by Rod Thomas | Jul 1, 2015 | Blog
Willing Obedience is a True Act of Love
Deuteronomy 10:12-11:9
What does our experience tell us about Yahovah? What is our testimony? It is these exploits, these events that occurred in our lives that make us strong and ready to possess the land. We must not underestimate the value of our journey. Our individual journeys in Messiah serve as training grounds and provide us with the experience and knowledge base to move forward and possess that which Yahovah has given us. That which Yahovah has in store for us, although the journey to get there may at times seem insurmountable, is awesome. This was our experience in the wilderness prior to entering the land and it was that light at the end of the tunnel that drove us forward. Unfortunately, we failed to love and respect Yahovah as Yahovah so desired us to do. Instead, we tried to serve and obey Him governed by our flesh. We found that we could not keep Torah to the degree that Yahovah desired that we keep Torah. We kept Torah out of fear and we kept Torah like androids. This never satisfied Father. It was always a heart thing with the Father. Contrary to what we thought Yahovah wanted of us, it was not just compliance to His Torah that He wanted from us. No indeed. Ever since Yah created man, He has sought to have a relationship with him, unlike that which He has with His angels. Yah’s love for us is as deep and complex as the love a mother has for her child. It’s unconditional. It’s immeasurable. But Yah yearns for us to love Him just as He loves us. Is it wrong for us to empty out ourselves and seek to love Yahovah to the same degree He loves us. Oh, I know that scholars and teachers will tell us that we can never love Yahovah as much as He loves us and that may well be true. But the simple fact of the matter is, dear Saints, that many of us have taken that belief to heart and effectively become loveless children of Yahovah. Oh, we’ll gladly honor and observe the Feast Days, honor the food laws and the Shabbat. We’ll fellowship and support our favorite ministries. Many of us will even support charities and help those in need. But as it relates to our love for Yahovah, it has always been and remains plastic–unidimensional–colorless. And this lack of love translates, sadly, over to our brothers and sisters and anyone else who may enter into our spheres of influence–we are suspicious and hesitant to enter into any true, loving relationship with them.
It’s a heart thing. It always has been. Serving and obeying Yahovah is pointless without the heart being the central driving element behind our obedience, praise and service. We must never be so naive to think that Yahovah is fooled by our loveless service to Him–indeed, as the traditionalists love to say, He knows our hearts oh too well. He wants a full commitment, not unlike that of a young couple who are so much in love that they choose to honor that love by taking a marriage vow. Yah’s love for us culminated at the Mount Sinai. He provided us a marriage covenant in advance of our agreeing to abide by that covenant. We knew the terms of that contract and we agreed to be married to Father. Yet we cheated on Father so early in the relationship. Oh how He must have been devastated. Why did we cheat on Father? I believe we cheated on Father because our hearts were never part and parcel of the marriage contract in the first place. We chose to just go along with the covenant and the plan of God because we had nothing better to do at the time. The problem of simply going with the flow and not having our hearts behind the commitment becomes that which ultimately leads to infidelity. It may not lead to idolatry as became the practice of our forefathers. But it may lead to infidelity through other means–allowing the cares of life to drown Him out; becoming preoccupied with materialism; establishing relationships with those who are unequally yoked; or simply walking away from Yahovah altogether. It happens all the time. That’s why it is so vitally important that we start this journey with the heart in sync with our minds. We know at some point that we should follow Yahovah, for whatever reason. So we commit to a relationship with Yahovah. But before moving on in the relationship and commitment, we must evaluate our intentions: do we truly love Father? Are we willing to die for Father? Are we willing to walk away, if necessary, from family, careers, lifestyles, relationships, material things, the things we love in the flesh? How much do we love Yahovah? How much? Because if we can’t certify that question with an unconditional “I love Him beyond measure,” then that relationship will be built on sand and it will ultimately fail. Yahovah opened Himself to us through Moshe and said to us:
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deu 5:29 KJV)
He so desires for us to love Him as much as He loves us. But sadly, that love is rarely returned in any appreciable capacity or measure.
