That's only through and by Yahushua HaMashiach, and that Spirit leads us to the way of life, the way of peace, hope, the way of righteousness.
Were it not for that Spirit, we would be nothing but dead dust. Didn't Yahweh form us out of the dust of the ground? HalleluYah. And He breathed in us His life, so that we would have the breath of life, Genesis 2:7.
He wants to fill us with life eternally. We were originally created to be in His image. We're going to get into this later, but man did not choose to walk in His image. Praise Yahweh for Yahushua, who did walk in His image, who wants to live in us.
Yahushua was the one that said:
John 6:63 - "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and [they] are life.
HalleluYah. One of my favorite scriptures, and I quote it often, because words are spirit, and the kind of words that we allow to be planted in our minds and that we entertain and take into our hearts can affect the way we walk and the way that we think.
This other kind of spirit is very active in the world today. It's an unclean spirit. Instead of love, it brings us hatred. Instead of peace, it brings us confusion. Instead of hope, it gives us hopelessness. Instead of righteousness, this unclean spirit gives us wickedness.
That is what does not bring life. If we are filled with the things that are contrary to the Spirit of Yahweh, we have been filling our hearts, minds and things, our life with things that do not bring life.
What does not bring life is the spirit of the world, a spirit that entwines and entangles, a spirit that destroys and slowly kills little by little, bit by bit, until the Word, the Spirit of Yahweh is choked out by its thorns.
I've heard it said if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, he will try to jump out, but if you put a frog in a pot of water and ever so slowly raise the temperature, he won't even know that anything is happening until he dies.
So it is with the spirit of the world. With this world and its pursuits, it's such a slow death that few know they are being harmed by it until it is too late. It's such a deceptive death that few know when they enter its doors and few realize the extent to which they are falling into it.
Today I want to share some things on what the scriptures have to say about the world, who it really belongs to, and how we should relate to it.
To whom does the world truly belong? Yahweh has spoken in Psalm 50:12.
Psalms 50:12 - "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world [is] Mine, and all its fullness.
So the world is Yahweh's. If you turn on the news or read your typical media outlets or whatever, people act like the world belongs to them. Most people in this world act as though it belongs to them, but the truth is the world belongs to Yahweh.
What's going to happen to the world eventually? We know right now it's not in submission to the One who owns it. Only the meek will inherit the earth.
Psalms 9:8 - He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
He's going to judge the world in righteousness.
Isaiah 13:11 - "I will punish the world for [its] evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
John 16:7 - "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
John 16:8 - "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:9 - "of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
John 16:10 - "of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
John 16:11 - "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
The whole world will be judged, including its residing prince. Yahweh set man originally in the Garden of Eden to have dominion and filled him with His Spirit to walk in His image, but man chose a prince for himself that is not Yahweh, and he follows the unclean spirits of that prince.
Yahweh did not appoint Satan to be the prince and ruler of this world. He's only the prince because man chose to give him that place in their lives.
Man has chosen a liar to be their prince. He's the father of lies, according to John 8:44. Yahushua is speaking to those who are of the world, and He said to them:
John 8:44 - "You are of [your] father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own [resources], for he is a liar and the father of it.
He told them, "You are of your father, the devil." He called them the devil's offspring. Whose children are we? Who is our Father? Who do we want to be our King? In whose image do we desire to walk? The image of Yahweh or the image of His enemy? It's our choice.
Most will choose the latter. Most will choose to not walk in the image of Elohim. How do you tell the difference?
1John 3:10 - In this the children of Elohim and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of Elohim, nor [is] he who does not love his brother.
We want to be His children. His children will practice righteousness and will love one another. His children will hate lies and love the truth. Those who love lies will, of course, follow the father of lies.
2Thessalonians 2:9 - The coming of the [lawless one] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
2Thessalonians 2:10 - and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
We have to love the truth in order to receive salvation; otherwise, we're going to believe a lie.
2Thessalonians 2:11 - And for this reason Elohim will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
2Thessalonians 2:12 - that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
We have lies and unrighteousness versus truth and righteousness. Very important that we love the truth and that we love righteousness; otherwise, Yahweh may send us a strong delusion so that we will think we're following truth, but we are following lies.
If the prince of the world is a liar, what exactly are the lies? Scripture teaches that all the world is deceived.
Revelation 12:9 - So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
He's the one that deceives the whole world, according to Revelation 12. That being the case, and knowing the whole world follows after him, don't we need to be really careful that we're on guard against the world's lies and the spirit that inspires it all?
We need to be ready to be apart when Yahweh takes it back and rules over all things.
