06/23/2006 Sabbath Meeting Transcript

Tonight I have an announcement to make for those who haven't heard it already

Since 1997, Sabbath meetings have been hosted every week here in the chat room.

Starting this shabbat, we will have a second meeting at 12 noon ET here in the chat room

However, the scripture study will be shared using RealAudio Live Broadcasting

So the first meeting will continue to be text, but 2nd meeting will be heard via audio

The 2nd meeting will cover the same topic/study as the first, only it will be via audio

Details on the meeting are found at http://www.eliyah.com/sabbathmeeting/

HalleluYah!

Tonight we will discussing an important topic

One that is widely misunderstood and the cause of much confusion, frustration, discouragement and false security

We see this dismal world and its deceit. I see its wicked judgment and its vain pursuits.

It is vexing to see indeed. But through it all we can still rejoice

We can rejoice because of what is seen in Yahweh

Yahweh is compassionate and longsuffering, slow to anger and quick to forgive. He is an Elohim of Mercy

So tonight I would like to talk about Yahweh's mercy

and to whom He will give it

For many claim to have received it

Indeed we all have, for without His mercy we would not live

Without His mercy, this generation today would not have been born

Still, many claim to have salvation because of His mercy, yet do not do what is needful to receive that kind of mercy from Yahwh

In truth, man has been in rebellion for 6000 years

And for 6000 years, Yahweh has endured it

Why?

Psalms 103:8 - YAHWEH is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Because of Yahweh's mercy, many will scoff in the last days:

2Peter 3:3 - knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,

2Peter 3:4 - and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

Why is evil permitted to continue?

Why not come now and end it all?

2Peter 3:5 - For this they willfully forget: that by the word of YAHWEH the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,

2Peter 3:6 - by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.

2Peter 3:7 - But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of wicked men.

2Peter 3:8 - But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with YAHWEH one day [is] as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

2Peter 3:9 - YAHWEH is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Yahweh's longsuffering and mercy is what brings about the long wait.. not willing that any should perish.

I'm glad He waited for me! Thank You Father!

Psalms 103:8 - YAHWEH is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Psalms 103:9 - He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

Psalms 103:10 - He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Psalms 103:11 - For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

How high is the heavens above the earth?

Some years ago I read a story on CNN's website

They took the Hubble Space Telescope..which is a telescope so powerful it could look at a penny 500 MILES away and tell you if it was heads or tails ..

And they opened the lens on this telescope on a spot in the sky as small as a grain of sand held to the end of your finger

They opened it for 10 days so that it could catch all the light possible

When it was over, they found something that was probably quite frustrating

More Galaxies!

They recently did the same thing again.. and yet again found more galaxies

Yahweh's mercy toward them that fear Him is infinite, as are the heavens above the earth

Psalms 103:12 - As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Now consider this for but a moment..

If you were to go east, how far would you go before you would stop going east?

It is infinite, forever

If you were to go west, how far would you go before you would stop going west?

It is infinite also.

Either direction are infinitely apart from one another

Even so are the transgressions of those who fear Him removed from Him!

You see..

Psalms 103:13 - Like as a father pitieth his children, so YAHWEH pitieth them that fear him.

Last week we talked about the fear of Yahweh. Those who fear Yahweh are given mercy

Yahweh knows that we are dust..

Psalms 103:14 - For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Psalms 103:15 - As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

Psalms 103:16 - For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

Our days are short, but:

Psalms 103:17 - But the mercy of YAHWEH is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

What a promise for those who fear Yahweh!

We see that Yahweh's mercy is eternal, even though we are mortal

Notice also in verse 17 it says "His righteousness" is upon us eternally

That can only be through Yahushua! Yahweh has laid on Him the iniquity of us all and laid HIS righteousness on us, which is found in Yahushua the Messiah, HalleluYah!

Notice also:

Psalms 103:17 - But the mercy of YAHWEH is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

Psalms 103:18 - To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

There are certain ones to whom Yahweh gives this righteousness...and this mercy through Yahushua. It is to those that are remember to do His commandments and keep His covenant!

But why would those who are remembering to do His commandments need mercy?

Upon whom does Yahweh give His mercy?

