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Here’s an excerpt from a great prayer:

Endow us and all Thy people Israel with peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy. Oh our Father, do Thou cause Thy divine light to shine upon every one of us….

Awesome request: YHWH’s goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy…lay it on us! Let’s continue with the prayer:

…for by Thy divine light, O Lord our God, hast thou revealed to us the Torah, which sustains life, which teaches the love of kindness, righteousness, blessing, mercy, life, and peace.

From The Prayer Book, Translated and arranged by Ben Zion Bokser.

Whoa! Hold up there a minute! What’s that about Torah? Is this prayer actually implying that the answer to the prayer for “peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy” is to be found by receiving a divinely inspired understanding of Torah? …Torah which teaches those things?!

Yes it does.

I’ll bet you think this is the prayer of a “Messianic” Jew, don’t you? Well, it’s not. This prayer, from the “Amidah,” has been recited for centuries (twice daily for almost an entire lifetime) by the people whose lives revolve around Torah. Well, not Torah alone, but that’s another article.

Suffice it to say for our purposes here that all their focus is on Torah, though their approach to Torah is based on tradition. But the bottom line: It comes from a people whose faith is not shaped by the New Covenant or the New Testament.

It is significant that they seem to not view Torah as oppressive but rather as the path to the love of such virtues as peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy.

That anyone should find the love of those qualities through Torah might be surprising to some. That’s because most of us were introduced to Torah from a western Gentile mindset. From that viewpoint it is hard to see how anyone, let alone an entire people who has sought to live under Torah for millennia, view it in such a…well… positive light.

The reason for the disparity in viewpoint lies in the fact that, by and large, Torah has been taught to us from a skewed and biased perspective. In other words, we have not been taught Torah in truth. Torah has usually been presented to us as the oppressive and unreasonable demands of a cantankerous and mean god of the “Old Testament.”

But that is a picture of a god that comes from the Greek mindset. Think back to your high-school days of Greek mythology. That’s how they acted. But the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was not a Greek myth. And He certainly wasn’t of the same character. Thankfully.

If we really want to gain a biblically-based, and therefore true, understanding of the nature of YHWH we have to develop our understanding of Him based on His revelation of Himself in the Bible. And in both the Tanakh (Jewish name for what many call the “Old” Testament) and the New Testament (which many mistakenly think is the “New Covenant” — yet another article) we find the same Spirit.

We find the same Spirit, that is, if we are not biased against finding Him in Torah by our preconceived notions. And that is vitally important to us in pursuing a godly character because it is in the Tanakh where He largely reveals His character to His people. All of His people. That means those of us under His New Covenant.

And further, Yeshua calls us by His Spirit to live lives of “peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy” as His New Covenant people. He has equipped us for the call as well.

Under our New Covenant relationship with Him, the Spirit produces in our lives “peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy” as we keep in step with Him. (Check out the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22.)

Do you desire to find more peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy in your life? How about a love for those things? I encourage all to re-read Torah from an unbiased mindset. On your re-read, try to discover where the viewpoint could have developed that a love of peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy is to be found through Torah.

Who knows? The Spirit, the same One who inspired the written Torah, and now places the living Torah in your heart under the New Covenant, might just show you some new ways of walking with Him that really aren’t so new after all.

Abba Father, teach us to know you in all the ways you have revealed yourself to all your people for all ages. We ask that the understanding by your Spirit would lead to peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and mercy in our lives. We ask these things in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Well, maybe they don’t think I’m on the edge of lunacy. But many among the brethren do think I’m a bit “out of my mind.” They are alarmed by the suspicion that I’ve gone “back under the law” when I teach about such mitzvot (commandments) as tzitzit (fringe). Nothing could be further from the truth.

There is a “method to my madness” and if you’ll indulge me a bit as I lay out why I value observing the mitzvah (commandment) of tzitzit you’ll see where I’m coming from.

That doesn’t mean you’ll agree, by any means, but at least you’ll know I’ve not “gone off the deep end.” As always, you are welcome to ignore, reject, or adopt what you agree with as you feel led by the Spirit to do.

Whatever your choice, I’m confident we will follow Paul’s example of Philippians 3:13-16 by pressing on in our walk with Messiah based upon those things to which we do find agreement.

And we do agree on some things, or you would not be an esteemed reader. And if you’ve read much of my work so far you’ll know that a major focus of my faith is not in knowing Scripture but in doing Scripture.

I think you’re with me that it really doesn’t matter how much somebody knows about YHWH. What is really important is how much somebody knows YHWH. And that kind of knowing comes by following His Spirit into doing the Word.

One can pretty-up their knowledge of YHWH by shrouding it in all kinds of fancy words, mystical illusions, back-bending activities, and mind-bending lingo. But in the end, if that knowledge doesn’t result in godly and sanctified action in real-life application, all that knowing is like putting the proverbial lipstick on a pig. And no matter how you slice it, we all know that’s just not kosher!

But all the emphasis on doing the Word of YHWH might give some the impression that we advocate “going back to the Law.” Of course that charge really means “going back to the Law to seek justification.” And it is in those unspoken words that the whole statement becomes a false accusation. And the same applies to the mitzvah of tzitzit.

We don’t follow any application of YHWH’s word in order to gain justification. Everything we do is because we have been justified. By faith! And under the New Covenant, we have not merely adopted a new set of beliefs, we have become new creations!

YHWH’s Torah is placed in our hearts. We have been softened to His Word. He has placed His Spirit within us (that same Spirit belonging to Yeshua). We are His people and He is our God!

