiness of The Most High God.
I began this writing by quoting Paul in his letters to Thessalonica. Paul warns
the church of this great apostasy. He warns of a day when the church will reject the
revelation of Salvation and divorce themselves from foundational truth in the Word.
The term apostasy is one that is somewhat abstract to our modern ears. We read of
the apostasy of the church. We speculate as to when this great falling away will occur.
We peer off into the horizon waiting for this terrible day to dawn. My friends, I tell
you, this day has already come. The apostasy written about in Scripture darkens the
doors of the church this very day.
 “ 9  The coming of the lawless one is connected to the activity of satan, with all power
and signs and false wonders,  10  and with every kind of wicked deception toward those
who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth so as
to be saved.  11  For this reason God sends them a delusional force, to lead them to
believe what is false,  12  so that they may be judged—all those who did not believe the
truth but delighted in wickedness (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 TLV).”
A strong delusion is washing over the people who once knew God, but have
slowly been turning away from His Word. The modern church is adopting the
patterns of Israel in the mistake of rejecting the Word of the Lord as the only
foundation for doctrine. The walls that once stood as a fortification for the church
are again being eroded by the corruption of the culture. They are crumbling under
the weight of this great apostasy.
This letter that I am writing is not meant to be a discouragement, though it
bears a somber message. This letter is meant to be a call to action. It is a call to take

back our faith from the one, our enemy, who strives to strip us of our heritage. We
are the children of God, and we are purchased by the precious blood of our Messiah.
Let us not forget who fights for us. Let us not forget that we serve an Almighty,
Omnipotent KING! Therefore, do not lose faith. Do not lose heart even as the day
draws dark. Cling to your hope in He who was and is and is to come (Revelation 1:8).
Be ever watchful and determined to preserve the heritage of God.

“ The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:14 NIV).”
Rest in His peace. He is our God. He fights for those who are determined to
be faithful. Do not be distraught, but confident in the Eternal Covenant of Love
poured out for those who will receive.

Blog Post Courtesy of Philia Contributor Corby Shuey @ Becoming Bereans Ministry
www.becomingbereans.com

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GRACE AND LAW

12/10/2018

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THE YOUNG KING WHO LOVED THE LAW

11/25/2018

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It is Finished and the Beginning of all Things

11/15/2018

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The disciple John is accredited with the authorship of The Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation and we can clearly see this in both Books. To the Apostle John was given the revelation of the new heaven and the new earth when all wickedness will be destroyed. In the Gospel that John also wrote we find an amazing correlation and prophecy with Messiah’s final words on the cross and His words in His revelation to John at the end of John’s life.In the Gospel of John we read:
John 19:28-30 “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said in fulfillment of the Scripture, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was placed there; so they put a sponge soaked in the sour wine on [a branch of] hyssop and held it to His mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and [voluntarily] gave up His spirit.”
The significance of Messiah saying that He was thirsty and was given sour wine is extraordinary when we see the sour wine in contrast with the living water He gives to His children as eternal life.
The sour wine is a representation of the old life and dying to sin. Messiah carried all of our sins on the cross and paid the ultimate price so that His children may inherit the promise of eternal life with Him. When Messiah said that “It is finished!”, He knew that the will of His Father had been done and that it set in motion the way for His children to receive the living water He offers freely and the promise of His reign as we through His grace can receive eternal life.
Now let us read what was revealed to John in Revelation to see the exact correlation and the remarkable truth found in the Word.  
Revelation 21:5-6 “And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true [they are accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy].” And He said to me, “It is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I will give [water] from the fountain of the water of life without cost.”
This is the confirmation of the significance that took place on the cross as Messiah reveals to John once more that “It is done.” The death of Messiah on the cross showed the promise of the new life we have in Him along with the promise of His future reign and the creation of the new heaven and earth as this life and creation will pass away. As we are new creations in Him, so we also look to the promise when there will be a new creation of this life in eternity with our King.
As Messiah was thirsty on the cross and was given sour wine, He gives to those of us who thirst, living water from His fountain that points to eternal life that can only be found in Him.
Let us receive the living water that our Messiah blesses us with and put our sins to death as we live new lives for Him. We put the old sour wine aside and look ahead to become new creations in Him as we strive to follow Him in our everyday lives, being doers of His Word.   
John 4:14 “But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.”
Be encouraged Brothers and Sisters in knowing that our Messiah loves us as His children and for us to be free is to follow Him and heed His Words as we reject sin and live lives that shows our love for our Messiah as we acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice that He paid for us. Our beloved Messiah freely gave up His perfect life here on earth to those of us not worthy. Through the tragedy of His death on the cross He defeated the enemy and He blessed His children with an inheritance of eternal life in His presence. There truly is no greater love than what Messiah did for us.
Let us not see the end of this life as the end of all things, but rather the beginning of all things new as we look forward in living out eternity with and forever serving in love Yeshua HaMasiach.
Walk in the way Messiah did and love one another as He showed love to us as we seek and look forward to His Kingdom.
Be blessed in Him.
Courtesy of Philia Contributor Daniel Prinsloo




