Tag: armor of god

Too Much Fluff

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I like the idea that God is forgiving, as well as compassionate, fair and just. I also really like the fact that Yeshua gave His life so that I can have a chance at eternal joy in the presence of the Lord of Lords. When I was told that God and Yeshua love me for who I am, as I am, and they want me to be with them, forever, well, that was the best news I have ever received. 

All of the above is wonderful, and I thank the Lord, every day, for what He has done for me in that He sent His son to die for me. Not just for me, alone, but for everyone….but still and all, even if I was the only sinner left in the world, I believe wholeheartedly that Yeshua would have done what He did, just…for…me.

That being said, I find it difficult to deal with the people who teach and preach exclusively about how much Jesus loves you.

I was told the other day about a preacher with a very large congregation, who said that when he gets calls from other religious leaders asking how he gets so many people to come, he said, “Just preach Jesus.”  What that tells me is this: he is reaching the multitudes of people who need to know that there is hope for them, but that may be all he offers. If that is the case, then he is bringing them into the fold, but sending them nowhere. The love of Jesus is something that we all need to be made aware of, and accept, but that is just the start. Hearing the word is not living the word, and preaching about how loved you are is not going to give people what they need when they go back into the world. 

Strengthening your faith is a process. Yeshua told us, in the parable about the sower of the seed (Matthew 13), that the word will be accepted by many, but then they are distracted and drawn away by the enemy or simply by the cares and Tsouris (troubles) of the world. These people need more than just hearing the word- they need careful gardening, they need empowerment, and they need to be told the truth about what it will mean to be a follower of Yeshua, because the truth is necessary to steel oneself against what will come after accepting Messiah. 

My ministry is a teaching ministry: the quote from Hosea at the footer of the Home page is exactly what I am trying to avoid. So I give the truth as I understand it from my reading, my experience and the guiding of the Holy Spirit. I also look to others who have gifts, asking them for feedback in case my “flesh” gets in the way (which I am sure happens now and then.) So, the truth is not JUST that we are loved, and it is not JUST that we are saved, but it is that we CONSTANTLY have to fight against the enemy and ourselves to maintain the proper faithful attitude of obedience and righteousness. That is the battle, that is what is coming, and to tell people only “fluff” (as I call it) about being loved and accepted, well…you are sending them into a pack of wolves with lambs blood spread all over their bodies. They need the armor of God (Ephesians 6) and they also need lessons in how to use it. When David went to fight Goliath, he didn’t use Saul’s armor because he wasn’t used to it- smart kid. He knew what he was doing, and his faith was already strong enough to guard him against anything that came better than any old suit of armor. But new Believers don’t have that faith, and they don’t have the armor, and they don’t know how to fight. 

Telling them how much they are loved is not going to get them past the problems they will face. We need to get them strengthened, we need to teach them not just what armor they have available, but how to wear it and how to use it. 

If you are hearing someone tell you about Jesus and all they talk about is how loved you are, just as you are and how you don’t need to change, recognize that this is a way to attract you (and others) to the church but it isn’t enough to save your soul. It is not much better than that commercial for business receipt management software. You know the one, right? They show a disheveled, morose man sitting at a desk overflowing with receipts and papers but then, suddenly after he buys the receipt management software, he is clean-shaven, wearing a tie, and the desk is spotless. WOW!- where do I get that?  It’s so foolish- someone who is that disorganized would never be able to use that software because they need to install the software, read how to use it, create the separate business accounts, organize the existing receipts (which is the problem they haven’t been able to overcome), feed them through the scanner, save them where they need to be saved, and once they have done all that (which, again, they have never been able to do), THEN they can easily manage the paperwork. But wait!- not being disciplined enough to manage the paperwork was the problem in the first place, wasn’t it?  The software isn’t the cure- the resolution is to teach this person how to be an organized and self-disciplined manager.  Telling them how helpful the software is is a waste. 

