Y’Hovah’s Law Is The Way Of Blessing
Psalm 119:1-8; Luke 11:27-28
If we want a blessed and happy life, keep the Torah and walk in obedience to the commandments. Then you will be just like Yeshua, the apostles and Messianic believers in Acts. This message is not meant to offend, but to educate and bring into blessing.
Torah (Law) is the final arbiter on all things Kingdom of God. It is the constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven and cannot be changed or violated. Torah, the teachings of Moses, is the main port of call for answers and understanding of everything Y'Hovah requires of mankind, and especially of those who are believers in Him. Torah and the prophets contain everything the Father asks us to do and live by. Torah is a covenant sworn by an oath, by Y’Hovah in His own Name, and we signed it in Yeshua’s blood.
The first eight verses of this Psalm 119 all start with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet – Aleph. The last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the 26th, is Tav. And of course, we know that Yeshua is the Aleph and the Tav, or the Alpha and Omega. That is, He is the first and the last, there is no other, there is none in between, there is no other Name, there is none before Him or after Him in whom we can find salvation and eternal life. This psalm is the written Word of Y’Hovah – it is about the every Word that proceeded from His mouth. This psalm is also about Yeshua who is the Living Word, the living Torah.
Matthew 5:17-20 (John 1:1-5, Revelation 1:1-8)
The Messianic Message on Our Emmaus Journey
Luke 24:13-16, 25-27, 32
Moses and the prophets are all about Yeshua the Messiah. These are the eternal Scriptures about Yeshua for everyone. There are many lessons to learn about the Scriptures, their prophetic message, the complete story of man’s history and future for seven thousand years - and the seventh is about to begin. Man’s redemption and salvation, Yeshua’s first and second coming and every detail of our relationship to Him and how to worship, serve and please Y’Hovah Elohim is all contained in the Torah or Law.
Mark 2:27-28, 3:1-6
Yeshua enters the Synagogue on the Sabbath, as His custom was. He had just told them that Shabbat was made for man, and that He was Lord of Shabbat. Shabbat is all about Him and His Kingdom. Yeshua wanted to challenge them on their theology and their teachings and traditions. He wanted to heal this man in their synagogue and on the Sabbath, and He did. He was demonstrating the power and love of God, the Kingdom of God, His Messiah-ship, and that their place of worship belonged to Elohim, and that they were to do things His way. But all that the leaders did was hurry out and begin plotting how to kill Him. Now that’s an extreme reaction!
How do today’s leaders react to this message? Much more strongly than you think.
Acts 19:8-12.
Paul enters the Synagogue in Athens on the Sabbath. It was the day of gathering and worship, as demanded by Elohim, or be put to death. Churches and people die spiritually when we don’t do things God’s way. That has never changed, and there are multitudes of prophetic messages built into Shabbat that give us great understanding of the coming Millennial Kingdom reign and who will be part of it.
The Synagogue was the local Jewish church in the city. It was the meeting place of Elohim’s people. Except they did things their way, and not Y’Hovah’s Way. Every Shabbat for the next three months, Paul spoke boldly, debating and persuading them about the Kingdom of God. But the leaders and some people refused to believe, became hardened and spoke evil of the Way. We musn't be like them!
They believed in the Torah and the prophets; they believed in a coming Messiah and in the Kingdom of God. But they never believed in it in the way Paul presented it to them. It was too different to their understanding and teachings. The changes they would have to make to their doctrines and practises would be great. They believed in Torah, but would not walk in obedience to it. They wouldn’t walk the narrow path of blessing and happiness, of freedom and the Kingdom.
Paul left them, taking with him all those who believed, and they became disciples of Yeshua. They became people of this new sect, called the people of the Way. The Way of Messiah. Yeshua is the Messiah, He is bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to us. He is the way the truth and the life. They followed Him.
Obedience to Torah is obedience to God, obedience to Yeshua and obedience to Ruach HaKodesh. That’s what we are immersed into at baptism when it is done right. And that’s the message the apostles were told to take to the world. Make disciples of the nations, and teach them to keep the commandments as Yeshua and the disciples did.
To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice
If we want the very best that our Heavenly Father has to offer, then we need to honour and obey what our Father asks of us.
Leviticus 26:14-16; Jeremiah 7:22-28; Ephesians 5:1-10.
Read the book of Hebrews and take note of the warnings against disobedience and drifting away. Also take note of all Yeshua’s warnings and the apostles of false teachers that lead to disobedience, particularly in these endtimes.
“If you love Me, keep My Commandments.”
1 Samuel 15:10-26.
Saul was Israel’s first king. It was extremely important that he separated himself completely from all the kings of the idolatrous nations around him. But he failed miserably! King Saul was head and shoulders above everyone else around him. If he stayed humble, remained teachable, listened to the voice of the prophet and followed Y’Hovah’s commands obediently, Y’Hovah would bless him and his people mightily. But Saul became too big for his boots! (verse 12).
