EliYah:
- I think we've got Curtis on the line here. Are you there, brother?
Curtis:
- Shabbat Shalom.
EliYah:
- Shabbat Shalom to you.
Curtis:
- How is everything?
EliYah:
- We're doing great. How about you?
Curtis:
- Yes, divine, divinely, thank Yahweh.
EliYah:
- HalleluYah. I anticipated that answer. [laughs] Brother Curtis calls every week, and whenever I ask him how he's doing, he always says divine. HalleluYah.
Curtis:
- Well, not always, but most of the time.
EliYah:
- Okay, well, maybe you don't always feel divine, but every time you call you feel that way.
Curtis:
- I think once in the recent past I could only say wonderful.
EliYah:
- Okay.
Curtis:
- Wonderfully. But anyway I do my best to recognize the blessings He's showing us and teaching us.
EliYah:
- HalleluYah.
Curtis:
- I have a question, first of all, on the bad manager. It's a parable in Luke 16.
EliYah:
- Okay.
Curtis:
- I believe, as far as my studies, for awhile I've studied this out, counseled, talked to wise guys like yourself, and I believe that the manager told him to forget about his commission, since he was kind of in trouble. He said, "Look, mark it down as this," and he took off his commission to get them to pay.
- He's speaking in parables to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. He ends it up with, in this version, which last year I wrote the South African Scripture Research Institute and asked them specifically about this, because they added the word "would" and a question mark.
- Of course, we know there was no punctuation in the Hebrew/Greek. I asked them specifically about it, because I was just trying to figure out the lesson here. They finally wrote me back.
- They have a lot of questions all the time, I guess. It was probably the appropriate time. A few weeks later, I got a response that said, "We don't think this is exactly correct. No, it doesn't have punctuation, and we're not sure if we wrote that correctly."
- I notice they haven't really changed anything, but it says, "And would I say to you, make friends for yourselves of unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they should receive you into everlasting dwellings?"
- That makes sense as a parable. "And would I..." Because, of course, our answer would be, of course not. Why would we make friends of unrighteous mammon?
- Every other version, every other translation I looked at--which I don't know, my team is letting me down here. Nobody is helping me. But I'm going to flip it open to RSV, chapter 11. Oh, I'm sorry. That one says--where is it?
EliYah:
- You're looking at the Revised Standard Version?
Curtis:
- Yeah, this is RSV, Revised Standard. It says, "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal habitations." That's what the King James says, too, basically. "I tell you, make friends of unrighteous mammon."
- I believe that's probably the closest translation to what Yahushua said. What do you think about the parable and that conclusion?
EliYah:
- I think the example of the man who was being wise, he was being merciful. The parable there is to show mercy. Of course, he was using an unrighteous mammon, a parable there of money to illustrate that point.
- When we're merciful to others, we are going to be much more likely to receive mercy. When we're merciful to even those who are of the world, it's a witness for us, so that we are called to show that mercy and be wise, knowing that we ourselves need mercy from Yahweh.
- I don't think he's saying go out and try to get a bunch of rich buddies so that when you fail, they're going to help you out. I think He's talking spiritually here.
Curtis:
- Yeah, yeah. As you know, it goes on to say, "Those who are faithful in very little is faithful also in much. No servant can serve two masters."
- There are a lot of things in that parable. That's coming to my mind now. The reason I bring it up is somewhat on the division issue. Many of us are on this path with Yahushua, truly, honestly devoted and sincerely. We're in different places.
- It's hard to say. Years ago, this guy was the pastor of one of the groups I was involved with years ago, shocked me with a statement one time that was, like, it's going to be years before you ever get to be where I am. I was just a young, fired-up, born again Christian.
- I just thought, "Wow, that's insulting." I didn't really know why or how he said that, but he just, I guess, felt like since he'd been on this path, and he was now a youth pastor that he was just so leap years ahead of me.
EliYah:
- Oh, yeah.
Curtis:
- So I kind of say that, saying, I guess that's how I'm saying we're on this path, and some people realize some things, and some people aren't there yet. I would expect that they are one in Messiah, as Galatians says. We all reach pretty much the same conclusions unless we are misled and let ourselves be misled.
- I think of this verse now, and I'm still dealing with and trying to maintain friendships. I am friends. I love these people. But when I bring up things, I can't say much a lot of times, because they just have this whole different view. Some of them are really into churches. Some of them aren't into churches at all or not very many of them.
- Most people I know and really see more than casually on a regular basis have some kind of belief in studying scripture. When they say these things that I know are just so off, I keep my mouth shut. Eventually, they'll see--I try to say what I feel as much as I can, but I hear just remain friends with unrighteous mammon, and that's spiritual.