That’s what it is like when we talk only about the love of Christ- it is good, it is right and it is what saves us….but it is not enough. We need to teach what will happen going forward, we need to train how to exercise our faith and we need to learn how to use the armor of God. In my opinion, that is the most important thing any religious leader can do. 

 

Signs of the times

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He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

So said Yeshua (Mattitiyu 16:2-3) when chiding the people and the Pharisees for being able to see the signs of the weather but not recognize Yeshua for who He is.

Are you reading the signs of these times?  I have written before about the way the enemy of God is making himself acceptable- Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a cult movie but now we accept there are good and bad vampires, there are  “good” demons in other TV shows, and now I see that they have a new show coming out, Lucifer, where the trailers indicate that the devil , himself, isn’t really such a bad guy.

Today in the paper I read a story about how the Oscar’s will be boycotted by Spike Lee because of the racial “snubbing” of the Academy towards films that are more African-American centered than Anglo-American (is that stated in a politically correct manner?). That is such a laugh. Not that there is racism, that is not acceptable or funny, but it is the hypocrisy of it all (just as Yeshua pointed out): here is an industry that is rife with homosexuality, drug-abuse, infidelity, and which has (historically) made a mockery of what a marriage is supposed to be, being accused of committing a sin! No! Really?

We live in a time where sin is the “new” good, where TV shows and movies are graphic (both in cruelty and sexuality), where Satan is actually not such a bad guy, where God has been removed from schools and government, and the history channel commentaries on the bible demonstrate that it is all just a story, nothing more than myth and legend.

But there is good stuff, too- I am proud to say I am friends with people who are deeply involved in organizations such as Jacob’s Hope, Bridges for Peace, and Ezra International. These are Christian-Jewish organizations whose goal is to help the Jewish people throughout the world (especially in the European theatre and Africa) to make Aliyah (return to Israel)  and to provide them food, medical supplies and housing. These organizations are helping to make prophecy come true, and we see large numbers of Jews being regathered to Israel. Since it’s inception as a state in 1948, there have been over 3 Million Jews that have immigrated to Israel. According to Wikipedia, in 2014 there were approx. 14.2 Million Jewish people in the world. The Jewish population over the centuries, despite what the enemy has tried to do, has remained fairly constant. So, in the last 70 years or so, nearly 20% of the entire world Jewish population has gone back to Israel. I would call that a good start!

These times are very different than any other time in history: not just because of the regathering of Jews to Israel, not just because of the satanic forces gaining power and (even worse) acceptance, and not just because of the overall rejection of God and the increasing terrorism and hatred against Israel and Judaism, but because this is all happening worldwide faster and more efficiently than ever before. More people can see and read lies because of the Internet: whatever anyone may think can be transmitted worldwide, and people are stupid, people are gullible, and people are like sheep, easily led astray. If you say something often enough, and to enough people, it will be considered fact. Look at the Theory of Evolution: even though “theory” is part of it’s name, how many people do you know that believe it is scientific fact?

I think the hypocrisy Yeshua was talking about was that the Pharisees did know who He was, they did understand what He was talking about and they rejected Him because they didn’t want to lose their power and authority. That’s why people reject God- they want to believe the lie the enemy tells them is the truth: that they are in control of their lives and they are the best ones to determine how they should live.

I will ask you again: can you read the signs of the times? No one knows when Yeshua will return, and He told His Talmudim (students / Disciples) that when they see these signs it will only be the beginning. Well, I think it has begun. I see the spiritual battle in full force.

When I get dressed in the morning I go into my closet and pick out the pants, shirt, belt, and shoes that are the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-16).

To paraphrase a popular commercial saying, “What’s in your closet?”

What kind of seed are you?

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In Matthew, Chapter 13 Yeshua tells the parable about the sower of seeds. Remember it? The seeds are sown along the path, some falling on rocks, some in shallow soil, some eaten right away, some growing with weeds and some on good soil that turn out a great harvest.