What does our love for Yahovah look like: hands raised in praise; hours on our knees praying; wearing tzitzits to work; reading His Word; thinking about Him from time to time; or having a warm sensation within us as we think about His goodness. Yes, these could to some degree describe our love for Him. But, these displays of love are primarily acts of emotion. We know that emotions come and go, depending upon environment, situations, feelings, worries, hopes, perspectives, etc. Emotions change and thus, love based primarily upon an emotional response to that which Yahovah has done for us or what He will do for us, will most certainly ebb and wane. Yahovah is not naive. He most certainly does, as many in popular Christianity love to say, know our hearts. And depending upon how we feel at any given time, will determine to what degree we love Yahovah. Consequently, take away something we hold precious, our love for the Father may wax seemingly cold. Our lives grow stagnant and everyone around us gets blessed but our lives appear as though we are in a state of hibernation, our love for Yahovah may become equally stagnant. Oh, but get that big raise and great things start happening for us, then we are so in love with Yahovah, aren’t we? Therefore, cognitive, emotionally based love is not what Father desires of us.
The love Father desires from us is obedience based. That obedience is carried through, not out of fear or guilt or feelings of obligation, but out of a genuine heartfelt love for Father. Thus, we do that which Father commands us to do and we do it readily and with zeal and with a willing heart and mind. That is true love for Yahovah.
Thus, our Torah Challenge for today is to love Yahovah the way He commands us to love Him. Any other concept of love, such as the popular, westernized concept of love, though warm and fuzzy at times, is not up to snuff to the love Yahovah is expecting of His chosen ones. Shalom.
Rod Thomas–Coroner Investigator–Messianic Content Creator–Disciple of Yahoshua HaMashiyach–Wishful Musician
by Rod Thomas | Jun 30, 2015 | Blog
God’s Law Written on our Hearts
Deuteronomy 10:1-12
Moshe regales the time past when Yahovah instructed him to come up the holy mountain with two tables of hewed stone, similar to the ones that Yahovah provided in the first time. (Reference Exo. 34:1, 2) Prior to that, Yahovah instructed Moshe to have the ark of the covenant constructed. (reference Exo. 25:10) We must recall that awesome day, at the foot of mount Sinai, when Yahovah ratified His covenant with us and He shouted down to us His ten-commandments. (Reference Exo. 19) Later, Moshe was called up the mountain and Yahovah provided him two-tables of stone, inscribed with the ten-commandments. However, when Moshe saw the people had broken the covenant that had just a few days prior been established between Yah and us, Moshe broke the tables of stones containing the commandments. This second set of stone tables would be hewed and brought before the Father for His inscription, whereas the first set of tables Yah provided and inscribed His words upon them. This second set of tables were placed into the ark of the covenant by Moshe as instructed by Yahovah.
Additionally, Moshe rehashes our journey from B’nei Ya’akan to Moserah. It is at Moserah that Aaron died and the priesthood was transferred to his son Eleazer. (Reference Num. 20:28; 33:30-38) From Moserah we traveled to Gudgod and then on to Yotvatah. It is during this period of relocation that Yahovah set apart from the rest of us the Levites who would carry the ark for the covenant of ADONAI and to stand before ADONAI to serve him and to bless in his name, (Deu 10:8 CJB) Thus the Levite would have no inheritance in the promised land like all the other tribes, for Yahovah would be their inheritance.
Lastly, Moshe regales how he petitioned Yahovah on our behalf; for Yahovah to spare us as a result of our evil and sin. We were spared and allowed to proceed on our travels because of Moshe’s intercession. Indeed, Moshe was a precursor to our Lord and Savior Y’shua HaMoshiyach.