We are not the same as we used to be, we are new. Born again, to use the words Yeshua spoke to Nicodemus. And now we do the word of YHWH because that is who we are in Messiah!

Nothing we do is to become YHWH’s people (which has a prerequisite of being justified before YHWH). Everything we do is because we are YHWH’s people (which means we have already met the prerequired condition of having been justified, which we received through faith).

And it is that same spirit in which we should approach the mitzvah of tzitzit. To do otherwise would be an “unlawful” use of the Law (1 Timothy 1:8).

So with that focus in mind, let’s turn to the mitzvah of tzitzit.

In part one of this short series on tzitzit, we saw that YHWH commanded the people of Israel to place fringes on the corners of their garments. These fringes, or tzitzis, were to act as visual reminders of the commandments of YHWH. The fringes were to have a strand of blue in them, and the commandment was to be carried out for all the generations of the people of Israel. We found this commandment in Numbers 15:37-41.

The commandment is reiterated in Deuteronomy:

Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself. (Deuteronomy 22:12 KJV)

The commandment of tzitzit immediately raises a number of questions. This short series attempts to find answers to some of them. The very first question that arises in my mind is: Does this apply to me, a New Covenant believer (and a Gentile convert on top of that)?

Many, it seems, have a ready answer: No. Well, there they have it then. They have saved themselves some reading, thinking, and seeking time. But for those of us who take a little closer look at these things, today’s article does just that.

Let’s start with some basic observations. Looking at the text in Numbers 15 we find who is to keep the commandment: the children of Israel. That text also tells us the time period this commandment is in effect: throughout their generations. Searching the Scripture doesn’t reveal any instance of this specific commandment being rescinded, or annulled.

So based on those observations, we can say that the commandment is applicable to the children of Israel and, not having been otherwise rescinded, it is still in effect for them.

At first glance that would seem to let non-Jewish believers off the hook. First, we are not Jewish, and second, we are under grace and not the law. But that is jumping to conclusions on both counts.

The first conclusion is that we are not Jewish. That is true for most of us here. But there is a deeper, and more relevant (to us), issue here. Due to a lack of knowledge of Scriptures over the centuries, it is a largely unknown but easily verifiable fact of Scripture that we are a part of Israel under the New Covenant. And it is to the children of Israel, not just Judah, that the mitzvah of tzitzit is gven.

Remember Jacob had many more sons than Judah. Israel has always been more than Judah, and always more than the Southern Kingdom. Though the Northern Kingdom, also called Israel, or Ephraim, in Scripture is currently largely lost, it is in the process of being found. And in Messiah, we’re in it!

But we’re not in it through Judah, who inherited the rulership of the children of Israel until Messiah appeared (Genesis 48:9-10). Rather, we identify with Ephraim, that son of a Gentile mother (Genesis 46:20), who inherited that portion of the promise to Abraham of becoming a multitude of people that was to be innumerable and by whom all nations would be blessed:

And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. (Genesis 48:14-20 KJV)

In a very concrete way, the dispersion of Ephraim into the nations, under YHWH’s judgment at the hands of Assyria, was the ultimate set-up for YHWH to fulfill this blessing! And today we become a part of the fulfillment of this blessing in Messiah.

In Messiah, we become Abraham’s children:

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. (Galatians 3:7-9 KJV)

And:

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.(Galatians 4:28 KJV)

And that is vitally important because:

Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. (Romans 9:7-8 KJV)

The Bible also speaks of Gentile converts as having been “grafted” in to Israel:

… and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree…(Romans 11:17 KJV)

In Messiah, we are added to the original root, partaking of the nourishment and life it provides and enjoy the “fatness” of it. We have, quite literally, become the children of Israel. Though we didn’t start out that way, by entering a New Covenant relationship with YHWH in Messiah, we have ended up that way.

And haven’t we joined Israel in a similar way as that other Gentile, Ruth? I consider this to be Ruth’s conversion into Israel:

And Ruth said… whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. (Ruth 1:16-17 KJV)

Haven’t we done that? Haven’t we left the gods of our fathers and the world of the heathen to follow the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? And haven’t we done so in a much deeper level than was possible for Ruth in that we have done so by entering YHWH’s New Covenant by which we have His Spirit placed in us?

And let’s not forget who Ruth is: the great, great grandmother of David, a great king of Israel and a man commended by YHWH as having been after His own heart. That David through whose lineage our Messiah would be born into this world.

Make no mistake about it. When we enter into the New Covenant, whether we realize it or not, we are converted from Gentile to Israel. We might not live like it, or up to it, but that doesn’t change the fact. In Messiah we have become a part of Israel. And as the children of Israel the commandment of tzitzit very much applies to us.

In fact, I’ll go even further: we must claim the tzitzit as our right as children of Israel. You see, the mitzvah is not a yoke around our necks to weigh us down. It is a fringe upon our garments that lift us up as people of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!

But that is how I see it. Your own convictions are between you and His Spirit, who makes us brethren. And I respect and love you in Messiah no matter what your own personal theological convictions are about these matters.

That now leaves us with the second conclusion to which we might be tempted to jump. Some might conclude that, though this mitzvah was to be observed throughout the generations of the children of Israel, it has now been annulled by grace, or replaced as “fulfilled” in Messiah.

This results from a misunderstanding, in my opinion, of Torah and the place Torah plays in the life of a believer. I’ve addressed this, at an initial level at least, in a previous article entitled Torah or Not Torah, That is the Question. I refer those interested back to it for a beginning non-theological explanation of my position on that topic.

