Let Us Encourage One Another

 

One of my favorite things about the letters to the Believers, on the other side of Messiah, is the valuation and thankfulness for all who were coming into the Family of Yahweh.

I’ve personally been challenged to be better at this. I often wonder where we would all be as a unified People if we took the time to magnify the Name of Yahweh for the work that He has done in so many of us. Too often I fail to rightly uphold the place of prayer in my life, in regards to others. How about you?

Let us take the time to reach out to someone and highlight the work of the Almighty. Let someone know that you noticed or remember the work of Elohim in their lives. Encourage them to press on into the likeness of Messiah. Perhaps if we all did this better, we would all be found “bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of Elohim.”

Questions

 

Biblical history reveals that mankind has always been in need of being closely safeguarded. We see this all the way back to Adam and Eve. Immediately after their rebellion, the Creator was looking to meet with them in the Garden, and they hid themselves from Him. If we look into the Hebrew understanding of this (khaw-baw) we find that they had withdrawn themselves, in a hardened condition.

I have said many times that this is the first appearance of men missing Yahweh’s Appointed Times. A pattern was set. Yahweh was there. Man was not. We then see Yahweh call out to the man, “Where are you?” We know that Adam responds. Yahweh again asks a question. This time, He asks, “Who told you that? Have you eaten of the tree that you were commanded not to eat?“ Adam answers. Yahweh then turns to Eve and asks, “What is this that you’ve done?”

Fast forward into the first offspring of man and the pattern continues. Cain takes the life of his brother and we immediately see this all over again. Yahweh asks Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” Abel answers, somewhat arrogantly I might add. Yahweh asks another question, “What have you done?”

These questions are not in any way intended to cause us to think that Yahweh didn’t know the answers. We must understand that He is relational. He is longing to walk intimately with man. If we all began to see this better, I believe that we would better understand the character of the Almighty. Yes, He is just. Yes, He is holy. Yes, He is righteous. And, He is a loving Father that deeply desires to walk intimately with His Creation.

Here we are today. So many generations away from Genesis chapters three and four. Let us humbly walk before Him. Not in hiding. Not with an affront to His questioning and correction. Let us learn from those who have gone before us and be better. What is He asking you today?

Fulfilling the Law

 

Yeshua’s “sinlessness” and perfection can be simply explained - He was lawFUL. He fulfilled all of the necessary requirements that Father had laid before men. He obeyed and was deemed a well-pleasing Son.

The attribute of lawfulness has always marked men throughout the ages. Our latest video reveals the same patterns were within righteous Noah. In an age of lawlessness, Noah was right in the eyes of Yahweh and was thereby chosen to carry out His will.

We are, of course, told that “these days” will once again be upon the earth when Messiah’s return is imminent. “So shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24) We are surely here now, in an age of lawlessness.

New Testament writers knew that the definition of sin never changes. 1 John reminds us of this as it states, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4) Romans 4:15 tells us “For the Law brings wrath, but where there is no Law there is no transgression.” If we read this according to what we’ve been errantly taught, there is now no more sin, no transgression for the “Law has been done away with in Jesus.” Foolishness.

This key doctrinal issue has allowed for chaos to cover the entire Body as anything goes. There are no lines. No absolutes. “Love” is all we need, yes but who defines what love is? Do the Scriptures already tell us? Was Yeshua just a loveable hippy sort of a man, as we’ve seen depicted time and time again?

What about the future? It is all over Revelation as well, at the end of the age. “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of Elohim and their faith in Yeshua.” (Revelation 14:12) Time and time again I come across Believers who want so hard to kick against the Torah, but when asked, they just don’t really know why. It is all a about the traditions that we’ve inherited, friend. It’s OK. We all have them.

Although many attempt to say that “all we need to do is love ‘now’”, this is simply not biblical counsel, when not rightly understood and explained. “Yeshua stated, in John 14 “If you love me, you will keep My commandments.” This is reiterated in 1 John 2:3 as if the biblical authors knew we would be hard of hearing, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep His commandments.” It even goes on to make quite a bold statement in verse 4 and 5, “Whoever says ‘I know Him’ but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of Elohim is perfected.”