1Corinthians 6:2 - Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
We are to one day judge the world. That being the case, surely we don't want to be a part of its evil. We're supposed to be the ones judging its evil. Our attitude needs to be a willingness to keep ourselves clean from it.
James 1:27 - Pure and undefiled religion before Elohim and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, [and] to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Unspotted meaning unstained. The world really does want to stain you. I've felt the stain. Have you ever felt the stain before? I remember about ten or twelve years ago, after a beautiful, wonderful Shabbat meeting, I would go and visit an unbelieving relative, because they were nearby, after rejoicing on the Shabbat.
And in that home would be the television pouring out its world spirit into the room. Afterward, I would feel stained like it was clinging to me. I'm not sure how you really describe it other than a yuckiness inside, after having been exposed to all the yuck.
A few years later, I visited this same relative, and there was a football game on television. I had spent the night there, and I was wanting to have a time of scripture reading and praising Yahweh with the family, as we want to do every day.
But with this worldly production on the television, the worldly music, and the worldly commercials, after sitting there about ten or fifteen minutes trying to converse with the person I was visiting, I got up and all of a sudden, my desire to open the Bible and have scripture studies with the family wasn't there.
It was like the worldliness I had seen on the television literally sucked out my desire for the things of Yahweh. I went ahead and forced myself and did it anyway. We continued to have our scripture studies, and I was restored, but I could see something coming out of that box was not friendly to the ways of Yahweh.
I can see clearly that we need to be careful that we do not have the world's spirit influencing us, but that we have Yahweh's Spirit in us, influencing those who seek to be drawn to Him.
Even though it was not a Sabbath day, I believe we need to be as families. We need to be getting together daily in time of spiritual discussion regularly throughout the day, if we're able to.
If we've got this competing force of Hollywood constantly fighting against what we're trying to do--I'll tell you what I did years ago. Once I realized--I think this was about '97 or '98--once I realized what this television was doing to my home, I picked it up, and I proceeded to carry it off the porch and throw it on the ground.
My wife stopped me, and she says, "Now, wait. We do have home videos." I looked at her. You know what was interesting about that? Even though the television was plugged in, I didn't have to unplug it. Somehow it just unplugged itself. I don't know what happened, but anyway I thought about it, and I decided to go ahead and keep it for that reason.
But we haven't had it hooked up to the antenna or cable or any of the world's programming since that time. Praise Yahweh. We still have it. It's about ready to become obsolete because of this new digital thing, but I don't think we're going to get that digital thing.
If we sense that the spirit of the world is influencing us, contrary to the things of Yahweh, then we need to do something about it.
If the spirit of the world is influencing us more than we're able to go out into this world and influence it for righteousness, then we need to get out of that situation and do something else for awhile.
I found the hard way it can be very detrimental to try to minister to others unless it's out of the overflowing cup. I was talking to a brother this week on the telephone about that.
If our cup is constantly being drained out by others who are influencing us negatively, and we're giving every bit that we have, every last drop out of our cup we're trying to give out and pour out and serve others, then we're not really being the kind of witness we're supposed to be anyway.
We need to make sure that we are ministering out of the overflowing cup whenever possible. We need to be careful and make sure we surround ourselves and our homes with an environment that is conducive and a blessing and that supports and edifies our spiritual walk.
If there's something in our house that's contrary to that, we need to do something about it. Does this mean we need to go out of the world and go into some corner of the woods somewhere and live like a hermit? I don't think that's Yahweh's will.
1Corinthians 5:9 - I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.
1Corinthians 5:10 - Yet [I] certainly [did] not [mean] with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
1Corinthians 5:11 - But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- not even to eat with such a person.
We ought to expect that the world is going to be in worldly people, and so we have our guard up. But Yahweh forbid that the world be in the brethren.
We should be more careful about the world being in the brethren than the world being in the world. We don't need to go out of the world, but we should be on guard against letting the spirit of the world have power and influence over us.
What we began to do, before we went to that relative's house, we began to pray. We began to pray that Yahweh would allow His Spirit to prevail and its influence over the other people, prevail over the spirit of the world and its influence over us before we even went in the doors. And I recommend you do that.
We've even prayed that Yahweh would bind up every power of the enemy and would not be able to influence us or harm us in any way. We do that regularly. We are not to love the world, nor are we to have the world dwelling within us and its spirit. Rather, we are to overcome the world.
1John 5:4 - For whatever is born of Elohim overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith.
Wait a minute. Didn't Yahweh so love the world? Yes.
John 3:16 - "For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 - "For Elohim did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:18 - "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of Elohim.
