Hey,
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from U.S. Cellular

A Response #2

Another social site message received stating:

“My dearest Sister and brother in Christ,
Salvation is a gift of God, apart from works. Anyone who rejects
this statement rejects the Almighty's plan of redemption for the
entire human race. There is no other way.
Scriptural assertions pointing to salvation as a gift fill the
pages of God's Word. Ephesians 2:8,9: For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
not of works, lest any man should boast. In Romans 5:15, we discover
that the gift is by grace. Since the gift is by the grace of God, we
had better define the term. Grace means unmerited favor or favor
from God that one does not deserve.
Please be assured that i love all of God's people and espeecially those who are hurting and have needs. We for God blessing in your life and breakthrough in your life amen.”

I agree, that God's favor is a gift. But it is not a gift to hoard. We are accountable for this gift. And many have fallen to the way side due to the false understanding that you can claim it and not walk in it. We must produce fruit. If we do not, then the Scripture is clear in what God does. So yes, what a great gift that we did not deserve nor earn. He has given us hope. Hope that is seen is no hope at all as Paul said. So we press toward the high call in the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth with hope. I am always amazed at the emphasis of certain Scriptures over the weight of the entirety of Scripture. This greatly took effect around three hundred years after the Lord rose from the grave. Due to the number of Gentiles coming into the faith. Thank God for His Son; and thank Jesus for the Spirit so that we can have the veil taken off when reading Scripture. The discernment between theology and revelation of God is greatly needed by those coming to the Lord out of the sway of the Gentile main stream assemblies. May the Lord grant the reality of this theological term 'salvation'. Salvation is in Scripture (starting in what has been labeled the 'Old Testament') and its meaning is victory,prosperity, and deliverance. Today is the day of salvation! Not yesterday nor tomorrow. Paul stated that we 'were' saved, 'are being' saved, and 'will be saved'. Today is salvation if you will hear the voice of the Lord your God. Your situation or circumstance can be changed if your relationship in the blood of the Messiah is crying from within your spirit by the Spirit of God 'Daddy'. For as a Father unto you He will rise up, He will honor His word.

A Response

I received a message from a social site that was directed to about sixty or so individuals which had their email posted. It read:

“Accept the people with their strong and weak points, no body is perfect, humans R blend of different diverse characters.”

I was pressed to reply to this message. Acceptance of individuals is what we as Christians are to do in showing love unto another where by through love we may share and or bring another to the Messiah by the Holy Spirit. Strength and weakness are in us all, this is true. However, in saying strengths and weaknesses; it is not to communicate spiritually strong and sinfully weak. These two are in contrast with each other. In that one may progress in spiritual strength yet in some manner of revelation of the Scriptures they may need clearer understanding in the performance of life and or ministry is the view of strength verses weakness. As a minister standing in the office of their calling; this transforms the approach to acceptance in the light of spiritual discernment. There is the reconciliation of the spoken word toward an individual in authority to rectify the life standing before the minister. The words "no body is perfect" is such a misunderstanding of the revelation of God toward man. Jesus spoke to us to 'be' (an act of existence) perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. Without over emphasizing the Greek; this word perfect means to be mature. Maturity is functioning in a manner that is in complete harmony, the stability of one's life. God the Father speaks, and He has no doubt to the direction of His words nor the impact of what He has spoken. He functions out of who He is. He is and so He acts. The reality of this is expressed by the Messiah unto those to whom He spoke, and that being unto us through the Apostles. It is true that humans are diverse in character. Dictionary.com defines character as:

1. the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.

2. one such feature or trait; characteristic.

3. moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character.

Character is what defines you. Our definition is in the Messiah. We are to put on the mind of Him. He left us and example and the Spirit.

What Is A Christian?

The identification of an individual as a Christian is not up to the individual’s desire.