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The Ways of Cain

10/29/2018

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Before Cain killed his innocent Brother Abel he already sinned in his heart and God warned him clearly of this. We also see that Cain did not heed the instructions that God gave to him and Abel and chose to not come under hearing of God’s instructions.
Genesis 4:2-8 “Now Abel kept the flocks [of sheep and goats], but Cain cultivated the ground. And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. But Abel brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the fat portions. And the Lord had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and his offering He had no respect. So Cain became extremely angry (indignant), and he looked annoyed and hostile. And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you so angry? And why do you look annoyed? If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it.” Cain talked with Abel his brother [about what God had said]. And when they were [alone, working] in the field, Cain attacked Abel his brother and killed him.”
Temptation clearly leads to sin if we allow it to fester within our hearts, and it becomes an exponential cycle of sin leading to even more sin. Cain started by rebelling against God’s instructions in regards with offerings, and then he grew jealous of his Brother Abel. This led to anger and the murder of Abel. The final insult of Cain’s sin is him lying to God about murdering his brother Abel.
Genesis 4:9-14 “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he [lied and] said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s [innocent] blood is crying out to Me from the ground [for justice]. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s [shed] blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength [it will resist producing good crops] for you; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond [roaming aimlessly] on the earth [in perpetual exile without a home, a degraded outcast].” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Your face (presence) I will be hidden, and I will be a fugitive and an [aimless] vagabond on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
Cain’s response to God in saying, “Am I my Brother’s keeper?” is another instruction that Cain disregarded as we are all our Brother’s and Sister’s keepers when we are one in Messiah. We are called to love one another as we love ourselves and be willing to lay our life down for our Brother’s and Sister’s.
The apostle John warned us and referred back that we should not follow in the ways of Cain because he was unrighteous and did not love his Brother.
1 John 3:11-12 “For this is the message which you [believers] have heard from the beginning [of your relationship with Christ], that we should [unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another; and not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother [Abel]. And why did he murder him? Because Cain’s deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.”
Finally we see the rebellious nature of Cain in full description by Jude as he warns us to avoid them because their end destination is that of despair and isolation with God.
Jude 1:8-13 “Nevertheless in the same way, these dreamers [who are dreaming that God will not punish them] also defile the body, and reject [legitimate] authority, and revile and mock angelic majesties. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil (Satan), and arguing about the body of Moses, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him, but [simply] said, “The Lord rebuke you!” But these men sneer at anything which they do not understand; and whatever they do know by [mere] instinct, like unreasoning and irrational beasts—by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the [defiant] way of Cain, and for profit they have run headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of [mutinous] Korah. These men are hidden reefs [elements of great danger to others] in your love feasts when they feast together with you without fear, looking after [only] themselves; [they are like] clouds without water, swept along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted and lifeless; wild waves of the sea, flinging up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of deep darkness has been reserved forever.”
Be encouraged that we are called by God to follow His ways and for us to live by His Holy Word. It’s better that we die as righteous men before God like Abel and be saved, than to live in unrighteousness like Cain and be removed from the love, protection and grace from our Heavenly Father.
Endure and Persevere in this hour and be an encouragement for your fellow Brothers and Sisters in Messiah.
Prayers and blessings in Yeshua’s name,
Shalom!    

Courtesy of Philia Contributor Daniel Prinsloo

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Will some deny the return of Messiah?

9/17/2018

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As we approach the start of the Biblical Fall Feasts I try to understand why Christianity and the Church in general have been reluctant to celebrate the Biblical Feasts, especially regarding the fact that all the Feasts speak about and celebrate our Messiah, Jesus Christ and prophesy about His return and reign as King.Is there the same religious spirit that corrupted the hearts of the Pharisees now present within the leaders of today’s mainstream and commercial churches? Institutions that have gained so much power and control like the Roman Catholic Church that they would rather deny the return of the King than to give up their earthly power and rule.
Is it also this rebellious and prideful spirit that has led Christianity to disregard the Biblical Feasts because it speaks of Messiah’s rule and reign?
Now read the Parable of the Landowner spoken by Messiah. 
Matthew 21:33-46 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to tenant farmers and went on a journey [to another country]. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his [share of the] fruit. But the tenants took his servants and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. Again he sent other servants, more than the first time; and they treated them the same way. Finally he sent his own son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son and have regard for him.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This [man] is the heir; come on, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took the son and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to Him, “He will put those despicable men to a miserable end, and rent out the vineyard to other tenants [of good character] who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”
Jesus asked them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘THE [very] STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED and THREW AWAY, HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE; THIS IS THE LORD’S DOING, AND IT IS MARVELOUS and WONDERFUL IN OUR EYES’?
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to [another] people who will produce the fruit of it. And he who falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces; but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was talking about them. And although they were trying to arrest Him, they feared the people, because they regarded Jesus as a prophet.” - Amplified Version 
For me this parable is playing out before our eyes just as it played out as our Messiah walked on this earth and among His children. The Pharisees and the institutionalized religion of the time rejected Messiah because of their own pride and not wanting to relinquish what they perceived as rule and power over God’s children. We see the same disregard within some organized and institutionalized churches today that have mistreated believers and gathered riches and power for themselves. They have misused the stewardship that was their responsibility and inheritance just as the Pharisees did. They would yet again deny Messiah and deny the return of the King in order to hold onto the earthly kingdom they believe they have created for themselves. However we know that Messiah’s eminent return will bring forth His Kingdom and His sovereign reign will be established over all the earth and no earthly machination can stop His return as His children know the time is soon approaching. Is Messiah also saying that the church disregarded a kingdom because of their disobedience, just as the Pharisees gave away their priestly inheritance?
Now lastly read what the Apostle Paul writes and how he in fact encourages us to not let others judge us for wanting to keep and hold fast to the Sabbath and Abba Father’s Festivals. 
Colossians 2:16-17 “Therefore let no one judge you in regard to food and drink or in regard to [the observance of] a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. Such things are only a shadow of what is to come and they have only symbolic value; but the substance [the reality of what is foreshadowed] belongs to Christ."
I pray you are blessed and encouraged to seek the Word of our Heavenly Father and be motivated daily to follow the ways and come under hearing to the ways of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMasiach. Let us be blessed in celebrating with pure and humble hearts the Biblical Fall Feasts that point to our Messiah’s eminent return.
Shalom Brothers and Sisters