So we should not love the world in the sense that we long to do the things that they do, but we do love the world in the sense that we desire that they would repent and receive Yahushua, that they might have salvation.
If we did not love them, we wouldn't even want them to repent and receive eternal life, but we do want them to repent and to turn to the ways of Yahweh's Spirit and be cleansed of the unclean spirit.
We know most people will not. When in history has the majority ever been right? Even in scripture, we see the majority was almost always in the wrong. Most are going to seek to follow the prince of this world.
Revelation 13:3 - And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
We need to be aware, because the world is going to follow after that beast, that father of lies, and the world will think it's doing so to achieve peace.
1Thessalonians 5:3 - For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
If the whole world is deceived, and all the world follows after the beast, don't you think we, as brethren, need to be very, very careful we are not being influenced by the spirit of the world?
We need to stand ready against this spirit and be sober. Be vigilant and be aware of the deception and lies through unrighteousness.
There's many scriptures that talk about being sober. In light of the times coming, soberness needs to be something we practice. I think too often people get in mind, we're just going to go off and drink the drink, eat, drink, and be merry.
We need to be on guard. There's a serious deception, possibly in our generation, possibly going on now. I think it is.
Notice the world will say peace and safety. They want peace. They do. They want peace. If they see you, they realize you have peace, and they want that, but they're looking in all the wrong places.
Isaiah 48:22 - "[There is] no peace," says YAHWEH, "for the wicked."
Only in Yahushua are we going to have peace, because it's not until we have peace with Yahweh that we can have peace at all.
John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
How can we know if we are following after the ways of the world? How can we know if we are walking in that spirit of the world? Maybe we keep certain commandments the world does not keep. Maybe we don't participate in some of the things the world chooses to participate in. Are there ways in which we are receiving their spirit?
Observe the things the world does and then examine your own walk. Are we doing just as they do? Do we act the way they do? Do we look the way they do? Do we think the way they do? It's so easy to go along with all the other sheep.
There are thousands and thousands of sheep all headed in one direction, and they're all falling off a cliff, but they think they're okay, because everyone else is going that direction.
We have to be of another sheepfold completely. Turn the other direction and follow the Master's voice. Listen to His Spirit, not the Spirit of the world. It's so easy for the carnal man to turn away and to follow after the other sheep, but we need to hear the voice of one Shepherd. We need to learn to recognize His voice.
If we spend most of our time listening to His voice, when the voice of a stranger speaks, we're going to recognize it. But if it's always muddled and muddied in between the voices of this world, the spirit of this world, the words of this world, it's going to sound like a bunch of noise, and we're going to be confused.
It's not so easy for the carnal man to turn away from his carnal ways. Much of the things of this world are very appealing to the flesh. In the background, you've got the father of lies constantly wanting to feed you with pasture after pasture of ways to justify it all.
We don't need that, brethren. We need the good pasture. We need the still waters. He prepares a table before me. That table is a mountain. Mountains are called tables. On the hills, there will be tables of grassland.
That's where we need to dwell, following the good Shepherd. Even though we may be in the midst of our enemies, He'll protect us if we're willing to follow His voice and obey His direction.
Some think we need to look and act like the world in order to win the world and appeal to the masses. They've got Christian versions of almost everything.
Christian music sounds just like worldly music. There's all kinds of Christian this and Christian that. I've even heard of a Christian tattoo parlor, Christian magicians. You name it. And they justify it by trying to appeal to the world. We've got to find a way to appeal to the world.
The truth is, brethren, we don't win the world by imitating the world. We win the world by imitating Yahushua the Messiah. Who are we emulating? Who are we following? Who are we imitating?
Are we imitating Yahushua, or are we imitating the world, who is following the father of lies, inspiring their ways? What are we doing with our time?
If there's ever any question as to whether something is worth your time, ask yourselves, "Is this really benefiting me spiritually?" Ask yourself, "Can I picture Yahushua doing this with me and enjoying it?"
We can often know the true character and values of a person by just observing how their time is spent. Let's consider and ask ourselves how much time do we spend seeking and doing the things which do not give peace? How much time do we spend on worldly entertainment or things of this age that are all temporal, as opposed to things of the Spirit?
What would Yahushua be doing in this age today? The world seeks their amusements. It seems that with the world, almost everything has to be amusing, always looking for something to be amused by. Do you know what the word "amuse" means? To muse means to think, and amuse, "a" is the negative particle; in other words, no thinking.
I've heard it said America is going to the lake of fire, and they're laughing all the way. There is so many things to waste our time and create distractions from what's really important.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not totally against ever having any form of entertainment whatsoever. I'm not saying that. I'm saying we need to be aware of the dangers here.
