09/21/2007 Sabbath Meeting Transcript

Starting tomorrow night....

The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. A day of afflicting our souls as Yahweh has commanded.

Scripture actually calls this day the Day of Atonements, Yom Kippurim. When the temple and tabernacles stood, there were several atonements made on this day

We will examine some of these

One thing that is important to remember is that this observance is a very solemn one. It is a day of repentance, fasting and considering the sacrificial offering of our great High Priest, Yahushua the Messiah

And so now is a good time to consider our ways.. and seek to change anything that might bring us away from Yahweh's will

At this time it is good to ask yourself.. What areas of my life am I falling short?

On this coming Day of Atonment(s), no work is to be done

Yahweh says He will destroy anyone who chooses to work on this day

All are required to afflict their souls. Anyone who does not afflict their soul will be cut off

On this day, Atonement was made for the Holy Sanctuary, the Tabernacle of meeting and the altar

Atonement was also made for the priests and the people of the congregation

Yahweh says "It is a statute forever"

Leviticus 23:27 - Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto YAHWEH.

Leviticus 23:28 - And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before YAHWEH your Elohim.

Leviticus 23:29 - For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

A full breakdown of what was done on the Day of Atonement and Yahushua's fulfillement of that day can be found at http://www.eliyah.com/dayofatonement.html

There were 27 acts the High Priest was required to do in order to make the necessary atonement for the people.

We won't have time to examine each of them this evening. This evening, it's important to understand what Yahweh wants us to be doing.

It is a time to solemnly consider the atonement of Yahushua given toward those who repent and accept Him.

Yahushua spoke a parable, saying:

Luke 13:6 - He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

Luke 13:7 - Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

Luke 13:8 - And he answering said unto him, Master, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

Luke 13:9 - And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Let's consider the question tonight, "What kind of fig tree are we?"

And let's also consider the question, "What kind of fig tree do we want to be?"

Are we just taking up the ground?

Are we wasting time in things that do not profit, becoming unfruitful?

Praise Yahweh for the patience He gives, or else we would all of us would be lost

Once we have repented of our sins, scripture says that we must bear fruits worthy of repentance.

John the Immerser said:

Luke 3:7 - Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Luke 3:8 - Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That YAHWEH is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Luke 3:9 - And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Toward those who were "pretenders" which acted like they were repenting but in their heart did not repent John said "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance"

If we have indeed repented, fruits of repentance will follow.

But what does it really mean to repent?

What are the true fruits of repentance?

These are important questions. It is a foundational part of our faith.

Hebrews 6:1 - Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of the Messiah, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward YAHWEH,

Hebrews 6:2 - of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

These are important, foundational questions. Yet, it seems that it is rarely understood fully

We are told in the book of Acts that repentance is the first step:

Acts 2:38 - Then Kepha said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yahushua the Messiah for the forgiveness of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

It is one of the first steps for an unbeliever to repent. Without it, you can forget about "grace." Repentance is very important and very salvational.

For this reason we should be careful that we are not deceived in this area.

So lets examine some scriptural examples of repentance, so that we can be sure we have indeed laid a proper foundation.

It is very evident that first of all, that true repentance will always involve humility.

Consider the example of Josiah:

2Kings 22:16 - Thus saith YAHWEH, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:

2Kings 22:17 - Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other elohim, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

2Kings 22:18 - But to the king of Judah which sent you to inquire of YAHWEH, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith YAHWEH Elohim of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;

2Kings 22:19 - Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before YAHWEH, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith YAHWEH.

2Kings 22:20 - Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

Note that it was because Josiah's heart was tender..and he HUMBLED himself before Yahweh.... Yahweh accepted His repentance.

His actions revealed the condition of his heart. He feared Yahweh, was concerned about his sin, and believed Yahweh's word.

This is very important.

Today, people are so interested in the "prayer of Jabez" so that they might heap up riches for themselves.

But what people really need to be studying is the prayer of Josiah, and the prayer of Nineveh!

Let's consider the example of Ninevah. Ninevah was a Gentile city, yet they repented at the teaching of Jonah.

Their repentance was accepted by Yahweh.

