Repentance

Revival!? or repentance…

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I hear of many churches and Christians talking about revival. Prayer meetings are called just to pray for revival. And yet I rarely hear anyone calling for repentance.

But what is there to repent of?

Most churches and Christians will have an “unpublished” list of sins that one should repent of. Have you ever compared your church’s list to what God calls important. Take a look at Proverbs 6:16-19 and Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Even more importantly, take a look at your church and country. Should we, or even can we, repent on behalf of our churches and country? Look at Daniel 9:4-19, realizing that Daniel himself isn’t guilty of the sins he is listing. We have much to repent of – our churches throw out God’s law and our nation rejoices when laws are made that are against God’s ways.

So, what to repent of? Going against God’s law. I realize that talking of God’s law is taboo in many Christian circles, and even where it isn’t taboo, it is misunderstood. God’s laws aren’t things that He capriciously laid upon us, but it is His revelation of Himself to us (read the Exodus story which culminates in Him giving us His law and John 1). Also, realize two important facts: first, the law was never given as a means of salvation; and second, nowhere anywhere in the “New Testament” does Yeshua or any disciple say anything negative against anyone keeping God’s law.

His law is Him loving us. As such, whenever the opportunity arises to keep His law, don’t look at it as something that “has to be done,” but rather as an act of worship and to give love back to our God who wants us to have good lives.

So why does Paul seem to call the law an ‘instrument of death’ (and other such negative comments)? Consider the following. Shortly after the law was given, many people died when they disobeyed. For those who disobeyed, the law became the ‘instrument of death.’ Then, after Yeshua died and rose again, God poured out the Holy Spirit, and many thousands came to belief. To those who repented the spirit gives life!

God’s law is good – He is His law! But remember, one doesn’t obey because one has to, but out of love for God. Obeying His law doesn’t give salvation, nor does obeying His law make us better in His eyes. Anything and everything we are in God’s eyes is due to what Yeshua has done for us. It starts with repenting – turning from our own ideas as to what is righteousness, and simply listening to God. This is the beginnings of being holy.

  • Yosef

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Verses:

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NASB): 16 There are six things that the LORD hates,
Seven that are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who declares lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NASB):  This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

Daniel 9 (KJV): 4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. 8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; 10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. 12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. 14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. 18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Are you a Democrat or a Republican?

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Voting is over for the 2020 election here in the USA, but the results aren’t yet final. Though I think everyone should exercise their privilege of being able to vote, this post is not actually about the election!

On voting day I was listening in to part of a 24 hour prayer meeting, called for people to pray for the election. At one point, one person started praying that people would repent for things this nation has done, but the moderator (gently) stopped him told people to keep the prayers on the topic of getting their candidate elected.

Yet what does God want?

Interestingly, people on both sides seem to think that God wants their particular candidate to be the next president of the USA. Yet no one seems to care about the state of this country from God’s perspective!

So what does this country stand for?

– Abortion: our international polices even require nations accepting help from us to offer abortion services! We push abortion on our own people and the nation! And our legislators applaud themselves when laws are passed that make abortion easier and more prevalent in this nation.

– Immorality: our entertainment industry thrives on sex; not wholesome sex, but sex outside God’s boundaries, making it seem normal to have sex between friends and with other married people.,

– Godlessness: Our nation (via entertainment and educational industries) is actively and forcefully promoting a Godless world view.

And Christianity has been turning a blind eye to all this. Worse, we’ve been actively supporting it! How? By throwing out God’s word. Churches somehow believe that God’s word needs to be ‘made relevant’, which is to say ‘changed’. It’s no wonder that churches are losing their relevancy in the eyes of the younger generations.

Of course, this whole issue feeds upon itself by all the wrong teaching out there. Everyone interprets God’s word in a way that supports their own ideas.

We need to REPENT! We need to repent on behalf of our country and our churches and our selves!

Let us return to simply following Yeshua (Jesus), and get rid of all the theology that so divides! Yeshua prayed to the Father, “Father, make them one.” He did not pray, “make them thousands of different denominations” as it would seem he did when one looks at the state of Christianity in the world.

Being ‘one’ does not mean ‘being the same.’ The apostle Shaul (Paul) writes about how their are different ‘vessels’ (different people with different roles and ideas) and different gifts, but all make up one body.

It is time to quite judging one another (have we forgotten Yeshua‘s words in the sermon on the mount: ‘do not judge lest you be judged’?).

