“Are they Hebrew-speakers? So am I. Are they of the people of Isra’el? So am I. Are they descendants of Avraham? So am I. Are they servants of the Messiah? (I’m talking like a madman!) I’m a better one! I’ve worked much harder, been imprisoned more often, suffered more beatings, been near death over and over. Five times I received “forty lashes less one” from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. In my many travels I have been exposed to danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the desert, danger at sea, danger from false brothers. I have toiled and endured hardship, often not had enough sleep, been hungry and thirsty, frequently gone without food, been cold and naked. And besides these external matters, there is the daily pressure of my anxious concern for all the congregations. Who is weak without my sharing his weakness? Who falls into sin without my burning inside? If I must boast, I will boast about things that show how weak I am”. 2 Corinthians 11: 22-30 Complete Jewish Bible

How far have we come from the 1^st century model of being a follower of Messiah Yeshua? For me the answer comes from reading the above scriptures. I read these scriptures and wonder what has happened to us in the western world. For some of us, bragging consists of a new car or house, a larger worship facility or even a better paying job. For others, bragging would consist of a backed up toilet or a lawn that is in bad shape. I am not trying to belittle those issues, because to each individual they are an important matter. However, in Paul’s (Saul) time, bragging and suffering meant something different. Reading about Paul’s “bragging rights’ might help to put our lives back into proper perspective.

Consider some bragging of Paul:

• A Hebrew speaker amongst a people that don’t know Hebrew.
• Part of the Jewish people
• Descendant of Abraham
• A servant of Yeshua

At this point Paul declares himself a madman because he is using the same credentials as all the other “super-apostles”, some of which he might consider false apostles. Paul then goes beyond the normal bragging and declares things that few others of his ministry contemporaries could lay claim to, and to this day many still can’t.

Consider Paul’s other qualifications that he brags about:

• Works harder than others
• Been imprisoned more than others
• Received more beatings than others
• Been near death (or actually dead) more than others
• Five times received 39 lashes
• Three times beaten with a rod
• Once he was stoned with rocks
• Three times he was shipwrecked.
• Spent a night and day in an open sea (probably after the shipwreck)
• Exposed to dangers from rivers, robbers, his own Jewish people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the desert, danger at sea, danger from false brothers
• Endured not having enough sleep, being hungry and/or thirsty, frequently gone without food, been cold and naked

In all honesty, I find myself at a loss of words when I look at this list. I think that I have become so used to seeing and hearing people brag about their wealth, power and authority, even from those in ministry, that I forget that followers of Yeshua in the first century endured things that were far worse than a broken toilet or a dormant lawn.

In an era where apostles, pastors, teachers, CEO’s, government leaders and movie stars are bragging about how powerful, famous and wealthy they are, Paul’s life and “bragging” stands as a sobering reminder of the true biblical bragging.

“If I must boast, I will boast about things that show how weak I am.”
2 Corinthians 11:30 CJB

When was the last time you heard someone in leadership, whether in religion, movies, or government brag about how weak they are and how strong G-d is?

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:6-8 ESV)

I was listening to a podcast of a sermon the other day. The preacher was talking about the prejudices of the 1st Century Jewish people towards the Samaritans. He was talking about the Jewish people of that time and their hatred of Samaritans, even of their loathing of the pagan Gentiles. The Samaritans as a race were a mixture, a combination of Jewish, Syrian and other Mid-east nations. The Jewish people considered the Samaritans unclean and generally avoided Samaritans. The prejudice and hatred was so deep seated that if an Israelite were traveling and their journey would have required them to go through Samaria to get to the other side, they would travel completely around Samaria. That might seem strange and antiquated to our “modern” ears, but I submit that it is still a common attitude in our modern era.

How many of us live in a city with pockets of deep poverty, heavy crime and racially mixed neighborhoods? How many times have you avoided driving through that area simply because of fear? Sometimes the concern is justified, yet sometimes, it is not. How many times have you walked to the other side of the street rather then be on the same side as a particular individual or group of people? See, we are not as different as 1st Century Israelites.

