A NEW COMMANDMENT

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A NEW COMMANDMENT

Psalm 133:1  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Unity.  It is a concept most understand well enough to explain to others; but it is an experience almost no one practices.  The unity of “the brethren” is a very common teaching of the New Testament.  Most believers are familiar with the verses; and yet, where is there any denying of self-centered responses and reactions to our brothers and sisters in Messiah in order to maintain unity?  We don’t like their clothes.  We don’t like their personality.  We don’t like their lifestyle.  We don’t like their financial status (or lack of status).  We don’t like their body odor.  We don’t like their doctrine.  Any and every reason we can conceive forms the basis of a self-justified reason why we do not have to have fellowship with others, or (dare I say it) why we are not willing to lay down our lives for them.

I believe were it not for the faith and patience of our Master Yahushua, he would wipe us off the face of the earth and start over.  There is little reason to look at his brethren today and be proud of how we have kept his one new commandment.

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Paul told the believers in Corinth that they were carnal. Just what, do you suppose, was at the root of their carnal minds?  They not only tolerated separating from believers who differed in their doctrinal beliefs, or in their preference of spiritual teachers; they promoted it; and it produced envyings, strife and divisions.

1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Master Yahushua Messiah, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Messiah.

13 Is Messiah divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 1:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

This word “divisions” (schisma) means “a tear or rent.”  It represents a wounding.

To the Roman believers, Paul explained further the danger of a carnal mind, explaining that a carnal mind and walking in the flesh (as opposed to the leading of the Spirit) were inseparable.

Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against IAUE: for it is not subject to the law of IAUE, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please IAUE.

Paul devotes the better part of Ephesians 4 to this topic.  Divisions among the body of Messiah cause the body not to be visible, not to function with the power and authority that is its right and its responsibility.  How can a city possibly see and experience the force and power of the “ekklesia” (the assembly of the called-out ones) when it is subdivided into hundreds of individual churches, each with its own name and doctrinal beliefs and programs and activities; each ignoring every other congregation of supposed believers throughout the city?

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Master, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

To walk worthy of the faith of our Master Yahushua Messiah, we will walk with ALL lowliness and meekness, not just some, or not just some of the time.  The first lesson in discipleship explained by our Master is to take his yoke upon us and learn of him, for he is meek and lowly in heart.  If we have not entered into his meekness and lowliness of heart, we have yet to demonstrate that we even want to be his disciples. (See: Matthew 11:29)

There is a huge difference between patience and longsuffering.  Patience endures circumstances; but longsuffering endures people.  It is longsuffering that is missing from the Body of Messiah today.  Patience and longsuffering are paired in the New Testament; but not here.  All three attributes Paul commands of us here deals with our relationship with each other instead of with hardship or difficult circumstances.  Lowliness positions us in the body as the servant of all. Meekness restrains our ambition for prominence in the body.  Longsuffering endures every single aspect of another brother or sister that would naturally form a reason we could justify breaking company with them, or to judge them, thus providing what we think is a just cause to break our unity with them.

Notice Paul’s language in verse 3. “Endeavoring” (spoudazo) to keep the unity.  This word includes a sense of haste, of urgency, seeing the objective as having ultimate importance. The unity of the brethren is something to be preserved and protected at all costs.

Ephesians 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Messiah:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Love is the motivation that produces longsuffering. Where love is absent, unity is unimportant; because only love is selfless. Without love, it is too easy for us to justify reasons to judge our brothers and sisters and to separate from them, or refuse to come to their aid; and yet, Paul reminds us that we are born into a body.  We cannot help the nature of the New Man, the New Creature we have become by faith in Yahushua Messiah.  We are members of only one body; and each member has something that the whole requires; and it is through the medium of love that each member can be successful in contributing that which is theirs to contribute.  We all need everyone’s contribution to the whole; for we are members of the whole.  How foolish it is to think and behave otherwise.

Ephesians 4:25  Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Luke 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

Luke goes on in the following verses to define the nature of the love the Master commands of us.  We are to lend without expecting it to be repaid.  We are to love our enemies.  We are to do good, to be merciful, to judge not, to condemn not, and to forgive.  If we extend such virtue to all of our brothers and sisters, unity will be a foregone conclusion.

James tells us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only (James 1:22).  It is the hearers-only who are responsible for the disunity in the body of Messiah. The doers of the Word have taken into consideration all of the instruction shown in the Scriptures above. James also says that the hearers-only are deceiving themselves.  How much do you suppose they have been deceived?