We will see that true repentance is accompanied by a commitment to change, to turn to Righteousness and to cease from unrighteousness

Jonah 3:5 - So the people of Nineveh believed Elohim, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

Jonah 3:6 - For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

Jonah 3:7 - And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:

( Not even the animals were withheld from this fast! )

Jonah 3:8 - But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto Elohim: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

What a wonderful example of repentance we have here. All the elements are there.

They hoped that Yahweh would have mercy on them.

Now Ninevah was a very mighty city in those days.

It was considered by some to be impenetrable

But they believed Yahweh's word.

Jonah 3:9 - Who can tell if Elohim will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

Jonah 3:10 - And Elohim saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and Elohim repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Did Yahweh need to repent?

We know that Yahweh has a certain standard of righteousness.

When man goes 'against' that standard of righteousness, it is likened unto a man walking in the face of a mighty wind.

But when one repents, he changed direction and goes with the wind that was at one time against him.

In the case of Nineveh, Yahweh's planned destruction changed because THEY changed, not Yahweh.

Yahweh does not change, His standard of righteousness, His law endures forever. Punishment for disobedience and blessing for obedience remains forever. What we receive very much depends on where we truly want to go in our heart.. toward righteousness or toward unrighteousness. Where we stand in relation to His will determines our fate..

Today, some people actually think that Yahweh had to repent for issuing His commandments. They speak as though He made a mistake and Yahushua came along and corrected the mistake.

But Yahweh didn't make a mistake.. it is man that is making the mistakes

The final mistake would be to not repent for breaking those commandments.

Jonah 3:10 - And Elohim saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and Elohim repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

Notice that "Elohim saw their works"? Repentance that Yahweh accepted was accompanied by works.

True repentance is accompanied by a commitment to change, to turn to righteousness and to cease from unrighteousness.

He saw their humility and commitment to turn away from what they understood as being evil. They and even their animals fasted and "cried mightily to Elohim" in their repentance.

Yahweh sees the innner workings of our minds and knows whether or not we truly desire to walk in His ways or not.

Other examples of repentance in scripture:

Luke 18:10 - Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

Luke 18:11 - The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, Elohim, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Luke 18:12 - I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Luke 18:13 - And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, Elohim be merciful to me a sinner.

Luke 18:14 - I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

In our repentance, Yahweh requires humility and true sorrow for one's sins. It was the humble one who walked away justified.

The proud one recounted his own works before Elohim, as though Yahweh didn't remember.

He was praying, thus "with himself"

Even though the proud one fasted twice a week, it did him nothing in regards to forgiveness of sin.

It was the one who despised himself, hitting himself in the chest because of his realization that he had sinned, that came away justified (declared righteous)

Job's example of repentance:

Job 42:5 - I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

Job 42:6 - Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

It is those who cry out for mercy, and understand that it is needed greatly

It is those who truly care that they have sinned in Yahweh's sight...

They are the ones who walk away justified, "DECLARED RIGHTEOUS!" in Yahweh's eyes

We are declared righteous by the blood of Yahushua, but Yahweh requires repentance in order for Him to lay the precious blood of His Son upon us.

Humility and repentance is a condition of the heart that a righteous man will have.

And where we fail, Yahushua erases the marks against us. There is truly no mark that He cannot erase and cleanse us from

Let's keep in mind though..

Sorrow, in and of itself, is not necessarily repentance

There are many who are sorry for their sins but they have not repented.

Some are just sorry they 'got caught' or sorry to see the consequences of their actions.

True repentance starts with sorrow and eventually produces good works.

Paul, when he wrote to the Corinthians in his second letter, rejoiced to see their sorrow turn to true repentance:

2Corinthians 7:8 - For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it-- for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while--

2Corinthians 7:9 - I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to {the will of} Elohim, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.

2Corinthians 7:10 - For the sorrow that is according to Elohim produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

So we see in all these verses a scriptural picture of true repentance.

A humble heart...

A cry out for mercy...

A willingness to change..

A decision that the sin will be committed no more..

A change in direction..

From the heart.