For years, when I considered the command of Yeshua in Acts 1 about being his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth it meant nothing to me beyond the command itself to preach the good news. Yet now, when you factor in the prejudices and fears of the 1st Century Jewish people, then Yeshua’s command to preach and be a witness might easily drive the disciples of that time into shock. Maybe even a big emotional shock. Preach to unclean Samaritans! Even to the heathen and pagan gentiles! Are you kidding me?

Yet, though scripture does not state that fact, it must have been the case. Witness the disciples and apostles unwillingness to obey that command. For months and years, the apostles, even after receiving the immersion of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) seemed unwilling to leave Israel. It took the persecution that erupted after the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8) to force them into obedience.

All this leads me to discuss an important point: Our tendency as followers of Yeshua to interweave and combine modern cultural norms with scriptural standards into our worship, our lives and our even into our interpretation of scripture. Not that it is necessarily bad (after all I am a Messianic Jewish follower of Yeshua), but we then treat the resultant combination as the gospel truth when it really is a combination of scripture, cultural ideas, norms and standards. Sometimes the gospel truth is, in reality, something different from what we believe or practice.

Is Yeshua speaking to us, as He did to His disciples and apostles, to leave our comfort zones and speak to people we consider anathema? Is our adherence to certain standards of walking with the Lord true scriptural standards or is it actually a combination of scriptural and cultural norms? Do we find ourselves unwilling to reach beyond our initial circle of friends to those we don’t know, care about or even loath?

I submit that we can all find ourselves in a place where we are deaf to certain commands of the Lord because we are unwilling to consider the possibility that He would ask us to do something that violates our deep-seated cultural/national standards, fears, prejudices, loathing and hatreds. Because we may have combined scripture with cultural ideas and standards, we then become unwilling to obey.

Yeshua’s command to preach not only to Jerusalem and Judea but also to Samaria and the rest of the gentile world was not only a command to preach the Good News of Yeshua. To the disciples of His century it was a call to leave behind their fears, prejudices, loathing and hatreds. Like the 1st century followers of Yeshua, we need to learn that lesson now, before the L-rd decides that persecution is the only way to force us to obey.

And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ” Luke 4:5-8 (ESV)

The beauty of the Biblical accounts of Yeshua is that He left heaven and became a man. Yeshua had all glory and power, yet He gave it all up to become like us.

“though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Phil 2:6-8 (ESV)

There are many reasons why Yeshua did all this; however, I only want to write about one of them. When He became like us, taking the form of a servant, Yeshua set an example to all of us who follow Him. If Yeshua, who had all glory and power, was willing to become a man, then we, who are born mere men, must be willing to become servants as well. This is a concept that few are willing to accept.

At the beginning of His ministry, Yeshua went through 40 days of testing and temptation in the wilderness of Israel. He experienced the same trials that we experience. At the end of the 40 days, Yeshua was tired, hungry, and sunburned to a crisp, while at the same time physically and mentally vulnerable to satanic temptations.

One of the fascinating parts of the accounts of Yeshua’s temptations in the desert is Satan’s offer of extreme earthly power. Satan not only tried to get Yeshua to disobey His father by eating during a fast, but also offered Yeshua a fast way to accumulate power and authority.

Yeshua’s response was to reject any path that did not come from His Father and not in accordance with scripture. His rejection of the satanic offer is an example and warning to His followers. If the devil tempted Yeshua, the Son of God, during a time of stress and weakness to shortcut the biblical process, then we will receive the same temptation. All of us, at some point, will be at a similar crossroads in our walk with the Lord. There will seem to be more than one path to fulfill your calling. One path will be the easy way; the other path will be long and arduous. Only one of the paths will be correct. One leads to the Lord. The other path leads to Hell.