To have the authority by which to become a child of God is through receiving Jesus for who he is. (John 1:12)

You can become a Christian and not become a child of God. You can identify yourself as believing in Jesus in professing to be a Christian; yet not receiving who He really is and fail to receive the authority by which to become a child of God.

The relationship by which one has with the world in identifying oneself as a Christian is different from the relationship brought about by obedience.

It is the will of God by which one was to receive Jesus for a purpose.

Jesus had a purpose for which he came unto men.  He came unto his own people (A people already under covenant) to save them from their sins.

His people (the Jewish people) did not receive him (did not join in unity with him).

Jesus said that he had other sheep not of this (His people) fold.

But all other sheep are warned not to  boast against the fold that Jesus came unto.  That in boasting against this fold they are not carrying the burden of this fold (being accountable to the Almighty) but this fold is carrying the burden of them (unbelief and disobedience).

However, if you are a Christian you are to receive the Spirit of God*; “that the God of our Lord Jesus –the Messiah, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints(those separated), and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might…”

No wonder the many teachings that Jesus taught seem strange to many who profess to be ‘Christian’; the utter reality of receiving what you pray for and doing the works that Jesus did burden the mind of religious intention.

Faith is not just a key word for a modern Christian movement, it is the measure by which God has been trying to develop in the heart of men since man aligned him and herself to another master.

Arguments of dispensation and theological acceptance have not and never will justify the reality that everything concerning the relationship between God and man are by favor – it is all a gift. The shear force of will and divisive mental assent of man can never grasp the hidden spiritual canvas that God works upon to bring man back to Eden.

Google in it’s intellectual complexity from server to server can never map Eden. Archeological studies will never unearth the foundation.

Where divinity and flesh and bone met, there in the Messiah one understands God. The relationship held in a mystery. Even until today there is a veil over the eyes of many who read what is called the Torah. That veil is katargeo (deprived of force) in the Messiah { 2 Corinthians 3:12-16 (Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.2 Corinthians 3:17*) }.

The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom; however, it is not the knowing of God. To receive relationship with God one must come to and receive the Son where by they receive the Spirit of God which is God’s will toward man. The knowledge and wisdom to apply toward life and the knowledge and wisdom to move in life as an action of God’s divine will toward man is not a paradigm. They can be seen as the unfolding revelation of God towards the developing event when the Messiah came and walked among men.

Understanding the fear of the Lord is within that relationship between man and God. Faith is developed by the knowledge and understanding given by God which can be heard and received by His voice. The reception of that voice is by the Spirit of God given unto the believer who has received the Son.

This day as you are reading this, if you hear the voice of God; do not harden your heart but receive that which the Lord is communicating to you. Outside the bounds of time and situations and circumstances, God desires to communicate with you. He has a plan and purpose for your life. It is all that surrounds your life that He desires to touch. Your situations and your circumstances within and without your whole circle of influence upon this Earth.

The unaccomplished, the misdirected, the alienated, and the forsaken are the direct result of the hardhearted rejection of the voice of God toward man. Not having knowledge nor understand cripples and individual toward the reception of fear which breeds ignorance that places men and women in the volatile state of action. Acting out in bigotry, prejudice, and violence; where by many fail in the decision of participation  in adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strife, jalousies, indignations, contentions, divisions, sects, envying, murders, drunkenness, and reveling. In these no one will see the Kingdom of God.

Having the knowledge and understanding yet without the wisdom to carry out the direction of a goal or desire is the sad state of many as well. The Lord gives wisdom, will you but hear His voice today?

A Christian is an individual with whom the Spirit of God has been poured out upon. A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be led by that Spirit so that they may be sent to do the work of God upon this Earth. A believer is an individual whom the Lord is waiting to be converted, the acceptance in participating in discipleship and obedience of the Spirit of God.

