Take Me In






The first book of Corinthians, verse 3:16 says, "Do you not know your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit."  The Jewish temple there were three courts: the outer court, the inner court, and the Holy of holies.  Knowing this is key to the rest here.

Our bodies are like the outer court. The inner court is like our mind, our will and our emotions. But inside of us is the Holy of holies where the Spirit of G-d dwells. The Holy Spirit dwells inside our spirit. So inside you and inside me is the Holy of holies. The Holy of holies is in you. Verse 17 of that chapter says,  "The temple of G-d is holy, and that temple is what you are." That will help your self-image to know the Holy of holies is in you and in me.

How then do we keep our temples cleansed? Once we’ve accepted Christ the blood of Christ cleanses us. How then do we keep our temples cleansed? We do it by faith. By letting G-d raise us up again.
1 John 1:9 is a verse I like to call "the Christian’s bar of soap."  It says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The last time you washed your hands when they were really dirty, did you stand over the sink and say, “Where did the dirt go, I’m so worried about it?” No you didn’t. You accepted by faith that the dirt went down the drain. You never gave it a second thought. That is what we need to do. If we confess our sins, He is faithful, G-d is faithful and will not lie, He is just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We need to believe He has forgiven us even if we don’t see or feel it.

The Holy Spirit always points us to Christ. He always points us to forgiveness, to the cross and to the blood of Christ. He always points us to no condemnation. Why? Because Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Yeshua Ha'Meshiach (Jesus Christ)."
But what does Satan do? He wants to rob you of the peace G-d says is yours. Satan tries to make you look back and think about your own sin. You think about those things and they go across your mind like a video. What we need to do is bring those sins under the cross and say,  "Lord Jesus this just proves that I need a Savior. Lord, thank you that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me from all sin." Think about your sins through the cross and through the blood of Christ, and you will have G-d's peace. Don’t sit and dwell on old sins. Believe G-d’s forgiveness, though because he did, and will supersede your past with righteousness.

Are You Talkin' To Me?

Luke 18:9, "And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt.” I realized I viewed others in a wrong fashion, in contempt, every day.

This is the parable Yeshua told:
"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee (self-righteous, arrogant religious leaders in Yeshuas' day) and the other a tax collector (often corrupt, over-taxing people, hated by most.) The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself, 'G-d I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I pay tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast saying, 'G-d be merciful to me, the sinner.'"
Yeshua explained the parable saying, "I tell you this man (the man who said ‘G-d be merciful to me the sinner’) went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted."

When I read this I said, “Oh Lord, I’m being like the Pharisees. I hate this. I’m viewing this person with contempt.” I realized that I needed to look at my own heart. As I began to look at my own heart, I saw jealousy, lack of love, pride, anger, judging, pointing my finger. I then looked at Galatians 5:16-23. "But I say walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh…The fruit (or deeds) of the flesh are evident which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, outburst of anger, jealousy, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, against such things there is no law."

Sometimes we look things like a Christmas naughty and nice list, and always end up on the naughty list. We fail to look at ourselves in that list list and say, “How loving am I being? How kind am I being? How faithful am I being? How gentle am I being?” We tend to measure ourselves by the sins instead of measuring ourselves by the fruit of the Spirit.  It's always easy to believe the bad things that people throw at you every day, in the office, at home, wherever, than the compliments, the good things.  Most of the time if we hear anything good we turn around again because we just cannot believe this world has any good in it, and the truth says we are the body and the Holy of Holies.

I feel it is also right to look at 1 Peter 3:8-9 now, "To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind hearted and humble in spirit, not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult."

Right there we are told "filling the gap" between you and the Holy Sprit has nothing at all to do with fleshly deeds and works accomplished.

I felt this person had done evil things to me, had done insulting things to me. But after it says, “not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult," it says, "but giving a blessing instead, for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing."

The Holy Spirit will always be faithful to show us where we are not like Yeshua Ha'Meshiach. He is always faithful to show me where I am not like Christ. As we read G-d’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to lead us in ways that are pleasing to him, he will produce more and more soiling of in our lives the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control."

Yeshua said, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love…These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:9,11)

OBEDEBIENCE

The Difficulty of Obeying G-d

The fact of the matter is that most find it very difficult, if not impossible, to obey God, at least most of the time.  Good proof of this is the violence, crimes, discord and misunderstanding we find all around us, and the whole world, for that matter. If people have no difficulty or not finding it impossible to obey G-d, then we would not have these terrible problems we see and come across all around us. All would be obeying G-d and all would be in harmony with G-d and with one another.  There would be peace everywhere and in everything - nice thought, huh?

Why We Need To Obey G-d

But before we can discuss how to be obedient to G-d we have to discuss a bit about the why of it all. Why do we need to be obedient to God? The reasons are so simple and yet so difficult to really internalize in our life.

We need to be obedient to G-d because ultimately we came from him, ultimately we are going back to him and because ultimately everything that happens in this world happens according to his will, NOT OURS, no matter what we'd like to think.

We need to be obedient because we came from God. He alone knows of what stuff we are made of and for what purpose we are made (Jer.29:11). So obeying him is simply natural since he alone knows where we are heading in life to. We do not know the direction of our life really. Only G-d knows. So, obeying him is the safest way to conduct ourselves in life.

