Monday, January 17, 2011

What is the Object of our Faith?






Matthew 6:19-24

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."


For me personally, this post has very little to do with material possessions although the possibility of that application is certainly there. It has everything to do with what or whom we put our faith and hope in. I don't think I realized how much I put my faith, for example, in people, until I went through difficulties where I felt the need to cash in on that "faith" and it didn't meet my expectations. In fact, I was downright disappointed and terribly discouraged! It is really easy to believe in something or someone until it or they are tested. Maybe the object of faith could be a job, your income, your family, a marriage, an institution, a particular system, your health, your talents, your friends, our government or simply your religion. Perhaps you can, on some level, relate to what I am saying. It seems often times we don't realize how misguided we are until those moments or circumstances arrive in which we expect to "cash" the check we think is due us. Nothing and no one should bear that responsibility and privilege except for our Creator Himself. And He does, in a heartbeat, I can testify of this. We often do not realize how much and in how many ways we trust the temporal over the eternal. We have expectations of the temporal to behave in a manner that is eternal, permanent and or fixed. That is simply unreasonable and quite honestly a fantasy at best.

The Greek word for Treasure is thēsauros. This word means:

1) the place in which good and precious things are collected and laid up

a) a casket, coffer, or other receptacle, in which valuables are kept

b) a treasury

c) storehouse, repository, magazine

The thing that caught my eye about the Greek meaning of the word for treasure was the word "casket". It brought to mind death for obvious reasons. I suppose our bodies are treasures or should be treated as such, but YHVH is the El of the living and not the dead. (Luke 20:38) A casket hardly seems like a fitting place to store our treasures! Without getting too morbid, the things stored in a casket will eventually just be worm food. Grave robbers, in some areas of the world, might very well steal the rest. The elements, moisture, heat etc. will finish the job. So much of what we consider "valuable" and what we put our hope in will pass away, because everything except our Creator has an expiration date or a "fail" point. This is just the truth, like it or not. I have tended to not like it, but I see the wisdom in this fact as time goes by.

Ecclesiates 1:1-4 The words of Kohelet the son of David, king in Yerushalayim: 2 Pointless! Pointless! - says Kohelet -Utterly meaningless! Nothing matters! 3 What does a person gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? 4 Generations come, generations go, but the earth remains forever.

Quite honestly the words of Ecclesiates used to really bum me out. The book of Revelation did the same when I first became a believer. Although I attested to having faith in the Messiah and made the decision to follow Him, in certain areas of my life, I continued to attempt to maintain an iron grip on the things of the world. I had little understanding of how liberating it is to come to the realization that time and energy spent on "expecting" things in this world to work, function and satisfy is a "meaningless" pursuit of time and energy. We live in a world that is fallen and corrupt and you would have to be delusional to believe differently. That is a little hard I know, but it was said to me in love and I deliver it with the same heart. Those very same books of the Word now inspire me and give me hope. His Word, all of it, is a love letter from my Creator, meant to draw me closer to Him and help me to know Him in a deeper and more intimate way.

There is something, it seems, in all of us that desires to place our faith and hope in some of the oddest places, rather than where it belongs. Why is that? We seemed to be wired to "misfire" and by doing so set ourselves up for a fall. When you really begin to look at it, it's so very backwards. Brad Scott says "YHVH creates, man can only restore". There is so much truth in that statement. Believing anything else is simply pride and most of us know where that leads. There is nothing on this earth that mankind has created, only materials that he restores or maintains. So it was in the beginning, so it is now, nothing has changed. Mankind was created, yet has the privledge of eternal life with the Creator if he chooses to. Mankind was never created to be an object of our "faith", nor was anything else on the earth that has been created.

All of our needs, whatever they are, can only be met by our Father. He holds your next breath. He is already in your tomorrow. He wants to meet all of your needs. He waits to. He offers to. He isn't going anywhere. Where are we? What is the object or objects of our faith, really? This is a really good question to continually ask ourselves.

It is so easy to misplace......our treasure.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Two Kinds of Unity

Genesis 11
1 The whole earth used the same language, the same words. 2 It came about that as they traveled from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shin'ar and lived there. 3 They said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them in the fire." So they had bricks for building-stone and clay for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city with a tower that has its top reaching up into heaven, so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered all over the earth." 5 ADONAI came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 ADONAI said, "Look, the people are united, they all have a single language, and see what they're starting to do! At this rate, nothing they set out to accomplish will be impossible for them! 7 Come, let's go down and confuse their language, so that they won't understand each other's speech." 8 So from there ADONAI scattered them all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 For this reason it is called Bavel [confusion] - because there ADONAI confused the language of the whole earth, and from there ADONAI scattered them all over the earth.
(Complete Jewish Bible)


Years ago, as a new believer, the story of the Tower of Babel really confused me. I couldn't understand for the life of me what the problem was with building a big building. What was the big deal? Why did Elohim need to come down and confuse the languages of the people and scatter them? I was looking at that situation in a very simplistic way and in my newly converted heart I did not understand the true nature of the heart of man, but that would change.