Suffice it to say for now, that if we are to reject the mitzvah of tzitzit on the basis of being “fulfilled” in Messiah, then we must also reject observance of Biblical feasts, including the seventh day Sabbath, and dietary laws. I know that many of my readers do exactly that.

And so for you, dear brethren, it is consistent with your convictions to reject this mitzvah on the same basis. I neither judge you nor condemn you, but rather entrust all of us to YHWH, who in the end is able to make each of us stand before Him.

But for those of my readers who do observe such mitzvot as 7th-day Sabbaths, Feast days, and/or dietary laws to the honor of YHWH, this mitzvah is a part of Torah. I leave it to you and the Spirit to walk as only He has a right to tell you how to walk and, ultimately He teaches you.

Still thinking I’m a lunatic? Well, that’s alright. I just hope you see I come by it honestly.

And if you’re still with me on this, or still hanging in there with me to see where I’m going with all this, then here’s a preview. The 3rd part of this series will address how the mitzvah of tzitzit may be observed, not only by the letter but also by the love and Spirit which brings this mitzvah to life. In the fourth and final installment, I’ll give you some practical ideas and links to resources you may find useful if you decide to pick up this mitzvah in your own walk with Messiah.
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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Unless you are very new to exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith, you’ve come across the term “Tzitzit.” This week we’ll be exploring tzitzit in our Faith and Practice category. This is part one of a series.

Tzitzit, or tzitzis, are “fringes” or “tassels” worn by observant Jews on the corners of four-cornered garments. But what about those of us who have been joined to Israel through Messiah under the New Covenant? Should they be a part of our Torah-observant practice? And, if so, how do we observe this mitzvah (Hebrew for “commandment”)?

This week we’ll explore some of those issues. Feel free to speak up with your thoughts, ideas, or questions. Remember, I’m presenting my understanding and practice of the matter. What that means to you is between you and the Holy Spirit. What you add to the discussion will help shape and expand all of our inquiry into YHWH’s Torah.

But whether yea or nay on the mitzvah of tzitzits, I think all will benefit from the discussion. It’s always beneficial to arrive at a Spirit-led and Biblically-based conviction for our own walk with Messiah. Also, there are many among us who observe this mitzvah and it is helpful to understand what they are doing.

So the goal of our discussion here is not to convince, but to understand. Understand the practice of others, and seek understanding from the Spirit as to our personal application of Torah on this topic.

So let’s get started at the beginning. As with most issues of our faith and practice, there is a Biblical way and there is a Rabbinical way. And the two are often very different.

There is much developed practice and tradition regarding observance of this mitzvah among our Yehudi (Jewish/Tribe of Judah) brethren. Though their application of Torah is not binding, as Torah, there is nothing wrong with learning from, or even adopting some of, their traditional teaching and practice.

We’ll undoubtedly bring that into the discussion at some point, but we’ll benefit greatly from determining first the actual Torah:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes [tzitzit: fringe] in the borders [kanaph: corners,ends] of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe [tzitzit: fringe] of the borders [kanaph: corners,ends] a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe [tzitzit: fringe], that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God. (Numbers 15:37-41 KJV)

Biblical Function of Tzitzit
From these verses, we see that the tzitzit perform a function similar to the practice of tying a string around one’s finger as a visual reminder of something that must not be forgotten.
The tzitzit represent all of the the mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah and they remind the wearer to do all of YHWH’s mitvot.

With tzitzit attached to each of four corners of our garment, there are always two in front of us, two behind us, and two at each of our sides. When we go forward, when we move backwards, when we move to the right or to the left, we are symbolically placing YHWH’s Torah in that direction and we remind ourselves of His Ways as we make our way in the world.

Biblical Application of Tzitzit
We also see that the tzitzit are to be worn on the ends or corners of the wearer’s garments. In our culture and day we don’t usually (if ever) wear garments that have four distinct corners.

Biblical Form of Tzitzit
Tzitzit are to have a thread (“ribband” in the KJV quoted above) of blue in them.

Biblical “Spirit” of the Mizvah of Tzitzit
Tzitzit serve the function of reminding us follow Torah, especially when other choices are presented to us that might lure into different paths. But the mitzvah is practiced so that we end up doing the Torah to which the tzitzit serve as reminders.

This brief introduction should have raised many questions. Feel free to comment or ask questions. I’ll have more on this tomorrow!

Here are some pictures of tzitzit:

Close Up

Karaite Style

With and Without Blue Cord

Getting Fancy

And here is a very quick video clip showing some styles of tzitzits:

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Some sorrow is good for the soul. It’s not often something we seek, but sorrow can work something in us that is highly desirable. But we must experience the right kind of sorrow to reap a benefit. The wrong kind can destroy us.

Paul had written a particularly pointed and hard letter to the Corinthian believers regarding some particularly grievious sins. They took heed to what he said and it brought about good results. In his next letter Paul wrote:

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. (2 Corinthians 7:9-10 KJV)

Godly sorrow brings about results we would not want to change even though the process to get there was unpleasant. But there is another kind of sorrow: the sorrow of the world.

The sorrow of the world seeks to condemn and destroy. The sorrow of YHWH seeks to point us in the direction of His open door to forgiveness. And that is in order to build us up in His righteousness. The world’s sorrow seeks our destruction and defeat, godly sorrow seeks our deliverance and victory.

When we feel godly sorrow our discomfort is in knowing that we are out of step with the Spirit and He is calling us to return. The door has been left wide open for us to do so whenever we are willing:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 KJV)

That is a promise. He doesn’t maybe forgive us and sweep away a bit of unrighteousness. The text says He is “faithful” and “just” to forgive us. It goes on to say He cleanses us from “all” unrighteousness. The promise if based on the character of YHWH. You can bank on it. But we must confess our sins. And how are we led to the point of repentance and confession? Godly sorrow works wonders in that area!

