There have been a lot of things that have seemed really jumbled for me in the past year and I couldn’t understand how they all fit together… until today! Surrender and Slavery I was listening to Dutch Sheets speak about Intercessory prayer, and something he said suddenly just clicked! God created man (Adam) to be an image (a shadow, an illusion, a re-presentation) of Him and His glory here on earth. Adam looked like YHWH and was given His authority to re-present the will of YHWH on earth. Unfortunately, Adam surrendered that authority and gave it to Hasatan, our Adversary, and in doing so, turned over YHWH’s kingdom to the enemy. Now Adam was stripped on that authority and a slave or captive. But YHWH promised the enemy who had gained authority that a time was coming when his rule would be crushed. Reclaiming the Kingdom Four thousand-ish years later, Yeshua came. A man surrendered authority and a man had to take it back. To do this, Yeshua had to overthrow the rule of the enemy, death. When Yeshua rose again, defeating death, He took back the kingdom authority for YHWH on earth. Once again, the true King rules and reign. Redemption So what does that have to do with people? What does it mean to “trust in Yeshua”? When I trust in Yeshua, when I surrender my will to His, when I choose to believe and accept that He is the One, true King, I choose to become part of His kingdom. Kind of like a naturalized citizen in a country. I swear my allegiance and submission to the rule and reign of YHWH. I turn my back on my former citizenship and slavery, and I choose to submit to His rules and His ways. Reigning As a citizen of YHWH’s retaken kingdom, I choose to submit to His laws, the Torah. As His embassador to this earth, it is my role to live a life that demonstrates what it means to be a part of His kingdom. And since His kingdom is totally different from the enemy’s, my life should reflect that difference. Just like Roman ambassadors were charged with making conquered citizens more Roman, I am charged with showing the newly freed and those who still live in bondage what it means to be a part of YHWH’s rule and reign. Reconciling the Torah One confusing bit was how the Torah fit in. I believe in its relevance, but how does it work with what Yeshua did? Here’s my thoughts: I can live by the Torah and never enter into and submit to YHWH’s kingdom authority by believing that Yeshua, His Son has reclaimed the keys to the kingdom (so the Torah can’t bring me true life, but my inability to follow it does show me that I need Yeshua, someone to save me from slavery.). But, if I do believe that Yeshua crushed the rule of the enemy and now rules this earth, and if I submit myself to His rule, then I also choose to obey His rules (Torah). Do people break rules? Yeah. Sometimes on purpose, and sometimes in ignorance. Are there consequences for breaking rules? Yeah. Some are more obvious than others, though. If I choose to eat pork, the consequence may be a build up of fat and being unhealthy. It may not kill me, but I won’t be all that I could be. On the other hand, there are some laws that, if broken, carry more obvious consequences. Like murder. I can live in YHWH’s kingdom and not follow Torah. But life will be richer, and I will be a better light and re-presentation of YHWH’s kingdom if I do.
There are two questions I’ve had a lot: does Torah matter and how were the Gentiles (sons of strangers) supposed to know this law? Skip Moen answers these questions with insight in two posts: Food in the Garden This article discusses the role of Israel. God clearly states (in Hebrew) that all men live by the Torah. This begs the question of how the rest of us are supposed to know about Torah if it was given to the Israelites. The answer is that they are chosen as God’s priestly people whose role is to tell the world how to live according to God’s standard and to return to the Garden. Read the whole article >> The Certificate Many of us wonder, then, what got “nailed to the cross” when Yeshua died? Our Bibles translate it as the Torah… but is that correct? This article explores what the Hebrew text says and clarifies the role of Torah in our lives today. Read the whole article >>
One of the things I’ve struggled with as I’ve dug more deeply into our Hebrew roots is the role of Yeshua and Torah in all of this. Trying to sort out fact from fiction when much of my upbringing has been saturated in tradition isn’t the easiest thing to do. Recently Skip Moen posted several articles on how many of these puzzle pieces fit together. One that really hit home was about accusation. Essentially, Torah states that 2 witnesses are needed to condemn a person. Yeshua took our record of our sin and destroyed it with His blood on the cross, removing one of the witnesses to my sin. The other witness, God, remains but as God is faithful to His Word, His Torah, we are declared innocent by lack of evidence since there is no longer a second witness (of course, if we start agreeing with the accuser – ha-satan – then we become the witness against ourselves!). Pretty amazing, right? Read the full article >>
I am in the world as He is in heaven. 1 John 4:17 By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world. I’m not at all sure what the significance of this is. Maybe it’s saying that just as Yeshua has authority in heaven, so we have it in this world (spiritually, not literally). Or maybe it’s that we have righteousness and holiness like Yeshua does. Hmmmm.
I am built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. Ephesians 2:20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. Our faith is built upon the teaching and insight of the apostles and prophets. Prophets are the mouthpieces for God. They don’t necessarily tell the future – they speak what God tells them to speak. This provides a solid foundation that won’t bend or crack and isn’t weak. With Yeshua as the cornerstone, that means the most important stone is eternal and infallible. We can be sure that what He says, teaches, and stands for it true and reliable and strong. Build upon the Word of God and the house that is built will be strong in the storm. That’s why it’s important to learn and study about God’s commands in Torah and about Yeshua’s teachings. Their words are Truth, and what better place to start than the truth.
I am dead to sin. Romans 6:2. 11 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 1 Peter 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. Being dead to sin means I am not controlled by it. I have authority to stand and walk in righteousness. Does it mean that I will not sin? No. But, I am not ruled by sin, and I have forgiveness in the blood of Yeshua. The sin that ripped into my body leaving jagged, gaping wounds are healed by His blood. He took them upon himself when He chose to die for me. All the ones before and all the ones to come, have been erased by His love. My sins, horrible, jarring Jagged lines, stripe my body Gaping, weeping, seeping Infection poisoning my soul. In one porentious moment Faded, vanished Erased As Yeshua stretched out His arms On a plank of ragged wood To die For me I look and see my wounds Appear On his perfect body Scarring, tearing Killing Him. I died that day – my sin I arose that day – free Dead to sin Alive in Him. Whole, healed, strong Free!
I sang in a concert last night for a CD I did with some folks from a church. All the proceeds from the CD go towards a shower trailer for some of the homeless people who live in the city near the church. It was a lot of fun! We ended the set with some Christmas songs and before we sang I made the comment that most of the Christmas carols are songs of joy and celebration yet we still sing them like we’re going to a funeral… and then we sang much more jazzed up and joyful renditions of some of the traditional songs. I think some people were a little shocked, but most had smiles on their faces. Anyway, I don’t understand why so many Christmas songs are so slow and minor and melancholy. They’re about joy and celebration and angelic hosts singing “Halleluja!” And I don’t think the angels were crying as they sang, either. Have you ever thought about the words of the songs? Was it really a silent night? It probably was in the fields, until the angels started singing. It probably was in the inn’s barn, until Mary went into labor. And it probably was almost everywhere, except where the Christ child was born. Can you imagine the entire earth holding its breath as young Mary pushed and cried to bring this incredible gift into the world? And can you imagine the awe and then the mighty roaring cheer that arose from the ranks of the angels and the rocks on the ground when Yeshua screamed his way into our existence? To see the Word made flesh and God become Man, how shockingly wonderful! Hark! The herald angels sing! Why do melancholy as the song rings? They’re singing gloria! Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Shout it from the rooftops! Dance in the aisles! This isn’t a day for sorrow and sadness. It’s a day to sing joy! Our savior has come! He is here! The darkness cringes into its corners and slinks away to lick its wounds, knowing that its time has come. JOY! Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”