These are important questions

If we want to receive His mercy, surely we would want to know how. It is a life and death matter

It is one of the most important things we can learn from His word

It can determine our destiny

If we are deceived, we are in for a rude awakening when Yahushua returns

We don't want to among the deceived and think that we have been given mercy and grace from Yahweh to inherit eternal life, when in reality we have not

Most people want His mercy, but how many are willing find what is needed to receive it.. then act upon it?

Proverbs 3:33 - The curse of YAHWEH is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

Proverbs 3:34 - Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth favor unto the lowly.

Favor is given to whom? The lowly

The humble and lowly state of a servant of Yahweh is one thing that seperated Moses from many of the other Israelites, David from Saul and Yahushua's disciples from the religious 'leaders' of that day.

The humble and lowly were those that Yahweh would save and show mercy toward

Every one of us have sinned.. but only certain ones will receive His mercy

So we see firstly that it is the lowly who are recipients of Yahweh's favor

What are some other characteristics of those who receive mercy from Yahweh?

2Samuel 22:26 - With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.

Ahh

The one that many stumble over

To obtain mercy from Yahweh, we must extend mercy to others!

Luke 6:37 - Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Matthew 18:34 - And his master was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

Matthew 18:35 - So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Strong words indeed. We must heed the warnings, and not let our worship and service toward Yahweh be in vain

2Samuel 22:26 - With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.

2Samuel 22:27 - With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.

2Samuel 22:28 - And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

Those who won't extend mercy lack the humility to remember the pit from which they were dug

Merciful, lowly servants receive His mercy

If we have failed Him...

If our heart beats

There is still time!

We are not without hope

But today is the day of salvation!

Who will tremble at Yahweh's word today?

To whom will Yahweh look? Blessed is the man to whom Yahweh will not impute sin:

Psalms 32:1 - Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Psalms 32:2 - Blessed is the man unto whom YAHWEH imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Is their deceit/ guile in our spirit toward Yahweh and/or others concerning the seriousness of our repentance?

To whom will Yahweh look?

Will it be to those who rely upon their own righteousness?

Ephesians 2:8 - For by favor you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of YAHWEH,

Ephesians 2:9 - not of works, lest anyone should boast.

But to whom will Yahweh look? To whom will He give the "gift of Yahweh"?

Surely it's not a free gift given to all. If it were, then all mankind would be saved and repentance would be a joke.

But we know that not all are saved. In fact, Yahushua said that few find the narrow gate (Matt 7:14). So to whom will Yahweh look upon with mercy?

Isaiah 66:1 - Thus saith YAHWEH, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Isaiah 66:2 - For all those things hath mine hand made, and those things have been, saith YAHWEH: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Yahweh will look upon the poor and contrite ones who tremble at His word. He is seeking those who care about what He has to say. For those who believe it and take it seriously by responding to it!

But if His word won't do.. in His mercy He has other ways of getting our attention

Lamentations 3:18 - And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from YAHWEH:

Who among us has felt this way?

Who among us is even now?

Lamentations 3:19 - Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

Lamentations 3:20 - My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

In these difficult times we (like Jeremiah) can remember..

Lamentations 3:21 - This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

Lamentations 3:22 - It is of YAHWEH's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

Lamentations 3:22 - It is of YAHWEH's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

Lamentations 3:23 - They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:24 - YAHWEH is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Lamentations 3:25 - YAHWEH is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Lamentations 3:26 - It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of YAHWEH.

Let's both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh..

Even Paul said...

Philippians 3:12 - Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of the Messiah Yahushua.

Philippians 3:13 - Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Philippians 3:14 - I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of YAHWEH in the Messiah Yahushua.

Not even Paul counted himself to have already been perfected. He didn't claim perfection or sinlessness

But he did press on! He was seeking the perfection, hoping in Yahweh's mercy

We can too

Don't let the enemy get you looking back

Look forward! Press on! Seek the high calling of Yahweh in Messiah!

It's when we look back at Egypt/the world that we find ourselves in trouble

If you look at something long enough, you will probably find yourself doing it

And if evil things are your meditation, evil actions will nearly always come

Therefore, forget those things and press on toward the goal..

The high calling of Yahweh in the Messiah Yahushua!

Now some claim that we should only look at the "New Testament" to see where Yahweh has mercy now

But this is not true at all!