Worldly sorrow, on the other hand, leaves no room for hope. Only despair and depression. At best, worldly sorrow offers only a shadowy glimpse of imagined forgiveness at the end of self-flaggelation (beating) and complicated acts of atonement. But at the end of that road is more sorrow and still guilt remains.

Are you experiencing guilt about something in your past or present? Turn it into godly sorrow by allowing it to move you to repentance. “Repentance” means to change your thinking, which results in a change in action. Sorrow is not repentance. It just leads us there.

Godly sorrow (a feeling) leads to repentance (an action) and brings about results we would not want to change (peace with YHWH and being placed back in step with the Spirit).

Having repented (making the decision to turn away from the sin), we confess our sin to YHWH. He has already promised we will be forgiven. We now put aside sorrow with the knowledge, by faith, that we have been forgiven and cleansed from our sin.

We are then usually led by the Spirit to make restitution of some sort, physical or verbal. We follow through on that, not as a means of attaining forgiveness, but as a way of following the Spirit in acts of righteousness to work the will of YHWH in the world.

There is no sorrow left at all after responding appropriately to godly sorrow. Only grace, mercy, righteousness, peace, and rejoicing. And that is a result, as Paul wrote, not to be repented of!

Father, we thank you for the sorrow that comes rightly from you as we know that it is meant for our good and to produce a harvest of righteousness in our lives. We ask that you would search our hearts and reveal to us those areas and activities that we should repent from and seek forgiveness from you. Grant us the sorrow over those issues that will lead to repentance and rejoicing in righteousness. Protect us from worldy sorrow as we know it is a tool of the enemy to imprison and make ineffective your servants. We thank you for your continued and boundless mercies and grace in our lives. We ask that your Name and your Kingdom would be glorified in us. And we ask that in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Don’t miss a Minute Message! Get it delivered daily to your e-mail. Simple and free sign-up with this form!

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Evil had successfully infiltrated the ranks of believers by the time the apostle John wrote what we call his third epistle. Evil had gained such a foothold among certain congregations that the leadership in at least one congregation had taken to rejecting even the apostle John himself! (See 3 John 1:9)

That particular congregation must have been a mess. They apparently lacked the discernment or the will, or both, to stop following a leader that was rebellious to the work of the kingdom. That leader, Diotrephes, apparently had undertaken the task of building his own little kingdom.

Writing in the environment of whole congregations being waylaid from Kingdom work by evil, John wrote to a trusted friend in the Gospel:

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. (3 John 1:11 KJV)

Often, in a culture steeped in wrongdoing, and some congregations are steeped in such a culture, it can become hard to separate ourselves from wrongdoing. But that separation, or “sanctification,” from the world’s value system is exactly what we are called to do as New Covenant believers.

John’s words are clear: those that follow evil do not know YHWH. Those that follow good do. So it behooves us, who do know YHWH, to follow the good and reject the evil. That is who we are under the New Covenant.

Look around your own world today. Anywhere you turn, whether country, community, congregation, or even family, there is probably wrongdoing that might be easy to fall into imitating.

Where can we find refuge from all these bad influences and examples? It is not to be found outside of us, but within. The bastion of defense against evil is not our congregation, our family, our community, or our country. It is our heart and mind. That is where the fight takes place and that is where the defense is to be made.

Country, community, congregation and family can and should be set up to promote a culture of righteousness. But even when successful at doing that, the battle is still to be won or lost at the level of individual hearts and minds.

The battle is up to each one of us, wherever we are, as servants of the King and workers in His Kingdom. And we have been well equipped for that fight. But we must make the decision to follow the good and not the evil, as John wrote to his friend and partner Gaius.

How? Whole books have been written about that. Some great, some terrible. But the most basic starting point is simple. We must daily nourish our faith by feeding our mind with the Word of YHWH.

While doing that, we must let the Word be absorbed into our spirit by the Holy Spirit within us. He enables us to interact with, and receive, the Truth of the Word.

And finally we must exercise our faith in order to turn all of that absorbed nourishment into muscle. We exercise our faith by doing what the Word of YHWH says to do. We do that effectively by keeping in step with the Spirit who shows us how to apply the Word according to YHWH’s will.

Some become spiritual “couch” potatoes by engorging themselves with a little bit of the Word of YHWH, a whole lot of reprocessed and artificial theology, and then sit around as “armchair theologians” calling the plays for everyone else while judging everybody else’s performance and strategy but their own. Let’s not follow that way either!

It is a foundational concept of Scripture that those who follow evil are not of YHWH. We are of YHWH. So it is a given that we are followers of good and not evil. We should be like those famous monkeys: hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, and do no evil.

Beloved, John was writing to us even though his intended audience was Gaius. Let’s seek out the good and then follow it for we have indeed seen YHWH!

Abba Father, we thank you for calling us into your Kingdom and making us your people. You are indeed our Elohim and we desire to follow your way. We reject the way of evil. We ask for forgiveness, as you taught us to do, when we get off the track of good you have called us to. We thank you for your many mercies and great and precious promises whereby we might lay hold of life and godliness. Help us to understand and take hold of those gifts to us. We praise you and thank you, and ask these things, in the name of our Messiah, Yeshua. Amen.

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For many, these are times of want and need. Within that want and need lies abundant opportunity to grow in our character. Not just through perseverance and patience, but also in the act of turning to our Heavenly Father and asking Him to fulfill our needs or desires.