In his pride, he said all the religiously right things, the seemingly right things, the things the prophet wanted to hear, or so he thought. These were all the right things according to Saul – but all the wrong things according to Y’Hovah. (verses 13-15, 19-21). But Samuel challenges him right back with the word of Y’Hovah. (verses 22-23).
King Saul is a picture and a type of today's rebellious, disobedient Christian leaders and of denominational Christianity today. False doctrines and traditions abound, and true obedience to God’s Word is gone. Grace has done away with the Law, Sunday has replaced God’s Sabbath, the Feasts are not important - but the religious and pagan festivals of Christmas and Easter are. “Who needs the commandments? Jesus has covered them all and we don’t have to worry” - along with many other false beliefs and practices.
The Transfer of Power is Coming
1 Samuel 15:27-29, 35.
Judgement begins with the house of God!
I believe that what we call a “revival move” is coming in Y’Hovah’s timing and purpose. As Y’Hovah said to Saul through Samuel, He is taking authority and power away from the Church, and giving it to their neighbour who is better than them. This was of course about David, who was about to be anointed by Samuel now for the kingship in a few years’ time. He was a true worshipper and faithful lover of Elohim. He was a leader and coming king, prepared and in waiting. He was a man after God’s own heart. He was a prophet who followed Y’Hovah and His will at any cost. He was truly the anointed of the Ruach, he was the one who placed the Ark of the Covenant in its rightful place, called the Tabernacle of David. And as promised, it was being restored again under the apostles and again in the end time events of today.
Acts 15:16. Who will receive this transfer of power and anointing for the next end time move? There is a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof is death. The steps of a good man are ordered by Y’Hovah.
Where Are the Messianic Communities?
This is the age, the era of the Messianic Community as raised up of Y’Hovah in the power of the Ruach. Y’Hovah is calling people out of the Denominational systems of men. People who are genuinely hungry for the truth and presence of the Spirit in their life and worship. Where are the Book of Acts Communities in the earth today?
Every congregation planted by Paul and the apostles were Messianic congregations. They were one Community of believers in each city. There was only one faith system in every city, under the authority and control of apostles and elders. The seven communities in Revelation 2 and 3 were planted by Paul and his team and partners. And they were all connected to the main base at Jerusalem under James and the apostles. This is the Biblical model that the Ruach HaKodesh is calling into being and wanting to raise up. And He will, if men and their pride will get out of the way.
What was happening in every Community that Paul and the apostles established? False apostles, prophets and teachers crept into their love feasts and congregations sowing seeds of deception and division. They were Messianic believers in Yeshua that had gone astray doing their own thing their own way. They were listening to the deceptive voices of demons and men, and their false doctrines.
There is an ever-increasing movement of Messianic believers around the world and around our nation. But it seems all these little, individualistic groups want to do their own thing their own way. There is no understanding of how to function in Community under a joint leadership, as seen in Scripture. There is still this Christian mindset of Ecumenical Unity that brings a false understanding of what Y’Hovah is wanting to do.
Most of their doctrines are the doctrines of the Church they came out of. Their endtime understanding of rapture, the second coming and the resurrections and judgement, heaven and hell are straight from the playbook of Christianity.
All us Messianic believers and Communities say we are Torah keepers. That is the message we all proclaim. But the biggest majority of Messianic believers that I have met don’t keep the Torah as it written at all. Their biggest emphasis is the Sabbath and the Feasts. Well, all of Israel kept the Sabbath and the Feasts, and that never got them into the Kingdom.
Even the Messianic Gatherings in Revelation were warned that there was much to repent of, or they wouldn’t be part of the Kingdom either. And then they were given another 20 chapters about what lies ahead of them, and what they were required to repent of.
I know plenty of Messianic people who do whatever they like on the Sabbath, and don’t keep it Scripturally at all.
What about tithes and offerings? There are multitudes who tithe nothing in the Scriptural way, and are robbers of what belongs to God. Torah also says not to sow two different seeds in one paddock or wear clothes of two different fibres. That is a Torah reference to Yeshua’s parables and teachings of mixing false doctrines and traditions with God’s.
What about keeping New Moon and eating no unclean meats? That is Torah as well, and is New Covenant teaching. All these things, teachings of Elohim through Moses, carry prophetic truth and messages. But they are lost to the Christian Church and their blessings, and to many Messianics as well. And it is usually because they have no leadership or connections outside of themselves.
Some Messianic believers of the apostles’ days (and many in our day!) were very Judaic, legalistic, Rabbinic in their beliefs and practices. Then there was those who were very Gnostic, or like the Nicolaitans, who had ‘higher spiritual beliefs’ and practices than others, much like how today's Charismatic, Pentecostal or apostolic ministries think of themselves.
Peter, Paul and John were constantly at work trying to bring leaders and people back into alignment with God’s Word. Read all their letters and epistles and heed their warnings.
The Book of Acts and its results, its examples of power, healings and salvations is for today. Messianic Believers or Communities will be part of a great awakening if we follow the Book of Acts and be obedient to its revelation and example.