We need to be obedient to G-d because everything that happens around us is ultimately due to his will. So if we insist on disobeying this will we will be the losers. He will win anyway at the end of the game. So, why go against him? It is better to obey him and win with him at the end.

Having very briefly discussed why we need to obey G-d, let us now go to the how. How are we to be obedient to G-d?

How Are We To Obey God

We are to be obedient to G-d by knowing more and more of him, reading what he has provided, etc.  There are people who say that G-d made this world and everything on it and left it to operate according to the laws he put therein. These people claim that God is impersonal. He may just be a Supreme Force that works in the affairs of men and nations by laws which he put in these affairs.

But if we try to know more and more of this G-d we will find that he is not just a force. He is a "person." He is a G-d who is most interested in all our affairs. But again we will not come to know this aspect of G-d if we do not care to advance in our personal knowledge of him.

And how are we going to know more of G-d so that we can obey him with love and affection? We can look at the things he created and reflect on his goodness, power and wisdom. We can read the books that are written about him and the Bible.

Secondly, after knowing more of G-d, we can obey him gladly and not with constraint. Sometimes we feel that some of his commandments are unfair, like loving our enemies. But if we really know G-d, this will no longer be a problem. We will know God is most fair, making his sun shine and his rain fall on his friends and enemies. Knowing that G-d is most fair, we will not need to force ourselves to obey G-d. We will joyfully obey G-d.

Thirdly, as we get to know more of G-d, and as we continue to obey him gladly, we will love him more and more and our obedience will be just an expression of our love for him. We will obey him, not because we "fear" him, as maybe our teachers in religion have taught us (threatening us with hell if we didn’t obey), but we will obey God because we love him.

Then if we obey G-d because we love him, we shall be obeying the greatest commandment of all: To love G-d with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul and with all our strength.

How are we to be obedient to G-d? We are to be obedient to G-d by knowing more of him, by gladly obeying him and by loving him. In return G-d will give us the best which he has in store for us. (Jer.29:11)

Trippin' Love - Justin Helm                   

(intro)
Well I'm takin' me a trip right now, goin' to Texas in my mind
Yeah, I'm gonna try Austin and Antonio

(chorus)
Now I'll tell ya what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna give my love to you
I'm gonna take you where the lights are bright
I'm gonna give you love tonight
I'm gonna spend a little time high on the road.
(It all looks green from here...)

(verse)
But when it gets to twelve o'clock
I just feel I gotta gotta rock
I better let my hair hang down
So we can dig this all over the cities

(bridge/outro)
Just gotta take a trip, trip with me
Just gotta take a trip, trip with me(x?)

(verse/lead in)
Im flying high, over the birds and the seas
Yeah, I'm all over hot lands in the southern stars
I'm gonna do it underneathe the moon
I'm gonna give my love to you
So won't ya take me where the lights are bright
Won't you give me your love tonight

Is It True Or Not?

Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened. - Winston Churchill

What the Bible Says About Truth

Truth is so important in the Bible that it is emphasized hundreds of times. The Bible claims to be true throughout and that all G-d has said is true.  The Bible also claims that the gospel (good news) of Yeshua Ha'Meshiach (Jesus Christ) is true and the way of salvation. Any prophecy that is made in the name of the Lord is to be tested for truth  so that one knows whether a prophet speaks for G-d or not.

Truth stood on one side and Ease on the other; it has often been so.  -Theodore Parker

G-d's truthfulness

One of the most often described attribute of G-d is His truthfulness.  In fact, G-d is called the "G-d of truth."  Since the G-d of Christianity is described as a Trinity consisting of three persons, all members share the same attributes. Therefore, not only G-d the Father, but G-d the Son  (Yeshua Ha'Meshiach [Jesus Christ]) and G-d the Holy Spirit  represent truth. In fact, Yeshua said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." The Holy Spirit is also known as the "Spirit of truth" So, after love, G-d's most often described attribute is that He represents truth.

G-d's instructions on truthfulness

The Bible says that G-d desires truth in our innermost being  and that he "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" We are told that we should serve G-d in truth and worship Him in spirit and truth.  Our prayers are to be presented in sincerity and truth.  We are to select our leaders on the basis of their truthfulness,  and their judgments are to be based upon the truth. In fact, no person was to be convicted of a capital crime on the basis of one witness, but at least two were required,  to minimize the possibility of a false conviction.

Individuals are implored to speak the truth at all times,  and are commended for doing so. We are instructed not to lie, and lying is strongly condemned. Testifying falsely against another person is specifically prohibited in the Ten Commandments,  and is punishable with the same punishment the accused would have received (including falsely testifying in a capital crime). Evil and unrighteous people oppose the truth and will not even receive it. A lack of truth leads to evil and injustice.  G-d will punish those who suppress the truth, and lying is one of the sins that keeps one out of heaven,  since it is the "City of Truth".


How The Christian Treats Truth

The Bible says that those who practice the truth will come to the Light of Yeshua to be saved, and that the truth of following Yeshua's teaching will set one free from sin.  One who receives Yeshua becomes a new creation, established in truth in the likeness of G-d. The Christian puts on spiritual "armor," which includes the belt of truth.  The Christian is to "buy truth," "love truth," and rejoice in the truth."  The Christian is to be established in the truth,  to love in truth and deed (not just lip service),  and correct those who stray from the truth.  The Christian is to think deeply about things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, excellent, and worthy of praise.  The Christian church is to be the "pillar of the truth." When surveyed about the importance of honesty, more theists rated honesty as "very important" compared to atheists.