Yeshua rejected the satanic path of quick fame and fortune. He gave up temporary paths to follow the eternal road.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father Phil 2:9-11 (ESV)

The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Judges 7:2 (ESV)

Background

Before I start, let’s get some background on Gideon. At first we see the Angel of the Lord coming to proclaim Gideon as the person that will deliver Israel from the Midianites. Gideon answers the proclamation with doubt and fear; however, after many proofs from the Lord, he responds to the call and raises an army to fight the oppressors of Israel.

It is at this point that we need to put ourselves in Gideon’s shoes. The Lord has just told Gideon that he is to fight the Midianites, the cruel oppressors of Israel. The first thing he does is raise a large army of people. In retrospect, it seems obvious to us that Gideon did the wrong thing. However, at that time it may not have appeared that way to him. After all, he was going to fight a tough, almost intractable enemy. Raising a large army may have seemed the only logical thing to do. After all, that is what every one else does in similar circumstances.

When Gideon raises the army that he believes is large enough to do the job, he then marches off to do battle. When they reach the place where they will camp before doing battle, the Lord appears to Gideon and drops a bomb on his plans. Your group is too big. The army of Israel needs to be smaller. After making that statement, the Lord puts forth a series of directives to whittle down the size of the army. Eventually, the Lord considers Gideon’s army ready when the size is at 300 people. The complete opposite of what most armies would consider the correct way to do battle

Learning from this situation

Did anyone notice that the Lord did not give directives to Gideon on how to do battle at the same time as he received his calling? Did you also notice that Gideon did not make the effort to ask the Lord how to do battle?  He simply assumed that bigger is better.

We need to ask ourselves some questions:

• How many of us, after receiving direction from the Lord, would do the exact same thing as Gideon? Be honest!
• How many of us would go out and do what we thought is the right way to do things?
• Would you assume that bigger is better?
• How many of us would do things simply because everyone expects you to do the job this way?
• How many of us failed to inquire of the Lord for His battle plans?

How Christianity Changed the World

If you ever wondered what the world looked like before the spread of the gospel (Good News) then I have a good book for you. The book title: “How Christianity Changed the World.” In fact, I predict that it will be an “eye-opening” experience. This book starts out by showing you what life was like in ancient Greece and the Roman Empire and then contrasts that with a view of the attitudes and lifestyle of those that took Yeshua, His words and the Bible in general seriously. The book continues past the Roman Empire into the middle ages to the Reformation and beyond.

As you read this book, one of the concepts that you may find yourself pondering is the view of where the United States seems to be heading as we move into the future. The irony is that many special interest groups tout ideas, concepts and lifestyles that appear modern, futuristic and necessary. In fact, when you read this book you will realize that the lifestyles they advocate are rooted in ancient pagan, Anti-Biblical practices. Many of their agendas are a move backwards ethically and morally, not forwards.

“But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.” Joshua 7:1 (ESV)

¹⁰ The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. ¹²Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies.
Joshua 7:10-12 (ESV)

And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: ²¹when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” Joshua 7:20-21 (ESV)

The context for these scriptures was the command by the Lord to Israel that they were to destroy Jericho along with everything and everybody in the city. It was all devoted to the Lord for destruction. The people of Israel obeyed the command, everyone but ONE person. Yet scripture records the actions of that one person as “the people of Israel broke faith. . .”

I suppose Achan’s thought process was something like this:

“I really like that coat and a little silver and gold couldn’t hurt. Who knows what will happen in the future. I’ll just take a few items. No one will notice the difference and I doubt my taking these few items will hurt anyone.”

It’s a great example of how the thoughts and beliefs of men and women are different from the Lord. We see ourselves as a collection of individuals and that is true, but only to a point. Yes, we are a community of individual people, each with a separate relationship to the Lord, each with personal accountability to His Maker. Yet, according to the Bible, we are part of community, the Body of Messiah. We are all a different part of Yeshua’s body, yet we are all of one body. Therefore, the actions of one individual not only affect the one person but also the body, usually at a local level but eventually spreading beyond the local congregation. The other side of the situation is that the consequences of the actions of an individual, whether good or bad, also affect not just the one person but extend to others as well.

