“The law of YHWH [is] perfect, refreshing the soul, The testimonies of YHWH [are] steadfast, Making the simple wise, The precepts of YHWH [are] upright, Rejoicing the heart, The command of YHWH [is] pure, enlightening the eyes, The fear of YHWH [is] clean, standing for all time, The judgments of YHWH [are] true, They have been righteous—together... In keeping them [is] a great reward.”” (Psa 19:7-11, LSV)
Better than gold.
Do you want your soul refreshed?
How do we refresh our soul? Caffeine? Yoga? 30 Day Challenges? Well, repentance did it for me. I speak to my fellow Christian. Do you remember when you first humbled yourself in the sight of this man Jesus? Do you remember putting trust in the promise of eternity with the Creator of the Universe?
It’s almost mind blowing. He spoke the world into existence. Also, He died to reach out and save my life from death itself.
The perfect God did not create an imperfect Torah. His instructions are a part of His gift (inheritance) to His children.
This is why I celebrate.
I once was lost, but now I’m found. When I was lost, I had no direction. I had no “way.”
Now that my Jesus brought me back into His flock, I need His Rod and His Staff to guide me and keep me away from danger.
Many people will tell you that the “Law of Moses” is bad news, that it should be avoided at all costs.
I tell you, I was there, I thought like that. I spoke like that. But God’s Word says that Torah is more precious than gold and that it is sweeter than honey. God promises me that if I seek Torah, there is great reward.
I remember the TV ads for the Oldsmobile. The executives decided to appeal to a new generation, so they penned the phrase, “It’s not your father’s Oldsmobile.”
What if you like dad’s car?
The assumption is that young people don’t like their parents, so they wouldn’t like to follow in their footsteps. It’s the plot of just about every so-called coming of age movie. “I don’t want dad’s job. I don’t want dad’s clothes (I want less clothes), his haircut, or even his religion.”
A fortress built on rebellion
There is strength within the walls of the castle. We have a story from Yeshua that debunks every “Footloose and Flashdance” of each generation. We call it “the prodigal son.” He wanted the cash, but nothing else. He didn’t want the fence, the roof, or the bed. What he found was mud and pig poop. He finally was able to see the comparison.
He opted for a taste of his dad’s life. He would rather have his dad’s leftovers than those of Miss Piggy.
Yet the smear campaign continues
The agents of the enemy know that it stinks out there in the wilderness, but they spin a tale of oasis. The wonderful truth is that our Father God will take us back and feast in our name. The angels even celebrate.
How do we stay in the blessing zone?
We follow our instructions that our loving parents give us. I speak of our Heavenly Father as well as our earthly parents (if they are, in fact feeding us scriptural guidance).
hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the Torah of your mother.”
Proverbs 1:8 KJVERV
Why should I listen to Mom’s Torah?
They are a gift, an award. Think “gold medal” in the Olympics. Holy bling for your head and neck. Close to the heart.
Moms rule.
I read a book about the history of the English language. I was fascinated to learn about a four hundred year reign of France over Britain. How did that happen and we still have a language called “English?”
In “The Adventure of English,” the author claims that mommy did it. That essentially, the moms taught the children generation after generation of occupation and the English language survived. While it now includes many French words, it eventually was capable of an amazing revival. I happen to speak English, even in my head.
Let’s keep the Torah close to our hearts. Not only that, it’s time we brag about it, knowing we didn’t make it. But we were given it by a Father who loves us. And we can gift it to our children.
As dads and moms, we have the power to hand the key to powerful understanding and blessings.
I may be tickled if my daughter has my nose or my particular taste in old movies, but…
The real reward is when we hand our children the grace and beauty found in God’s Holy instructions.
Long live the world’s most important warrior, who has proven stronger than kings and conquerors – The Torah wielding Mom.
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Keep in mind, I did not ask, how do we prove that we love God. Are these ways that we know that we love God?
You have a bumper sticker.
You sing in the praise team.
You have #blessed on your profile.
You listen to positive, encouraging music in the car.
You recite the apostles’ creed.
You even know what the apostles’ creed is.
The Beloved
They call John “the beloved disciple.” Theologians say that he had a special bond with Jesus. Evidenced in several verses, but especially at the cross where Jesus asked him to take care of Miriam, his mother. So this beloved disciple tells us the evidence for showing that God is our beloved.
Cliff Notes:
Obey God if you love Him.
The Fruit of Loving God
Fruit Is A Testimony
Fruit is pleasant, and it has great effects. People of the world see the good deeds that are described in the Torah and glorify God because it has shown them that He is real.
Fruit Is Not A Burden
If Paul was adamant about us rejecting God’s laws, why did he want us to miss this opportunity to bless the world? Was he calling the law a yoke? Why did John say that it’s not a burden? Why did Jesus call us to take His yoke and why did He say that it is easy?
Conqueror
Seeing our obedience to God (following His Torah) can be a conquering force. John says that our faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Does the world need to be overcome today?
Don’t Just Say It, Live It.
Do you have faith enough to conquer? Then you must have faith enough to obey.