For His word...even His LAW talks about His mercy

Yahweh Himself declared His mercy to all people. In fact, He wrote this with His own finger:

Deuteronomy 5:8 - Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

Deuteronomy 5:9 - Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I YAHWEH thy Elohim am a jealous El, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

Deuteronomy 5:10 - And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

Yes brethren. Even in His law--written with His own finger in the Ten Commandments--Yahweh declares His mercy to those who love Him and keep His commandments

Some mock us and call us "Law keepers" as if it were an insult

But brethren, it is those who love Yahweh and keep His commandments that will be given mercy!

Thus, we know as Yahushua said.. mercy is a weightier matter 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.

The law/torah isn't just some list of legal regulations. The Hebrew word "Torah" (usually translated 'Law') means 'teaching, instruction'

And part of Yahweh's instruction is that He has mercy and wants us to extend it to others

It is a "weightier matter of the law"!

Don't let anyone tell you different

Exodus 34:1 - And YAHWEH said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

Exodus 34:2 - And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

Exodus 34:3 - And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

Exodus 34:4 - And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as YAHWEH had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

Exodus 34:5 - And YAHWEH descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of YAHWEH.

Exodus 34:6 - And YAHWEH passed by before him, and proclaimed, YAHWEH,

Yahweh proclaimed His name

In His proclamation He said

Exodus 34:7 - Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

The name of Yahweh is intricately linked with Yahweh's mercy. And when Moshe presented the tablets to Yahweh, Yahweh declares His name.. His mercy

If we read on, we see that He did forgive the children of Israel for their sins.. many times

Yahweh's mercy was and is great and awesome from Genesis to Revelation

It wasn't just in the "New Testament" that He decided to have mercy

He had mercy from the day Adam ate the forbidden fruit

Yahweh is the same, He changes not

We need not read very far in the scriptures including the Torah to see that Yahweh has abundant mercy

Psalms 85:9 - Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

Psalms 85:10 - Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Those who act as if there is no mercy in what they call the Old Testament need to read all these verses

Isaiah 55:7 - Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto YAHWEH, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our Elohim, for he will abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 55:8 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith YAHWEH.

The purpose of the Torah is to make our thoughts more like His thoughts

To give us the instruction we need to be as He is--loving

To be righteous and wise

Loving one another

And loving HIM

If our heart is right, Yahweh's mercy should not be a license to sin

As even the "new testament" says

Romans 2:4 - Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of YAHWEH leadeth thee to repentance?

Romans 2:5 - But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of YAHWEH;

Romans 2:6 - Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

Romans 2:7 - To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

Romans 2:8 - But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Romans 2:9 - Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

His mercy is an absolutely positively FREE gift to the humble who are called and repent of their ways. But after our repentance, surely we would not want to return to the sin! If we want to return to the sin, we haven't "turned/repented" at all!

2Peter 20: -

2Peter 2:20 - For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Master and Savior Yahushua the Messiah, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

2Peter 2:21 - For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

2Peter 2:22 - But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."

Let's not turn away from the holy commandments

But if we have in the past, are we doomed?

Ezekiel 18:21 - But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Ezekiel 18:22 - All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Ezekiel 18:22 - All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Ezekiel 18:22 - All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Ezekiel 18:23 - Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Master YAHWEH: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

If you have turned from His holy commandments, there is still hope while your heart beats

Today can be the first day that you turn and live

Serving Yahweh until the day of your death

And the sins that you have committed will be forgotten; a mere bump in the road

But if you remain in that condition, the latter end is indeed worse than if you had never known

(sinful condition)

So let's not turn away from the holy commandments, let's turn toward them

Let's live and grow in Yahweh.. learning His ways, applying them to our lives, bearing fruit

And while we bear fruit, look not down at another's budding sprout that has yet to bear fruit and say within your heart, "I have fruit, where is yours?"

For we all were but a sprout at one time

Part of being righteous is being merciful

Yahweh is righteous and He is merciful

Thus, if we want to be righteous then we must also be merciful

If we truly seek to live in His image, we must imitate the mercy He gives.. especially the mercy He has given to us!

If we have the heart Yahweh seeks.. we can expect and believe in His mercy

Some are living a life of sadness and pain and spiritual cancer because they believe Yahweh is holding a grudge against them for their lack of faith or lack of obedience toward Him.

If we are sincere in our repentance and desire to change, scripture says that Yahweh does forgive. Remember the promise in Ezekiel 18 we just read

We only need to believe it!

