Dear fellow believers:
First of all, I humbly apologize for not getting a newsletter out in August. Because of no newsletter in August, I will write two newsletters this September.
We are living in a time of GREAT wickedness.
"At that time many will be trapped into betraying and hating each other,
many false prophets will appear and fool many people; and many people's love will grow cold because of increased distance from Torah. But whoever holds out till the end will be delivered." (Matthew 24:10-13 Complete Jewish Bible - CJB)
Let's analyze the above scripture. Our Master is telling us the following will occur in these end times.
- Many will be trapped into betraying and hating each other
- Many false prophets will appear and fool many people
- Many people's love will grow cold because of increased distance from Torah
As believers, we have to be careful and be spiritually "on guard." We must remember the following: "If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if a person does not love his brother, whom he has seen, then he cannot love God, whom he has not seen. Yes, this is the command we have from him: whoever loves God must love his brother too." (1 John 4:20-21 CJB)
The word "hates" in the above scripture means the following: Strong's Concordance No: G3404
miseō
mis-eh'-o
From a primary word μῖσος misos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension to love less: - hate (-ful). - The spirit of favoritism is not of Yah and is a form of hate. When a person shows favoritism, they love less someone compared to another group or individual. Again, the Master said in these end times the love of many will grow cold because of the failure to obey and believe the teachings & doctrines of Yah which is the entire Bible. The entire Bible is the Word of Yah. The Master commanded us to live by EVERY word. (Matthew 4:4).
"But if you show favoritism, your actions constitute sin, since you are convicted under the Torah as transgressors. For a person who keeps the whole Torah, yet stumbles at one point, has become guilty of breaking them all. For the One who said, "Don't commit adultery," also said, "Don't murder." Now, if you don't commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the Torah." (James 2:9-11 CJB) The assemblies of Yah must learn how to have the same care for one another: "On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be less important turn out to be all the more necessary; and upon body parts which we consider less dignified we bestow greater dignity; and the parts that aren't attractive are the ones we make as attractive as we can, while our attractive parts have no need for such treatment. Indeed, God has put the body together in such a way that he gives greater dignity to the parts that lack it, so that there will be no disagreements within the body, but rather all the parts will be equally concerned for all the others. Thus if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; and if one part is honored, all the parts share its happiness. Now you together constitute the body of the Messiah, and individually you are parts of it. (1 Corinthians 12:22-27 CJB) Unity among the assemblies of Yah in this end time will not occur until we all learn to equally care for one another.
"I am giving you a new command: that you keep on loving each other. In the same way that I have loved you, you are also to keep on loving each other. Everyone will know that you are my talmidim by the fact that you have love for each other." (John 13:34-35 CJB)
Love is walking in and keeping the commandments (2 John 1:6; 1 John 5:3).
When we properly love people we will produce the following FRUITS (our behavior - Galatians 5:22-23):
- Joy
- Peace (Psalm 119:165-166)
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Humility
- Self-control
"Furthermore, he gave some people as emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers. Their task is to equip God's people for the work of service that builds the body of the Messiah, until we all arrive at the unity implied by trusting and knowing the Son of God, at full manhood, at the standard of maturity set by the Messiah's perfection. We will then no longer be infants tossed about by the waves and blown along by every wind of teaching, at the mercy of people clever in devising ways to deceive. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in every respect grow up into him who is the head, the Messiah." (Ephesians 4:11-15)
"Nevertheless, brothers, I call on you in the name of our Lord Yeshua
the Messiah to agree, all of you, in what you say, and not to let yourselves remain split into factions but be restored to having a common mind and a common purpose." (1 Corinthians 1:10 CJB)
Again, the Master stated love will grow cold because of distance from Torah.
"When this man who avoids Torah comes, the Adversary will give him the power to work all kinds of false miracles, signs and wonders. He will enable him to deceive, in all kinds of wicked ways, those who are headed for destruction because they would not receive the love of the truth that could have saved them. This is why God is causing them to go astray, so that they will believe the Lie. The result will be that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken their pleasure in wickedness, will be condemned." (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 CJB)
- We have to LOVE the TRUTH to be saved, brethren. If we don't LOVE the TRUTH, then the spirit of anti-Messiah (which is the devil's spirit) will destroy us. We must fight the temptation to avoid Torah and embrace the influence of the Holy Spirit to always desire and be attracted to the TRUTH. The TRUTH is the Messiah, the Word of Yah and the Torah (John 17:17; John 14:6; Psalm 119:142).
Brethren, tough times are coming.
- We must be spiritually strong. Always resist HaSatan (the devil) and he will flee from you (James 4:7). In addition to our needs, we need to be concerned about other people's needs (Philippians 2:4). We should not be weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13). We should love our enemies as the Master commanded and do good to them who hate use us; pray for them who despitefully use us (Matthew 5:44). We should be willing to follow the Master's solution to conflicts (Matthew 18:15-17). We should be willing to forgive one another (Matthew 18:21-35).
- We should look for opportunities to consistently fellowship with like-minded believers (Hebrews 10:25-26). The 1st century assembly fellowshipped DAILY and we should try with the best of our abilities to do the same.
"Continuing faithfully and with singleness of purpose to meet in the Temple courts daily, and breaking bread in their several homes, they shared their food in joy and simplicity of heart." (Acts 2:46 CJB)
"All the many believers were one in heart and soul, and no one claimed any of his possessions for himself, but everyone shared everything he had. With great power the emissaries continued testifying to the resurrection of the Lord Yeshua, and they were all held in high regard. No one among them was poor, since those who owned lands or houses sold them and turned over the proceeds to the emissaries to distribute to each according to his need. (Acts 4:32-35 CJB) "[A song of ascents. By David:] Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony. It is like fragrant oil on the head that runs down over the beard, over the beard of Aharon, and flows down on the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon that settles on the mountains of Tziyon. For it was there that Adonai ordained the blessing of everlasting life." (Psalm 133:1-3 CJB)
Brethren, the Master prophesied believers will be persecuted because of obeying Torah and following the Messiah's example (1 John 2:6; John 17:14):
"How blessed you are whenever people hate you and ostracize you and insult you and denounce you as a criminal on account of the Son of Man. Be glad when that happens; yes, dance for joy! because in heaven your reward is great. For that is just how their fathers treated the prophets." (Luke 6:22-23 CJB)
- Notice every one of the prophets where hated and ostracized (means to be excluded or avoided). And, if we believe the messages of the prophets (Yeshua is a prophet), then we will be persecuted too. The Good News is we are blessed if we are persecuted like the prophets!
"Hear the Word of יהוה, you who tremble at His Word, “Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for My Name’s sake, said, ‘Let יהוה be esteemed, so that we see your joy.’ But they are put to shame.” (Isaiah 66:5 The Scriptures)
So, let's jump for JOY when we are persecuted for keeping Torah brethren for our reward is GREAT in heaven!
HAPPY Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) and Shemini Atzaret (The Last Great Day)!
Shalom.
|