Is it ever alright to lie?

From all the preceding Bible verses, it would seem that lying would never be acceptable. However, this is not necessarily correct, since there are times that telling the truth would actually facilitate the exercise of evil. A good example of this principle occurred during World War II, when Christians hid Jews and lied to the occupying authorities to prevent their deaths. A biblical example occurred when Rahab the prostitute hid the Jewish scouts on her roof and lied to the king of Jericho to protect their lives.  Because of this act, her life was spared and she was counted as one of the people of faith in the New Testament book of Hebrews.  So, lying is okay only when not doing so would jeopardize innocent life.

What about Christians who lie?

It often seems that Christian leaders get caught all the time lying or having affairs or doing some other evil thing that contradicts the tenets of Christianity. The perception that this is common is a function of the news media, which loves to report such kinds of behavior. Everyone loves to hate a hypocrite. When famous atheists commit adultery (even on a routine basis) it isn't news at all, since there is no tenet of atheism that one be faithful to his spouse.

Although there are "Christians" who lie, we can't be sure that they are really Christians at all. This is because being a Christian isn't based upon what a person says, but what Yeshua says at the judgment. According to Yeshua, many who claim to do things in His name will be rejected by Him at the judgment:

"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" (Matthew 7:23)

 
From all the deception that has gone on among Christians, it would seem that truth is not held in very much esteem. However, Christianity does not teach this kind of immoral behavior. The G-d of the Bible is also known as the G-d of Truth, who desires that all people convey truth to each other at all times. The Christian is to live a life that is established in truth - truth in speaking, in loving, and truth in all one does and thinks. Those who knowingly violate such ideals are in opposition to Christianity, and may not even be Christians. The Christian church is to be the "pillar of the truth." 

Homosexuality ISNT A Sin

It was never even mentioned in the Bible

This "battle" say, among who's right and who's wrong has gone on long enough, we're all one body in Christ, or at least supposed to be, and this issue is the biggest and needs a say.  There are even many Christians "thrown out of the church" because they are gay.. what does that say about the body of Christ?  At least have an open mind and let's look into it.

Many Bible Scholars sometimes discuss the idea of the intent of the original context of the Bible, both the New and Old Testament. In answering this question about homosexuality, understanding original intent in scripture is really important.
 
Was G-d talking about modern, twenty first century, committed, faithful, non-cultic, same sex partnerships or was He talking about pagan sexual rituals in worship of the Canaanite fertility goddess?

There is no evidence in the Bible that G-d or OT Jews or Yeshua Ha'Meshiach(Jesus Christ) Himself understood Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13 as prohibiting committed, faithful, non-cultic, same sex partnerships. The homosexuality wrong - idea comes from taking verses out of context, the original Hebrew is proof of that.

We know that because, although Sodom is mentioned about 48 times in the Bible, not once in 48 verses of scripture in the Old and New Testaments does G-d ever reference homosexuality when He speaks of Sodom.
 
Although fundamental Christians wish the Bible talked about homosexuality whenever Sodom is mentioned, G-d just doesn’t make that connection in the Bible in any of the 48 verses which mention Sodom. Think about that before assuming homosexuality is wrong.
Yeshua spoke of Sodom but He never linked Sodom to homosexuality.
Yeshua mentioned Sodom - in Matthew 10:15 and 11:23, Mark 6:11, Luke 10:12 and 17:29 - but Yeshua never mentioned homosexuality in connection with Sodom.
I know many Christians think He should have mentioned how bad homosexuality is but Yeshua never said anything like that. Homosexuality wrong? Not according to Yeshua.

If Yeshua agreed with the fundamental viewpoint, don't you think He would have said so when He spoke of Sodom?

Did you know that in the Bible, the term eunuch sometimes describes a gay man? Do you remember reading what Yeshua said about eunuchs in Matthew 19:3-12?

Listen to what Yeshua said about eunuchs.

“But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs , which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.” Matthew 19:11-12.

Yeshua said there are three kinds of eunuchs and the first class of eunuchs He mentions are those eunuchs who "were so born from their mother's womb." Matthew 19:12.

Do you understand
what Yeshua said?

When referring to eunuchs, Yeshua said, in Matthew 19:11 that eunuchs cannot receive His teaching about the Adam and Eve marriage paradigm in Matthew 19:5.
 
And Yeshua pointed out to all who will receive it that some eunuchs never made a choice to be eunuchs - they were born that way. Yeshua specifically excluded "born eunuchs" from the heterosexual, Adam and Eve marriage paradigm, Matthew 19:4-6. (the homosexuality paradigm?) 

What on earth is a born eunuch?

When we define what it means to be a born eunuch, honesty requires that we be historically accurate. What did Yeshua mean by the term “born eunuch.”

If one is born a eunuch, then being a eunuch was NOT the result of personal choice or too much or too little testosterone in the womb or nurture by parents or influence by society, right? Which possibility below is most historically accurate and which option best fits what Yeshua said?