​Courtesy of Philia Contributor Daniel Prinsloo
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Understanding & Uncovering Biblical Blessings

9/7/2018

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“God Blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”
-Genesis 1:22 NASB
Bless. To be Blessed. This is a term that we often use as believers. It is a term that rolls from our speech very easily in our worship services and conversations. It is a term that we are comfortable repeating because it sounds ‘churchy.’ It has become a religious word. It is a word that is decorative and adds flavor to our speech. Much like an accessory on an outfit, the word bless is a point of emphasis. When we offer a blessing, we appear to be offering some sort of supernatural well wish upon the circumstances of that utterance of blessing. It is a term that we seem to use in all parts of speech. It can be a verb; a noun and it can even be used as a descriptor to modify the subject of our speech. It is a term that is used as a greeting as well as a send-off. As a greeting, ‘what a blessing it is to see you!’ As a send-off or a closing to a conversation, ‘God Bless or Blessings!’ As a descriptor ‘what a blessed morning!’ With the veracity of our use of the word, it sparked my interest in learning what this word actually means. As I stated before, we use the term in all sorts of ways. I feel that if we use the term, it is appropriate that we understand what we are saying when the term is used.
In this chapter, I am going to examine the word blessed as it is used Biblically. To begin, let’s look at the dictionary to see if we are able to discern an accurate definition. Dictionary.com lists the word ‘bless’ as a verb. They offer three definitions as
follows:
1. To consecrate or sanctify by a religious rite; make or pronounce holy.
2. To request of God that bestowal of divine favor on: Bless this house.
3. To bestow good of any kind upon: a nation blessed with peace.
While these definitions are not completely inaccurate, the intent of the word ‘bless’ is misrepresented. These definitions, as I have found, do not fully communicate the intent of the word.
As we often do as humans, we make everything about us. We use the bless, as implied in the dictionary definition, in an attempt to benefit from or receive some sort of personal gain. In this usage of bless, we seek God to provide for us by alleviating or adding something to our requests. We use the word bless as an impartation of well-wishes upon something. If we ask the Father to bless someone, we are, according to our dictionary definition, asking the Lord to act in goodness toward that person. Using the word this way is not wrong, but this interpretation of the word bless is not wholly accurate. It is limited in the true scope of the word. The fault, in our interpretation of bless, lies in the focus or benefactor of the use of the word. Like I said earlier, we use the term bless as a means to a personal end, in many ways. If we look at scripture, which is probably where we should look initially to gain understanding of spiritual matters, we find the first use of the term ‘blessed’ in Genesis 1:22, as written at the opening of this chapter. Verse twenty-two of Genesis one describes God’s actions toward the animals of the sea and air He created on day four of the creation week.
The Word says that God filled the waters with “swarms of living creatures” and He made birds to fly above the earth. God looked upon His creation and He saw that it was good. Verse twenty-two reads: “God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” It is interesting to note that the blessing was not in the fact that God instructed His creation to “be fruitful and multiply.” The blessing, by God, actually came before what we mistakenly consider to be the blessing. In human terms, the instruction of “be fruitful and multiply” seems to be the blessing. God imparted the animals with the ability to be well and to propagate. But this is not the blessing, this is an instruction from God. As the animals complied with God, they functioned within the instruction. This same language is also found in the account of the creation of man on day six.
Genesis 1:26:
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps o the earth. God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on earth.’”
We have been created in the image of God. We are His image bearers, meaning that we are imparted with His attributes. We have the ability to carry the attributes of God as a witness to our culture. God gave Adam the authority to have dominion over the things that were created. The task assigned to Adam was to expand the Kingdom of God, the Garden, into the rest of the earth. Adam was to be a human representative of God’s grace and authority. As descendants of Adam, and as image bearers of the King, we too are charged with being a witness to righteousness as we walk this world. We are to build His Kingdom.
Now, in a casual reading of the text in Genesis, it is easy to claim that the authority that God gave to Adam was the blessing. We often misinterpret that God blessed Adam and Eve by giving them the ability to be “fruitful and multiply,” but as we will come to see, this was not the blessing. The blessing, in Genesis 1:26 came before God gave them instruction to be fruitful. The ability to be “fruitful and multiply” was given as instruction delineating the task set before Adam and Eve. Again, when Adam walked in obedience to God, he was walking in God’s instruction. Like Adam, we also have been given the instruction to be fruitful and build the Kingdom. We are instructed by God to work (1 Thess. 4:10-12) so that we are not dependent on anyone. Our independence gives us the freedom to be generous and share with those in need. As believers, we are also called to build His kingdom, to multiply. The great commission, given by our Savior, instructs us to take the message of repentance and salvation to the world