- These guys recently came up with tithes, offerings is alms. I expressed my point of view to a couple of friends of mine. "Oh, well, what if they're called to be a full-time minister? They need a salary. They're full-time there."
- I just didn't say anything. I don't think anybody is called like that by Yahweh. I don't believe they're hearing Yahweh. They want an occupation of sharing their studies. What kind of occupation is that?
- I brought up that Paul said we had a right to ask for stuff, but we didn't, just to make sure that nobody thinks that's why we're doing this. It's very misleading. Commercial Christianity is very misleading.
EliYah:
- It's all the trappings. Pretty much the same thing was going on in the first century, status and being called Rabbi in the marketplaces, getting the best seats, all the trappings of that kind of lifestyle happening in organized religion.
- It's common to almost all religions, that way. We need to be careful we're not caught up in that. I'm pretty much dead against the idea of starting a denomination, based on the faith I know now, because if I did that 15 years ago, I might have been where I was 15 years ago still.
- We're continuing to grow in knowledge, and grace, and truth, and achieving the status of youth pastor or any name that man puts on us isn't going to amount to anything in the age to come. It's where we are in our hearts, where we are before Yahweh.
- That's something we all have to recognize, even our own faith. Yahweh has, for one reason or another, put me in this position of being able to share the word. It doesn't make me any better than anybody else. In the age to come, all the work that we've done will be brought through the fire. That which was built on the right foundation will remain, and that's the main thing.
- We're all brethren, and one is our Master, Yahushua the Messiah, and we're all called to be merciful, knowing we have ourselves attained plenty of it.
Curtis:
- Yeah, I'm also reminded--it ties, I guess, into that verse--to me, what comes to my mind, through some of the proverbs that Yahweh even puts your enemies at peace with you. As far as possible, without compromise, more or less, be at peace with all people.
- The key there for me is without compromise. I think that's what you're saying, too. I have a real hard time not going overboard. I say a few things, but then they almost want to argue, and I just don't argue.
- As another friend of mine says, your life is supposed to be, you're not supposed to have to say a whole lot. We're all different parts of the body. My assessment is you're speaker of the body.
EliYah:
- Well, we all can be. We all reach out and help people in different ways. We'll all give an accounting for what we do in the end. Of course, being one who is teaching the Word, I've got a stricter judgment ahead of me, so pray for me. [laughs] Yahweh have mercy. I'll need plenty of mercy, that's for sure.
Curtis:
- I didn't mean to go so long on that, but I did want to get your opinion on that, because that's come to my mind a lot lately in dealing with people and trying to just be a faithful servant, as well as not argue with people.
- Recently, I was talking to some guys that just think that science so obviously disproves creation and the Creator. I couldn't say much. I said a few things that I know about it, and then I just said, basically, the true followers of the Messiah Yahushua are the most logical, reasonable, loving, intelligent, open-minded people on the planet. That's all I had to say.
EliYah:
- So you were speaking for the body. Thank you, brother.
Curtis:
- We're going to try to do a little praise in music here, in song, if that's okay.
EliYah:
- Great. If you've got a speaker phone, try that method this time. It makes it a little easier.
Curtis:
- Okay.
EliYah:
- Brother Curtis here has got some beautiful children, and they like to sing for us every week.
Sunny:
- HalleluYah. Shabbat Shalom, EliYah.
- [Music ministry by Curtis and family]
Curtis:
- Shabbat Shalom.
Sunny:
- Shabbat Shalom!
Curtis:
- Shabbat Shalom. We love y'all!
EliYah:
- Shabbat Shalom. We love you all. Thanks for sharing that.
Curtis and family:
- Bye!
EliYah:
- HalleluYah. Brother Curtis and his family always a blessing. I know sound quality is not always the best, even coming from this end, but I'm sure for you all a little bit worse. Their hearts are all there, and it's beautiful to hear little children praising Yahweh. HalleluYah.
- The phone line is open now, I believe, and someone is calling in for a comment or a question. Meanwhile, I'm going to address a question in the chat room about Ezekiel 33:15.
Ezekiel 33:15 - "[if] the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
Q. If works are not required for salvation, could you discuss that?
EliYah:
- Ezekiel 33:15, I do not believe--let me put it this way. Salvation is not by works, but unless we have works, we will not be saved. In other words, our repentance is going to produce works. If we don't have works, our faith isn't even real. When the wicked turns away from his wickedness, he's going to start doing what's lawful and right, restoring pledges and so on.
- If a person is at some point in his walk--let's say he's walking in wickedness, robbed people, had done different things--at the moment he turns his heart and life and made that decision to serve Yahweh, Yahweh knows the heart and meets the person right there.