Show me some faith without action. I’ve never seen it. But I can point you to some people who have actions that speak louder than words. The mouth of faith is an arm. The hand of God is in the works of His servants. The eyes of the world take notice, and they have no gripe in the court of heaven.
This is just one way that the Torah brings victory over the enemy. If you have faith, you will seek to follow the Jesus example. Like Him, you will overcome.
The world will give God the glory for our good deeds. The enemy will lose more of his grip.
Bring YHWH glory on earth, as if it were the very throne of God.
Give Torah A Try
Open up your heart to the possibility that man has largely gotten it wrong about Torah for more than 2,000 years. From Genesis to Revelation, we now know, Jesus (Yeshua) is present. People used to think He was a “New Testament” invention. A closer look shows that He has been here from the beginning.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:1
Now, as He is the alpha and Omega, and the living Word. Let’s consider that He has been here as the Living Torah for All Time.
I John 3:16-24 is about love in action. In the past few decades people have rightfully noted that love is a verb.
Simply saying, or writing it on a greeting card is not enough.
It gets complicated
It’s certainly safe to say that live is a noun but the evidence of it is full out verb-a-rific.
In this we know his love toward us, for he gave himself for us. And it is also right for us to give ourselves for our brothers.
I John 3:16
Laying down our lives, helping a brother in need? This is how we love in deed, and in truth. We all know when we are loved. We can tell in our hearts. Sadly, we there is a deception in our hearts which can draw us to affectionate counterfeits. The world tells us that romance is love, and often goes further to saying that love is romance. This leads to abuse and confusion. I John 3:20 explains a truth that can’t be denied.
God is greater than our hearts, and knows all things.
John, The Beloved
There’s Torah
If you believe, as I used to, that Torah is done away with, there are two hard sayings in this paragraph of I John 3.
When we do what pleases God and keep His commands (Torah), we can receive whatever we ask from Him.
Keeping His commands let’s us remain in Yeshua and Him in us.
Have you heard it said, that you can’t do anything to win God’s favor? Why do we say that?
I guess it has to do with our understanding of favor. Scripture often repeats that The Father is “pleased” with us when we obey His commandments. We could make a distinction between favor and God’s being pleased with us. However, I get the sense that sermons and songs often blend them in the same Vitamix.
Is God Ever Mad?
We all agree on the title of the song and movies, “God’s Not Dead.” But can we all sing a song that affirms God’s not mad? What’s the opposite of “pleased?” Is being not pleased notably different from being mad?
Just ponder it a little. But we have to realize that we can be His children and live outside His will for us as well as being outside His pleasure and favor.
I would say an essential benefit, and function of the Torah is obedience. Have you ever frustrated your child when you had expectations that were not met, but they were not communicated to the child? Imagine being angry that your daughter stayed up until 1 AM before needing to wake up early. Now, imagine if you didn’t tell her that bed time was 10 PM. Imagine that you didn’t tell her that she needed to wake up at 6 AM. If this was the case, you would have zero grounds for being displeased.
Very simply, God has given us instructions for righteousness. Obeying doesn’t make us righteous – well, if we were perfect, we would show it by our righteous living. But since we have dropped that ball more than once, we rest on the righteousness of the perfect one – Messiah.
We imitate His righteous living in order to please the One we love. Don’t you want to please your Father? Don’t you see it worthwhile to please your King? Ask Him. What would He want you to do, to lay down your life?
Yes, there are rewards. He answers our prayers, and He blesses us with His presence.
and everything that we ask, we will receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do pleasing [things] before him.
I John 3:22
And he who keeps his commandments is kept by him and he lives in him.
I John 3:24
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, be blessed in our hearts and blessed in our deeds. Keep us in your Son by your Spirit. We live you and want to please you. Show us the way. Show us the way. Let our foot stay stable as we walk, as we run the path of life. Amen.
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
I John 2:7
At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
I John 2:8
How can it be old and new? Well, simply, a new law can be the same as an old one but may contain more context for your present life. Through deeper study, we can uncover more detail in order to bring newness to the word.
Messiah did this when He taught on the mount.
You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Matt. 5:21-22
The Savior did not destroy the old law against murder. He explained how we can break that law inwardly. The old law became new, if you understand more. The level of obedience was expanded.
Most people don’t realize that New Covenant laws can be actually harder to obey.
For most of us, it’s easy to refrain from doing fatal violence to another. But, most likely, all of us have experienced hatred in our hearts and minds. That’s harder to address, if you ask me. As we draw closer to His righteousness, we become more righteous.
Is it both?
Covenant or Torah?
I want to bring something to mind in regards to the idea of a new covenant. That is that a covenant is not a commandment or law. A covenant is an agreement. The Hebrew word Beriyth (covenant) is not the same as the word Torah (instruction). There are laws or commandments inside an agreement known as covenant. There are even conditions in covenants.