If these things our traits of our repentance before Him, we can believe that Yahweh will have mercy and has great patience with us

I have yet to meet a single person in my walk with Yahweh that didn't have something in their life they were struggling to overcome.

Repentance does not necessarily mean that we will instantly be walking in perfection.

1John 1:8 - If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Solomon said in his prayer:

2Chronicles 6:36 - If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;

2Chronicles 6:37 - Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;

2Chronicles 6:38 - If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:

2Chronicles 6:39 - Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.

Yahweh promised to hear such a prayer. For this reason my family and I do often pray toward the direction of the land of Israel when we pray

Solomon wrote again:

Ecclesiastes 7:20 - For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Therefore, if repentance doesn't necessarily mean we will instantly walk in perfection and be completely without sin, what then does it mean?

John wrote:

1John 1:8 - If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We must confess our sins.

As Solomon detailed quite well in his prayer, we need to admit that we have sinned if we sin.

To confess means to "agree with." We must agree with Yahweh that we have sinned in the area we seek forgiveness

So we remain humble and confess our sins to Him.

All the while, we will make sincere efforts to overcome and always be looking for the way to receive permanent victory over temptation.

That's the heart of repentance!

A zeal for overcoming, a heart that desires to turn away.

There are great promises given to those who repent from sin and unrighteousness and turn to Yahweh's law for reproof and instruction in righteousness

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.

"He will have mercy upon him" That is a promise!

What a wonderful promise that is!

To those who are turned away, Yahweh told them "Return!"

Jeremiah 3:12 - Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith YAHWEH; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith YAHWEH, and I will not keep anger for ever.

It is Yahweh's desire that all men repent, and receive mercy.

Some may feel that they are on a treadmill at times, unable to move forward.

But brethren, I know this...

Yahweh sees the direction those legs are moving... legs of repentance!

And He wants to help you overcome!

It's when you stop trying that you are no longer walking out your repentance

May our repentance be the "broken and contrite spirit" kind of repentance, brethren

Psalms 34:18 - YAHWEH is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalms 51:17 - The sacrifices of Elohim are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O Elohim, thou wilt not despise.

Yahweh dwells in heaven and the earth is His footstool.

But where else does He dwell?

To whom will He look?

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.

Amein

Joel 2:13 - And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto YAHWEH your Elohim: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Those that say that we are saved only by raw belief and not by faith accompanied by works of repentance, humility and commitment to change are making a serious mistake!

James 2:19 - You believe that there is one Elohim. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!

James 2:20 - But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:21 - Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

James 2:22 - Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

James 2:23 - And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed YAHWEH, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of YAHWEH.

James 2:24 - You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

James 2:25 - Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 2:27 -

It is quite false to teach that Paul never believed in a working faith:

When recounting his deeds before Agrippa, he said:

Acts 26:19 - Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

Acts 26:20 - But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to YAHWEH, and do works meet for repentance.

What was he teaching the Gentiles?

To repent and to do "works 'meet' for repentance"; meaning "works worthy or befitting of repentance."

Paul very much believed in walking in righteousness after receiving Yahushua. He warned the assemblies that those who continue to practice unrighteousness will not enter the Kingdom of Yahweh

For instance..

Galatians 5:19 - Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

Galatians 5:20 - idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

Galatians 5:21 - envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of YAHWEH.

So while it is truth that we are saved by grace, it is also truth that we are saved by grace because we have REPENTED.

We cannot take the "oh well" attitude toward sin.

When we sin, we ought not say "oh well, I've sinned... so what, I have grace and that's what Yahushua died for."

Instead we should say, "Oh no, I've sinned.. O Yahweh help me to overcome!"

Repentance is an inner heart change that will ultimately result in a change in works. We should be continually growing in righteousness and understanding of His will. We can stop bearing fruit for a while, but Yahweh will eventually cut a fruitless tree down and burn it in the fire

But if you are still deeply concerned about your sin and want to overcome, don't forget Yahweh's mercy. Yahweh loves you and wants to help!

For even if we fail to grow for a time, Yahweh will give the fig tree more time as He sees fit.

Praise Yahweh for His great mercy, grace and patience while as we continue to learn His ways and grow in obedience to His word!