I want to return to the beginning of this section and look at this issue of the stone tables. We recall that Yahovah Himself hewed stone out of the holy mountain and inscribed His commandments upon them and gave those tables to Moshe. Moshe destroyed those tables in response to the people’s breaking of the covenant. The second go-round, Moshe was instructed to hew the stone tables and bring them before Yahovah for inscription. It is this second set of tables that were then placed into the ark of the covenant. What a beautiful shadow picture that Father has placed before us. The first set of tables Yahovah did all the work in bringing forth the commandments which resulted in the tables’ destruction. This second set, Moshe brings the tables for Yahovah to inscribe His commandment upon. We today are the second set of tables that must come before Father for Him to write His Law upon our hearts. Before, Yahovah simply provided the Law and said here, follow and obey. We did not follow and obey and thus the covenant was broken. We are now under a renewed covenant, whereby Yah’s Law is written in/on our hearts. Thus Yahovah’s Word lives within us. We are not compelled to obey out of rote obedience that is based upon fear and blind ignorance. We follow and obey because we love Yahovah with our entire being: our heart, soul and strength. (Reference Mat. 22:37; Deu. 6:5)
The Torah Challenge set before us today fellow Saints is for us to realize and live out Torah that has been written/inscribed on our hearts. We are no longer bound to religion and the whims and teachings of our religious leaders who twist the Word of Yahovah to fit their own personal or denomination’s agenda. Let us strip off denominationalism and religion from our being and walk and operate in the power and might of the Ruach Kodesh, realizing that we are one with Torah, because Yahovah has placed His Law within us. Be blessed. Shalom.
Rod Thomas–Coroner Investigator–Messianic Content Creator–Disciple of Yahoshua HaMoshiyach–Wishful Musician
by Rod Thomas | Jun 29, 2015 | Blog
What do you think YHWH (Yahweh) meant by: “Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads”?
Deuteronomy 6: 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Do you think the above in any way meant we are to tie physical objects (Tefillin and Tekhelet) to our heads and hands? The truth is: We just don’t know for sure.
While there are no scriptures to verify that Yeshua wore tefillin (there is some argument that the PRECISE final form of rabbinic traditional tekhlet and tefillin developed over time and finalized in the Middle Ages), it would not be correct to say that no form of these items were worn in Yeshua’s time, either by Him or his followers….
Tefillin are traditional prayer objects that were an invention of the Pharisees, which was later picked up by the Rabbis. The Gospels reveal they were worn all day long by the Pharisees to give the impression that they were pious men, constantly praying.
Matthew 23: 5. And they do all their deeds that they might be seen by the sons of men. For they widen their Tefillin [1] and lengthen the Tekhelet [2] of their robes. (Aramaic English New Testament)
[1] Leather box/straps containing Bible verses that traditional observant Jews bind on their arms and foreheads during daily prayer, except on Shabbat (Deut. 6:8 (Paul Younan translation)).
[2] The “ribbon of blue” of the “tzitzit” (fringes), as commanded in Num. 15:38. “Tekhelet” can also refer to tzitzit, or even the whole prayer shawl/talit. (Paul Younan translation)
So, let’s think about this, logically:
Why would YHWH tell us to “tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads”? When these words were given, man certainly did not understand the reason. The Orthodox Jews – hundreds, if not thousands of years ago – took this verse literally and came up with actual, physical ways to comply with this command. They wrote down the words of YHWH on pieces of parchment, inserted them in little boxes (called Tefillin) attached to bands, and literally tied them to their hands and foreheads.
But, is this really what YHWH meant for us to do? Let’s examine it from both, a Biblical and a scientific perspective.
Today, science has a pretty good working knowledge of all things physical. This includes an excellent working knowledge of the human brain. Unfortunately, scientists tend to get wrapped up in their particular mindsets and often think they have “the answer” to nearly every question – but that’s fodder for another article….
The human brain is described today by scientists as consisting of several parts that control different functions. You are probably familiar with the terms “cerebrum” or “cerebral cortex”, “cerebellum”, and “brain stem”.
The cerebral cortex is the largest part consisting of those two roughly symmetrical, “corrugated-looking” or “folded” hemispheres. Though far more complicated than can be covered here, the cerebral cortex, having much to do with the physical and mental functions of our bodies, is further divided into areas called the “frontal lobe”, “parietal lobe”, “occipital lobe”, and the “temporal lobe”. Scientists have determined that these cerebral cortex lobes correspond to the following functions:
Lobe Function
Frontal Motor control and cognitive activities, such as planning, making decisions, setting goals, speech, and purposeful behavior
Parietal Sensory processes, spatial interpretation, attention, and language comprehension
Occipital Processes visual information and communicates with the parietal and temporal lobes
Temporal Auditory perception, language comprehension, and visual recognition
The area at the very front of the frontal lobe is called the “Prefrontal Cortex”. Let’s look at a study on the prefrontal cortex in a February 2003 article in Nature Reviews on the human brain by Jacqueline Wood and Jordan Grafman: “Human Prefrontal Cortex: Processing and Representational Perspectives”.
