Posted by EliYah on March 10, 1998 at 22:27:38:
When Yahshua spoke to certain disciple, he said:
John 21:15 (NKJV) So when they had eaten breakfast, Yahshua said to Simon Peter, "Simon, [son] of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Master; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, [son] of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Master; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, [son] of Jonah, do you love Me?" Kepha was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Master, You know all things; You know that I love You." Yahshua said to him, "Feed My sheep."
What did Yahshua mean? We are the sheep of His pasture. His sheep hear His voice. But a stranger's voice they will not hear. His people are sheep, hungry for His word...needing to be fed. Not intimidated into submission with harsh words and idle threats. Yahshua leads His sheep gently:
Isai 40:11 (NKJV) He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry [them] in His bosom, [And] gently lead those who are with young.
If we are chosen to feed His sheep, how will we treat them? Will we..like Him..gather them with our arms gently lead them or will we smite them with our words?
Jame 3:7 (NKJV) For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. [It] [is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Elohim and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of Elohim. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh [water] and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. 13 Who [is] wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct [that] his works [are] [done] in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking [exist], confusion and every evil thing [are] there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
I encourage all those who post here to have discretion and understanding toward one another. Do not frighten off the sheep. Why must I receive emails from those who see the lack of love and compassion here?
Prov 19:11 (NKJV) The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
We need to be longsuffering! The one we serve sure is!
Psal 145:8 (NKJV) Yahweh is gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 Yahweh is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works. 10 All Your works shall praise You, O Yahweh, And Your saints shall bless You.
Are we like Yahshua? Yahshua takes the beatings and spittings of the enemy for our sakes and then says "Father forgive them". Do we receive one small ounce of disrespect from a brother and then lash out like we have been slain? Are we forgetting "The weightier matters of the law?"
Matthew 23:23 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
AS Yahshua said...judgement, mercy and faith are the weightier
matters of the law. These we must do, without leaving the others undone! These are characteristics of Yahshua and we must walk like He walked.
Ephesians 4:1 - I, therefore, the prisoner of YAHSHUA, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
When we lack lowliness, gentleness and longsuffering. When we fail to bear with one another in love..then do we truly love our brother? Are we loving our brother as Yahshua loved us? This was His commandment:
John 13:34 (NKJV) "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Yes, can you believe that? The world won't know that we are His disciples because of how smart we are or how wise and versed we are in scripture. Will the innocent bystander find love on this forum? I tell you that when I see a post lacking in this..I question whether the source is a true disciple of Yahshua for it will be the LOVE for one another that will reveal His disciples. If we lack this..we are treading on very very dangerous ground!!
1Joh 3:10 (NKJV) In this the children of Yahweh and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of Yahweh, nor [is] he who does not love his brother.
1Joh 4:20 (NKJV) If someone says, "I love Yahweh," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love Yahweh whom he has not seen?
With love in His service,
EliYah