What would have happened if the Lord did nothing? What if the Lord had not judged the sin of Achan?

I believe several things would have happened.

• The Lord would have not acted in character with His nature. He would have ceased to be God. The Lord will always act true to His nature. He will always judge sin.
• Achan would have started to believe that there are no consequences for disobedience. He would have continued to disobey the Lord and the leadership of Israel.
• Achan would start to display greed (idolatry) by amassing more and more things.
• Achan would become a symbol to others that there are no consequences for disobedience. The rest of the people of Israel would start imitating Achan, becoming a nation of individuals thinking only of themselves.

Failure to deal with the leaven of sin in Achan’s life would allow that sin to spread to the whole loaf, the nation of Israel.

We should be asking the same question. What would be the consequences if the Lord does not deal with our sins? The answers would be similar to the list.

• The Lord would have not acted in character with His nature. He would have ceased to be God. The Lord will always act true to His nature. He will always judge sin.

• We would start to believe, consciously or unconsciously, that there are no consequences to our actions. Disobedience would continue towards the Lord and to those in authority.
• Idolatry (lust, greed etc) would increase.
• You become a symbol to others that there are no consequences for sin. Others would imitate you.

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? ⁷ Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. 1Corinthians 5:6-7 (ESV)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. ² But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵ A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. ⁷ So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. John 10:1-8 (ESV)

Last week, when I read this scripture, an interesting image came to mind. I saw a man preaching or teaching. At the same time, a question was going through my mind. Is the preaching of this individual coming through the proper door or through another way? It is an interesting question.

In context, Yeshua is stating outright that the only proper way to enter the sheepfold (the true body of Messiah) is through the door, which is Yeshua. Any individual who chooses to enter the sheepfold through any other door but the correct one, Yeshua, will find that the sheep will not accept him – at least those sheep that know scripture. That person will be coming from a direction he/she has chosen. Yeshua labels that person a thief and a robber.

Based on the context of the scripture, the mental image I had while reading this scripture gives me pause to think. Now I am asking myself a question. What do I think about sermons or teachings that attempt to bypass the proper door to the sheepfold? A possible answer: Sermons need to be not only Scripture based but also Messiah-centered. It is all too easy to give a sermon based on scripture and still be miles away from being Messiah-focused. Even worse, is the sermon or teaching that seems to be Messiah-focused yet does not come from the heart of God (Rhema). What do I mean by that statement? The sermon or teaching is actually coming from the head and not by the prompting of the Spirit (Ruach) of God. The source of that teaching is the flesh (your head).

In an age where attempts to influence you are coming from multiple directions, we need to be in daily fellowship with the Lord and in his Word. Only then will His people be able to fulfill the scripture:

A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:5 (ESV)

“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?  I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.  In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”‘
2 Sam 7:5-7 (ESV)

“And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Matt 8:19-20 (ESV)

Followers of Yeshua, as well as religious people in general, sometimes can find themselves stuck on the path of doing and building. It’s easy to become stuck on that path, it happens to me constantly. We find ourselves thinking that the biggest this or that will glorify G-d, including a Big Beautiful Building for G-d.

Lately, I find that I am meditating on some scriptures, such as what you see at the beginning of this article. Starting with the exodus from Egypt until Solomon built the first temple, the Lord was more than content “dwelling” in a tent. Think about that for a moment. That is a couple hundred years. However, there is a flip side to this discussion, it was also a couple hundred years that no one in Israel even thought about building a permanent structure dedicated to the L-rd.

Another fascinating part of this topic is what the Lord said to David, through Nathan the prophet after 2 Samuel 7:5-7. The Lord states two important facts: 1) Solomon will build the temple and 2) Not only is David not to build the house of God but that God will raise up David’s house, forever. When you think about it, King David’s house has lasted far longer than the houses that we have built for the Lord.