Many people will read more about their movie stars, sports teams and players, and musicians, and politicians than they read about Yahweh.
Something ain't right. Scriptures collect dust, while most people's spiritually rot away in their easy chair. The things of the Spirit are secondary in their minds, apparently, to chasing after the dollar and whatever work they choose to get involved in and whatever entertainment in the in-between hours.
Finally, when it comes time for the spiritual things, yes, they'll put their spiritual hat on now and do the things of the spirit. Then when the time is over, they get their worldly hat on. Something ain't right here.
James 4:4 - Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Elohim.
James 4:5 - Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"?
Are we provoking the Spirit of Yahweh within us to jealousy by the things that we do? We should not let the world entangle us with its amusements, entertainments, and things that do not profit. Yahweh is jealous of all that time that, quote, "brethren," unquote, spend in worldly things. We need to make Him first every single day of our life.
James 4:6 - But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "Elohim resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
Don't take advantage of His grace, but humble yourself.
James 4:7 - Therefore submit to Elohim. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:8 - Draw near to Elohim and He will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [you] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [you] double-minded.
We need to repent and free ourselves of the double mind which seeks to mix light and darkness together.
James 4:9 - Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and [your] joy to gloom.
James 4:10 - Humble yourselves in the sight of YAHWEH, and He will lift you up.
If we have been adulterers and adulteresses, seeking friendship with the world, we're making ourselves an enemy of Yahweh. The world has plenty of things that take our eyes off of Yahweh, probably more so now than at any time ever in the history of the universe.
There are so many ways, so many choices, so many little things people can get caught up in: television, movies, internet, sports. Yes, I said internet. Sports, worldly music, the list goes on. There's no end.
I once got a mailing from Dr. James Dobson. He was encouraging people to visit some kind of website where they review all the different movies out there and tell you which ones they think are okay to see.
I got curious. I looked on the website, and they had different levels of things that these movies were going to expose you to, and there was not a single movie they ever reviewed that didn't have some kind of garbage.
I kept asking out loud--I feel sorry for the person who had to sit there and watch all that filth in order to review these things. Why do we need any of this? Why do we have to have a movie? Why do we have to watch movies?
I called the people who ran the website ministry, and I asked them that question. I said, "Why do we need any of this?" Who reviews these things? Apparently, the lady answering the phone was one of the reviewers. I talked to her about it, and I said, "What about scripture that says 'Don't set any wicked thing before your eyes? Psalm 101.' Aren't you doing that?"
"Well, it's for a greater good." Well, they really had no answer. It's like an addiction out of control. They justify themselves by saying, "People have to have their movies, and so we're doing this." It's like an addiction out of control. People demand it. They've fallen in love with the spirit of the world, with the spirit of Hollywood and all it has to offer.
Do you know what a magician's wand is made out of? Holly wood. I'm not joking. That's what a magician's wand is made out of, and through Hollywood, people receive that spirit, that spirit of the world through channels, channeling, where they sit spellbound for hours.
The same unclean spirit was going to follow after the beast faithfully. Through the prince and power of the airwaves, many will be deceived. Few things have contributed to a corrupt society in greater ways than the spirit that comes out of Hollywood.
It used to be you had to go to some dark corner of town to see total corruption, moral depravity, and wickedness. Now it's piped into millions of homes every day on a regular basis through television, through the internet, and they do it in an entertaining way, so that you can be corrupted like they are.
Fox News is supposed to be this conservative news network. I see what they're up to. Every time I go to their website, they've got some kind of filth, some kind of thing related to lust and fornication at the bottom of their page, some kind of story about Hollywood this or Hollywood that. I don't even go there.
Their news stories at the bottom of their homepage are consistently morally repugnant. There is a huge assortment, even in these kind of areas that are supposed to be better, there are things that are not good.
If I want to see the news, I'll look at the headlines. That's about all I need to see. Occasionally, I'll read a story. If it's something that's going to be spiritually beneficial, I'll read it.
Focusing on temporary things is not something that we are to be doing. We're to be focusing on the things that are eternal, things that are good.
1John 2:15 - Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1John 2:16 - For all that [is] in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world.
The things of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, they will not remain. They are temporary.
1John 2:17 - And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of Elohim abides forever.
That's where we need to be. We need to be seeking things that are eternal. We want to abide forever? Then seek to do the things that abide, that cause you to abide forever. We will pass away with the lust of this world.
Lot was tormented. He was vexed, it says, with the wickedness that was around him. In the same way, the very sight of these worldly things should torment and vex our souls. We don't want to allow these things to be a part of our own walk.