So we must repent. Those who have refused to repent are simply not Yahweh's people.

This is very clear from numerous scriptures

But again, this is not to say that we have to be perfect in order to be considered to be one who has repented.

It simply means that our heart is no longer turned toward unrighteousness and making excuses for our sins.

Rather, our hearts are turned toward truly (FROM THE HEART) seeking to walk in righteousness and we are humbling ourselves before Yahweh, seeking His mercy in any area of sin we might have in our lives.

Now that we have established some meaning behind the word 'repent', the next question to consider is "What exactly are we supposed to be repenting of?"

Many would simply say 'Our sins'.

Yes, this is true.

Ezekiel 18:20 - The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

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.

Repentance certainly involves turning from our sins and turning toward walking in righteousness.

But what is sin?

What is righteousness?

What do the scriptures say?

The scriptures say that "observing to do" the commandments of Yahweh in Torah/LAW is righteousness

Deuteronomy 6:25 - And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before YAHWEH our Elohim, as he hath commanded us.

Notice it says "All these commandments," not just a part here or there.

His word is His law...His word is righteous.

It is true that we have not done the commandments.. thus the Torah cannot be our righteousness. But Yahweh can be our righteousness through Yahushua the Messiah and we should be seeking to emulate Him!

Thus, Yahushua is one day going to be called "Yahweh Tzidkenu", that is "Yahweh our Righteousness"

Jeremiah 23:5 - Behold, the days come, saith YAHWEH, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

Jeremiah 23:6 - In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

We are declared righteous, for it is no longer we who live, but Yahushua who lives in us!

Galatians 2:20 - "I have been impaled with the Messiah; it is no longer I who live, but the Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of YAHWEH, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

So if we want to know what Yahushua did, we can look into His example and we can also look into the Torah because we know that He obeyed every last word.

The repentant heart of the author of Psalm 119 speaks:

Psalms 119:123 - Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.

Psalms 119:124 - Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes.

Psalms 119:125 - I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.

And again..

Psalms 119:172 - My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

ALL His commandments...are righteousness.

Psalms 119:160 - Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Every one? forever?

Yes.

It was true even in Yahushua's day

The parents of John the baptist...

Luke 1:5 - There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

Luke 1:6 - And they were both righteous before YAHWEH, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of YAHWEH blameless.

Does this mean that they never sinned?

What about the Psalmist in Psalm 119?

In one place he seems to boast that he has kept Yahweh's commands:

Psalms 119:22 - Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.

But in other places..

Psalms 119:56 - This I had, because I kept thy precepts.

Psalms 119:5 - O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

Psalms 119:6 - Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

Because they were seeking to walk in Yahweh's ways, His Torah, His commandments.. Yahweh had forgiven their sins and they were regarded as blameless in His sight. They were justified (declared righteous) through Yahushua, the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

The commandments which Yahweh has given are there to clarify what is right and what is wrong. They clear up the muddy water of what is love, and what is hate.

Yahweh wants us to walk in love

It is not our job to try and change His definitions.

Now the scriptures teach that the opposite of love, the opposite righteousness is unrighteousness or SIN.

Romans 6:15 - What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? By no means!

Romans 6:16 - Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

In the above scripture we see that Sin and righteousness are opposites.

Sin leads to death and obedience leads to righteousness.

Here is another verse showing that sin is simply "unrighteousness."

1John 5:17 - All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

This brings us to the question, "What exactly is sin?"

1John 3:4 - Whoever commits sin trangresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.

If obedience to the law is righteousness...then transgression of the law must be sin/unrighteousness. And with this, the scriptures agree.

1John 3:5 - And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

HalleluYah for the Lamb who takes away the sins of the repentant ones who seek to walk in His ways!

Ephesians 1:13 - In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the glad tidings of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

But it all comes down to our attitude, brethren!

Do not be deceived. Keeping Yahweh's law is righteousness. And not keeping Yahweh's law is unrighteousness/sin.

Because transgression of the law IS SIN... obedience to His law is righteousness. Let us look at verse 4 again:

According to Strong's greek lexicon, the word that is translated "transgression of the law" here means...