During the three years of Yeshua’s ministry – pre crucifixion – He had no ownership of any permanent structure, neither did He build one or ask anyone to build it. If Yeshua wasn’t living outside sleeping on the ground, then He was sleeping in the houses of those who invited Him or He invited Himself into (if they accepted His request). In many ways, Yeshua’s ministry life is a great picture of a statement He made in the book of Revelation:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Rev 3:20 (ESV)”

Yeshua never went into a house (or a life for that matter) that did not want Him around. If you invited Him in, He accepted. If He asked to come in and they accepted, He came in the house. If they refused, I find it hard to believe He forced His way in.

Though we build large structures and call them “churches”, the actual scriptural fact is we are the buildings of G-d. In fact, He is telling us that He is fine living in the tent called HIS people, the actual building of God.

“But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Matt 9:12-13 (ESV)

I will be the first to tell people that I don’t want to read more into scripture than what is obvious. Many a religion, denomination or move of God became side-tracked by reading something into a bible scripture that was not part of the intended obvious meaning, nor part of the historical meaning either.

Yet, lately, when I read scriptures like Matthew 9: 12-13, I seem to be asking myself if Yeshua is asking another question beyond what I see written. Follow my train of thought and maybe you will understand what I am saying.

One of the basics of Biblical faith about the nature of man is the doctrine of “The Depravity of Man”. This doctrine states that man, by his very nature, is completely and totally sinful, unable to save himself. Whether we commit an actual sin or not, whether the sin is simple or heinous, is not the issue.  The question is about our basic nature as defined by God in scripture. We are sinners by nature and in need of God’s salvation.

Regarding the Matthew passage at the beginning, here is a possible chain of thoughts (logic) we must examine:

By Yeshua’s own words:

• Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick
• He came to call sinners to repentance but not the righteous.

Furthermore:

• If man is sinful by nature
• If man is incapable of saving himself
• If man by the work of God can only be saved through Yeshua’s death and resurrection on the tree (cross)

A conclusion we can reach, based on these thoughts, is that everyone is in the group that Yeshua is seeking.

The question I keep asking myself is this. Is there another question in Matthew that Yeshua is not asking His detractors? Could this be the question: If I am seeking out the sick and the sinners, if scripture states that everyone is a sinner before God, then why are you not also amongst the group of people seeking me?

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Luke 10:19-20 (ESV)

The above scripture is a statement by Yeshua regarding the necessary balance that His followers must have in regards to their authority over Satan. We are fallen beings and as such, we can easily obsess over our power and authority. That obsession can result in distorted views on scripture and towards other people in general. We can focus far too much time and effort on our position in Yeshua, particularly our position of authority over Satan, and allow those thoughts and beliefs to unbalance our lives. We can become pompous and arrogant. There was a time when a worship service, in a few churches, would have spent far too much time stomping out Satan and far less time worshipping the Lord.

Instead, as we see in Luke 10:19-20, our focus should be on Yeshua (Jesus) and Him alone. Those that are in authority don’t need to center too much of their time on their power and authority. The more we focus on our authority and power the less time we spend centering on Yeshua. The results are usually pride, arrogance and a tendency towards self-importance.

It is all too common to make snap judgments based on mere appearance. I do it myself all too often. We make decisions based solely on the way a person dresses, the way they speak and so forth. Sometimes we even use God’s word and/or a teaching we heard as a vehicle to render an inaccurate judgment. We can become a type of “Job’s Comforter”. By that, I mean that we start using scripture to make judgments about a person or their situation before getting to know the person, their problem or circumstances.

In Yeshua’s time, a barren woman, one who was not able to have children, was thought to be suffering under a curse or that the Lord was displeased with them. Though scripture does indeed have references in it about the blessing of  having children, we can’t make a blanket statement. Some people have chosen not to have children and for very legitimate reasons. If we were to look strictly at surface clues without getting to know the person, we could easily jump to harsh and incorrect conclusions.