A good many folks shy away from asking YHWH/God for anything because they fear they are being selfish. But the act of asking YHWH for a lot, and often, is actually good for building a godly character! This can be seen by taking a look at some of the the scriptural principles of asking YHWH for what we seek. Here are some biblical principles to get started with:

Ask in the First Place
Often times we don’t directly ask YHWH for what we want. Wishing and asking are two different things. Asking recognizes the giver, wishing recognizes the lack and doubts the provider. Ponder this promise:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:7-11 KJV)

By developing the habit of asking YHWH for our needs and wants, we grow in our awareness that He is our provider of all things necessary and desired. We develop the character trait of trusting YHWH to provide for us rather than trusting in ourselves.

Ask Without Doubt
Faith and doubt are opposites. The more faith one has, the less doubt. The more doubt, the less faith. And doubt is not a basis upon which we can think we will be answered:

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (James 1:6-7 KJV)

But even asking in doubt benefits us. It reveals to us our areas of doubt which are our weaknesses. It also shows us where we need to build up our faith.

Asking is serves as that faith-building exercise. So let’s get in there and pump up those faith muscles! Two factors are involved in building muscle: weight and repetition.

We build up our faith by asking often (repetition), and by making increasingly bigger requests (weight). Not too much faith right now? Start small, and then “increase the weight” little by little by stepping out a little bit further in faith each time. And ask often!

Keep Asking
How long? Until we receive what we seek or until we hear from YHWH why we don’t need it:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

Remember Paul who sought relief for a physical affliction that hindered his ministry. It turns out he had not understood how that affliction actually perfected his ministry. He might not have found this out if he had not asked in the first place:

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 KJV)

Notice how Paul ended up rejoicing that his prayers had not been answered! If we don’t ask, we might not find these things out. So we must ask until we receive either what we seek, or an understanding of why what we seek is not beneficial to us.

Asking may open the door to new insight in our relationship with YHWH, which will lead us to new levels of action in our faith.

Ask for the Right Reason
Of course, it is possible to ask for the wrong things. This is perhaps one of the greatest reasons people don’t end up getting their prayers answered. Here is one guideline:

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (James 4:3 KJV)

We’re His people. He has an investment in us. He will not destroy us by giving us the means to destroy ourselves. But be careful. Satan is more than willing to step in and provide the tools of self-destruction. It is always appropriate to study our motives in asking for what we seek.

Asking is an opportunity to enter into self-reflection and turning our ear to listen to the Spirit in order to understand our motives. This will expose our hidden motives that are harmful to our character.

Be Wise
Asking is not an excuse for being lazy. YHWH may give us what we seek, but that does not mean we will not have to work for it. Many proverbs address the folly of laziness. YHWH may be trying to save us from such foolishness by requiring us to put in the effort in order to receive the blessing. Here is one such proverb:

In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury (poverty). (Proverbs 14:23 KJV)

Sometimes it happens that the right thing to do is to get off our knees and get to work. Definitely ask, but don’t assume that asking will replace doing. He may provide our answer by opening doors, not the heavens.

Be Content
Ultimately He knows what is best for us. And He is also in control. Our current situation is where we need to be today, for whatever reason. There is something to be accomplished, or something to be learned. If we focus on our lack we will miss what “blessing in disguise” our lack provides for us.

It is fine to ask YHWH for what we need and desire. In fact it is an act of faith that is pleasing to YHWH. But it is also an act of faith pleasing to YHWH when we trust Him and accept that He has placed us in our current situation for a reason.

We must learn to be focused on Him today, not on today’s condition of lack or of abundance. Like Paul, we want to be able to say:

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Philippians 4:11 KJV)

That’s faith in action!

Be Patient
Finally, YHWH is wise in the way He blesses us. He may not be able to bless us immediately for the sake of not “blowing us out of the water” by overwhelming us. Keep in mind His promise to the wandering Israelites in regards to their promised land:

I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. (Exodus 23:29-30 KJV)

As we can see from all these principles, the act of asking involves more than receiving or not receiving. It also involves shaping our character as the people of YHWH. So let’s ask, and ask often. In the process, we’ll be building the right character!

Father, teach us to ask you day by day for all the things we need. Help us to learn from our asking those things that will make us more like your Son, Yeshua. Show us what stands in the way of our prayers and help us to turn away from those things and toward you. We ask this in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.
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Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Yeshua promised us persecution. It is the mark of a true follower of Messiah and He taught us that we are blessed when we experience it. He also taught us that we should be very happy to find ourselves in the same lot as YHWH’s servants who have preceded us:

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12 KJV)

Note the keywords “for righteousness sake” and “falsely.” We are blessed when people revile, persecute and “say all manner of evil against” us falsely. The reason they make up all manner of stories is because they hate our desire to live a righteous life under the New Covenant. And the stories are not true. If we are accused of wrongdoing for wrong we have actually done, that is not persecution.

If we strive to live by the Spirit we can expect (as in “count on it”) those who live by the flesh to become very nasty at times. I feel safe in assuming we all have personal experience to back up the experience of YHWH’s followers in scripture: few can be more vicious to His servants than the religious status quo.

But that is good. It separates the real from the fake. Persecution for our faith is a mark of authenticity. It is a mark that has been shared by Messiah Yeshua and all His servants throughout all the ages.

And we need not be overly concerned about those who undertake to work against YHWH by oppressing His servants. In fact, we need not be concerned about them at all. The matter already concerns YHWH and He is taking note. In fact, He is taking their actions very personally.