Anomia, From 459; illegality, i.e. in violation of the law or (gen.) wickedness

We are not called to be sinners, we are called to be overcomers!

Therefore, we are not called to be transgressors of the Torah/law, we are called to cease from such transgressions and walk according to the law of Yahweh, following the Messiah's footsteps.

But what about all those that seem to say His law need not be kept by His people?

Some will even say that "Messiah keeps the Sabbath for them" while they go out and work on that day.

This is abuse, brethren.

That's like saying, "The Messiah is keeping the commandment stop stealing while I go and rob my neighbors house!"

or "Messiah is keeping the commandment to cease from adultery while I go and violate my neighbors wife!"

Those who teach such things are (sadly) teachers of unrighteousness.. lawless (Torahless) teachers.

They have their philosphies and theories which might sound logical on the surface.

But beware! They fail when you compare their philosophies and doctrines of men to what Yahweh's word says

For instance.. they say "Well, Yahushua was raised on the first day of the week so that's why we keep Sunday"

But where in scripture does it say anything about the need to "keep Sunday" because Yahushua supposedly was raised on that day?

Besides, wouldn't it make more sense that we rest when He rested and we rise to work when He was resurrected?

He wasn't working while in the grave on shabbat!

Either way, we only need to look at what day the scriptures call "The Sabbath" to know when we should rest.

In both the "Old Testament" and "New Testament" it is clear. In every place you find the words, "The Sabbath", it is on the 7th day of the week and that is the day we are to keep holy. Just look up the word "Sabbath" in your concordance and see which day He calls the "Sabbath" in the book of Acts

Now we should always bear in mind that love is the purpose for the law.

Many times the law can be misapplied or misunderstood when we do not have this understanding as our backdrop

But again, many use that to do away with the clear commandments

It is not love to profane Yahweh's holy day, is it?

Don't let anyone tell you different

We need to turn away (repent) from profaning Yahweh's holy days and turn toward keeping them holy as He clearly said to do

Indeed, we need to turn away from breaking any of His commandments and turn toward truly living according to the example Yahushua set for us

The scriptures teach that we must repent..to turn away from sin, to live righteously, and to cease from breaking His Torah/law.

We should consider that the very definition of living righteously is to live according to His torah of love, which is perfectly synonymous with walking as Yahushua walked.

But have we not failed?

Brothers, sisters.. ALL of us have failed

But His law includes a provision for that also

It's called MERCY

Yahweh is righteous, therefore He has to have mercy!

Being merciful is a part of being righteous.. and mercy is a part of His law!

Yahushua rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for not teaching men so:

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.

Remember that Yahushua said "the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy,and faith"

Not only is mercy a part of the law, but it is one of the 'weightier matters of the law'

But did Yahushua condemn them in this verse 23 for keeping the finer points?

No, He said "these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone!"

We also must practice mercy if we want to be righteous. The Torah is full of examples of Yahweh's mercy. Even the Ten Commandments (written in stone) say "Showing mercy to thousands.. to those who love me"

We also must practice mercy if we want to be righteous.

But it is true that on some, (Yahweh knows them) mercy doesn't work because they don't care.

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.

They will purposely CONTINUE to transgress His law, despite the mercy shown. They are called 'Wicked.'

We hear plenty of messages from mainstream bible teachers telling us about His grace and mercy... And that's great (and needed)...

...but there are but very few messages on REPENTING and living righteously by living according to His commandments!

Yet all the while it is repentance that is required from our hearts to even receive His mercy in the first place!

And when we finally realize that unrighteousness is sin and sin is transgression of the law... we come to a startling revelation:

Most people who accept the Messiah are being deceived into NOT FULLY REPENTING because they are taught they need not repent of breaking Yahweh's law :(

Now I am not saying that Yahweh never has mercy if we are not being obedient to things we are not aware of, for Yahweh does know the heart.

But Yahushua told the Pharisees..

John 9:41 - Yahushua said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Be careful, any who claim to see! As we discussed last week, Yahweh doesn't like pride and He plans to bring the proud down.

We don't want to be among those He lays low

We want to be among those lifted up to Yahushua.