In Luke chapter 1, the scriptures contain an interesting and important point. Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Immerser (Baptizer) had been barren for decades before they gave birth to their only child. It is likely that those around her and possibly Zechariah and Elizabeth themselves thought that they had displeased the Lord for some reason or another. Yet here is what scripture actually records about them:

“In the days of Herod, King of Y’hudah, there was a cohen named Z’kharyah who belonged to the Aviyah division. His wife was a descendant of Aharon, and her name was Elisheva. Both of them were righteous before God, observing all the mitzvot and ordinances of ADONAI blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elisheva was barren; and they were both well along in years.” Luke 1: 5-7 (JNT) Bold emphasis added

Others may have believed that the Lord was displeased with them or that they were cursed. Elizabeth and Zechariah may have believed it themselves. Yet the Lord saw otherwise. They were righteous before the Lord and walked before him blamelessly.

We need to look beyond the surface and see people as they actually are: loved of God, redeemed, saved and chosen.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1Samuel 16:7 NLT)

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” James 4:6 (ESV)

How many times have you heard or read that scripture? Whether it was in a congregation, in a family situation, or with friends, the odds are you have heard it enough to pay barely any attention to it. If you had paid any attention, I bet it was nothing more than a nod of your head and some mental assent, maybe even a “Yes, Amen.”

Recently, while studying to deliver a sermon in our congregation, I came across the actual original meaning in Greek for the word “opposes” or in some translations “resists”. To say that it rocked my world would be an understatement. Apparently, it’s original meaning is far more active than most of us would believe. The root meaning of the word “opposes” in Greek is that the Lord dresses in battle array to go to war. In other words, if you are proud or display pride of any type, the Lord not only opposes you with a mental assent of opposition but he actively opposes you. He dresses himself for battle and goes to war.

I would suggest you think about that thought for a few minutes.

I can think of the obvious prides:

• I don’t need God
• I don’t want God’s help
• I don’t want your help
• I can do it alone
• I am too wealthy or powerful to consider doing such a low position
• And so on

What about the types of pride that aren’t talked about as much:

• I have to do it or it won’t get done (only the Holy Spirit can say that)
• My pastor or rabbi is the best in his field (can’t objectively be proven, by the way – ever – in any field)
• Second guessing God- “are you really sure God” (Can be said only if you are smarter than God)
• Afraid to ask for help from God (fear-pride)
• Afraid to ask for help from others (fear-pride)
• Unwilling to be accountable to others (pride and arrogance)
• The list is endless

Just imagine, in each of the above types of pride listed as well as all the others not listed, God not only opposes the pride, He dresses himself in battle to go to war with it and destroy it. Any guess on who wins?

I have been reading a book by F.F. Bruce called “Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free”. While I am only a chapter or two into the book, I am struck by the author’s descriptions of Cilicia and Tarsus, the region and city of Saul birthplace. Although the books author did not say this (at least so far in my reading), I am beginning to realize the position, education, breeding etc of Paul’s family life and what he gave up.

The city of Saul’s birth had a LONG history before he was born. On the order of almost 2 millennia. It was exempt from Roman taxes by Augustus Caesar. They prided themselves on a long and deep love of culture and Tarsus was a center of education that rivaled Athens and Alexandria. Bruce equated Tarsus to a “university” town, similar to what we have in many areas of the world. Paul would have received a Jewish education, one common to his era but because of his status, (see next paragraph) it would have been deeper. Because of the surroundings he could have easily have learned a great deal about the Greek and Roman culture.

Paul himself was a Roman citizen, something that not many in Tarsus would have achieved. It is likely that the family of Paul would have been part of the wealthy elite of the area, certainly one of the wealthy Jewish elite.

For Paul to have traveled to Israel at an early age to study with the rabbi’s, such as Gamaliel, he would have had to have shown great aptitude in his studies.  By the time of his being part of the party of the Pharisees, his education and training would have been on a world-class level.