1 Corinthians 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

19 For there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

There must be “heresies” among you.  This word is translated “sect” more often than “heresy.”  It was used of the sect of the Pharisees and the sect of the Nazarene. It represents a breakaway group.  Here, within the body of believers, Paul says they are a necessary part of our experience because their behavior contrasted with the behavior of the true disciple sets apart the true disciples as those who are the approved.

1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Yahushua gave us one new commandment. Will we be content to be hearers of his Word deceiving ourselves, or will we be a doer of it and love the brethren, maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?

BEING LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

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BEING LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Luke 4:1 And Yahushua being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.

Did you ever consider that the life Yahushua lived in order to become our perfect sacrifice to take away the sin of the world had to be lived on the same terms as the life we live?  We all know that he was tempted in all points as were we (Hebrews 4:15). We know that he was made perfect by the things which he suffered (Hebrews 2:20); but I suspect that the general opinion among believers is that he was led by the Holy Spirit in a more demonstrative way than we experience his leading.  In our opening verse, we see that the Master was led by the Holy Spirit to go into the wilderness.  How do you suppose that occurred?  How did Yahushua know the Holy Spirit was leading him to go into the wilderness?   Did he appear before him and speak to him?  Did Yahushua have a vision or a powerful dream in the night like Joseph did to know it was okay to wed Mary (Matthew 1:20)? No. Principally, he was led by the Holy Spirit in the exact same way we are.

Today, I want to discuss being led by the Holy Spirit; but to do that, I want to look first at how the Hebrews refused to be led by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. (KVJ)

Stephen had just given a brief history of the Hebrew people detailing how they had repeatedly disobeyed IAUE by resisting the Holy Ghost.   It is interesting to note that the term “Holy Spirit” only appears three times in the Old Testament (Psalm 51:11; Isaiah 63:10,11); and the more popular King James Version term, “Holy Ghost” does not appear even once in the Old Testament.  My question, then, is how could Stephen accuse them of resisting what they had little reason to know even existed?

Over and over again, IAUE had recorded in Scripture: “Hearken unto my voice,” and “Obey my voice,” and yet repeatedly, the Scripture said that “they would not.”  The Hebrew word for “hearken” is the same word for “obey” in these verses (shamah) and it means, “hear.”  With the hearing, obedience to IAUE’s voice was implied.  Jeremiah (Yirmeyahu) records the last time this is said in the Old Testament.

Jeremiah 11:6 Then IAUE said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.

7 For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

8 Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do: but they did them not.

This passage opens for us a very important door. It reveals the secret to hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.  It is difficult to be led by the Holy Spirit if we are unacquainted with his voice.  IAUE demonstrated the path to successfully being led by the Holy Spirit when he gave the Hebrew people the Torah and within that law commanded them to read, speak and discuss the Torah when they arose in the morning, when they went their way, when they returned home and before they went to bed at night.  His written words were to be infused in their thinking.  They were to wear a small box strapped to their forehead with His words written within it.  They were to post His words on the mantle of the door at their homes.  His words were to be the central focus of their existence from the moment they were circumcised into covenant relationship with Him until their parting breath.

The reason for such non-stop focus on the words of IAUE was to imprint on their minds the laws and the ways of IAUE and the ways of those who are in relationship with IAUE, such that when any instruction or idea came to them whether it be by verbal words or by whisperings in their ear or even by their own thinking, they would be able to separate them into one of three categories:

1) These words are consistent with the law of IAUE and are profitable for me to observe,

2) These words are vain. They have no value; and

3) These words are contrary to the law of IAUE. They are dangerous and should not be heeded.

King David said:

Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

15  I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

24  Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.
71  It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

80  Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

92  Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.

98  Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

99  I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

100  I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.

Do you see the pattern David is revealing?  By meditating on the word of IAUE, he gained understanding of how he should live his life.  It was not just a robotic obedience to written laws.  No, his laws, commandments, statutes, ordinances, testimonies all trained David to understand the ways of IAUE and the ways of righteousness.  They trained him to be able to identify the thoughts of his own heart to know which thoughts were from IAUE, which were from himself and which were from the enemy; and that understanding guarded his life, protected him, and secured for him a righteous path.