(Matthew 28: 16-10). In our work and witness, we follow God’s instruction. We are obeying the instruction that was given to Adam, but this is not the blessing. Remember, the dictionary definition of bless is to request or bestow. If we apply this understanding to the term bless, it does not make sense for God to request that He bless. Why would God have to request that He bestow a blessing upon that which He created? God does not need to request of God to impart divine favor, He is God. He is the divine favor! Our interpretations are often inaccurate. Like we often do, as humans, we twist everything to be about us and what we can gain. We perceive a blessing as a request lifted up to God and then God acting on our behalf to bestow us with and answer to that request. In the text from Genesis, we misunderstand that the blessing of God was that Adam was given the ability to accomplish the task set before him. Like Adam, we too have the ability to accomplish what has been set before us, but in our ability is not the blessing. In our determination to follow the instructions of God, we are acting in compliance with His image. In our work, we are bearing His image. As He is the Creator and Sustainer, we too have the ability to create peace, joy and hope as well as to sustain and provide for others. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). We have the ability to speak life or death into someone or into a situation. We have the ability to uplift and encourage or to demean and destroy. In this, we function, in a limited way, as God’s image bearers. Our authority to speak life into this world is in accordance with instruction given by God, but this is not the blessing. To truly understand the concept of blessing, we have to look at the original language. The first scriptural appearance of the word bless is found in the text I shared at the opening of this writing. “God Blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth (Genesis 1:22 NASB).” The Hebrew word used here in this first appearance of the word bless is: בָּרַךְ (barak). This word appears over 300 times in the Hebrew (Old Testament) scriptures.
Before I get into the Hebraic definition of the word בָּרַךְ , (barak, bless), I want to talk briefly about the hermeneutical concept of “the law of first mention.” Hermeneutics is the theological word for Biblical interpretation. There are a number of hermeneutical principals that are used in the process of interpreting scripture. The “law of first mention” is “the principal that requires one to go to that portion of the Scriptures where a doctrine is mentioned for the first time and study the first occurrence of the same in order to get the fundamental inherent meaning of that doctrine.”1 In other words, we are to place an emphasis on the accuracy and intent of the use of a Biblical concept upon its first appearance in the Bible. It is beneficial to look at how a particular Biblical concept was used in its first appearance. That 1 Cooper, David PhD. Hermeneutics: the Science of Interpreting Scriptures, messianicassociation.org. accessed on 8/9/18. Initial context of the concept or word will be carried throughout the remainder of Scripture. We are to understand the “law of first mention” as that when God first reveals a truth, the foundation for that truth has been determined and defined by God. As we interpret Biblical truth, we are to base our interpretations upon that original intent of the concept. If our interpretations do not fall into compliance with God’s original intent for a word, then we are in error in our usage and understanding of that concept. God determines truth, we do not.
The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon defines the word בָּרַךְ , (barak,
bless), in this way:
1. Kneel down
2. Bless
The Lexicon goes on to define the word bless according to various parts of speech and contextual usage based on tense, but the definitions all revolve around the concept of kneeling. When I first saw the actual meaning of this word, I was shocked. In my mind, I tried to incorporate God’s intent for this word with the way that we actually use the word in our speech. How do we reconcile the word bless with how we use the term?
There are two aspects of the term bless that we have to come to know in our attempt to fully understand the meaning of this word. Let me start by defining our ability and obligation to bless God. I will list just a few verses that speak of blessing God. This is not an exhaustive list, I am only pointing out a few to add clarity to our understanding of the word bless. All verses are taken from the NASB.
“Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds towards the sons of men. He turned the sea to dry land; they passed through the river on foot; there let us rejoice in Him! He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves, Selah. Bless our God, O peoples, and sound His praise abroad, who keeps us in life and does not allow our feet to slip (Psa. 66: 5-9).”
“A psalm of David. Bless the Lord, O my souls, and all that is within me, bless His holy name (Psa. 103: 1).”
“A Song of Ascents. Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord, who serve by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the Lord (Psa. 134: 1- 2).”
“Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done in Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. So Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the Lord who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people (Ex. 18: 9-11).”
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for HE has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant- as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old- Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show mercy toward our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to Abraham our father, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days (Luke 1: 68- 75).”