How do I know this? Just look between the lines of the parable told by Yeshua as recorded in Matthew 25:32-46.

You’ll recall that in “the end of days” the righteous and the cursed are separated into two groups like goats and sheep. Our Messiah commends the righteous for ministering to Him in the hours of His greatest needs. Astonished, they respond:

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:37-40 KJV)

Obviously Messiah has taken very personally the mercies and ministering extended to the very least among us. Doing good to them was counted as doing good directly to Messiah.

As for the cursed, Messiah orders condemnation to Hell. The goats, like the sheep, are astonished:

Then shall they [the cursed of 25:41] also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (Matthew 25:44-45 KJV)

Every time the needs of even the least among us are ignored Messiah is personally offended. Presumably these cursed “goats” had the ability to do something for the needs they saw but chose not to do so. Ignoring those needs was counted directly as ignoring the needs of Messiah!

So we have those who served Messiah by serving the needy. And we also have those who ignored the Messiah by ignoring the needy. But missing from the parable is another group that is appears in Scripture and in life: those who outright oppress the needy.

There are some who would be doing a great service to the needy just by ignoring them. Instead, they seek to cause harm out of fear, envy, greed, pride, selfishness and a host of other flesh-inspired motivations. What might Messiah say to them in that day of judgement?

We don’t know but, following the parable’s formula, it might go something like this:

“I was hungry, and you stole my bread by making it impossible for me to find work or to be even mildly profitable in business. I was thirsty and you poisoned my well and then encouraged my neighbor to withhold water from me. I was a stranger, and not only did you leave me out in the cold, you made sure I was shunned by any who might be inclined to take me in by telling all manner of lies to destroy my reputation and to cause people to fear me without cause. I was naked, and you sought to keep me uncovered and vulnerable. I was sick, and you made sure to try to weaken me unto death. I was imprisoned and you sought to add false accusations against me in order to further lock me away out of spite, fear, envy and jealousy.”

There are some who that fall in this unspoken category. Ironically, coming under the oppression of this group is a great opportunity and is therefore, a blessing.

To take advantage of the opportunity, we must not get suckered into joining their wickedness. Yeshua commanded that we repay evil with good. Their evil is our opportunity to be salt and light for Messiah.

And we must also focus on continuing in YHWH’s service without becoming discouraged. We must not allow our faith to be shipwrecked by evil-doers and evil-deeds committed against us as has happened to so many others.

Finally, we need to bear the “beatings” such persecutions bring as a servant of the Lord. We must rejoice because we find ourselves in the way of our Messiah, His apostles, and all His prophets and servants throughout history. Indeed, we find ourselves walking the same path as all who will live godly in Messiah:

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV)

You may not bear marks upon your body in your own situation, but the marks you bear upon your soul in service to YHWH are not in vain. Our Messiah is taking such actions very personally.

Father, we thank you for your Word that teaches us how to pursue paths of righteousness in a wicked and sin-twisted world. Grant us the grace and mercy to respond to evil with good and to bear up under testing with patience and faith in your protection and deliverance from our oppressors. Have mercy on our oppressors and grant to them the eyes to see their sin and the grace to repent and seek first your Kingdom and righteousness, as you have done for us. We thank you for the promises and hope we have in your Kingdom. We trust you will bring to pass all you have said and wait patiently for your vindication. We ask these things in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

YHWH has given us the very great gift of a New Covenant relationship with Him. Under the New Covenant we are made to be His people. This involves atonement for sin, becoming a new creation, and having our character formed to be like that of Yeshua through life-experience as we seek to keep in step with the Spirit.

Having our character formed to be like that of Yeshua is called “progressive sanctification.” Progressive sanctification is the process of becoming more and more set-apart (separated) from the world as we live life more and more line with the Kingdom of YHWH in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

As we pick up the call of Peter:

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (conduct); Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:14-16 KJV)

What we do as believers under the New Covenant does matter. The more we identify with the world and live according to its godless and/or idolatrous practices the more we stand in the way of YHWH’s will for us. It is His will that we, as His people, be set apart from the world and conformed to the character of Yeshua.

While the benefit of progressive sanctification is our right as New Covenant children of YHWH, others benefit by it as well. By seeking first the Kingdom of YHWH and His righteousness, we are made participants in the great work He is doing to bring about His will in the world. This is a great blessing and gift. And a very great responsibility.

We are not forced into progressive sanctification any more than we were forced into the New Covenant. We must choose to seek that course in response to His call to do so. It is our responsibility to make the choices that reflect YHWH’s call on our lives.

On His part, He has provided a new heart in us, His Word, and His Spirit to enable us to pursue and successfully realize progressive sanctification. But we must make the choice to avail ourselves of the many great and precious promises He has given us whereby we might lay hold of a life of godliness.

In the course of daily life, some often don’t recognize when they are presented with a choice to be made between the world and YHWH. That is because sin can become so entrenched in our environment that it seems “normal” to us. We don’t recognize that something is amiss.

One such area that is prevalent among believers today, in my experience, is addressed in the book of Proverbs. In it we are presented with a list of seven things the Lord hates. He hates them so badly that they are called an abomination to Him! An abomination is “something that elicits extreme abhorrence, disgust, repugnance and aversion.” In other words, God really, really hates these seven things.

Lest we miss the regularly presented opportunities to make the right choices in these matters, we would do well to review that list briefly here.

Can you imagine what this list must include in order to be so offensive to the Lord? Surely, we would think, it must contain some vile items in order to be so repulsive to YHWH.

But chances are you will be surprised to find you personally know, and perhaps even consider as “godly,” some fellow believers who abide in more than one of the items on the list of things YHWH hates.