As we have highlighted in recent videos, man has been trying to wiggle his way out of walking in Yahweh’s Law since their inception. Mankind can endlessly attempt to redefine what sin and love are now and what it means to be holy, but to no avail. Yahweh has already made it abundantly clear. It needs no opinions of men.

We have been told what love is. So, yes, let us love. But what love looks like is not up for one’s personal discretion. Father has been telling men how to love, since the beginning of time. And what is our absolute best chance to know how to love, according to what He deems best? How do we “fulfil the Law?” The same way the Son of the Most High did. Cling to the two greatest “love commands” that the Torah and the Prophets “hang upon.” And then, obey Them… just… like… Messiah. Selah.

What Cup Will Messiah Drink From Again?

 

Over the years I’ve heard many odd references to this specific text. Some go to great lengths to say that “Jesus only drank grape juice or else He would have been a drunkard… like the Bible says!” I’ve even read commentaries that question if Yeshua broke His own “vow” of never drinking wine again because He was offered some wine at the end of His life (Mark 15:23). (The original Hebrew text states it this way, “and they gave Him wine [of myrhh] to drink, but He did not want to drink it.”)

So would the Son of Elohim had been a drunkard if He drank of literal wine? If some wine touched His lips at His death, was He a liar? Was He disqualified or do we change the Bible to make Messiah fit our personal belief systems? *sigh* No, friend. We’re looking into the wrong things.

Sadly, our clanging gongs of opinion often miss the entire point of affairs that Yeshua was speaking of. Of things that He was doing. I would suggest that Messiah’s specific words, spoken during specifics moments, within precise, ongoing events are of utmost importance. In today's text, it was Passover. He was with His taught ones. They were memorializing the Exodus account together like they had always done, yet this time was different. They would, of course, memorialize Passover after His ascension (1 Cor. 5:8), but this time was unique to say the least.

Father’s perfect timing planned it all this way. The Word is, of course, overflowing with examples of Yeshua being, in many ways, like the Passover Lamb. Surely, the hearts and minds of His closest brothers were seeing it all come into view. What an incredible moment.

Perhaps most importantly, if we properly examine “the cup” that He was holding and referencing, we see the greater purpose. This is of utmost importance since He will again drink of “this cup” in the kingdom. It will be Yahweh’s Passover cup, with Yahweh’s set apart, Kingdom People.

Yet again, we see identity matter greatly. Is this prophecy only for the Jews, since we’re (errantly) told that these are the “Feasts of the Jews?” If so, we have a grand problem. Are the “communion sacraments” now only for the Christians (Catholic/State “Church”), since the majority no longer memorialize the Passover Feast and have a "new way?" What does Christianity memorialize then, with the “Lord’s Supper", if it is not a Passover memorial and cup?

One ask these questions, dig out the answers and know why we all do what we do, if we really want to sit at the Master’s Table and share in that beautiful Passover cup, with the Messiah. All is one wonderful, covenantal story. Perfectly orchestrated by the Master Architect, Yahweh. The one and only Almighty. Selah.

With Great Difficulty

 

I would submit that we have focused on the latter part of this verse for far too long. Perhaps it would do us well to hone in on the first.

Let us take our harsh critique off of the "ungodly and the sinner" for a moment and turn the focus onto ourselves. Number one: Are we even sure which category we are found within? What is the criteria that we have applied to arrive at our conclusion? What has caused any one of us to become convinced that we are, in fact, righteous? Do we know what standards Yahweh uses to apply righteousness to a man? Despite what we have been told, it is with great difficulty that even the righteous are delivered, saved, rescued. Remember the righteous one Noah? With... great... difficulty. Let's do whatever is individually necessary today to be sure that we are righteous, as Yahweh Himself defines. Let us first be sure that we are in this category, ready to receive our deliverance and salvation, with great difficulty. Then, when we are solidly identifiable as righteous and found ready to endure well, may we go out and beckon the ungodly and the sinner to come and do likewise.