In all of the verses listed, there is a recognition of the awesome authority and dominion of God. In recognizing the attributes of God, a sense of awe overshadows the speakers in the listed verses and they are compelled to revel in the mighty works of our Creator. The verses point to God’s deliverance, provision and diligent, unshakeable will to be true to the covenant He makes with His people. Because of the overwhelming weight of God’s glory that fell upon the speakers in the listed verses, they were compelled to pay homage and bless God. From this short sampling of verses that speak of blessing God, we can gather that it is appropriate and vital that we recognize what the Lord has done for us. It is essential that we recount the innumerable times that the Lord has delivered us from that which seeks to destroy us. As believers, it is imperative that we recognize that God will not forget nor nullify His covenant. In this recognition, the Name of our almighty Father is lifted up above all else. He is exalted and given His rightful place of honor. To bless God then, is to stop and to kneel before our mighty provider, to kneel before our Savior and Redeemer, to kneel in splendor of His immaculate glory. In blessing God, we set ourselves aside and honor Him. To bless is to kneel before our mighty King! This is one aspect of the fullness of the word bless. Looking back to our dictionary definition, we see that this understanding of requesting or bestowing favor does not quite fit into the Biblical model. I do not think it is wrong to use the word bless in the typical ways that we do in our speech. But I think it is beneficial to remember what we are actually saying when we use the word. Our act of blessing God, is in a recognition of who God is and what He does for His people. We should try our very best not to relegate the word bless to a simple nonchalant term in our everyday speech. To bless is to worship our Hope. Be diligent, my friends, in remembering that we are heirs of an eternal promise and take hold of the enduring hope set before us (Hebrews 6: 17-20). As we can see to bless God, is to kneel before His authority and revere His Name, but what of the fact that God also blesses us? In the Biblical definition of blessing, should we suggest that the Almighty bow before us? Should we suggest that God, Himself kneel before His creation? No, not at all. He is the Creator and the King. He bows before no one, but the concept of kneeling still applies to the blessings of God. Let me explain by citing the Aaronic Blessing. Aaron was the brother of Moses. In the book of Exodus, God calls Aaron and his sons to become priests ministering to the Lord. This was the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood, the Cohanim, that ministered to God, the Father, through the Tabernacle and Temple periods of Jewish history. God gave Moses and Aaron instruction on reciting this Priestly/ Aaronic blessing in the book of Numbers chapter 6 verses 22 through 27. This blessing was to be spoken over the Israelites in order that the Name of the Father be upon them. In English, the blessing reads in this way: “The Lord Bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” God, the Father, instructed Aaron to pronounce a blessing over the people. The blessing was a request that the Lord look upon the people. God’s instruction to Aaron was that Aaron speak God’s presence over the people. In other words, Aaron was to ask that God pay attention to the people. This is how we are to view the blessing of God in that Biblical framework of kneeling. Not that God kneel before us, but that He turn His face toward us, offering us His recognition. Is this interpretation consistent with other accounts in scripture? Let’s take a look at a few verses to clarify the point. “Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; save me in Your lovingkindness (Psalm 31: 16 NASB).”
“O God, restore us and cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved (Psalm 80:3 NASB).”
“Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statues (Psalm 119:135 NASB).”
We see requests lifted up before God of salvation, provision and instruction. The blessing of God comes when He turns toward us. He blesses us by recognizing our call and looking upon us as His children. In requesting of God to receive a blessing, we are not suggesting that God kneel before us, but that God hear and pay attention to our voice. We are asking God to shine upon us His face of love and peace and console us in His presence.
A blessing of God is knowing that He is in control (Psalm 90:2, Colossians 1:17) and that we are in His hands (Isaiah 41:10, John 10:28-30).
In view of the Biblical definition of the word bless, we have an obligation to bless God.
We have an obligation to kneel before our Father and King offering Him praise. Our act of kneeling before the Father, will express our allegiance to His will on earth as well as in the heavenly realms. In our blessing of God, we lift His Name above all names, declaring Him as King!
In blessing God, kneeling before Him, it will cause Him to see our obedience. He will remember our submission to Him and He will in turn hear our call. He will turn His face toward us, He will bless us with His countenance and offer us the peace of His presence. James sums up this mutual act of blessing when he writes: “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you (James 4:10 NASB).” If we cry out to God for a blessing, we must first fall to our knees in recognition of His authority. In our submission, He will lift us up.
“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on earth (Genesis 1:27-28 NASB).’”
God created us. He looks upon us and He blesses us with His presence. Because He looks upon us, we have the authority to take dominion of this world, suppressing evil, and declaring the true and rightful Kingship of our Lord!
Courtesy of Philia Contributor Corby Shuey @ Becoming Bereans
www.becomingbereans.com
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Not My Will But Yours