Let’s take a look:

These six things doth YHWH hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19 KJV (Unmasked))

If we read through the list casually or quickly we risk missing the impact of realizing that YHWH abhors some practices that are actually very common among some circles of “followers.” Let’s slow down and absorb what is listed in order to gain YHWH’s perspective and thus respond accordingly when we see them in our midst.

• Proud Look: If humility is a key to the kingdom of YHWH then pride will barricade the door. Consider that YHWH gives grace to the humble and resists the proud (James 4:6).

  So why do we sometimes extend our own grace to those who are most arrogant and condescending in our congregations? Is there anyone who speaks up for those who are looked down upon (or even just plain looked over) in our congregation? If not, then why is it not us?

  Better to risk offending a proud but prominent congregation member than risk offending YHWH by turning a blind eye to some situations.

• Lying Tongue: Have you ever been lied to by another believer in order for them to gain some advantage over you? Have you ever been mislead into believing something false by the words of a follower of Yeshua?

  I know some people who automatically grant great trust to others who make any kind of claim at all to prayer, Jesus, the Bible, or if they display any sort of religious items in their environment.

  I’ve seen those same people get burned big time by these religious play-actors, too. Lying is not a godly act, nor is it excusable. In fact, YHWH hates it. And don’t forget who Yeshua said is the father of all lies. “Who’s your daddy?” Might be a good question to ask in the congregation sometimes.

• Hands that Shed Innocent Blood: Aha! Here’s a big one: murder, right? But let’s look at this item again in context of the other items listed. John wrote: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15 KJV).

  What about “character assasination?” Isn’t that trying to destroy somebody by impugning their character, often falsely, out a motive of hatred? There are many I know personally who have “blood on their hands” from destroying the reputations of brothers and sisters in Messiah. I suspect many congregations are full of “murderers” of this variety.

• Heart that Deviseth Wicked Imaginations: Can you imagine a believer actually spending time and effort dreaming up, working out, and planning some scheme to hurt or cheat a fellow believer? Many former followers of Yeshua now despise any form of fellowship because they have been victimized by such as these.

• Feet Swift to Mischief: Know anybody who loves to be in the middle of every controversy? You know the type: gleefully stirring the pot, running here and there to act as talebearer, delighting in discord. Causing strife for anyone else is not entertainment. It is not doing the work of the Kingdom or YHWH. It is not a payback. It is sin. Abominable sin according to YHWH’s measure.

• False Witness Speaking Lies: This would include lying about others or spreading rumors. When a person repeats a rumor, especially when done in a way that suggests they are expressing fact, they act as a witness.

  Even if they are mistaken, they are still a false witness because they are acting like they know something when they haven’t even verified it for themselves. Scripture has much to say about being a gossip. And about being a false witness. Much that is too often ignored among the brethren.

• Sower of Discord Among Brethren: Yeshua said that peacemakers are blessed because they shall be called the children of YHWH. That’s because they are like their Father, who is a peacemaker. Why do some followers of Messiah get so much satisfaction out of fanning the flames of controversy between parties?

  Let’s not be fooled. This behavior is downright ungodly and is contrary to the purposes of YHWH among His people. No wonder it is abominable to Him!

Notice that the whole body (eyes, hand, heart, tongue, feet) is involved. These verses are directed to those who make it a very part of their physical being to do these things. They “abide” in their sin.

These are not sins that are repented of and forgiven (1 John 1:8-9). They are sins that are welcome and comfortable friends in some people’s lives. And they attack the body of Messiah while working contrary to the purposes and will of YHWH. They are an abomination to Him. As His people, with His Spirit in us, they should be an abomination to us as well.

So let’s take every opportunity in daily life to set ourselves apart from these seven things. That alone will take us a long way in our journey of progressive sanctification.

Father in Heaven, thank you for your New Covenant and for providing the way for us to enter into it with you. Grant us the grace and mercy to set ourselves apart from the world, being holy as you are holy. Help us especially to avoid the terrible sins in society, even among your people who remain immersed in society, by making us aware of how much you hate them. We are willing to be set apart from the world, Father. Please make it so in our daily lives. We ask this in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

Serving the Messiah, building His Kingdom, ministering to the needs of others in His Name. The work is never finished. In fact, it seems to increase the more we move forward.

But reading His Word, meeting Him in Prayer, being still and knowing that He is God… Somehow there never seems to be enough time to do those things too. They get pushed aside “until later” all too often…

Our intentions are good but there is so much to get done. And so little time to do it in. We tend to decide to get the pressing things done today because we feel pressure to act now. But we must stop ourselves!

Let’s catch our breath and remember Mary and Martha:

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:38-42)

The need was NOW for Martha. Martha had received the Messiah into her house. She was the hostess and it was her responsibility to make sure the hospitality was in order.

The amount of work pressing on her caused her to feel burdened, hindered, and “cluttered-up” (that’s what “cumbered” means) from all the running around to serve the guests.

And there was Mary sitting down. True, it was at the Master’s feet to listen to His teaching. But harried Martha had her hands full. With Mary’s help, Martha might be able to sit down and learn that much sooner. Yeshua seemed slow to recognize this so exasperated Martha “nudged” Him a bit.

Yeshua’s words, a picture of grace and mercy in tone, likely caused Martha to sit down right then and there. Let’s listen again and try, once more, to really hear them this time:

Martha, thou art careful (ie. full of care) and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part…

How tempting it is to be “care-full” and troubled about many things as we serve our Messiah, trying to do all that is urgently needed. Ironically, if we take the bait, we end up not doing what was actually needed.