Grafman and Wood start out by saying “Although it is clear that the PFC [Prefrontal Cortex] is important for higher cognitive skills, particularly in humans, how it achieves these functions is unknown.” Interestingly, throughout the remainder of the article, Grafman and Wood speak casually about how the human brain “evolved” into its capability of higher cognitive skills. You see, for many – if not most – scientists, “evolution” explains without them having to actually come up with an explanation….
Grafman and Wood go on to say the PFC has two main areas that deal not only with each other, but with other parts of the brain. One part of the PFC, (the “ventromedial” region), is associated with other parts of the brain that deal with emotional processing, memory, and visual information; and the other part of the PFC, (the “dorsolateral” region), is associated with areas of the brain dealing with motor control, mood and emotions (cingulate cortex), and the sensory processing done in the parietal cortex.
Specifically: “The ventromedial PFC is well suited to support functions involving the integration of information about emotion, memory, and environmental stimuli, and the dorsolateral PFC to support the regulation of behavior and control of responses to environmental stimuli.” After describing the types of cells in the PFC and how the neurons in the PFC can act differently than in other parts of the brain, they say: “This is one structural explanation for the PFC’s ability to integrate inputs from many sources and to implement more abstract behaviors.”
In other words, the prefrontal cortex is where you make decisions to take action on a thought. The prefrontal cortex handles your behavior!
Now consider this: Thousands of years before man developed the modern sciences and determined what parts of the brain are responsible for the various human behaviors and activities, YHWH told man to keep His words “on your forehead”.
Touch your forehead. Go ahead. No one is watching. Just a fraction of an inch beyond your fingertips is the PREFRONTAL CORTEX. God told us to keep His word there. Keeping His word there keeps us from processing worldly desires and events (i.e., evil) and acting on it. If we keep God’s word in our prefrontal cortex, we are less likely to commit sin.
And there you have the reason for Deuteronomy 6:6-8! Talking about God’s word keeps His commandments on our foreheads, on our prefrontal cortex, and thus, keeps us from sin.
Exodus 13 below shows proof positive that it’s not a literal binding on our hands and forehead, as we see YHWH reiterating the importance of His Passover and what His people are to DO and REMEMBER on/about that particular Holy Convocation:
Exodus 13: 1 ADONAI said to Moshe, 2 “Set aside for me all the firstborn. Whatever is first from the womb among the people of Isra’el, both of humans and of animals, belongs to me.” 3 Moshe said to the people, “Remember this day, on which you left Egypt, the abode of slavery; because ADONAI, by the strength of his hand, has brought you out of this place. Do not eat hametz. 4 You are leaving today, in the month of Aviv. 5 When ADONAI brings you into the land of the Kena’ani, Hitti, Emori, Hivi and Y’vusi, which he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you are to observe this ceremony in this month. 6 For seven days you are to eat matzah, and the seventh day is to be a festival for ADONAI. 7 Matzah is to be eaten throughout the seven days; neither hametz nor leavening agents are to be seen with you throughout your territory. 8 On that day you are to tell your son, ‘It is because of what ADONAI did for me when I left Egypt.’ 9 Moreover, it will serve you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, so that ADONAI’s Torah may be on your lips; because with a strong hand ADONAI brought you out of Egypt…”
As you can deduce from the above, it’s all about DOING so that we can better REMEMBER! “Tie them as symbols on your hands,” does not mean we are literally attach anything to, or write down YHWH’s word on our hands!
Consider this: We decide what to do with our brains. God asked us to keep his word in our prefrontal cortex so we would not sin. When we sin, how do we typically commit those sins? With our hands! A thief does not steal with his ear. An angry man does not strike another with his hair. A man does not kill another with his nose. A forger does not fake a signature (typically) with his foot.
In the majority of cases, we commit our sins with our hands. Keeping God’s word “on our hands” would mean that we proceed through life not allowing our hands to commit a sin.