9/3/2018

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n 2 Kings 20:1-11 and 2 Chronicles 32:24-26 we find the extraordinary account of king Hezekiah, a righteous and honorable king of Judea who became ill and was told by the prophet Isaiah that he would die from his illness. Hezekiah wept and prayed to God and three days later he was healed and fifteen years added to his life and reign as king over Judea. (Also read Isaiah 38)2 Kings 20:1-7 “In those days [when Sennacherib first invaded Judah] Hezekiah became deathly ill. The prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not recover.’” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying,  “Please, O Lord, remember now [with compassion] how I have walked before You in faithfulness and truth and with a whole heart [entirely devoted to You], and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle courtyard, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father (ancestor): “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I am healing you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life and save you and this city [Jerusalem] from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.” Then Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And they brought it and placed it on the [painful] inflammation, and he recovered.”2 Chronicles 32:24-25 “In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill; and he prayed to the Lord, and He answered him and gave him a [miraculous] sign. But Hezekiah did nothing [for the Lord] in return for the benefit bestowed on him, because his heart had become proud; therefore God’s wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.”
The miraculous healing of king Hezekiah led him to become prideful and during the fifteen year extension of life that God blessed him with, Hezekiah was instrumental in two key events that would lead to the ruin and captivity of Judea. Hence the will of one man changed the livelihoods of an entire nation.
Hezekiah’s pride led him to invite ambassadors from Babylon to view all the treasures of Judea. This led the Babylonians to see Judea as a future conquest that would leave Jerusalem in ruins and led its people being taking as captives to Babylon.
2 Kings 20:12-19 “At that time Berodach-baladan a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. Hezekiah listened to and welcomed them and [foolishly] showed them all his treasure house—the silver and gold and spices and precious oil and his armory and everything that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house (palace) nor in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say [that would cause you to do this for them]? From where have they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, from Babylon.” Isaiah said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen everything that is in my house (palace). There is nothing in my treasuries that I have not shown them.” Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord. ‘Behold, the time is coming when everything that is in your house, and that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. ‘And some of your sons (descendants) who will be born to you will be taken away [as captives]; and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Is it not good, if [at least] there will be peace and security in my lifetime?”
The second calamity for Judea and Jerusalem because of Hezekiah’s extended life and pride was that he fathered a son, king Manasseh during this fifteen year time period which God granted him. Manasseh would become one of Israel’s most brutal and godless kings.
2 Kings 21:1-16 “Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did [great] evil in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with the [idolatrous] repulsive acts of the [pagan] nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons (descendants) of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places [for the worship of pagan gods] which his father Hezekiah had destroyed; and he set up altars for Baal and made an [image of] Asherah, just as Ahab king of Israel had done, and he worshiped all the [starry] host of heaven and served them. And he built [pagan] altars in the house (temple) of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My Name (Presence).” And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of the Lord. He made his son pass through the fire and burned him [as an offering to Molech]; he practiced witchcraft and divination, and dealt with mediums and soothsayers. He did great evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. He made a carved image of the [goddess] Asherah and set it up in the house (temple), of which the Lord said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem [in the tribe of Judah], which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My Name forever. And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will be careful to act in accordance with everything that I have commanded them, and with all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.” But they did not listen; and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons (descendants) of Israel. Now the Lord spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these repulsive acts, having done more evil than all the Amorites did who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols; therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such catastrophe on Jerusalem and Judah, that everyone who hears of it, both of his ears will ring [from the shock]. I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem clean just as one wipes a [dirty] bowl clean, wiping it and turning it upside down. I will abandon the remnant (remainder) of My inheritance and hand them over to their enemies; and they will become plunder and spoil to all their enemies, because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger, since the day their fathers came from Egypt to this day.’”Moreover, Manasseh shed a very great quantity of innocent blood, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, by doing evil in the sight of the Lord.”
The Biblical and historical account of king Hezekiah serves as a warning that we should always seek Abba Father’s will and be content with His sovereignty. Submitting to His will cultivates humility as in contrast seeking the will of men leads to pride.
The most perfect example of submitting to the will of the Father is found in the words spoken and the deeds done by our Messiah.
Matthew 26:39 “And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Mark 14:35-36 “After going a little farther, He fell to the ground [distressed by the weight of His spiritual burden] and began to pray that if it were possible [in the Father’s will], the hour [of suffering and death for the sins of mankind] might pass from Him. He was saying, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for You; take this cup [of judgment] away from Me; but not what I will, but what You will.”  
Luke 22:41-42 “And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.”
We see the will granted to an earthly king and it led to ruin. Then we see the gracious humility and servitude of our Messiah who submitted Himself to the will of the Father that led to the penalty of sin and death being carried out by the one and only true heavenly King as a sacrifice for His children and for their salvation. There is no greater example of humility and servitude to see our beloved Messiah and God laying down His life for His children.
Let us always pray and live in the manner that Yeshua taught us. Let us truly follow Him in our daily lives.
Matthew 6:9-13“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
‘Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

‘Give us this day our daily bread.
‘And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors[letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].
‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’
I pray this devotional is a blessing as we diligently seek to do Abba Father’s will in everything we do.
Shalom Brothers and Sisters!   
Courtesy of Philia Contributor Daniel Prinsloo
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Philia Contributors Daniel Prinsloo and Corby Shuey
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Matchlight at Midnight