The spirit of the world has a way of slowly grabbing a person who doesn't have his guard up. We need to have scripture memorized. If you're struggling with something, remember the scripture. Memorize it. Write it down. Carry it with you. Whatever you've got to do, remember it.
Let that be your sword that you carry around with you in your mind, that when you're tempted to do something that's not of Him, or go a direction that's not of Him, you have it ready. In the name of Yahushua, I reject that. I am dead to that. And quote the scripture. "It's no longer I who live, it's Yahushua who lives in me." Have a scripture ready.
Yahweh said:
Isaiah 33:10 - "Now I will rise," says YAHWEH; "Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up.
Isaiah 33:11 - You shall conceive chaff, You shall bring forth stubble; Your breath, [as] fire, shall devour you.
Isaiah 33:12 - And the people shall be [like] the burnings of lime; [Like] thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire.
Isaiah 33:13 - Hear, you [who are] afar off, what I have done; And you [who are] near, acknowledge My might."
Isaiah 33:14 - The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"
Isaiah 33:15 - He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil:
Isaiah 33:16 - He will dwell on high; His place of defense [will be] the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water [will be] sure.
The world wants to tell you all the gory, gruesome details of various murders, and crimes, and we need to shut our eyes to these things. We know there's murderers out there. We need to stop our ears to these things.
We don't want to hear it. We want to dwell with Yahweh, who is a consuming fire. I realize we don't want to be ignorant of the world's evils. In malice, though, we're to be babes.
1Corinthians 14:20 - Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.
There's no reason to participate in all the gossip. There's no reason to read and focus on the ugliness. Sin is nothing new. We don't need to know all there is to know about it. Let's focus on the pure things.
HalleluYah. That cuts right to the chase. Some years ago, Yahweh showed me that time spent not doing the work of Yahweh, and not doing things that built up the kingdom, and not seeking His ways, all that time spent in various things that are temporal is wasted time.
It yields no fruit, heaps up no rewards, no treasures in the age to come, and often corrupts the mind.
Brethren, this is such an awesome time in the history we live in. Never before, never have the scriptures been so readily available. Daniel, the prophet, wrote that knowledge will increase. We're here. They call it the information age.
We can use this time we have, this blessing we've been given, to seek out the ways of Yahweh. We can search the scriptures and go to the verse we want by just a few simple keystrokes. Push a few buttons. You used to have to go to the library, or open up a scroll even maybe. Some people couldn't even get a copy.
In the country we live in and many countries throughout the world, there's the freedom to proclaim the Good News to all nations. Are we squandering the opportunity we have here?
We need to work. We need to work the work given to us while it's day, because the night comes when no man can work.
While it is day, will we squander it all sitting in front of a television set, playing games, following sports, drinking the drink, spending excessive time at work trying to chase that dollar bill and other such things?
Too often, all the while, the scriptures collect dust, and our spiritual lives, as well as the spiritual lives of our families suffer. Let it not be so.
You think, fathers, that your chasing that dollar bill is going to benefit your family? They need you. They need you. They need you to direct them spiritually. They need you to be their father spiritually and guide them to the way of love, the way of true, true joy and peace.
Seek ye first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all those other things Yahweh will add to you. You don't have to worry about it.
May Yahweh give strength to all of us. I'm not saying we can never enjoy time doing things or going out together as a family and doing things together. I'm not saying that.
We should not enjoy, though, the things that are of the world, the things that are sinful. If we do, something is not right about our desires. What would Yahushua be doing in this age?
Would He be having the mindset, eat, drink, and be entertained, and be merry that we see today? Brethren, we have an opportunity to share and to seek the truth and the Good News of Yahushua the Messiah. We have the opportunity to proclaim it. Let's not squander the opportunity we have.
Titus 2:11 - For the grace of Elohim that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
Titus 2:12 - teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
Titus 2:13 - looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great Elohim and Savior Yahushua Messiah,
Titus 2:14 - who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself [His] own special people, zealous for good works.
We need to be looking for the blessed hope. We need to be zealous for good works. We should live soberly, righteously, and reverently. If you take a close look at it, it becomes very evident that worldly things have a way of killing the zeal, setting aside the hope, and marginalizing our reverence toward Yahweh.
If we're redeemed, we're going to be different. We're going to be peculiar. We're not going to be like the world. We're not going to enjoy its customs of vanity, nor the revelry within them, because the spirit in us will groan at the vanity of it all.
Let's be zealous of good works, rather than works that do not profit. Let's not justify things falsely. If we're seeking to join the world and worldly things to win the world, we're making a big mistake.