We don't want to be among those who think they see everything, for Yahweh has much more to teach us.

Let's just not forget that we all need His mercy continuall

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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.

There is a verse in Revelation that is quite interesting

Revelation 14:12 - Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of YAHWEH and the faith of Yahushua.

Do we not find confirmation and conclusion here? In this verse we have two "religions"...

Judaism believes in cleaving to the commandments but rejects Yahushua

Mainstream Christianity believes in cleaving to Yahushua but rejects the commandments/

Yet, in both religions.. tradition prevents them from truly doing what they claim

Men and brethren, we must truly cleave to both Yahushua and the commandments!

The truth is not to be found in either religion.. we need to walk right in the center of both of them.. minus the baggage & false traditions!

Receiving Yahushua and seeking to keep Yahweh's commandments

With that attitude, we can know that Yahushua was and is perfect, therefore since we have sinned by transgressing the law (Yes, we all have!), it is thru Yahushua that we are made righteous.

Romans 5:18 - Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Romans 5:19 - For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Adam brought sin in the world, but Yahushua wants to deliver us and sanctify us, making us righteous in Yahweh's sight.

Isn't this awesome? HalleluYah!

For Yahweh not only gives us righteous commandments that teach us how to love one another and to love Him but He also has given us His SON who has redeemed us, sanctified us and washed away our sins so that we are pure and blameless in His sight!

Not only that, He gave us His Son to be our example of HOW to keep His commandments! We need that clarity, brethren!! We just need to receive it!

HalleluYah!!

Now we don't need to walk around in gloom and doom for our past failures to live according to His law...

...but now we are free...Free...FREE......TO:

Purposely and willfully go back to transgressing His law again???? :((

No, but that is what is taught by the mainstream and it is total falsehood. This is an insult to our Master Yahushua!

Yahushua's blood is not the equivalent to a "Get out of Hell free" card to be used whenever we need it.

He didn't come to this earth and be tortured to the point of death so that we could turn around and purposely & rebelliously break those same commandments again!

He came so that we could receive forgiveness for past sins, and be given the power to overcome any future potential sins... that we might become sons and daughters of Elohim!

He came to thwart the devil's schemes and works, that we might once again walk in the image of Elohim

Let us show our thanksgiving and love for Him by truly repenting and hungering and thirsting for righteousness by Keeping His commandments as He has said.

Let's bear fruits worthy of repentance. When we see something in His law that we need to be doing, let's get on our knees and repent right then and there (Yahweh help us to see !)

Psalms 119:60 - I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

Yahweh has promised to lead us in the path of righteousness when we seek:

Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Fill us O Yahweh! Provide for us as we seek Your face!

If we do fail, on this coming Day of Atonement we are reminded of the One who understands and knows the temptations:

Hebrews 4:15 - For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

It is He, like the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, who has entered the Holy of Holies with His own blood. He knows pain and the weakness of the flesh.

Without Him, when we would seek to come before the throne of Yahweh.. we would defile His holy place.

But His blood cleanses the heavenly holy place, that we might come boldly before His throne of grace:

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of favour, that we may obtain mercy and find favour to help in time of need.

He is leading us into righteousness.. to keep His Torah, to follow His example... let us follow that leading

Revelation 22:14 - Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

Therefore, as the Day of Atonement draws near...let's consider these things.

Let's not fail to keep this day as Yahweh commanded, with the excuse that Yahushua did that for us and we don't have to.

Let's say within our hearts, "Oh, what a blessed reminder of what Yahushua has done for us!! All the more so I want to keep this day as Yahweh commanded!"

In the areas we fall short.. let's fall on our knees before Yahweh and truly repent

And pray for the strength to bear the fruits worthy of repentance. We can't do it without Him

Let's confess that we cannot...

We give up, we surrender ..

And let's reckon ourselves as dead to sin, but alive to Him..

That the One who always does that which is pleasing to Yahweh.. will dwell in us fully

John 8:29 - And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

We too, are not alone.

Yahushua said:

Matthew 28:20b ...lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amein

May we always do those things that please Him.

And may Yahweh bless you and have mercy on us all!