1. Born Eunuch could refer to As-sexuality. Yeshua could mean that a born eunuch is born without any sexual desire - an as-sexual person. That is such a rare condition it is difficult to believe Yeshua intended His disciples to understand as-sexuality as His definition of “born eunuch.” (homosexual paradigm?)
   
2. Born Eunuch could refer to Genital Birth Defects. Yeshua could mean that a born eunuch is born with defective reproductive organs so that he is incapable of procreation. This is also such a rare condition that it is doubtful Yeshua intended His disciples to understand genital birth defects as His definition of “born eunuchs.” (homosexual paradigm?)
   
3. Born Eunuch could refer to Homosexuals. Yeshua could mean that a born eunuch is a man who is physically intact and capable of procreation but who is same sex attracted instead of being sexually interested in women. (homosexual paradigm?)
   It perfectly fits the ancient Jewish viewpoint about “saris” - the Hebrew word for eunuchs, that Yeshua intended His disciples to understand that a born eunuch was a "saris," a homosexual man or possibly a lesbian woman or a gender variant person like a transgendered person or a gay man not inclined to marry a woman.

WE ARE ONE

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ "


Once you get the Jews and the Gentiles in the Church together, how does that work?  Jews and Gentiles is like Republicans and Democrats.  As an experiment one should put the two in a house together for 2 weeks.  After 2 weeks, they might come out as, no longer Republican or Democrat, but libertarians.  That is kind of what Yeshua tried to accomplish with the Jew and the Gentile. 

Uniting Jew and Gentile.  Under what conditions is this possible, and who gets to say? G-d’s plan has always been not only to sum up everything in heaven and earth in Christ, but to bring together the whole human race in him as a sign to the principalities and powers (Ephesians 3:10). Caesar and world powers today would have loved to unite the world in this way, but they cannot. Only God is able to cross national and traditional boundaries with all the differences this implies, and cross gender lines, social class, and levels of authority and unite all in one body under the Lordship of Yeshua.

This is the emerging Kingdom of God on this earth - all nations throughout the world, united as one people in obedience to the G-d of Abraham. So, Acts 15 asks the question does one have to belong to the family of Abraham (symbolized in the act of circumcision) in order to be saved? It depends upon who gets to tell the story of the people of G-d. The believing Pharisees in Acts 15 told the story of the people of G-d needing to be circumcised to be associated with the Abrahamic Covenant and the promises and the need to keep the Law of Moses and be kept in line thereby in order to inherit those promises. Therefore, anyone wanting to take part in a basically Jewish movement must become a Jew in order to be associated with the G-d of Abraham. This is a very logical point of view, but it is also wrong, if the Bible has anything to say.

Consider the fact that Peter (Acts 15:6-11) told the story differently showing G-d placed no difference between the Jews and Gentiles, because without being circumcised the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit just as it fell upon Jews in the beginning (Acts 2). Afterward, James stood up and gave his judgment of the matter in Acts 15:13-21. Quoting Amos 9:11, James says that the Lord would raise up the tabernacle (Temple) of David in order that “the remnant of men, and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called, may earnestly seek me, says the Lord who does all these things” (Amos 9:12).

The new or rebuilt Temple (tabernacle) of David is Yeshua and the Church emerging throughout the world!  James doesn’t claim the Gospel has nothing to do with Abraham or Moses, but he draws from the Old Covenant itself to prove the equality of Jews and Gentiles come together in one body. Had James believed that the salvation of Yeshua had nothing to do with the Old Covenant, this would have been a good time to show it. However, instead of cutting himself off from the Old Covenant, he drew his supporting argument from it.

It is important to note that Luke uses the arguments of Peter and James rather than Paul and Barnabas to provide the Scriptural answer to the problem of uniting Jew and Gentile. Had he not done so, modern critics might have some support in claiming Christianity was invented by Paul, but Luke refutes this argument here by showing Peter and James support Paul’s claim against the traditional Jewish claim that righteousness comes through the Law and identification with G-d comes through circumcision. The point is, the Law was incapable of giving the life it promised. This is why it is so wrong to seek to be righteous through it - in doing so, we put G-d to the test (Acts 15:10). Rather we are saved through faith or trust in Yeshua that he will do all that is needed in and through us. He is Lord, not the Law. All the Law can do is show me I am a lawbreaker. It cannot offer life, because I am unable to keep it perfectly. Life or salvation comes only through Yeshua. Deep within the heart of the prophecies of the Old Testament is the statement that when G-d does everything for Israel that he intends to do, then the Gentiles would want to join in also. And why not, aren’t they also the creation of G-d who has created everything else?

James concludes by writing a letter to the Gentile churches affected by those Jews who erroneously claimed to be sent out by him and says that circumcision and uncircumcision are irrelevant. Gentiles do not have to become Jews in order to be saved and have a relationship with the G-d of Abraham. However, this doesn’t mean the Gentiles have no responsibility. They do have the basic responsibility of no longer participating in pagan temples of worship (Acts 15:20, 29), of being faithful to G-d in all things related to prayer, thus not seeking answer to prayer through the curious arts (cp. Acts 19:19), to refrain from eating meats that have not  been properly bled (e.g. strangled animals), and of not participating in meals "with blood" - i.e. meals that invite the god (demon) to eat with them. By doing these things we leave the door open to practicing Jews in our communities who have their eyes open to the fact that Yeshua is the Messiah.

