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Additionally, because the purpose and meaning of physical circumcision have been superseded by the New Covenant, there is no need to inflict pain and possible psychological distress on an adult male through this operation.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.