Jeremiah said (above) that they walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart. Because their minds were not grounded in the words of IAUE, they could not regulate the nature of their own imainations; and their toughts directed them into all manner of evil.  They listened to the wrong voice.  They resisted the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of IAUE is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

That brings us to the inevitable conclusion.  The primary way that the Holy Spirit leads us is through our thoughts.  This might scare many believers who realize they absolutely cannot trust their thoughts to be provided by the Holy Spirit; but that is because they have not imbedded the regulator into their minds and hearts.  They spend so little time reading and studying the Scriptures that they know their own thoughts cannot be trusted.  On the other hand, one who regularly reads and meditates on the Word of IAUE immediately knows if the thoughts that come into his head are acceptable to IAUE or if they are to be shunned as distractions that are designed to deceive, damage or to lead astray from the paths of righteousness. The problem is the believer’s own commitment to IAUE and to the Master Yahushua Messiah.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in IAUE with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear IAUE, and depart from evil.

The disciple of Yahushua must build an irrevocable trust in IAUE. That comes by time dedicated to reading and meditating on His word to discover how much He loves us and is committed to His relationship with us.  Through the Scriptures we learn that IAUE can be trusted to the uttermost.  Therefore, as we acknowledge that He is intimately acquainted with us and involved with every aspect of our lives, we come to a place of understanding that His hand can be seen everywhere around us and that we are constantly being led by Him.  Sometimes, it is by causing us to have to slow down so we don’t arrive at an intersection too soon or too late; or quietly directing us to look to the right just so we can see someone or something that is important for us to see that we would have missed had we not looked at that very instant.  Sometimes we see Him leading us in an impulse buy at the store, purchasing something we don’t really need; but just feel it is the right thing to do, only to discover that the next person we meet needs that very thing; and we have it for them.

It is in our purpose of heart to do the will of IAUE that we can learn to trust our own thoughts as being directed by the Holy Spirit.  It is He who teaches us Truth, and provides us with the “aha” moments of revelation into the Word of IAUE.  That is His voice to us.  It is He who gives us understanding instead of just the acquiring of information.  It is He who gives us the thought that it is time to get out of bed, or time to go to work, or even the selection of what color of shirt to wear.  He is leading us constantly, every day, and if we are purposed in heart to do the will of IAUE at ALL times, we will learn to trust that even our day to day routine thinking is being affected by the Holy Spirit  This is the purest form of being led by the Holy Spirit.  Knowing that as my delight is in IAUE, that my ways are committed to Him, and I trust Him, I can be confident that my every thought is being made consistent with His will.

Of course, we all know when our thinking comes from a different source. The Scripture says there is a way that is right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverb 14:12, 16:25).  By meditating on the Word of IAUE, we learn that the ways of IAUE are the right ways; and our own ideas, the imaginations of our own heart that produce thoughts that are not screened through a renewed mind, are not to be trusted.  We especially know when the thoughts we entertain are whispered to us by the devil.  They have a different “frequency” if you will.  The voice of the enemy causes us to experience a disturbance in our heart, a conflict.  We know instantly that it is direction to commit evil against IAUE, even if it seems good and pleasurable to our senses.  A righteous man has even his senses trained by the Word of IAUE.

Hebrews 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

It really is that simple to be led by the Holy Spirit.  He leads us primarily by directing our thoughts.  If our hearts are devoted to obedience to IAUE, then it will take very little time to arrive at a place where we trust our thinking to be led of the Holy Spirit.  We will see the proof in the way things happen around us that by following our thoughts whether consciously or unconsciously, we are absolutely being led by the Holy Spirit.  It almost seems too good to be true; but what is it about all that IAUE has provided for man through His son, our savior-redeemer, Yahushua Messiah, that is not just that good?

I encourage you, first of all, to determine with finality that regardless of what IAUE may require of you, you will do it because you are purposed to do His will in all things, to live unto His good pleasure.  Once you have settled that, then, without forcing it, just become aware of your thoughts and your imaginations, how they move from one thing to another.  Begin to trust that your thoughts are being influenced by the Holy Spirit.  You also need to become consciously aware of wrong thinking, how the “frequency” of that thinking is at enmity with the peaceful direction of the Holy Spirit; and to shun those thoughts. In little time, you will understand how easy it is to be led by the Holy Spirit.  It is a partnership between you and the Comforter that Messiah sent you.