Unite and Rise

…27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:27-29)

Many people wonder what the Bible has to say about the heart. The word “heart” is mentioned 762 times in the KJV Bible, and it is used in various contexts, I'm sure. The references that have the most significance for Christians involve the heart representing a person’s will or desires. G-d wants people to love Him with all of their hearts. When they stray, G-d wants them to return to Him with all of their hearts.

Circumcision began at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis. The Bible says, “And G-d said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.” (Genesis 17:9-10 KJV)

G-d revealed to the apostles that, under the New Covenant, He makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Regardless of race or ethnic origin, He extends the promises of salvation to any and all whom He chooses to call. Under the New Covenant, physical descent from Abraham no longer matters because G-d is concerned only over the person’s repentance and faith in Christ. Those who receive the Holy Spirit after repentance and baptism become “the seed of Abraham.”

Additionally, because the purpose and meaning of physical circumcision have been superseded by the New Covenant, there is no need to inflict pain and possible psychological distress on an adult male through this operation. G-d looked upon the hearts of the Gentiles and saw their repentance. Although they were not circumcised, G-d forgave their sins because of their repentance and faith in Christ and granted them the gift of the Holy Spirit. They were, therefore, justified by faith and spiritually circumcised. The Bible says, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of G-d.” (Romans 2:28-29 KJV) 

In other words, being of Israel or being a Jew has NOTHING to do with being a Christian.  Yeshua came to unite the Jews and the Gentiles even though He was a Jew Himself.

When He was crucified, it was for Jews and Gentiles alike.  The Bible says,
 ...Abraham "believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 7: So you see that it is men of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8: And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." (Galatians 3:6-9)

United States Army Theme

AT LIBERTY

At liberty I sit and see
Them, up above me, they pass and scorn
Caught in the same that only hurt me
And they think that is why they were born

I see them on tv with the enemy
That they cannot hide
Now in themselves is only terror and hate
Because looking around them, can't deny their fate

Watching the news, I see them sitting all alone,
They walk once, marking the steps, I once took
And now they tread where I have gone,
The dangerous, painful path that I forsook.

Now I see why I saw to quit
When they saw well, that now are blind
But coming back they will too
They made the world safe for me and you

When we read the miracles Yeshua performed in the Bible we act amazed but are we really, or just another thing to read and say "wow that's really nice" to? We know about the water becoming wine, Christ walking on the water, the blind seeing, the wind obeying, and even Lazarus living again. Compared to the reaction of those who saw Yeshua's miracles firsthand, our response is much more "dull".

Some people back then followed, some questioned, some even condemned what He did, but none ignored anything.

To get at the reason why Yeshua performed His miracles, we need to know what people thought of Him at that time.  We know who Yeshua claimed to be the King of the Jews and Messiah. But the people of ancient Israel had no New Testament to study. They had the Old Testament, the teachings of the respected rabbis, and hope that maybe...

Yeshua walked into their hope - hope to be free of oppression from distant Rome. The prophecies were fulfilled in and by Him. The Messiah had come to draw people to the Kingdom of G-d. While He had no sword that they could see, they could see Him healing their friends and relatives. They could see the power of G-d moving through the hills. They'd read about the great miracles of Moses and Joshua, Daniel and Elijah, but seeing them was a whole different thing.

The miracles themselves were not ways for Yeshua to "show off" His power, especially since He had given up His former glory to come to earth and do the will of the Father in heaven. Instead, the miracles proved His claims about Himself and His teachings correct. Although He didn't need to perform any miracles and refused to perform them on demand, they came so that others might believe (John 10:37-38).

With all the healings and weather control, however, it's easy to forget the greatest miracle Yeshua performed. Being dead and in the grave, Yeshua took His life back and made known He was king, something nobody could, and can ignore!

One weird thing is that most, or I actually think all other religions around the world will teach salvation is by works. They say if you do good deeds for others you can work your way to a "paradise" or heaven. Some religions go so far as to say that you can become a god, this appeals to man's pride. Just as when pride entered into Satan and he said, "I will be like the Most High G-d", became a fallen angel, and he became G-d's enemy "on a leash," though.  Even in the Garden of Eden satan tempted Eve by telling her if she ate the fruit that she would become like G-d, or like a god.
Only through Yeshua we are offered grace, a free gift.
Yeshua says yes I gave you life and I gave you power to choose, it is your choice. So we choose love and give our life to Yeshua and rest in Him, or we choose pride and don't really experience grace, trying to work and climb up to heaven another way besides through Yeshua.

(John 14:6 NKJV) Yeshua said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

The deeper I get into knowing and experiencing G-d one thing becomes more and more clear. That is, all that I am, have ever been, and all that I ever will be is totally one hundred percent a result of G-d's grace. Every sin I do causes me to become more dependent upon G-d's grace, causing me to decrease and Yeshua to increase in my life (but that's not a reason to sin). Every success of  mine is really G-d's. I can't add to His grace or take away from it.