At some point, I would awaken to the truth of our "nature", through life's circumstances and the tragic happenings that occur in our world. I would be confronted with the true nature of my own heart in how I "reacted" or didn't in the midst of the circumstances I would walk through and see others walk through. I would find out over time that our "nature" is not one of love, charity, kindness and patience towards all men. I discovered that we do not come into this world desiring to put other's needs before our own, but on the contrary with a deep desire to have our own needs met, do it our way and get what we want quite immediately! We are, in fact, incredibly self centered individuals. We are full of "self" and at times we will hurt one another to get what we want, not even necessarily what we "need". This is the true nature of man in his fallen state. All mankind is born into that "fallen state". Since the fall of Adam we have not been able to entirely escape this reality. None of us. Yahshua Ha'Mashiach (Jesus Christ)is the only one who did not sin, but He is YHVH having come in human form. Some of us do better than others, but none the less, my "fairy-tale" would be defeated in some very difficult and challenging ways. Maybe you have experienced this too? I would come out of the shock, discouragement and difficulties I faced a more humbled and broken person. I would grow and begin to understand the Father a little better, although at this point I feel as though I have barely scratched the surface of the depth of His ways and His wisdom.

Unity in and of it's self is not an evil thing. It is in fact a fairly good concept. When people put their heads together they can accomplish a lot! YHVH knows this. He made us that way. I really believe that our Abba wants us to work together to accomplish good things. He wants to see us do things that benefit the Kingdom and accomplish things motivated by our love for Him and for one another. Hence the greatest commandment:

Matthew 22:36-40 "36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law ?" 37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

The book of Acts illustrates a time when unity was a really good thing. Pentecost or Shavuot was an incredible move of YHVH, when believers were gathered together to worship Him, and in the power of the Ruach Ha'Kodesh (The Holy Spirit) they accomplished much. They were of one mind and had all things in common. They shared all they had with one another. Needs were met. Issues were resolved in a godly way. The Word of YHVH spread and they accomplished much in the early years of church history. Unity born of a relationship with the Savior is a beautiful thing and avails much! This is Godly unity.(Read Acts!!)

It is when the unity we seek is for the wrong reasons, in other words, selfish purposes, that it all goes wrong. People get hurt, sometimes very badly. The Holocaust or Shoa is a really good example of that. The Crusades another. Then there was Jim Jones Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana that serves as another tragic example of the wrong kind of unity. The 9/11 terrorist tragedy is a recent example of misguided unity. This unity seeks to coerce a nation to buckle and accept the ideology of another using terror as a prime motivator. These are just a few examples. There are many. Billions of people have lost their lives throughout history as a result of unity simply for the sake of unity. Going along to get along. That brand of unity is born out of the need for power, control and prestige of a selfish individual or individuals. Do you think we will ever learn? Unity without the love and accountability that our Holy Elohim provides is a dangerous thing. We are simply not Him and we do not posses, as a people an ability to come together in a pure, unselfish way. We are kidding ourselves if we think for a minute that is a possibility without Him. As a side note, do we understand that the thirst for power, control and prestige is really born out of fear? If we did, would we operate in such a destructive spirit or would we surrender to a Holy Elohim and trust Him in our circumstances instead? Seeking a unity outside of the purposes of YHVH is a dangerous thing and YHVH knew that, which is why he interfered in the building of the Tower of Babel. I believer He did it because He loves us, knows all about our fallen nature and sinful tendencies and didn't want us to destroy ourselves or one another. History has proven, that is exactly what we do when we seek unity apart from Him. We need Him and we are not G-d! We are most likely not like Jim Jones, Hitler or the 9/11 terrorists but we must not trust our own hearts.

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than anything else and mortally sick. Who can fathom it?

Genesis 6:5 ADONAI saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only.

The Holy kind of unity, the unity of our Elohim, is born of love, His love. It looks like this:

1 Corinthians 13: 1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

This is the only way to build something. Anything else is simply the Tower of Babel.

More than a Conqueror

Monday, January 3, 2011

A Bridge Builder





















I was very honored and blessed to hear a wonderful teaching at Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles) that I attended with my family, in the fall, about a particular Jewish tradition. I won't even come close to doing it justice, but in Jewish culture, a young man, chosen out of many candidates, to become an apprentice to a Rabbi, (Rabbi means "teacher") will follow His Rabbi so closely and imitate everything he does to the degree that he practically "eats" the dust of the sandals of his Rabbi! We are told in scripture to be imitators of Elohim. (Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 Corinthians 1:11) He is our Teacher. We are to do as He does, just like the apprentice eating their Rabbi's dust!