What marvelous words in Deuteronomy 6:6-8! It is truly a wonder why so many people think the Torah, God’s original teaching and instruction, has been “done away with”. His words are so true and so powerful!
Carmen Welker–Author, Torah Teacher, Content Creator for The Refiner’s Fire
by Rod Thomas | Jun 26, 2015 | Blog
The Supernatural and Evil
This month of June in the year 2015 may mark on of the worst months on record for the proliferation of evil throughout the world. Word on the street is that the Supreme Court of these United States will rule on same sex marriages sometime between the posting of this writing and Monday the 29th. The ramifications of this crucial ruling may affect every believer in Y’shua Messiah in the United States. The Bilderberg Group (an international conglomerate of Elitists) met and discussed globally significant issues at a posh resort in the mountains of Austria last week. The primary topic of discussion at this globalists’ celebration is believed to have been “the use and employment of artificial intelligence” in the world. Russia is being antagonized and challenged by the West regarding her ongoing involvement in the affairs of the Ukraine. How far will this agitation and challenging go between the West and Russia before Russia tires and does something regrettable is a frightening prospect. Last Wednesday evening a radical racist entered one of the oldest black churches in the United States and murdered nine of that church’s members in cold blood. The nation mourned this heinous hate crime. All the while, more and more of every citizen of the United States and even the world is having their civil and human rights eroded away as governments are grappling with ways to combat a worldwide economic meltdown and terrorism. Speaking of terrorism, the Islamic State continues its blood bath in Iraq and Syria, almost unabated and unchallenged.
Many conservative pundits believe our nation and possibly the world is heading towards a period of terrible crisis and abject evil. It’s not a question of if all these terrible things will manifest on the world stage, but more a question of when and how bad will it get. As believers in Y’shua Messiah, we as a community tend to be quite knowledgeable of such current events and international trends. However, we tend to remain ignorant as to the degree in which we are prepared to face the certain fall-out associated with these crises. Take for instance the potential supreme court ruling in favor of same sex marriage. A potential ruling in favor of same sex marriage by the highest court of this nation would have attached to it mandates that would prohibit any semblance of bigotry associated with gay and lesbian rights. Notice I said any semblance of bigotry; semblance of bigotry because the potential that we our adherence to Torah and thus our stand on the issue of gays and lesbians will certainly be viewed as bigotry. Thus, any existing tax exempt status or religious practice freedoms may be removed by the government. Beyond that, we can only surmise how bad it may become if we as the redeemed of Yahovah were to take a stand against gay and lesbian rights. Could our religious freedoms for instance be at risk? The potential for our treasured freedom to worship Yahovah in accordance with Torah being stripped away from us is certainly not beyond the realm of impossibility.
As the Chosen of the Most High, we are not guaranteed protections against persecution, trials and tribulations. Somehow, we believers of modern times have deluded ourselves to think that we are not to suffer persecution and tribulation. That’s an absurd and most dangerous mindset to possess. We must be reminded of the first and second century believers who endured unimaginable tragedies and death as a result of their faith in Y’shua Messiah. I’m not necessarily linking the tragedy that occurred in South Carolina last week with anything that we as a community of believers in Messiah may experience. I’m more concerned with the likelihood that we may loose our right to practice our Faith because of the stand that we are compelled to take against gay and lesbian so-called rights. For me, it comes down to this internet-based ministry. If I am led to speak or write out against gay and lesbian so-called rights by the Ruach, I could stand to lose this ministry’s websites and my place on the worldwide web. It’s a daunting prospect to say the least. But I–we must not fear such things. The loss of our freedom to live, worship and teach Torah is going to happen–it’s not a matter of if but when. And when all our rights get taken away and we are hunted down and persecuted, we must be in the best spiritual strength that we can be in. Now is the time to get in spiritual shape friends. We must pay attention to the signs and listen to the various news outlets to stay informed. We must make preparations for the inevitable–both physical and spiritual preparations. Let us pray and fast and keep our heads in our Bibles in anticipation for the times ahead.
Stay blessed Saints. Shalom
Rod Thomas–Coroner Investigator–Messianic Content Creator–Disciple of Yahoshua HaMashiyach–Wishful Musician