(Ephesians 2:1-10 NKJV) And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, {2} in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, {3} among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. {4} But G-d, who is rich in mercy (compassion), because of His great love with which He loved us, {5} even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Yeshua  (by grace you have been saved), {6} and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Yeshua Ha'Meshiach (Jesus Christ), {7} that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Yeshua Ha'Meshiach (Jesus Christ). {8} For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of G-d, {9} not of works, lest anyone should boast. {10} For we are His workmanship, created in Christ for good works, which G-d prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The "works" that we do for G-d are the works that He has prepared in advance that we should walk in them, they are not because of our efforts. They are G-d's works that we move in being guided by His Holy Spirit of Love. This is why G-d made you and me and put us where we are.

 

 

Remember here as you read this that G-d's promises to Israel were conditional upon them following and keeping His commandments and accepting Yeshua Ha'Meshiach (Jesus Christ) as their Savior. Take a look at the following Bible verses:

 

Exodus 19:5-6 ...'Now therefore, IF ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, THEN ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.'

 

1 Kings 6:12-13 ...'Concerning this house which thou art in building, IF thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them, THEN I will perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father.'

 

1 Kings 9:6-7 ...'BUT IF ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: THEN will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people.'

 

Do you see now? IF you obey me, THEN I will keep my covenant with you. Conditional!

 

And we all know that the Jewish nation continued to sin against G-d and rejected Yeshua as their savior! Therefore BREAKING the "everlasting covenant" which would only remain as an everlasting covenant through obedience.

 

Now there is something that Yeshua told the Jews through one of His parables which also helps us to understand what would happen to the Jewish state.  Read the parable of the vineyard in Luke 20:9-16. Here you will see Yeshua giving a story about a vineyard owner (G-d) going away and leaving his vineyard (G-d's kingdom on earth) to 'husbandmen' (the Jews) to take care of it and 'bare fruit' (expand G-d's kingdom). And while the owner was away, he sends 'servants' (prophets) to see how things are and collect the 'fruit'. But the husbandmen beat the servants and sent them away empty handed (The Jews mostly then rejected the prophets). The  owner (G-d) sends his son (Yeshua). And the husbandmen KILL the son (Jews have Yeshua Ha'Meshiach killed). And what did Yeshua say would happen to the husbandmen (the Jews) after doing all these things? They would be destroyed (destruction of Jerusalem in AD70) and the vineyard (kingdom of G-d) would be GIVEN TO OTHERS (the Gentiles, or anyone who accepted Yeshua Ha'Meshiach (Jesus Christ) as their Savior).

Now look at how the Jews reacted to this parable. Acts 20:16 ...'And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.' ... Meaning they KNEW that Jesus was saying THEY would be destroyed and the kingdom would be TAKEN OFF THEM AND GIVEN TO ANOTHER PEOPLE. And this is EXACTLY what happened!

This is so important, because you will not get the whole truth about the "end times" until you understand the role of "Israel" in "end time" Bible prophecy.

 

Remember how the Jews did not understand Bible prophecy and thought that Yeshua was going to come the first time as this mighty warrior who would setup a "physical" kingdom on earth and rule over the nations? Well, we have it all over again with end time prophecy many people today believing the exact same thing! But this time with the second coming of Christ. They believe that Yeshua is going to return, after a secret rapture of the church and setup His kingdom in Israel and rule there for the thousand year millennium. The Bible prophecy teachers today are so focused on war and destruction in Israel, that they are missing the great spiritual application of G-d's kingdom, just as the disciples did during Yeshua's first coming.

Luke 17:20-21 .....'And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of G-d should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh NOT with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of G-d is within you.'

 

Do you see what Yeshua is saying in the above Bible verse? He's explaining in clear words that the kingdom is a "SPIRITUAL" one. And yet the disciples were still clinging to the belief that Christ would setup a physical kingdom to rule from on earth, just like the prophecy teachers of today ...
 Luke 24:21 .....'But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.' ...

They were still holding on to that idea, and when Yeshua died on the cross, their hopes were crushed! They just didn't understand the spiritual application of Israel and the kingdom of G-d, until the day of Pentecost.

The idea here is the Jewish people (Judah) will not have Israel back (if the Bible means the literal land) until Yeshua Ha'Meshiach (Jesus Christ) returns.  The idea is that G-d is El-Shaddai, the Almighty G-d, so no human can do, or come close to doing His job and filling His cause.

One way or another Israel is in exile until Yeshua Ha-Meshiac returns, regardless of what Judah believes.  Only 'THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH' (Yeshua Ha'Meshiach) can "clean their mess," and save them now.

 

 

 

It is a gift from G-d, can you lose it?

 

 

Salvation is a gift that is meant to be permanent and eternal.

The apostle Paul writes about Christians that, “Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are G-d’s possession." (Ephesians 1:13-14)

"He that began a good work in you will carry it on until the return of Yeshua Ha'Meshiach (Jesus Christ)."

If an Almighty G-d, ElShaddai, started something in you, a good work at that, do you really think an He is going to just stop or say "forget it."

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.                   - James 5:19-20

So it is actually impossible to lose your salvation - however, the New Testament makes mention of the unlikely possibility that someone who is really saved would throw away his or her own salvation by permanently rejecting the Holy Spirit, by turning his or her back on Christ permanently, or by turning his back on the gospel in favor of Old Testament law, like Torah. Hebrews 6:4-6 reveals the possibility of this actually happening.  (Other than that the Bible really doesn't mention a "loss of salvation" as much as I can see, anyway.)