Yet, after Saul’s encounter with Yeshua on the road to Damascus, he was willing to give it all up to follow the Lord. For me it helps explain a statement Paul makes in his writings:

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. ⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Messiah. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Messiah Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Messiah ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Messiah, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- ¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:4-11 (ESV) adapted

Redefining the meaning of success.

Are you prepared to receive a shock? Here it comes . . . If Jeremiah was alive and in ministry today many people in the body of Messiah would consider his ministry a colossal failure. If you don’t believe me, I suggest you spend a few minutes thinking about what you would consider a successful ministry. Ask yourself what size building you think is needed, the amount of finances necessary, number of ministries and so on. If you find yourself using words such as “growing” and “larger” alongside the word “success” than you may have a problem. By that definition, Jeremiah the prophet is a failure of immense proportions.

He was called at a young age to speak the word of the Lord to the people of God as well as to the nations. He spent his entire life speaking, preaching, pleading, begging and crying for people to repent of their sins. He spoke bluntly and emotionally to people telling them the Word of the Lord. The sins of his people didn’t make him mad but instead would break his heart. In short, he was a man who desperately loved his nation and his people. Some people spend their days telling others what is wrong with their life but usually do it with a wrong and/or haughty attitude  . . . not Jeremiah. Seeing the condition of his people made him weep. I may be wrong, but I doubt if the Lord would have wanted Jeremiah to be anything else but who he was.

Yet . . . for all his praying, prophesying, preaching, pleading and begging . . . no one listened. From the time he started his ministry until the time he died, no one repented. He was rejected, hated and ignored, his warnings discarded. He was persecuted, locked up and there was even a time when he was thrown into a cistern (reservoir) and left to die. After the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people, Jeremiah and his aide were forcibly taken to Egypt, away from the land he loved.

He received a clear call of God into ministry, yet he saw no fruit and no one repented of their sins. He was poor and unpopular. No one listened to him and there was no revival. His message, clearly from the Lord was just as clearly rejected. By today’s standards, Jeremiah would be considered a failure and a rather large one at that. Yet he never gave up and never stopped loving his people.

Jeremiah did not live up to ANY of our western definitions of success in ministry, yet he always remained obedient to his call. Perhaps the definition should not be limited to size and growth. Maybe we need to consider the possibility that we can be called into a ministry that could take years or decades to succeed. We need to consider that, like Jeremiah, we may be called to speak words that will be mostly ignored.

Maybe it is time we redefine the meaning of success.

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD,  I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

Recently, I was listening to a sermon and the speaker was talking about Peter, his falling away and his restoration by Yeshua (Jesus). Since then I have not been able to get it out of my mind. I have tried to personalize it to some degree. What must it have been like for Peter to do what he did? How did he feel? What must it have been like to come face-to-face with Yeshua (Jesus) after the resurrection?

Notice that Yeshua does not immediately restore Peter. In fact, it seems like it was several days or maybe a few weeks. During that time, there is no recorded statement by Yeshua of any accusation or condemnation. I wonder if we would have been so gracious? In fact, at the right time the Lord actively sought out Peter and restored him. It was a perfect example of the shepherd leaving the 99 to seek out the one sheep that was lost.

The question I have been asking lately is what affect it would have had on Peter for the rest of his life and ministry. Since it is part of scripture, Peter obviously told others and did it for several years. It must have been a constant reminder to him and a gentle one at that. Sometimes the Lord allows some things to remain as a way to help us remember the grace of God. Like Jacob and his limp. It’s something that we are meant to never forget.

After Shavuot (Pentecost) Peter was a changed man. Obviously, the outpouring of the Ruach (Spirit) of God changed Him. Yet could his falling away and restoration have changed Peter as well? I know it would change me. I would be less willing to condemn others.

To some degree, there have been times when we have not “been there” for the Lord. When the pressure gets intense, sometimes, we can back off and walk away. It has happened to me. Yet the Lord is seeking us out in order to restore us.