- He doesn't have to say, "Now I need to go try to make up for all the sin I've done wrong." You really can't. When you hurt somebody, you always leave a scar. You can't really make up for everything, but you can, if you're truly repentant, start making steps toward restoration, steps toward reconciliation, and paying back the thing you might have done wrong.
- Those are works which are evidence of what's going on in the heart. Yahweh is listing them as examples of someone who has repented and his works that follow it.
- A person that does such a thing, when is he actually saved? He's saved by faith, not by doing these restorative things. He's not saved by that, but he is saved because he is trusting in Yahweh's mercy. His works are following his faith.
- As James said, "Faith without works is dead." They must work together. I hope that answers that question. That's the way Yahweh has always operated in the past.
- I believe we have Aletha [phonetic] on the line. Are you there?
Aletha:
- Hello.
EliYah:
- Hello.
Aletha:
- Yeah.
EliYah:
- Shabbat Shalom to you.
Aletha:
- Shabbat Shalom.
EliYah:
- Thanks for calling in. What can we answer for you or what can we hear from you today?
Aletha:
- I was hoping I could read a poem.
EliYah:
- We'd love to hear it.
Aletha:
- Okay. This is it. "What I see when the rain falls, what I hear when the thunder calls, lightning flashes, Yahweh's glory unleashed, His wrath poured out upon the world. For He is the eye of the hurricane. He is the center of the tornado. He's the light after the storm. Around Him, everything revolves.
- "What I see when the rain falls, what I hear when the thunder calls, lightning flashes, Yahweh's glory unleashed, His wrath poured out upon the world. For He is the eye of the hurricane. He is the center of the tornado. He is the light after the storm. Around Him, everything revolves.
- "The rain goes pitter patter. His gentle arms rock us to sleep. Looking down upon us, His eyes filled with love, whispering lullabies into our ears. Yahweh is love. Yahweh is love."
EliYah:
- HalleluYah. That was beautiful. Did you write that?
Aletha:
- Mm-hm.
EliYah:
- Huh?
Aletha:
- Yeah.
EliYah:
- You wrote that. That's very, very beautiful. HalleluYah. How old are you, Aletha?
Aletha:
- Twelve.
EliYah:
- Twelve years old. Wonderful. Well, you're turning into a real daughter of Yahweh. That's beautiful. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Aletha:
- Thank you.
EliYah:
- And this is the daughter of someone in the chat room named Chosen.
Aletha:
- Mm-hm.
EliYah:
- And so you're joining us for Shabbat meetings lately?
Aletha:
- Yeah.
EliYah:
- That's wonderful. Glad to have you with us. Thanks for sharing that. Is there anything else you wanted to share?
Aletha:
- No.
EliYah:
- All right. Yahweh bless you and lead you. Continue to share your poems as you get those.
Aletha:
- Okay.
EliYah:
- All right. Shalom.
Aletha:
- Shalom.
EliYah:
- HalleluYah. So important that we are raising our children to love and serve Yahweh our Mighty One. HalleluYah. It says like our sister Chosen is doing just that. What a beautiful testimony of His glory.
- Anyone who would like to call in for a comment or question, our phone number is 866-435-4924, 866-4EliYah. I've love to hear from you if you have a psalm or, in Aletha's case, a poem--a very, very beautiful poem--or anything of that nature. If you just want to say hello to the brethren, feel free to call in. It sounds like a phone call is on the way.
- Meanwhile, there was a question sent to me in private chat.
Q. If someone wanted to make something like a certificate of baptism that she made for Israel--the person in the chat room--but they are not believers, as we are, they want to put pagan symbols on it, etc., would I be in sin if I made such a thing for my business?
EliYah:
- I'm not sure I completely understand the question, if you could maybe rephrase that one. I think the person is actually--I thought they were on the line, but they're not now.
- Feel free to call back, sister, and maybe you can clarify the question for us. I'm not sure I completely understand. I'd hate to answer a question I don't fully understand. You'd get the wrong idea.
- Meanwhile, I'm going to share a song. This is a song by Brother Terry Arthur, and it's called, "From the Rising of the Sun." HalleluYah.
- [Music Ministry: "From the Rising of the Sun"]
EliYah:
- HalleluYah. That's Brother Terry Arthur, the song originally sung, I believe, by Paul Wilbur. He was able, through a karaoke device or something to get the music to the same song and put Yahweh's name in it, the way it should have been sung. HalleluYah.
- Meanwhile, I think we have somebody on the line here. Is this Tahar?
Tahar:
- Yes, it is.
EliYah:
- Shalom, sister.