7/5/2018

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“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.  You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; they will be glad in Your presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.  For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.  For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.  There will be no end to the increase of His government or peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this (Isaiah 9: 2-7 NASB).”
“For a child will be born, a son will be given,” a child has come and a son has been given.  He has come born of innocence in a land teeming with the stench of pride and death. His innocence the only sacrifice able to redeem fallen man.  He was given, a Son. The precious Son of Almighty God, blameless. He was given, a Son, to pay the penalty that belongs to each one of us. He knew this before He came.  He knew the suffering that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:1-3). He came, enduring the cross for the resurrection of the joy that which has been set before Him. That joy, us, His children.  He endured shame and torment to be called Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Messiah, Jesus our Salvation.
Isaiah, in the verses above, recounts the hope of His light which will be poured out upon the earth.  Isaiah writes as an encouragement to those who are in the midst of darkness. He writes to offer strength in the truth of an eternal King!  Isaiah compares the hope that we all have in our King to the hope that Gideon found in the battle against the Midianites. Gideon was a reluctant hero.  He was hiding in the winepress threshing wheat to avoid being noticed by his enemy the Midianites (Judges 6:11). Nonetheless, God chose Gideon to accomplish the task of delivering Israel from the oppression of the Midianite and Amalekite attackers.  In what should have been an overwhelming defeat, God used just 300 men to overcome an army that was described as being as “numerous as locusts (Judges 7:12).” Even in what should have been certain destruction, God overcame the enemy because of the obedience of Gideon and the 300 with him.  It was the Lord Almighty who broke the rod of Midian.  God, Himself, delivered Israel in the face of overwhelming odds because there were a few who were willing to carry the light of the Almighty.  God instructed Gideon and the others to carry pitchers and place torches inside of the pitchers. When the time was right, they were to blow the trumpets and then smash the pitchers revealing the torches hidden inside.  This display struck so much fear into the hearts of the enemy that they actually started to fight one another (Judges 7: 22-25). Gideon overcame the enemy by the provision of the LORD. The Most High God brought victory because there were those who chose to hold up the light of His deliverance.  
My friends, take heart in this familiar message; for it is a message that continues to speak.  It is a message of great encouragement for those of us who call upon the true name of Salvation.  We live in a world that grows dark. It is not difficult to see the many things of the enemy that plague our world.  War, famine, sexual perversion and unrelenting pride pervades the landscape. The enemy crouches around every corner waiting to strike and bring down the hope that is within us.  Just like the armies of Midian and Amalek, our enemy seems to be “as numerous as locusts or as sand on the seashore (Judges 7:12).” The influence of evil seems to be without end and the darkness overwhelming.
Many believers, feel the oppression.  They feel the weight of the battle and the strength of the forces that stand against the throne of the true King.  The view of many believers is one of pessimism. They view the fate of the true church, the true assembly of believers, as one of doom.  They fear the church is coming to an end. They fear that the witness of God is fading within the earth. They sense that His influence is but a shadow, a whimper of the once glorious truth that fell upon those who were filled by His Holy Spirit in the book of Acts.  We long for a revival, but in pessimism we cower in our winepresses. We thresh our wheat in secrecy to avoid the notice of the enemy. The gloom of oppression is an overwhelming weight that relegates us to silence and fear.
Tribulation.  The word tribulation comes from the Greek word (Θλιψις), phonetically pronounced thlipsis.  A literal definition of this word means pressing, pressing together, pressure.  A figurative definition is anguish, burden, trouble. Our Messiah warns us that in this world we will have tribulation.  He says to those who were with Him as they walked to Gethsemane after the Last Supper, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33 NASB).” The Lord offers encouragement and hope in that we will face tribulation, but in Him, and only in Him, will we find peace.  He can offer this peace because He has overcome the world. It is interesting to note that Yeshua, Jesus, states that He has overcome the world before His death and resurrection. Our Messiah entered this world as a child, given, to overcome through His obedience and diligent walk according to the Father’s will.  Jesus was given to shed His blood for us on the cross, but He was also born into victory as the overcomer, the Redeemer of the lost.  As Yeshua walked the earth, He knew the victory. Our Messiah also gives us a warning in the book of Matthew.  The disciples were asking Him about signs of His return at the end of the age (Matthew 24:3).  Jesus recounts events that will increase before His return in the end. He states that there will be war, rumors of war, famines and earthquakes.  He explains that these things are like birth pangs before the return (Matthew 24: 6-8). Our Savior then states that during these dark days, believers in Messiah will be delivered over to tribulation.  He uses the same Greek word thlipsis when describing this event.  He warns the disciples that they will suffer tribulation, pressure, because of Him.  They will be hated and some will even be delivered over to suffer death because of His Name, Salvation.  
The most disturbing aspect of this warning given of the end days is found in verses ten through twelve.  Jesus states, “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.  Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold (Matthew 24: 10-12 NASB).” How true this is in our day! So many are falling away because of strife and discord in the body.  We are so easily offended. We lash out at one another in anger, rather than embracing one another in an attempt to lift each other up in love. Lawlessness has increased and we can feel it within our hearts.  Within ourselves we feel unsettled and on edge. Because of this internal recognition of strife in the world, we lash out at one another. This is a strategy of the lawless one to cause division in the body. The enemy knows that a house divided cannot stand (Luke 11:7).  Our common enemy seeks to divide in order to conquer.
It is imperative that we recognize this as a strategy of the enemy.  It is vital that we acknowledge the discord within us; the sense that at any moment disaster can strike.  We need to embrace this sensation and allow it to guide our speech and actions. Knowing that the enemy works to cause dissention in the body, we should seek ever more diligently to remain united in the truth of Messiah and His return.  He spoke one message, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2).” In this hour, we should seek repentance and return to the purity of our faith. We can use the attacks of the enemy as a weapon to increase our own faith and to band together as His body.  Isaiah writes, “’No weapon formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgement you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me’, declares the Lord (Isaiah 54:7 NASB).” It is within the authority of His people to use that which comes against us as a weapon to strike back and repel the enemy.  The beauty of what Isaiah writes is that it is our heritage as servants of the Lord to have victory.  Our lineage as His children is that we have the dominion to overcome.  We are children of a KING! The enemy has been defeated; it is our duty to stop allowing him to have victory.  Glory to God the Father!