What isn’t needful is to be caught up in the many things we might easily be troubled and filled with care about as we minister to others. Yet all too often that is exactly what we occupy ourselves with. But we must learn to be different.

What is needful is that we be “caught up” in keeping a front-row seat with our Messiah. For me that means Bible reading, reflection, and prayer. These are the “living” things which are so easily put off until later so that we may undertake all the “dead” things that need to be laid to rest now. Poor choice. Messiah Yeshua told us the good choice: Him.

So now picture all of us, along with Mary and Martha, sitting at the Master’s feet listening. Who will be getting up to do a quick tidy-up? By YHWH’s grace, next time it won’t be me! How about you?

Abba, Father, thank you for your patience with us. Forgive us for those times when we are full of care and troubled about many things. Help us to focus on those things that are needful: to keep in close communion with you through daily prayer, Bible reading, and Spirit-led doing of your Word. Grant us the grace to be able to distinguish between the urgent and the important and help us to do those things that are most needful. We ask these things in the name of our Messiah, Yeshua. Amen.

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What do you think? Please leave a comment below and let us know! Thank you.

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Permission to reproduce and distribute hereby granted if the following four conditions are met: 1) The article must be reproduced in its entirety and the content may not be modified in any way. 2) Author’s name and copyright information, including these permission conditions must appear with article. 3) Author’s contact information (jim@jimzboran.com | www.jimzboran.com) must appear with article. 4) Article must be freely distributed without charge or financial gain.

I read the following in an email from a discussion group I follow:

In essence you are stating that the “traditional Christians” are not filled with the Spirit, not following the Spirit, maybe not even saved. And that just isn’t true.

I think the majority of those good people are following the leading of the Spirit to the very best of their enlightenment. They are just under bad (not false) teachings. And those teachers are teaching to the best of their enlightenment also. None of these people (laymen nor teachers) are maliciously disobeying God’s commands.

[snip]

We need to be very respectful of our brothers and sisters who are “not obeying” as we see obedience. After all, look how long it took most of us to see through all the layers of bias we’d been taught. And we still don’t have it all right. We’re just barely scratching the surface.

Great insights! This is also a great example of the “benefit of the doubt” we should give to all who, in good faith, don’t see things in our faith as we do. And there are many who fall in that category.

I think the person who wrote those words echoes the same Spirit as Paul admirably:

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. (Philippians 3:13-16 KJV)

BUT there is an important caveat: “Wolves” and “Weeds” among the brethren also see things differently than us. But in their case, they are part of a strategy of Satan meant for our harm.

Note how Paul continues after the verses we just read:

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Philippians 3:17-19 KJV)

Immediately after encouraging the Phillipians to set aside honest differences in pursuit of the bigger picture, Paul warned them about staying away from trouble-makers in their midst. That’s the other side of the coin of appropriate action toward those who disagree with us.

We must give the benefit of the doubt to those who arrive at a different understanding of YHWH honestly. But Wolves and Weeds don’t differ with us honestly. They differ oppositionally.

Their interest is not in arriving at truth but rather in obscuring it so they can continue their destructive activity. That is their function among believers: destroy the saints by choking them out or by tearing them up.

Wolves and Weeds are not keeping in step with the Spirit, or even trying to do so. In fact, they work against the Spirit. They are sent by the Enemy to hinder us, even to the point of stopping us. “Wolves” are those who enter the flock with a lust to kill sheep. They usually come dressed in “sheep’s clothing” and they hide among the “Weeds” for cover.

Those of us who are charged with the responsibility of protecting a flock have learned that Wolves are very tricky. Usually there is no indication of a problem until a string of ripped-up sheep begin popping up. Then we know there is a resident problem. And experience tells us the place to find them is usually hiding among the Weeds.

The Weeds are those that are present to choke out the good crops. They have no intention of producing a harvest of righteousness nor a harvest for the Kingdom. Rather they multiply and attempt to smother the Spirit in a congregation. They do this by nay-saying, discouragement, and providing examples and enticements to follow them in their worldliness.

Wolves and Weeds do have one important function among believers: expose the real flock among the brethren:

For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. (1 Corinthians 11:18-19)

I appreciate the words in the email I quoted above. I applaud the spirit in which they were written. We should seek to have an attitude of charity and good-will with other believers, even when we have come to different conclusions about our faith in good faith.

That doesn’t mean we have to do what they do. That also doesn’t mean we should not teach or explain our position. Further, it does not mean we should not cling to our good conscience and considered study in a matter.

But it does mean that we accord those in our faith who honestly disagree with us the respect and love due brethren. In the end, just as we should do with ourselves, we must leave them to the hand of their Master.

He is able to make them stand just as He is able to make us stand. But Wolves and Weeds are a different story. They will not be made to stand. In fact, they will fall in due time. Until that day, we must take care not to be choked out or ripped up by Wolves and Weeds.

But we must also refrain from choking out or ripping up the brethren who disagree with us. If we don’t, what distinguishes us from the Wolves and Weeds?

Abba, Father in Heaven, we thank you and praise you for your great goodness to us. You have provided us with your Spirit and your Word and all of your great and precious promises that by them we may lay hold of life and godliness. May we treat our brethren with all charity and may we see all Wolves and Weeds with clarity. Grant us the grace, Father, to see as your Son sees, as we have the same Spirit as He. Glorify your Name and your Kingdom in us by helping us to respond appropriately to the brethren and also the world. We ask these things in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen.

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Copyright 2010 Jim Zboran. All rights reserved.
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