Churchianity wants to make that mistake with its Christian version of everything. Rather than bring the people the example of Yahushua, people come in and water down whatever is left of the true faith in the assembly.
How about we set the standard high? It's high time that the Torah of Yahweh be lifted up as a standard for all men to live by. Those who seek to turn away from their sins and earthly pursuits will be drawn to a pure, unadulterated truth, not a watered-down worldly faith.
Let's live soberly in this present age. It's not a time to sit back every evening and be entertained and drink the drink. It's a time to be sober and to seek the will of Yahweh.
Matthew 24:48 - "But if that evil servant says in his heart, `My master is delaying his coming,'
Matthew 24:49 - "and begins to beat [his] fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,
Matthew 24:50 - "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for [him] and at an hour that he is not aware of,
Matthew 24:51 - "and will cut him in two and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Ouch. In my walk, I've come across many brethren who were doing these very things--some literally, some spiritually.
Drunkenness in scripture is linked to false doctrine in the book of Revelation. Certain ones build huge doctrines around scriptural theories that cannot be proven. Partaking in it, they then beat their brethren over the head with their falsehood.
Times of prosperity can also be a time when spiritual drunkenness will occur by digging into all kinds of strange and false doctrines, things that do not have their foundation in the Word, but just theories.
We need to be aware in this time of prosperity and fullness of bread that idleness can breed sin and corruption. Some are bored. They're bored with the scriptures. They're bored with seeking righteousness, and so the focus is seeking after these secret things.
I prefer to call them evil surmising. They have no biblical basis, just ideas and theories that have no proof. They focus on these. There are many false prophets and misled brethren teaching these strange and outlandish doctrines, and many are going after them.
We've got to be careful. Let's stick to the basics. Stick to the basics and be careful we don't go off on a tangent somewhere we ought not.
Ezekiel 16:49 - "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
I like what David said. Psalm 131, a very small Psalm, speaking of the pride of Sodom, he said:
Psalms 131:1 - <> YAHWEH, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me.
Psalms 131:2 - Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child [is] my soul within me.
Psalms 131:3 - O Israel, hope in YAHWEH From this time forth and forever.
That's very beautiful to me. Idleness and fullness of bread are pretty accurate descriptions of the age we live in. Let's not allow the spirit of Sodom to overtake us. Let's remain sober, looking to the appearance of Yahushua the Messiah, establishing our beliefs on the rock. Where scripture is silent, we need to be silent.
Let's establish our beliefs on what we know is in scripture, the undeniable Word of Yahweh. The Word of Yahweh will bring the faith we need to turn our hearts toward Him, if we're willing to let it feed us on its pastures. It will guide us into eternal life.
Romans 10:17 - So then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of Elohim.
The Word of Yahweh gives us the hearing, and the hearing gives us the faith. So many are defeated and lacking that faith in their life. They fall into a spiritual lull. They're starting to lose their first love.
Let's cleave to that first love, Yahushua, the Word made flesh. How much time do we spend in that Word made flesh? A common saying is, "I don't have time to do all that." It's just an excuse.
I've met brethren who have been believers for decades and have yet to read the scriptures even one time. Do you know what "I don't have time" really means? It's not a priority. That's what it really means.
Don't we have the same number of hours in a day? What we do with our time determines so much of where Yahweh really is in our life, if He's a priority or not.
Our time is our life, and our life is our time. Let's not fail to immerse ourselves in His Word, which is Yahushua the Son, His life, words of peace, words of love, joy and so much more.
The more of His Word we fill our minds with, the more we will recognize the things that are not of Him. The more we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, the less likely it is we will be deceived by the hirelings. The spirit of the world will not be able to deceive us.
1John 4:1 - Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of Elohim; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1John 4:2 - By this you know the Spirit of Elohim: Every spirit that confesses that Yahushua Messiah has come in the flesh is of Elohim,
1John 4:3 - and every spirit that does not confess that Yahushua Messiah has come in the flesh is not of Elohim. And this is the [spirit] of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
There are plenty of sheep being carried off by grievous wolves. Anti Yahushua, anti New Testament, anti Old Testament, teachers of foolishness. We need to receive the whole Word of Yahweh, the full counsel of the Word of Elohim.
Those who teach against Paul in the New Testament and different things like that, they don't know the Torah either. They don't know the prophets, and they're too caught up in false accusations, which is what the devil is, the accuser of the brethren, and not willing to study out what Paul means.
Let's not be ensnared by the false doctrines. I take a very strong stand against anyone that wants to pull the rug out from underneath us. What I mean is what we're standing on is Yahweh and His Word, the scriptures.