James writes, ‘pure religion is this, to look out for the widows and orphans, and keep oneself unstained by the world.’ How many of us do that? Yah (the LORD) says, “‘I am Yehovah (the LORD) that exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things’ declares Yehovah (the LORD).” (Jer. 9:24).

So, let us repent on behalf of our nation, our churches, and ourselves, and return to Yeshua. Then lets discuss who should be president.

Shalom! – Yosef

Compromise, compromise, over the Cliff Edge: “10 Commandments – Do Not Murder” continued…

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I’m starting this post with a joke.  Not because the topic is humorous, but because it helps illustrate a point.  (I don’t know who the original author of the joke is.  I first heard it more then 30 years ago.  If I find out who the author is, I’ll post the  credit.)  Here’s the joke as well as I remember it:

A Catholic priest, an evangelical Pastor, and a Jewish Rabbi were discussing when life begins.  The priest states unequivocally that life begins at the moment of conception, and that there is no discussion about it.  The Pastor states that he sees the issue a little less strictly, and that life begins when the heart starts beating.  The Rabbi states, “You two know nothing!  Life begins when the dog dies and the kids move out!”

Yes, this blog post is about abortion.  And the above joke alludes to a problem in the church that has been around for some time.  As soon as Christians entered the discussion as to when ‘life begins’, it lost the battle.  Such a discussion is only about making a compromise.  Once one compromise is made, no matter how seemingly innocuous, eventually more will be required.  As is now happening.

States are passing or seriously considering passing laws allowing abortion up to the moment of birth, and allowing people other then doctors perform the procedure.

This occurrence shouldn’t be surprising.  That this would eventually occur was obvious.  Once abortions were allowed under some circumstances, then the call for compromising on other circumstances would never end.  And it will continue.  And over the cliff we go.

We are now stating that life, up to birth (and possibly shortly thereafter), has no value.  This devaluation of life will continue.  What’s next?  Babies that have defects can be killed?  Unthinkable you say?  This is exactly what happened not so long ago in a modern society!  (Don’t remember? – think Nazi Germany and their indiscriminate killing of handicapped people.)

God states that He abhors the ‘offering’ [sacrificing] of babies and children to foreign gods.

You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.  Leviticus 18:21 (ESV)

Why did the people sacrifice their children to other gods?  The basic reason can be stated as this: they wanted a better life for themselves.

Are abortions today any different?  Why are the vast majority of abortions done today?  Because the mom thinks her life will be better without the child.

No difference!  In times past, the babies were offered directly to a god in exchange for a better life for the parents.  Today the babies are offered to some nebulous idea in exchange for the mom having a better life!

We need to repent on behalf of this nation!  We also need to start supporting those groups that are helping the moms find alternatives to abortion!

Today, Feb. 23rd, 2019, a call has gone out nationwide (USA) for prayer and repentance.  It’s about time!   (www.dayofmourning.org – best viewed with Google Chrome).

Yes, God’s command ‘do not kill’ includes the unborn.

P.S.

If you want to argue against this stance by bringing up cases such as when the mother’s life is in danger, I say to you, “You hypocrite!  If you were really concerned about the life of the mother, you wouldn’t be supporting these laws that will allow people without medical degrees to perform the abortion!  That type of thing took many, many women’s lives!”

  • Yosef

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Bride or Child

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[Author: Bruce]

In the last blog I posted, I posed the question of whether God takes anyone back.  I truly appreciated the comments and feedback in your responses. I really love to have my mind changed by the scriptures, and as we discuss differing opinions and interpretations, our horizons are broadened and if we are listening the Spirit guides us into deeper truth that brings us closer to God and shapes us more into the image of his son. 

The comments seemed to focus on sovereign choice vs free will. While this debate has kept churches divided for centuries and has been the topic of many volumes of literature, it was not my heart question.  In my wondering I was not as concerned with how we come to God in Messiah, but rather who we are when we get there. This leads to my next question. 

As we come to God, do we come as a bride (wife) or a son?  

I believe this has great bearing on how we respond to redemption. If I understand my relationship with God as one of a wife, then when I return to sin, I am an adulterous woman. In my continued cycle of sin and repentance I wonder how many times God will take me back. I wonder where the line is of final divorce. God would be totally justified to send me away forever for my adulteries. 