While we do not focus on this very much, and while we certainly do not pass judgment on those who have “backslidden,” we do take very seriously that Scripture does tell us to "Stand firm to the end," “not put out the Spirit’s fire,” and “bring back those who have wandered from the truth.”

"You will be hated by everyone because of me.  But stand firm until the end and you will be saved"     - Matthew 10:22

  

13:27 People of Jerusalem,   I have seen your adulterous worship,

your shameless prostitution to, and your lustful pursuit of, other gods.

I have seen your disgusting acts of worship  

on the hills throughout the countryside.

You are doomed to destruction!  

How long will you continue to be unclean?’”

 

A Lament over the Ravages of Drought  

14:1 The Lord spoke to Jeremiah about the drought.

14:2 “The people of Judah are in mourning.

The people in her cities are pining away.

They lie on the ground expressing their sorrow.  

Cries of distress come up to me from Jerusalem.  

14:3 The leading men of the cities send their servants for water.

They go to the cisterns,  but they do not find any water there.

They return with their containers  empty.

Disappointed and dismayed, they bury their faces in their hands. 

14:4 They are dismayed because the ground is cracked  

because there has been no rain in the land.

The farmers, too, are dismayed

and bury their faces in their hands.

14:5 Even the doe abandons her newborn fawn in the field

because there is no grass.

14:6 Wild donkeys stand on the hilltops

and pant for breath like jackals.

Their eyes are strained looking for food,

because there is none to be found.”

14:7 Then I said,  

“O Lord, intervene for the honor of your name

even though our sins speak out against us.

Indeed,  we have turned away from you many times.

We have sinned against you.

14:8 You have been the object of Israel’s hopes.

You have saved them when they were in trouble.

Why have you become like a resident foreigner in the land?

Why have you become like a traveler who only stops in to spend the night?

14:9 Why should you be like someone who is helpless, 

like a champion who cannot save anyone?

You are indeed with us, 

and we belong to you.

Do not abandon us!”

14:10 Then the Lord spoke about these people.

“They truly love to go astray.

They cannot keep from running away from me. 

So I am not pleased with them.

I will now call to mind the wrongs they have done 

and punish them for their sins.”

 

Judgment for Believing the Misleading Lies of the False Prophets

14:11 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for good to come to these people!  14:12 Even if they fast, I will not hear their cries for help. Even if they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.  Instead, I will kill them through wars, famines, and plagues.

 

I know the Jewish people today aren't the same as they were then, but they do follow the ways then - as in the commandments in the Torah, the Tanakh (the rest of the O.T., the Hebrew Bible).

In fact, I recently met someone who was very strict on following every single, what she thought was a commandment in the Tanakh (which is 685 commandments), if that gave her satisfaction than so be it but it was not what G-d wants for her.  G-d wants His followers, Jews in this matter, to abide by His commands, not the Torah or Tanakh.  That is why the Jewish people were punished to begin with.

The Jews don't really know G-d unless they read the whole Bible.  They must read the  Bible in entirety to really know who G-d is, and even what He commands.

The Apostle Paul writes: “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with G-d through our Lord Yeshua Ha'Meshiach (Jesus Christ)." (Romans 5:1). We have peace with G-d.   That means we were never at war with G-d. But Paul does say to his readers, “Therefore, since we are justified . . . we have peace” Why does he say that?  Maybe the question doesn't really occur to you today.  Then again perhaps it should? That's for you to decide.

When we think about the many ways that people today avoid being close to others or try to relieve their problems with using sexual relationships wrong, alcohol, drugs, or some other addiction, we begin to see how, but turning away from G-d occurs. Paul, even though he wrote nearly two thousand years ago, speaks to us today about our need of peace with G-d.

This part, the opening of Romans shifts a little but both ends are equally important here. It moves from Paul’s writings of the importance of Abraham to the Christian faith, and then shifts into Paul’s talk on how the Christian life should be. This passage helps us understand the importance for peace with G-d. As sinners, elsewhere described as “ungodly,” we are not even worthy of Him.

Most people want to live in some kind of love or cooperation with their neighbors. When we come to a crossing point, it bothers us. How many times have we had a falling-out with someone because of something relatively minor that happened? Because of our pride - and also because of the other person’s pride - getting back together, to say, or seeing things the same way again is difficult. Most of the time, we just make enemies because we do not really know how to make peace.

 

Maybe the same is true of our relationship with G-d. We want to live in harmony and peace with G-d, walk with Him, but somehow we have an uneasy feeling that something is not well in our relationship with G-d. Look at it, though,  Paul make it clear to us how it is possible between G-d and G-d’s creatures in this passage to be together.

 

I want to note two of many important lessons the Romans text teaches us. The first is pretty simple. Paul wants the readers to understand that G-d starts our peace with Himself even before we supply anything to the relationship.

What does that mean? Let me tell you.  Paul wrote, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. . . . But G-d proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6, 8).