Anyone who wants to pull the Rock out from underneath me is going to have a fight on your hands. Why? Because that's the foundation of everything I do. I pray Yahweh will keep me strong.
I need your prayers, brethren, every day. Every day, people are constantly trying to pull that Rock out from underneath me. Let's not be ensnared by the false doctrines. Every false doctrine has one thing in common: they reject something in the scriptures.
They build huge theories over could-be scriptures and when they come across a scripture that clearly contradicts what they say.
"Oh, that was added by the Catholic church. That was mistranslated." Whatever. I'm looking for the key scriptures that are undeniable, the scriptures that are impossible to ignore and discount.
Those are the ones I'm building my understandings of His Word on--not on surmising, and possibilities, and could-be's, and all that sounds right. There's a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death. Let's not be ensnared by false doctrines. Let's overcome and focus on the basics.
1John 4:4 - You are of Elohim, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1John 4:5 - They are of the world. Therefore they speak [as] of the world, and the world hears them.
I've noticed in times of prosperity and plenty, a lot of problems in relationships tend to rise up. There will be strife among brethren, strife in the home.
If we were all in a time of tribulation and distress, we wouldn't get so offended at the petty little things so easily.
If we're already suffering over major things, the little tiny sufferings that we have to bear for one another are nothing.
Having a visible common enemy has a way of uniting people against its cause. Even the most divided nation will unite together, if they feel that their sovereignty is being threatened.
Brothers and sisters, I want to tell you the truth. There is a common enemy even now. There is a battle going on. And guess what? There is no neutral side. You're on one or you're on the other. Everyone is engaged in this battle. Everyone.
You've chosen a side whether you think you have or not. You're not on the sidelines of this battle, because this is a battle for your soul. We need to stand together, as Yahweh's people, against that common enemy.
Unite against him. He wants to enter your home through any way he can: through the internet, through the television, a book, a magazine, the news, a friend, a visitor, a relative. You name it, he's looking for an inward breach in the wall. Be very careful of the choking effect.
Matthew 13:18 - "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
Part of the sower's parable was the one that received the seed among thorns, verse 22:
Matthew 13:22 - "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
That is such a perfect description. Yahushua couldn't have put it a better way. At first, there's plenty of light getting to the plant, but then there's these thorns. The thorns are growing bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and it can't receive the light to grow.
That's what the world does. It chokes out the Word of Yahweh, keeping you from being able to grow. It doesn't have to take it completely away, just has to make you unfruitful, so you're just taking up the ground.
Don't let the seed fall among thorns. Thorns grow slowly around a person daily, little by little, growing and growing until there's no room for anything else. That's the world. That's how it is.
We need to let the seed fall on the good and right soil. He that receives seed on the good ground is he that hears the Word, understands it, and bears fruit, bringing forth some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty.
It's better to not have known the way of righteousness than to have known it, to then again be entangled with the world. That's what Peter said.
2Peter 2:20 - For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Master and Savior Yahushua 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."
We don't need to return to the vomit. Let's not be dogs. Dogs aren't going to make it. Dogs are outside the kingdom. Let's beware of dogs. I don't mean physical dogs. I'm talking about spiritual dogs.
Let's be Israelites indeed. Let's be sure we've removed the world from our lives. Rather, let's be a light to the world with a righteous example. The word sown in us should overcome the world. It should bear fruit, drawing others away from the world by the light of Messiah in us.
There needs to be a difference. There needs to be brothers and sisters who are willing to be different. I don't mean just different with the name and the Sabbath and the feasts. Those are all good. I mean different in other ways, daily things.
There needs to be brothers and sisters who are not wasting excessive time in things of the world, but are working toward spiritual things, spiritually-minded people, a humble people, loving people who are not focused on the flesh, people who think different, behave different, look different.
How can we change the world, if the world's already changed us? How can we turn the world upside down if we've already been turned upside down by the world?
Let's purify ourselves, cast away the wicked influence, do whatever it takes within the will of Yahweh to get rid of that influence.
Influence, the power of influence, there's probably no greater thing that keeps man from letting Yahweh be his King. Like the ancient children of Israel, what did Yahweh say about the ones who would be around them? They will be like thorns around you.
Don't intermarry with these other nations. Don't intermarry with them. Don't make covenants with them. Don't make agreements with them. They'll be like thorns and goads. They'll seduce you to turn away from me--the power of influence.
We are called to be a peculiar people, a royal generation, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.