On the other hand if we come into relationship to God as a son,  I no longer have to worry about the certificate of divorce. As a son, when I wander off in some wayward fashion, I  simply need to remember who I am and return.  Like Yeshua’s story of the “prodigal,” we simply return to the Father and he recognizes our repentance and celebrates. As a son I recognize my need for the instructions and discipline of my father. I know I am intended to mess up and not get it right, yet God still loves me and I continue to grow. 

Thinking along this line brought me peace and assurance in my salvation, but then I thought, “who is the Bride of Christ?” And “isn’t Israel the one in Ezekiel 16:6-8 that LORD God marries?”  The relationship of marriage is throughout the Scripture as an image of God and his people and also as Yeshua and his people. 

Praying through these things I believe God revealed to me the difference in the way God relates to his people and to a person. Together we become something we are not by ourselves.  It is where two or more are gathered together that Yeshua is  in our midst. Paul went to great lengths to describe the body we become as we share our gifts and live out our callings in community.  Scripture continues to reveal to me these differences as I try and differentiate between what I am in messiah and what we are in messiah. 

I am a child of God, a brother to Yeshua. 

We are the bride of Christ. Awaiting his return. 

Maybe you agree, maybe you don’t. I really look forward to hearing what you think and why.  Change my mind with the word of Hashem. 

Shalom      – Bruce

Forgiveness and Offense

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The following was written in reply to a great post by the blogger “Tancy” titled, “You will be offended“.   Her post deals with a topic that has been twisted or ignored in the churches.  Here are my comments to her post.  Read her post to get the full picture.

Thanks Tancy for the timely words, as in our day, and in our churches, it has become vogue to ‘not forgive’, though this is behavior is buried behind other words. You make the comment, ” If you do not learn to forgive, … you won’t be eligible for God’s forgiveness either.” I know few Christians who would recognize your comment as Christ’s words immediately after he gave “the Lord’s prayer” (Mat. 6:9-15). They are words, however, that we need to remember at all times.

It seems that Yeshua’s (Jesus’) words are slipping away from the churches and our daily lives. Who remembers, and practices, Yeshua’s words where he states that we are to forgive (without exception) even up to “seventy times seven” times (and if you’re counting, you are missing the point). And what about the apostle Paul’s words where he exhorts us to bestow even greater honor, and treat with modesty, those that we deem ‘unpresentable’. (1 Cor. 12:22-24).

I like your comment, Tancy, of, “forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge.” I’ve seen people’s live get eaten up and ruined simply because they were unwilling to let go of resentment and hurt.

Perhaps some of the problem is the teaching around ‘forgiveness’ that one finds today. It is an unfortunate fact of life that sin has consequences, even after one repents or is forgiven. Forgiveness does not mean an unconditional restoration of a relationship. One needs to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matt. 10:16). Some things take time to heal, but they will never heal as long as one does not ‘let go and forgive.’
When one finds oneself caught by unforgiveness, and can’t even bring oneself to forgive, one can start by asking God to help. But in the end, the step has to be taken, and the offender forgiven.

I’ll close with these words of Yeshua, “judge not, lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged, and by your standard of measure, you will be measured.”

So, keep proclaiming His word, even when it seems others aren’t. Thanks for your post.

  • Yosef

Truth! Does it exist anymore?

/ Yosef (ytl) / 2 Comments

After this recent presidential election the news media is buzzing with the idea that we are now in a ‘post truth’ era.  Social media is making the idea of truth nebulous.   According to Stephan Lewandowsky (via BBC Future) of the University of Bristol, “There is a large proportion of the population in the US living in what we would regard as an alternative reality.  They share things with each other that are completely false.  Any attempt to break through these bubbles is fraught with difficulty…”

This attitude started several decades ago in the Christian church, and has spread throughout society.  Christianity, in the western cultures such as in the USA, decided that the Word of God was subject to individual interpretation and truth could be redefined.  Now we not only do not know what truth is, but there is opposition to the idea that there is a truth.

On the flip side, there is a movement within Christianity to return to God’s word, and a movement in society to figure out what is true (fact checking is becoming more known).

It is written that God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Yeshua (called Jesus), is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  His word is as true today as it has ever been, and it does not change.  We need to repent and return to God’s ways.  Turn from all the traditions and interpretations that have been built up around God’s words, obscuring and even nullifying His word.

God has said that we are neither to add to nor subtract from His word (Deuteronomy 4:2).  Judaism loves to add to His word.  Christianity loves to subtract from His word.  Repentance is needed.

-Yosef