Yahshua Ha'Mashiach (a.k.a. Jesus the Christ) was a bridge builder, but that being said Yahshua was not one to compromise His Word. He extended a hand to the whole world but communicated truth at the same time. How did He manage that?! It is our tendency to either cave to pressure, compromising what we know to be the truth (i.e. go along to get along) or stand our ground to such a degree that we alienate and offend others and eventually become offended ourselves. Somehow Yahshua managed to keep connection with people yet not become offended when they did not agree with His message. His peace was never contingent on whether people liked Him or what he had to say and He NEVER changed His message. He changes not!(Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19) He never opposed the Father as they are one, Echad. (John 10:30) The only time connection was lost was when the person involved walked away from Him....and even when that happened He would have happily welcomed such a one back (Luke 15:11-32) as that is His character. One could say, "Well, He is G-d, it's easy for Him." That is a bit of a cop out. Somehow we think that gets us all off the hook for not extending a hand when someone doesn't agree with us or comes against us. It doesn't. And, dying on a tree was no easy thing. It was the ultimate painful, torturous and very costly bridge built for all of mankind should they choose it. Yahshua looked down from the tree, bleeding and bruised and asked Abba (Father) to forgive those whom pierced Him (Luke 23:34). He had compassion on those that had been torturing Him and were killing Him! Yet, somehow there is a part of us that feels that we have a "right" to become offended, hold a grudge or possibly get even. If Yahshua is the example to those of us that profess we are believers in Him, we do not posses such a "right". May I be so bold to say, that if we call Yahshua (Jesus) our Teacher, His character should be our character!

Yahshua, in my humble opinion, is probably returning soon. I could be wrong. However, if that be the case, scripture states He is coming back for a pure bride without spot. (Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 5:27) If the church, if fellowships, if congregations, if friends, if spouses, if siblings, if children are continually wrestling with offense, how spotless is that? Who exactly will that Bride be then? To simply state that we, as Torah observant believers, are qualified, if we hate and despise our neighbor, is unacceptable and is very questionable to say the least. To say that if we are born again and covered by the blood and therefore fit to be that bride, but yet we harbor unforgiveness in our hearts towards another, is again a stretch. (Mathew 6:14-15) The Father is not blind and He sees our hearts. If our Savior and our Groom was willing to die, so that mankind would have the opportunity to obtain forgiveness and reconcile with the living Elohim then why in the world would we even entertain the idea that petty offenses are pleasing to Him? Why would we think that ANY offense is pleasing to Him? Don't get me wrong, I am not judging or qualifying or disqualifying any individual by any means, but hopefully, if anything, stimulating all of us to continually examine our hearts and to maintain a broken spirit and contrite heart which is pleasing to Elohim. (Psalm 51:17)

Pride [goeth] before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18) We need to check ourselves. How can we be effective, like Yahshua was, in revealing YHVH's love to the world, if we are behaving nothing like Him? We need to "eat" His dust. We need to walk as He walked. As far as it is up to us, division should never be an option, because it never was for Him. Division occurred because of mankind's inability to have humility and recognise his own sin and the Truth of the Word of YHVH, but Yahshua himself was never divisive. Did He bring division? You bet your life He did! However, that division was the natural consequence and result of the fallen, sinful, stubborn, wicked state of the hearts of mankind and NOT the character of our Savior.

Romans 12:18 reads, "If possible, and to the extent that it depends on you, live in peace with all people." It is OK to stand up and be firm about what is right and true, but we must extend a hand at the same time. We must operate in respect and love towards others (1 Peter 3:15). This is what our Rabbi did and this is what we must do if we are to walk in His shoes. Love, patience and kindness must prevail. Even in the midst of persecution and suffering, love, His love, must be our daily decision towards others. I do not state this lightly or in any confidence that we can do this on our own. Much is impossible with man, but nothing is impossible with Elohim. (Luke 1:37) You may also have noticed that He didn't waste time trying to get a point across to those that do not hear. (Matthew 11:15, Revelation 2:7, Proverbs 20:12) If they don't hear what you have to say, the Truth, just love them, pray for them and give them to the Father, but don't spend time trying to give something valuable to those that won't receive. Maybe, in time, they will.

We cannot control what others do or the choices they make and sometimes quite frankly we may need to create a period of time or a little space so as to not be tempted to become offended by those whom we know push our buttons and those who refuse to live in peace with us. Those situations do occur and they are not at all easy. We should only do this when specifically led by Him and His Word, not out of a desire to inflict pain upon another. We should never close the door to a repentant and broken heart that seeks reconciliation, nor should we stop desiring and being open to reconciliation with others. To do such a thing would be out of character for our Rabbi and should be out of character for us.

Lets seek to be a "bridge builder", just as He was and is and EAT THE DUST OF OUR RABBI!!!!!























LOVE AND SHALOM, MORE THAN A CONQUEROR.