Ever think about what kind of seed you are?

I suspect that if you are the seed that never took root, you probably aren’t reading this blog, so there isn’t much to say to you except IF you are reading this, and you don’t really believe in God or care, please consider that you might be wrong. Actually, you are, but you probably don’t care that I am telling you that. After all, how many 3-pack a day smokers care what a reformed smoker tells them?

If you are one who believes in God but you don’t really believe in everything that is in the bible, or that a lot of it doesn’t matter anymore, that would make you one of the seeds that is in shallow soil. I suspect that you usually don’t pray for help when you run into hard times, but you may not have too many bad things happen. After all, you are not really a threat to the enemy of God because your roots aren’t deep enough to turn out any harvest. A couple of good hits, knock the wind out of you once or twice, and you’re done as someone who cares about God.  I would hope you take this to heart- get your head back on your shoulders! If you even think you believe in God, then you need to believe in the bible, that it is all true and that you cannot shape God into what you want Him to be: He is that which He is. Stop being half-donkey about it and start to work on your faithful obedience and trust that God does exist and the bible is the manual. Heck- there are things that everyone doesn’t like about the bible, things we are supposed to do, ways we are supposed to treat each other. For instance: we know that we are supposed to treat others as we would want them to treat us, but human nature is more focused on being treated than treating. The difference between those who really believe in God and want to do what pleases him and those who don’t care is that the ones who don’t care aren’t strong enough to overcome their humanity. Not only is their flesh weak, but their spirit is almost non-existent. If you’re a seed in shallow ground, the time is running out faster than you realize. PLEASE! uproot yourself and move to good soil.

The main character for today’s drash is the seed in soil that gets choked by the weeds. The weeds, as you recall from the parable, are (essentially) the things of the world. The message of the Good News has been accepted, many of these “seeds” are Born Again Believers, but they become trapped by the worldly things they don’t want to give up. They believe in God, they do what is right, but not because they want to please God.

I know people who are moral, upright, honest and trustworthy. They believe in God, many are Born Again and they want to do what is right. But not to please God- they do what is right in order to please people. They do what is right because in their hearts they don’t want to be a “bad person.” They want to be liked by others, they want to please other people, they want to be what they have been told is a “good person” by their parents, their religious leaders, teachers….they are doing what they do to please the world and not to please God.

And I honestly believe that they have no idea that pleasing the world is their true motivation. They are choked by weeds of human standards for behaviour, which (for the most part) are correct biblically, but when it comes down to it, they are not focused on God. When they are attacked by the enemy, and these seeds will be attacked because they are doing things that are correct and right in God’s eyes, they could easily fall and falter and eventually be choked to death, literally. The weeds will choke them until they fall subject to the second death that is the final judgement. They will be like the ones in the story Yeshua tells in Matthew 25:44 who thought they were doing well but find out, when it is too late, that they never really served the Lord.

These are the sad ones, the ones who are trying to walk in God’s ways but are walking a path somewhat parallel to the true path but not leading to salvation. They are choosing a path that most walk, even though they have been told the path to salvation is the road less taken, the door less used. They are the 80%, but the elect are the 10%. Oh, but they are so close!

As we say in the Marine Corps, close only counts in two games: horseshoes and hand grenades.

I have nothing to say about the seeds that are turning out a harvest other than… keep it up! Good work, well done good and faithful servant: you will be welcomed into your Lord’s happiness.

But keep a weather eye out for trouble because those who do God’s work are the enemy of the enemy of God, and he will attack you. Maintain your faith, maintain your strength, wear that armor Shaul tells us about in Ephesians (which he quoted from Isaiah 59:17) and be an example to the world, especially the seeds that are being choked.