There is one more truth I want to draw out of verse nine in Mathew chapter 24.  Remember our Messiah says that because of Him we will face tribulation. Again, a literal translation of the word, thlipsis (tribulation), is pressure.  We can easily grasp that as the days draw dark, there will be pressure that falls upon believers.  The system that is against the One True God will increase the pressure as the end crests the horizon.  I am sure that the pressure, the tribulation, will feel overwhelming at times. But take heart in this truth.  If we inflate a ball, there is both pressure on the outside and the inside. The pressure experienced on the outside of the ball presses against the surface, much like the pressure spoken of by our Messiah.  Though pressure is expressed against the external surface of the ball, the ball remains inflated because of the internal pressure. The hope is that as believers, we have the authority to stand firmly on His Word to demonstrate pressure against the whims of our enemy.  We do not have to cave to the pressure because we have the promise of His Spirit dwelling within us to push back just as hard, if not harder, than anything that comes against us. Please remember this truth. “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the One who goes with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31: 6 NASB).” His command: be strong, courageous and do not tremble because He goes with us and He will never fail us. Keep this thought of pressure in the back of your mind for a moment.  I am going to move to another truth and then we will get back to our discussion of pressure and how it will play out as we prepare for His return.  
To quickly summarize the events detailed by Yeshua from verse 9 in Matthew 24 up to verse 20, we see a description of tribulation that will befall the people who call upon His name and are alive during the period of time when the antichrist is beginning to be revealed.  The tribulation spoken of is anguish felt by the people. The cause of the anguish is found at the hands of the world system that is allowing the antichrist to rise to power. In the words of Jesus, this is the tribulation. Now, looking at Matt. 24:21, we see a descriptor added to the word tribulation.  Jesus begins to talk about a “great tribulation.” He describes this time as seemingly unbearable.  The hope He gives is that the Father will cut the days short. The Messiah explains a little about what this time may be like, but it still remains a little unclear.  Many scholars teach that when Jesus transitions from talking about tribulation to talking about the great tribulation, the recipients of the tribulation changes.  Many scholars suggest that the initial tribulation can be compared to events described in Revelation chapter six.  In this chapter, the seven seals are opened by Yeshua revealing the adversity that will befall the earth. In chapter six, we see the various riders inflicting destruction and torment across the world.  We see the horsemen of the antichrist system, of war, famine, and death. The enemy is working to bring destruction to the people of God. This is the tribulation inflicted upon believers by the hand of the enemy.  At the end of chapter six, we begin to see a great convulsion, a shaking upon the earth. The sun is darkened, the heavens are rolled up, the mountains and the islands are removed. We see the heavens begin to blow the trumpets and the bowls of God’s wrath are poured out against those with the audacity to stand in opposition to the Almighty.  We begin to see the universe attempting to cope with the return of the victorious and conquering King!
The great tribulation, spoken of by Jesus, is compared to the sounding of the trumpets and the bowls of God’s wrath.  We begin to see the Almighty unleash His judgement. The trumpets sound which causes hail, fire and blood fall to the earth.  The bowls of wrath are poured out, as God makes war with lucifer. The great tribulation is the acts of God against the forces that are trying to separate Him from His children.  This will be the Father’s acts of tribulation against the enemy. It is this time that Jesus declares to be of such wrath that it has never happened “since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will (Matthew 24: 21 NASB).”  The greatest tribulation, pressure, will be felt on the back of those who seek to drive the sheep away from the shepherd.  
Pressure.  We can clearly see that the pressure from the enemy will increase before the Father moves to realign the world according to His design.  I offer a word of encouragement in light of distress; for those who feel pessimistic about the state of His witness on the earth. For those who feel that His church, His assembly, His people are dwindling into obscurity.  I offer this encouragement first in the form of a question. Think on this question before you read on. In a war, why would the enemy expend valuable effort and resources to increase the attack?
The only logical answer for an enemy to increase the attack by expending resources and effort is because those whom he fights grow in strength.  An increased attack only means that the battle is becoming more difficult for the enemy. My friends, hope in the strength of Messiah because He fights for us.  Our enemy is limited. he is not self-sufficient, omniscient or all powerful. If he chooses to increase the pressure against those who claim Messiah as their Lord, it only means that we, believers, are growing in strength.  The challenge to deceive the true believers is becoming more difficult. The ease at which our enemy was once about to exert his will upon us is turning to agitation as he loses his influence against us. Deceptions are being revealed, the enemies plan is being laid out before us and the true people of God are waking to stand in authority and dominion as servants of the King.  The army of God grows in authority! Take heart that only He offers victory! Stand in the authority given to you by the Risen Savior, for He has overcome. “You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts and said to you, ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous hand (Isaiah 41: 9- 11 NASB).”
“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them (Isaiah 9:2 NASB).”  My friends, though the enemy encamps around us, the pressure will increase. The increase will be the pressure to push back against the enemy of man and God.  Like a matchlight at midnight, those who place their faith in Messiah will shine brightly in the dark as a beacon for the lost. This is the hope that we are entering into as we see the world grow dark.  The hope of His people is that we have the eternal Light of His Salvation emblazoned within us. This Light is brilliant. The darker the world becomes will result only in the increased intensity of this Light.  No one can extinguish this Light. No enemy has the ability to remove the Light. Hope in this Light because this Light will pierce the darkness. This Light will push back the enemy as darkness has no authority over light.  Darkness will not and cannot permeate the Light. Darkness cannot repel the Light; only the Light wields the authority. In the darkest hour, the brilliance of the Light of His Spirit will shine forth from His people drawing the lost to redemption.  
This is our hope in tribulation.  We will yet be brilliant as His servants to lead those who are lost to receive Life abundantly.  In the words of Messiah, “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me’, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water (John 7: 37- 38 NASB).’”  Beloved, believe that He will accomplish His will for the good of His Name. Raise your torch, like the warriors with Gideon, and cast a piercing light upon the valley of deception.  The hatred of the enemy will shrink away at the power of His glorious Light.
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.  There will be no end to the increase of His government or peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this (Isaiah 9: 6-7 NASB)."
The Child has come; the Son has been given.  He sits in the throne room of God and awaits His return.  He will ride in clouds descending upon this earth to establish His everlasting government.  The very ground will split at the weight of His heel (Zechariah 14: 4). Rejoice, Be Glad! The Father will uphold these promises because of His zeal and for the sake of His Name!

TODAY'S TEACHING from Philia Contributor Corby Shuey @ www.becomingbereans.com


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    Lea from James and Lea D chats all about life as a wife in pursuance of the Father's heart. Follow my faith walk journey and all that it involves. Faith, family, food, and fellowship. Come, relax, and have some tea with Lea. Shalom & Blessings! 

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