It is Yahushua the Messiah who has enabled that promise to exist in the first place

For without Him, we would turn to righteousness and it would mean nothing

Our own righteousness could never atone for the wickedness we had done

Remember what Yahushua said

Luke 7:47 - Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

Yahweh just wants us to love Him

He has shown His love for us in so many ways

Now some believe that Yahweh has not pardoned their sins regardless of their cries to Him.

But if Yahweh doesn't want us to have a grudge, why should He hold one against us? He has awesome and great mercy

Leviticus 19:17 - Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

Leviticus 19:18 - Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am YAHWEH.

To one who lives in such a state, I think your humility and reverence for Yahweh is beautiful. But to you I ask one question, "Would Yahweh expect our mercy to exceed His own?"

Consider what Yahushua said here:

Matthew 18:21 - Then came Kepha to him, and said, Rabbi, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Matthew 18:22 - Yahushua saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Yahweh surely wouldn't hold a standard of mercy for us that He wouldn't Himself uphold. Surely our own mercy cannot exceed His!

But it is true that we should ask in truth, humility and repentance from the heart.

You see, Yahweh loves them who are this way.

It is these that He knew would be saved.. and to these Yahushua came to save

1John 4:9 - In this the love of YAHWEH was manifested toward us, that YAHWEH has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

1John 4:10 - In this is love, not that we loved YAHWEH, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Romans 5:8 - But YAHWEH commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, the Messiah died for us.

Does this not prove His love toward us?

Can we show the same love to others? Can we love those who aren't showing love to us?

Yahweh did

We weren't loving Him at one time

But He was loving us

We can do the same for others

That's the calling of Messiah. That's being like Him

At one time, most of us did nothing but rebel against Yahweh!

So what did He do? Destroy us?

Curse us? Leave us without a savior?

He could have

But here we are

Will we love Him in return? That's an important question

Will we show the same love to others? Will His love do its work in us?

Important questions tonight brethren

It's hard for some to imagine.. that friendly neighbor down the street.. that fellow with 2 cars in the garage and a nice clean home.. that fellow who would help most anyone who asked..

That fellow who isn't interested in the scriptures, but seems like a nice guy anyway

Unless that fellow repents, he will burn in the lake of fire--for Yahweh's wrath will be poured out upon that man

That man did not seek Yahweh's mercy

If all the world served Yahweh, such a man would be looked at a little differently

He would be that man down the street who ignores His Creator and doesn't seek to love Him

That man down the street who ignored all that Yahweh did for him

That man who rejected Yahweh's love for him

Yahweh's mercy was not without works that proved it

In sending His Son to die for us, He showed His mercy and love toward us

Will we show our love for Him? Will we care?

John 14:15 - If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Let it be so, I pray

Not only in word..

Not just by our tongue...

1John 3:18 - My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

How could any man after knowing such a love believe that it is ok to disobey Yahweh's commandments again? This is why Yahushua had to die for us.

Isaiah 26:10 - Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of YAHWEH.

Grace does no good to a man who isn't willing to seek it. Let's not be among them. Let's not be among those to whom grace is of no value because we still did not walk in righteousness

Hebrews 12:12 - Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,

Hebrews 12:13 - and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be [dislocated], but rather be healed.

Hebrews 12:14 - Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see YAHWEH:

Hebrews 12:15 - looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the favor of YAHWEH; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Bitterness defiles and prevents us from having mercy. The defiling effect causes us to view every action of another person as evil

For we are bitter toward them, and interpret even their innocent actions as wicked

We are failing to show mercy

So if you choose not to have mercy, and choose to be bitter... remember that the same measure will be measured to you

So have mercy, even when they don't ask for it.. that we might also be given mercy in those areas where we don't see our own failures

Yahweh gives mercy even when we don't ask

Let's take hold of that love He has for us

Let's allow His mercy to flow through us

Let's seek Yahweh's strength to walk in His light

and let's LIVE IT brethren .. in DEED.

For in DEED Yahweh showed us His mercy by offering His Son for us. He gave so much, He has served us in such a great and mighty way. Let's return that service to Him, and to our fellow man

Remembering His love..

Remaining humble no matter how high He takes us

and always, hoping and trusting in His mercy

For Yahweh wants to give it to the humble

And to the merciful

May Yahweh bless you and may He have mercy on us all!