I pray that this blog, my book and my work where I worship is yielding a harvest for God. Also my everyday activities, just trying to be a light in a dark and dreary world. I am still bogged down by my humanity (and when I use the term “humanity” I am referring to the worst parts of it, not the best) and I am most certainly NOT in a weed-free environment, believe me! There are plenty of weeds in my little garden, I assure you. I keep asking the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to help me weed out the weeds in my life. So long as we are human, we will have some weeds.

The parable of the man who planted good grain but the enemy planted tares among the grain- remember that one? It’s in the same chapter- Matthew 13, verses 24-30.  This parable tells us that even the seeds in good soil, the ones bringing a harvest, will have tares among them. So when we look at both of these, we see that the seeds are sown everywhere, in all types of soil, and the seed itself is always good. The soil it falls on will either turn out a harvest or not, and even the harvest will have tares and weeds among it. At the end, though, the tares will be separated from the wheat, and the tares will be tied up and thrown into the fire while the wheat will be stored in the masters barn.

It’s remarkable when you think about a plant uprooting itself and walking to a place where the soil is rich, then planting itself there. But that is exactly what we are to do. We are seeds with feet that will allow us to plant ourselves in good soil so we turn out a harvest 10, 20 or 100 times what we were given.

So, nu? Have you checked out your roots lately?

Why It’s So hard to remain faithful: Part 1 of 2

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What makes faith so difficult to have? It’s probably because you have to believe in something that isn’t really there- you can’t touch it, you can’t see it, you can know it’s presence and you can see it’s effect on the world around you, but still- it’s not like you can grab it and hold it up for all to see.

And once you have faith, after you have forced yourself to accept the truth that what you see and feel is indicative of something else, you then need to strengthen your faith. That will also be hard to do, maybe even harder than getting faith, because the world doesn’t have faith and doesn’t want you to have it, either. Misery loves company, right?

Not to mention that the closer you get to God, the more of a threat you become to the enemy of God, so while you are of the world he will not only leave you alone, he will probably make things happen well for you. The enemy wants you to remain in, and of, the world. As you get closer to God, he will attack you.

But as far as why it is hard to keep faithful, although the enemy’s attacks are definitely a concern, that’s not what I  am talking about today.

How many paper towels do you go through in a week? If you have young children still in diapers, are they cloth or Luv’s? Do you use paper plates? When was the last time you bought soda in a glass bottle?

Getting my drift yet? We live in a disposable world- use it than lose it. And that’s OK if we are talking about utensils and things (so long as you properly recycle), but the sad thing is that this apathetic attitude towards things that we use, maybe abuse, then just toss away isn’t just represented by what’s in our kitchen cabinets or linen closets: it has also infiltrated and polluted our interpersonal relationships.

People used to stay married because that’s what you did- now it’s pretty much the opposite. You having troubles? Talk to a lawyer. And at the workplace: it used to be you would get a job and work your way up the ladder. Pension plans used to be based on not even being eligible until after the first year, and usually you had to be at the company for (at least) 11 years after the first year before you were 100% vested. That was done away with way back in the 70’s when the Keogh Plan (HR10) first started, which is (today) the 401-K. In fact, whatever vestment is left is 100% within 5 years. That’s because people don’t keep their jobs much longer than that anymore.

In the 1980″s I was on Wall Street, and I had 4 jobs within 8 years, but I went from a $10K clerk to a $50K Department Manager/ Bank Officer. When I was in Sales I had so many different jobs over a 10 year period I can’t remember them all now. That’s because when the leads ran dry, I ran somewhere else.

And when I was first married, in my “previous life”, I realized it was a mistake somewhere around year 3. I lasted until year 9, and the suffering I endured for those years was nothing compared to the estrangement, suffering, and belittling I have endured since. Resulting in both my children being turned against me so that now I am dead to them.

I tell you this because I want you to know I can talk about having a disposable lifestyle because I lived it for many years. And, consequently, faith came to me late in life, and has been difficult to maintain. But thanks to God and good friends, I have maintained it and now, some 18 years later, I no longer worry about it. I have had enough experience with God to see Him, not with my eyes, but in everything there is. In my life, in my jobs, in my second marriage (which is the one I will have forever because we both got this one right), in everything around me. I am comfortable in my faith and secure in my belief. Still, I work at it because it is too easy to be fooled.