The second important aspect of this passage is that there is a "circular effect" in what Paul writes. Paul starts with the hope in G-d and continues through suffering, then he talks about endurance, then character, and back to hope, where he started. Just like peace does, hope begins in G-d and ends in G-d. We can go through a whole lot of things and different ages will pass by but we end with hope and peace (Jer. 29:11).

Because of Yeshua's death on the cross we can be at peace with G-d, not be ashamed or ungodly like, and can walk with Him - And when we fall, G-d will pick us right back up again!

God is Love: How do we Define Love?

 "G-d is Love", but how do we define it? Dictionary.com defines love as "an intense affection for another person based on familial or personal ties". Often this "intense affection" comes from a sexual attraction for that other person. We love other people, or we say we love other people, when we are attracted to them and when they make us feel good. Notice that a key phrase in the dictionary definition of love is the phrase "based on". This phrase implies that we love conditionally, in other words, we love someone because they fulfill a condition that we require before we can love them. How many times have you maybe said, "I love you because you, because you are  so cute," or "I love you because you take really good care of me," or "I love you because you, you're fun to be with"?

Our love is not only conditional, it is also based on emotion. We love based on feelings and emotions that can change from one moment to the next. The divorce rate is really high in today's society because husbands and wives supposedly stop loving one another-or they "fall out of love". They may go through a rough patch in their marriage, and they no longer "feel" love for their spouse, so they call it quits. Evidently, their marriage vow of "till death do us part" meant absolutely nothing at all to them.

Can anyone really comprehend "unconditional" love? It seems maybe the love that parents have for their children is as close to unconditional love as we can get without the help of God's love in our lives. Parents continue to love their children through good times and bad, and they don't stop loving them if they don't meet the expectations we may have for them. Parents make a choice to love their children even when them consider them the worst creature on earth or just unlovable; their love doesn't stop when they don't "feel" love for them. This is similar to God's love for us, but as we will see, God's love is different, than the human definition of love to a point that is hard for us to  ever understand.


G-d is Love: How does G-d Define Love?
 
The Bible tells us that "G-d is Love" (1 John 4:8). But how can we even begin to understand that? I know I can't. 

There are many verses in the Bible that give us G-d's definition of love. The most well known verse is John 3:16, "For G-d so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." So one way G-d defines love is in the act of giving, but what G-d gave (or should we say, "who" G-d gave) was not like a Christmas present but G-d sacrificed His only Son,Yeshua, so that we, who put our faith in His Son, will not spend eternity separated from Him. This is an amazing love, because we are the ones who choose to reject G-d, yet it's G-d who fixes, and turns the separation through His personal sacrifice, and all we have to do is accept His gift.

Another great verse about G-d's love is found in Romans 5:8, "But G-d commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." In this verse and in John 3:16, we find no conditions placed on G-d's love for us. G-d doesn't say, "as soon as you clean up your act, I'll love you; " neither does He say, "I'll sacrifice my Son if you promise to love Me." In fact, in Romans 5:8, we find just the opposite. G-d wants us to know that His love is unconditional, so He sent His Son to actually die for us while we were still unlovable sinners. We didn't have to get clean first, and we didn't have to make any promises to G-d before we could experience His love. His love for us has always existed, and because of that, He did all the giving and sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love.


G-d is Love: It's Unconditional

G-d is Love, and His love is very different from any love we have. G-d's love is unconditional, and it's not based on feelings or emotions. He doesn't love us because we're lovable or because we make Him feel good; He loves us because He is love. He created us to have a loving relationship with Him, and He sacrificed His own Son, who died for us, to restore that relationship so we can walk with G-d and call him Father now.

 

G-d's Love

 

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.    -Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV)

 

 

I know I just did a page about G-d's love for us but there is so much to add, or say about it that I cannot just leave there and call it done.  I am sure that even after writing this a whole lot more will come to me, even concerning this topic, but I try to keep these shorter so they are easy to be read like devotionals.

 

The Bible says that G-d loves us, and the cross proves it. Something pretty sad, though, this is a truth for many believers, but that is where it stops, instead of a truth they really experience. The problem is not with the Lord, but with the believer's ability to feel G-d's love for us.

 

One thing may be the tendency to measure G-d's love by life's circumstances. When the Lord allows tragedies and pain, some consider Him uncaring. The age-old question then becomes very personal, "How could a loving G-d allow me or those I care about to suffer?" We'll never fully understand His ways, but we can know that His compassion and concern are bigger than the suffering of the whole world, and if you just wait, He will make all things right.

 

A sense of personal unworthiness and failure can also keep you away from the acceptance of God's love. Focusing on past sins and moral failures or comparing yourself with others will lead to guilt and hopelessness. Satan always promoting these self-condemning thoughts and feelings. The Lord never says, "Straighten up, and then I'll care about you." Remember that G-d's for all His people, Jew, Greek, and Gentile, is based on His character, never what we do.  We have been set free of the law.

 

G-d is love.  In other words, you are loved whether you feel it or believe it.  But that is a wall, G-d wants every Jew, Greek, and Gentile to feel his love. When we deny His interest and concern for us, we doubt the truth of scripture.

 

The Lord wants each of us to experience His great love in a personal, intimate way. Don't let the Enemy's lies or life's hardships steal the enjoyment and security of this great blessing. When doubts come to us, rely on the truth of G-d's Word. He loves you. Believe it, and eventually you will feel it!