John Pike

Read Time: 6 mins

Messiah's Followers - The People of the Way

The people of the Way: Yeshua the Messiah’s followers or Messianic believers are Elohim’s (Hebrew for God) solution to apostasy. 

Acts 9:1-2 “Now Saul still breathing out threats and murder against Adonai’s disciples, went to the High Priest. He requested letters of introduction from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”  People of the Way are disciples of Yeshua as their Messiah or King, and follow His teachings and life, and we call them Messianics.

What is apostasy? “An act of refusing to continue to follow, obey, or recognise a religious faith.” (Miriam Webster Diction.) Christianity is a form of apostasy because of its refusal to honour and obey the Word of God as it is written and spoken by Yeshua the Messiah. Only truth will set you free. Isaiah the prophet puts it in these terms:

Isaiah 59:14-15, 20-21 “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far off. For truth has stumbled (or fallen) in the street and uprightness cannot enter.  So now truth is missing, and whoever shuns evil becomes prey..”  "…But a Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those in Jacob – who turn from transgression. It is a declaration of Y’Hovah.  As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says Y’Hovah, My Ruach who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, or the mouth of your offspring, or from the mouth of your children’s offspring, says Y’Hovah, from now on and forever.”

When justice (the principle of moral rightness), righteousness and truth are compromised, changed, ignored or disbelieved, then we are an apostate people and not a people of the Way. That’s what Christianity has become! Scriptural or Biblical truth has been compromised, abandoned or fallen in the street. “Now when Y’Hovah saw it, it was displeasing in His eyes that there was no justice.” Other Scriptures that define apostasy:  2 Peter 3:17, 1 Timothy 4:1, Matthew 7:21-29, 24:11-14

The Book of Acts shows an uncompromising people of the Way, who are the righteous, who are people of the Kingdom and awaiting the first resurrection.

 

Who Will Banquet At My Table?

 

Luke 13:22-30 Yeshua makes it very clear that there it is a narrow door that leads into His Kingdom and His banquet table, and many who think they will be part of it won’t be. There were ten virgins, five were wise and five were foolish. A virgin is one who follows God or Yeshua, and not another or different god.  These ten were all believers, but only five entered the wedding banquet at the return of the Master. What was the difference? Those who had the oil entered, and those whose oil had gone, and their light was no longer alight, were not allowed to enter. The oil is those who are filled with Ruach and whose light is shining in obedience to Ruach HaKodesh’s guidance and Torah.  It’s about who we are following and listening to.

There are many Christians who will agree with you about the Sabbath and the Feasts, but they can’t break the stranglehold that religion has on them and leave as He is asking them to do. They live in the deception; that it doesn’t matter if you don’t follow the Scriptures or the Torah, just believe in Jesus, and that if you keep on doing what He asks you not to do – that they will still enter His Kingdom.  They won’t. You are a foolish virgin, the door is closed, and He won’t open it.

Deuteronomy 18:18-19 “I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among the brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and He will speak to them all that I command him.  Now whoever does not listen to My words that this prophet speaks in My Name, I Myself will call him to account.”

This passage is a prophetic declaration that Yeshua would come with the same message and power of Moses to all the world, and all will give account as to what we have done with His words, as He is the living Word of truth.

John 1:14-17 “And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace (favour) and truth. John testifies about Him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is He of whom I said, The One who comes after me is above me, because He existed before me. Out of His fullness we have all received grace on top of grace.  Torah was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah.’”

Moses gave the Torah with its commands by an unchangeable covenant, and Yeshua came with His redeeming love to show us how to live it in righteousness in the power of the Ruach. 

Luke 14:1; 12-24; 25-34 “Now when Yeshua went into the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat a meal on Shabbat, they were watching Him closely.” 

Verses 12-24: People make excuses for their disobedience to Messiah’s commands, but they lose out on the Kingdom of Heaven. Verses 25-34: Walk the crucified life and win the prize.

Acts 3:19-23,  Acts 7:35-53