I still use too many paper towels, and we are actually working on that. I try to reuse things, and like every other “real” man, I have clothes that date back to when Yeshua was just a Corporal (that’s a Marine Corps saying.)

Today’s world is made up of disposable things, from diapers to plates to butane lighters, even to our cars which we trade off or sell usually before the warranty is up. About the only thing people keep is their computers: those should be upgraded every 3-5 years but some people just won’t let go.

If only we were as unwilling to give up our faith as we are with our favorite pair of pants or favorite coffee cup. 

The parable about the sower of the seeds, where some fall on poor soil and others fall on good soil, is a demonstration of the disposable attitude we still have, today. The seed that was eaten by the birds, blown away by the winds and choked by the weeds, these represent the enemy and the world (same thing, really) making getting rid of the new faith easier than keeping it. And that’s the root of the evil of a disposable mindset- it is easier to get rid of something than to keep it. Quitting is preferable to maintaining.

If you have overcome the disposable nature towards faithfulness, seek out those that are new Believers to help them maintain their battle to have faith. It is a battle- that’s why Shaul (Saul) tells us about the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-18. We need to run the good race, not fall out and say the ‘stitch’ in our side was too much to bear. When I was running cross-country in High School, we learned that the first mile always hurts- you can never get past it if you let the pain in your side overcome you. Once you run it out, then you get your “second wind” which can carry you further than you ever thought possible.

The world wants you to throw away faith because there are so many other things to replace it with, and they are easy to get and easy to get rid of. I think we all have heard the adages, “You get what you pay for”, and “If it’s worth having, it’s worth working for.” Well, God is worth working for, and salvation is definitely worth having. Just because salvation is available for free doesn’t mean it won’t take hard work to maintain it, and it may be free to have but it costs to keep. Oh, yes- it costs! You will pay with lost friendships, lost jobs, lost family, and the pain of watching those you love and care for literally throwing themselves into the pit of fire. And laughing at you for believing they are going to be condemned. There is a heavy payment for having and maintaining faith.

Even Yeshua tells us that we must pick up our execution stake every day to follow Him (Matthew 16:24), so we have been told from the very start faithfulness would not be easy. Much of Christianity teaches that salvation is not a disposable item, it can never be lost, but that is not true: your salvation can be lost if you throw it away. God will never take away the promise, but you can’t be saved if you are sinning on purpose and continually ignoring God’s commands in the Torah. God isn’t stupid, and salvation is not a joke. If you know someone who constantly sins, and says, “God is a forgiving God and will forgive me because I asked Him to”, do you really think that God will accept that person into His kingdom? We are all sinners, and we will all always sin, but the difference is whether we do it by our own will or against our will. Shaul said he was a wretch because he did what he didn’t want to and didn’t do that which he wanted to (Romans 7:15.) Each of us sins, but the one who does it constantly with no desire or intention of stopping because the bible says ‘all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved’ so he or she thinks all they have to do is ask for forgiveness, well, he or she has a big, unhappy surprise coming.

There are so many things in our world that are disposable, but the only really important thing we should dispose of is our sin. God can take that from you, the stain of sin is removable by Yeshua’s blood, but you have to want to dispose of it, all of it, and you have to constantly work at getting rid of it. That’s because the faith we need so desperately is just as disposable as a paper plate. We need to hold on to our faith in a world that says just chuck it and get something easier to keep. It’s easy to get rid of something when there’s always something else to get that’s better.

I am here to tell you there is nothing better than God, nothing more important to hold onto and never let go than your faith, and nothing else that can replace the salvation God has promised us through Messiah Yeshua.

Faith is hard to get, and harder to keep, but there is nothing more important to maintain.