1Peter 2:9 - But you [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
We need to be willing to do that, to be different, even at the risk of being hated, rejected, and killed. Yahushua said:
John 15:18 - "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before [it hated] you.
John 15:19 - "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
John 15:20 - "Remember the word that I said to you, `A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
John 15:21 - "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
Don't be surprised when the world rejects you. Don't be surprised at the fiery trial which is to try you. The servant is not greater than his Master.
Don't be surprised if we receive these things. Let's depart from the spirit of this world, and let's not look back.
Yahushua said:
Luke 9:62 - But Yahushua said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of Elohim."
Remember Lot's wife? Brethren, there is no turning back. We need to move on in the Spirit, set our affections on things which are above, not on the things which are beneath.
Colossians 3:1 - If then you were raised with Messiah, seek those things which are above, where Messiah is, sitting at the right hand of Elohim.
Are we risen with Messiah? Is the old man dead in our eyes and in the eyes of Yahweh?
Colossians 3:2 - Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:3 - For you died, and your life is hidden with Messiah in Elohim.
Colossians 3:4 - When Messiah [who is] our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Colossians 3:5 - Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Colossians 3:6 - Because of these things the wrath of Elohim is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
Colossians 3:7 - in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
Colossians 3:8 - But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Colossians 3:9 - Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
Colossians 3:10 - and have put on the new [man] who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
If you don't understand that part, putting off the old man, putting on the new man, please go to EliYah.com/transcripts and listen to the study, "The Dying of Yahushua in Us."
We are not that old person anymore. We need to let go. We are a new creation. We've taken on a new identity, a new outlook, a new life, a new perspective, a new family, a new way of thinking, a new way of reacting to the world.
We now identify ourselves with Yahushua. His life is our life. Our life is hidden in His, and He is in us. If He is in us, we will overcome.
1John 4:4 - You are of Elohim, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
We don't have to be afraid of the enemy, because we know He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. It's time to put the things of the world behind us and overcome.
Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to Elohim, [which is] your reasonable service.
Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of Elohim.
Though none go with us and many around us seek to walk corruptly, our love and devotion is set toward One who is greater than they. It's only when our mind is renewed that the transformation from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light can take place.
We need to have that renewed mind, one that's not constantly being assaulted and conformed to this world. We need to have the renewed mind that's constantly being fed with the good bread, that we may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of Yahweh.
If we want to have righteous discernment when we read the scriptures, we need to have a mind that's not conformed to this world, a mind that's renewed.
Let's allow our minds to be sown with good, pure, praiseworthy things. As David said:
Psalms 101:3 - I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
That's what it does. When it places its stain, it cleaves to you. When you set those things before your eyes, they cleave to you. Yahweh needs to wash you off. Don't set them before your eyes.
Set that which is holy and just and pure and good before your eyes. Let's be sure we have the right Spirit feeding us, dwelling in us, and not allow the spirit of the world to affect our minds. Rather, let's seek Yahweh's Spirit. The Spirit gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words Yahushua has spoken are spirit. They are life.
John 6:63 - "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and [they] are life.
This is the Spirit which we have received, not the spirit of the world.
1Corinthians 2:12 - Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from Elohim, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by Elohim.
Brethren, we see what's right. We see the right thing to do. I don't know what this message may convict any of you on today, but I want you to know it convicted me first.
I've turned the television off. I did a lot of things, as a result of the things that I've studied in this area.
We need to control our internet use. Put a filter up. Do whatever you need to do. We know what's right, and it's time to do what's right in the sight of Yahweh, our strength.
May Yahweh help us to do what's right in His eyes. Everyone, including myself, has more overcoming to do. I'm not claiming perfection. This is the standard we see in the Word. I'm just informing you what's there. I'm just the messenger, just a delivery boy.
Let's rid ourselves, then, from any and all corruption of the world today, right now, no time to waste. If you need to pray, pray. Let's be among the unspotted, the unstained, cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, renewing ourselves to doing the work of Yahweh, seeking His ways. Then He will bring us the good land.
When we truly give our lives to the One who can take us to the promised land, we make Him number one in every aspect of our life, in every day of our life, then we are truly fulfilled--fulfilled and blessed to be inheritors of the earth when Yahweh takes the throne and the one who is a pretender is cast away.
At that time, the world will be ruled by Yahweh, and His righteousness will reign. That's the kingdom we're seeking. That's the one in our hearts today.
We already know He's shown His love for us through the Messiah, who gave up His own life for our sakes. Can't we show our love for Him by filling ourselves with His goodness, His purity, His love, by letting Him and His Spirit dwell in us and not the spirit of the world?
May Yahweh bless you, and may He have mercy on us all.
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