Jesus spoke concerning maturity (and it was to ‘you’, those who hear Him): “Therefore, you shall be perfect, even as your Father Who is in heaven is perfect”. (Matthew 5:48)

{Tune into Mandate for Maturity on your local cable station or Livestream network.}

Michael, today we had an Outreach Explosion on Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as Israelis are born-again as they accept YESHUA as their Messiah!

 

Shalom from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Michael,

Early this morning on the Mt. of Olives, we shared Yeshua with Israeli Jews, Gentiles, and Arab Muslims.  The beautiful scenery and the sweet fragrance of the Holy Spirit was in our midst.

“Looking down from the Mt. of Olives upon Jerusalem, we saw the Golden Gate where Yeshua will enter the Temple, when He returns to this earth.

On the Mount of Olives, we began to pray for the LORD to direct our outreach today and then suddenly, a group of people walked by…  we shared the love of Yeshua with them, and Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit), led us to praise Him in Song with our guitars and voices lifted up in praise. 

A Muslim Arab man with a mule was walking by, so we went up to him and asked him, ‘Do you know that God is love, and that He loves you?” 

Israeli Evangelist Ze'ev Porat right, showing Arab man (Solomon) Scriptures and Yeshua in Hebrew Bible!

There was sadness in the man’s eyes.  We started to pray for the man (his name is Solomon) in the name of Yeshua (Jesus), and for the people of Jerusalem, both Jews and Arabs.

Solomon who lives in Jerusalem near the Mt. of Olives, was fascinated by the fact that we at Bibles For Israel, made up of Israeli Jewish evangelists wanted to pray for him and show him love. 

I told Solomon God loves us all, Jew, Arab and Gentile, and the only way to get peace in Israel is through Yeshua the Messiah.  Solomon received our prayer…and the Holy Spirit was beginning to do a work on this Muslim man.  Please pray for Solomon!

                                    Solomon is now giving Praise to God!

After spending many hours in Jerusalem, we felt the Lord directing us to drive down to Tel Aviv, 45 minutes down the main highway, passing through the Judean Hills.

We spent the next 7 hours in Tel Aviv, sharing the love of Yeshua until 11 p.m.

“At one point, I simply asked God who He wanted me to talk to, and I then immediately saw a man on the sidewalk, so I introduced myself and asked him, “What’s your name, and do you believe in the Bible?”

Yossi was his name and he said, “Yes, I do believe in our Jewish Bible.”

I then opened my Hebrew Bible and asked him, “What does it mean in the book of Genesis, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth?” Genesis 1:26

Yossi answered, “I never thought about it, but this stuff about “OUR” is probably a mistake. He asked me what I thought it meant. I then explained to him that God is one, yet Yeshua is the Son of God and He IS God Himself, and they are equal.

For the first time in his life, Yossi had heard about Yeshua (Jesus)!   Please pray for him.

I then passed by restaurant and the owner was standing outside.  He said his name was Ron, and he asked me why I was carrying my Hebrew Bible late at night.

We sat down at the table on the sidewalk, outside of his restaurant on Ben Yehuda St., and he started to ask me religious questions.

Ze'ev Porat and Michael of our evangelism team (left) and Ron the restaurant owner on right.

I then opened the Hebrew Bible to Psalm 2 and Ron read in Hebrew (here is the English translation)  “Kiss the Son…”

He said that Jews do NOT believe that God has a son –that is a Pagan Christian belief.

I then asked Ron if he believes that the Ten Commandments and the Torah are the Word of God.   Ron replied that he did and that the first commandment says: “Have No other gods before Me!” 

I then asked him to read in my Hebrew Bible Psalm 2:10-12, and Ron read these words in Hebrew which I have written here in English Michael, for you to read:

“Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

Ron read this and said, “I know that God doesn’t contradict Himself, so if in the Ten Commandments God says not to have any other gods, and he also says to kiss the Son, which I see in the context of the Psalm 2 to be the Messiah, then I guess God has a son!”

Ron then looked at me as if he’s been struck by lightning.  He began to really understand what I was saying about Yeshua.