TEACH ALL NATIONS

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TEACH ALL NATIONS

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Known as The Great Commission, these parting words of the resurrected Messiah Yahushua to his eleven remaining apostles has served as marching orders to many church denominations and missionary organizations over the past 20 centuries. Most children who have grown up in a church environment probably learned to memorize these verses at an early age; but how many could quote verse 18?  This declaration of the Master did not begin with verse 19; so, for all these centuries the heart and nature of this commission has been misunderstood and misguided.

I am not suggesting that the peoples to whom these men and women throughout the centuries have taken the message of Yahushua were not told the truth about Messiah; or that their conversions were somehow not valid.  No, I am suggesting that the nature of the message they received was not presented in its proper context; and for that reason, their lives were not lived in the fullness of the truth of the Gospel.

The Gospel.  What exactly does that mean?  Yes, we know in the Greek it means “good news,” but historically, what did that term (euangelion) communicate to the minds of the people who responded and became the first century church?  The word is derived from “eu” (good) and “angelos” (angel or messenger); but in the Hebrew, it is “basar.” Both words originally referred to the “reward” for bringing good news.  Later, the concept of reward dropped and it became just “good news.”  The Hebrew “basar” actually means “to make beautiful; i.e., to cause the face to look beautiful due to the effect that joy and gladness produced by good news has upon it.” Historically, it is associated with the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah.

Isaiah 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

3 For thus saith IAUE, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

4 For thus saith IAUE Elohim, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith IAUE, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith IAUE; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy Elohim reigneth!

8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when IAUE shall bring again Zion.

9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for IAUE hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

10 IAUE hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our Elohim.

11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of IAUE.

12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for IAUEwill go before you; and the Elohim of Israel will be your reward.

13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

At face value, the prophet is telling the people of their release from Babylonian captivity and their return to Jerusalem; but on a more spiritual level, he is prophesying of the coming of Messiah who will set the captives free and make beautiful the peoples of IAUE.  Notice, particularly, in verses 7 and 10:  “the publisheth salvation,” and “shall see the salvation of our Elohim.”  In Hebrew, the word for “salvation” is “Yahushua.”  Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, IAUE repeatedly told us the name of His son who would come to bring His salvation.  In verse 10 it says that “IAUE hath made bare His holy arm.”  He rolled up His sleeves in order to accomplish the work of salvation, baring His holy arm for all the nations to see.

Again, a little later on in Isaiah, he says:

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Master IAUE is upon me; because IAUE hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of IAUE, and the day of vengeance of our Elohim; to comfort all that mourn;

3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of IAUE, that he might be glorified.

We remember that this was the passage the Yahushua read in the synagogue, then closed the scroll and said that “this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.”  He was saying HE was the one IAUE has anointed.  “Messiah” means the “anointed one,” and that anointing means he is set apart to be the King IAUE has chosen to rule His people.

This was supposed to be good news, exhilarating news, news that would make the people rejoice and make beautiful their faces as they lit up with the joy over the report.  But Isaiah said:

Isaiah 53:1 But who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of IAUE revealed?

They did not believe the report.  This is why at the end of Isaiah 52 it described the servant of IAUE as being marred beyond recognition as a man…referring to the cruelties of Yahushua’s treatment before he was impaled.  IAUE has bared His arm to the nations and they did not see or accept the work He had accomplished for mankind.  Isaiah 53 goes on to describe what was accomplished by this anointed servant of IAUE.  He bore our sicknesses and diseases.  He bore our transgressions and iniquities.  He carried away all our physical and spiritual maladies, paying the price in full to bring a complete deliverance from all that had held them captive.

Now, let’s revisit the Great Commission from its starting point.

Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Yahushua had appointed them.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

18 And Yahushua came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

The word “power” used here literally is “exousia” and means “authority.”  IAUE has bestowed upon Yahusha all authority in heaven and in earth.  That means there is no authority that is equal to or above his.  That means every governments, every principalities, every municipality, every army, every might and dominion falls under his authority.  When we understand this, we will understand what has been missing from our understanding of the Great Commission.  He did not send the apostles out to persuade but to command.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

"Go. Teach. Baptize. Insure the nations are instructed to observe to do all of those things I have commanded you to do. I am their King. As my ambassador, go as one who is acting on a level of authority that is superior to the authority of any man or demon you meet.  Do not go as one trying to convince them to listen, hoping they will agree with you.  Do not try to persuade them with the wisdom of man’s words.  In the power of the Holy Spirit demonstrate to them how it is. Command the nations to obey the King. Tell them the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.  Tell them the King is coming soon."