When there is a fault in a covenant, it does not mean that a covenant is faulty or poorly thought out. It simply means it is broken. Someone didn’t keep their part of the bargain.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
Hebrews 8:7
The drawing board did not happen because the first was silly, or poorly thought out. There was a divorce, of sorts. In order to bring the bride back in, she needs to be married again. Some theologians point out that the term “new” can be seen as “renewed,” as in “renewed mind.”
my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 31:32
I actually believe Torah always was. That, at least at the beginning of earthly time, it was established. Many people would argue with this but the I John 2:7 seem to support this idea. After all, John is the one who gave us, “In the beginning was the Word.”
an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
I John 2:7
It appears that Torah was here and given to God’s children before and after the stone tablets. At different times the Father brought it forth in an agreement with key prophets.
I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,
Jeremiah 31:31
As for me and my house, we don’t only run to Torah (rather than away), we embrace our identity as grafted and adopted into Israel. The New Covenant, which the church embraces in name, is given to Israel and Judah. I figure I must be one of those (or both) if I am to have Torah implanted in my heart and an inheritance called Jerusalem – New Jerusalem.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, may your name be blessed. You are almighty king forever. I thank you Father that there is nothing that can separate me from your love. Thank you that I have been adopted by you. I love your Kingdom. May I always be doing kingdom ministry. Keep me in the ancient way. Let me hear the sound of your voice in the morning and the evening. Let me welcome your instruction. Thank you for Messiah’s teaching to better clarify to me your word and your way. Amen.
Will you be in New Jerusalem? …Old Jerusalem will be there too.
According to the apostle John, obeying the commandments of God is proof that we know Him.
Do you know God?
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
I John 2:3 ESV
Today, I start our journey down the road with our tour guide, John, The Beloved Disciple. He has been considered by theologians as a close friend of Jesus as well as a disciple. He was given watch over Miriam, Jesus’ mother, by the Savior as He was on the cross.
The NASB states it in this way, “This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him…” So, seeking to follow Torah is actually a confirmation or an outward sign that we know the Messiah.
Think About It
whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
I John 2:6 ESV
This is how He walked. He followed Torah perfectly. It only makes sense that a disciple at least tries to be like his teacher, his rabbi. Put your earthly relationship in an illustration of how to behave with God. I know dads are not perfect (see a picture of me in the dictionary next to the word “flawed.”) but ideally we seek obedience from our children. We don’t preach to them that they are going to mess up so I want them to stop listening to our instructions. Can you imagine, “Don’t worry about walking across the street. Looking both ways is legalism?”
Who benefits from the testimony of our Torah Testimony?
Others
Ourselves
John (through the breath of God) says that we are liars if we say that we know God without keeping His commandments. Wow. “Them’s strong words.”
Very simply, we will know them by their fruit.
that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who is in Heaven.
Matt. 5:16 ABIPE
The love of God is perfected in us if…
We KEEP His Word.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven. Your name is Holy. Your Word is holy and true. I want to know you more. Let me not fall away into lawlessness. Let me not lean on grace without leaning into your commands. I want to testify to the world and I want my prayers to be heard. Bless my brothers and sisters with the knowledge of your Word and the knowledge of You. May your Ruach bear fruit in us and may we not bring your name low.
In the mighty Name of Yeshua, Amen.
Thank you for reading. Come back tomorrow for another word from God.
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Do you ever feel like evil is closing in like the bad guys in a 70’s Karate movie?
When Trouble Surrounds…
We must remember two things from today’s scripture in Psalm 119:150-151.
God is near.
The evil ones are far from God and His law.
God Is Near.
“The word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it”
Deuteronomy 30:14
“The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach)”
Romans 10:8
When the evil people of your community come against you… When your trusted institutions (media, government, medicine) seek your harm… When mythical levels of secret forces mock your way of life and attempt to round you up and push you away…
Your Father is near. He is with you and He is in you. Hear His words, feel His breath (spirit) in your very lungs. Read His Word (living and powerful) out loud to draw near and to provide a barrier, an offence to the lawless ones. Remember His angels are here to. He commissions them to stand for our cause. Halleluyah.
Though they threaten, they are lost
The evil ones are the walking dead, slowly encroaching upon your space. Do not give them your mind, your soul, your strength. Those belong to your King (Deut. 6). They are focused but they are lost.
Jerks will be jerks. Without God’s ways in their hearts, the sinners will do sinner’s stuff. They will be trusted, in a way, to be untrustworthy. Don’t take your eyes off your God. Don’t let your heart cheer for their demise.
Pray for those who persecute you.
Do it now. It is super important to take every available moment to use your weapon. The time is short. You may see that Cruella DeVille turn into a meek child of God. Pray salvation, pray Deliverance. Pray the revival will come. You and I were outside God’s will and Kingdom, outside His rescuing grace. Now we need to serve as a lifeguard.
Using wisdom, of course. Let’s love our neighbors.
Prayer
Father in Heaven, sometimes I feel that I’ve known you forever. Sometimes I forget that I lived in a state of being unsaved from my sin. Let me have compassion on the very people who come after me. Bring them to mind in my prayer closet. Hear me when I pray. I pray for my protection and favor in all interactions. Keep us from their evil and their games. If they can be saved, let them turn to you. Amen.
Yay Torah! 