Tahar:
- Shalom. I guess now I have three questions. I'm sorry I wasn't so clear about the one I asked you in PM. Basically, I felt inspired to make a certificate of baptism for Israel. I made one yesterday, and it has the Torah scrolls on it, etc., etc.
- Yohanan was saying I could add that to some of the things that I'm trying to make my website for. This question has been coming up in my mind. I know how to answer, as far as things for pagan holidays like Christmas and things like that.
- I won't do those kinds of things. But what if I advertise that I do these things, and I have someone that wants a certificate made, but wants pagan symbols on it or something like that, or they want me to put Jesus on it or something like that?
- I feel like, for me, in our household, that is sin. That's not honoring Yahweh. But at the same time, I'm trying to bring bread into our household, and so I wanted to find out if I made something according to a request like that, if I'd be sinning against Yahweh.
- I feel like I'd be leading someone on that path they're already on, instead of trying to get them off of it.
EliYah:
- I'd have to say that we don't have to do something wrong in order to provide for ourselves. I believe when we choose to do what's right that Yahweh is going to provide for us. He's our ultimate provider. Is it wrong to do those things? An example might be in Psalm 115:3-8.
Psalms 115:3 - But our Elohim [is] in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.
Psalms 115:4 - Their idols [are] silver and gold, The work of men's hands.
Psalms 115:5 - They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see;
Psalms 115:6 - They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell;
Psalms 115:7 - They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat.
Psalms 115:8 - Those who make them are like them; [So is] everyone who trusts in them.- So even in this case, the making of something that is vain and wrong would be something Yahweh would not be pleased with. I think we could probably take that principle and say even if we're trying to make a living through it or whatever we're trying to do, trying to create something that would not be pleasing to Yahweh would be something we want to avoid.
Tahar:
- Right. That's what I figured. I just wanted to make sure in all things that I bring glory to Yahweh. The next question I have is so many times, most of the time when Yohanan and I have a life decision that we face, we go through a process. We not only pray, we consult scripture. We consult other brethren. We write a list of pros and cons, things like that.
- There's still times, it seems, we go along a path that we totally and honestly believe is Yahweh, but it's actually a trick of the enemy. I was wondering, as far as in your life, is there anything else you know of doing that you can know that you're truly abiding in Yahweh's will?
EliYah:
- I would say this, that, number one, it has to be according to His Word. Some people are so focused on is this Yahweh's will, or is this Yahweh's will--and that's good. I'm not taking away from that. But is it Yahweh's will for you to turn your head from one place to another?
- We could really go extreme and say, "Is it Yahweh's will for me to reach up and scratch my nose?" It's within His will. It's within Yahweh's will, and so if it's within His will, we can't say that He's specifically saying no, unless you hear a word from Yahweh saying, "No, don't do that."
- At the same time, when you're making major life decisions, you want to make sure that the decisions you're making are according to His will, and that comes through prayer, through different circumstances that take place in your life, and you try to discern.
- When I make a decision on something, I want to look at the spiritual benefits and any spiritual negatives that may come out of that decision. If we're trying to make the right decision, we're intending to make a decision for good spiritual reasons. I think that's the main thing Yahweh is looking at.
- Abraham--I gave an example a couple of weeks ago--he heard Yahweh's promise, he heard what Yahweh wanted, but he tried to do it his own way and had the son through Hagar.
- Through that, Yahweh didn't come down in a bolt of lightning and strike him down, but He recognized that Abraham was trying to do what he thought was what Yahweh wanted.
- It wasn't really what Yahweh wanted, but Yahweh was able to work in spite of that. Yahweh has mercy on us if we're trying to do what's right, if we believe it's within His will and according to His will, and it's something He wants out of our life. If we make a mistake, He's not standing over us with a stick saying, "Ah!"
- He sees the heart. Let's say you made a decision, and you really tried to grasp and understand and see what Yahweh was wanting to do. You look at the spiritual things. What's the benefit to you spiritually, if you were to make the decision one way or the other?
- You're looking to be within His will in those areas, and He's not going to come down and strike you dead. He has a lot of mercy. If He really has a very, very clear direction He wants you to go, He'll let you know one way or the other.
Tahar:
- Just one more question. This morning I was listening to the conversation you were having with Curtis. That's always been something, I haven't wavered, but it's the issue of friendships. I can't remember the address, but there's a scripture that says friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim.
- On one hand, we want to be a witness and minister to people that don't walk the way we walk. But at the same time, I don't know--I guess my question is do you want to be friends with those people?
- I think about how Yahushua calls us His friends. When you see a relationship, and you know this person trusts you, even though they don't know any better, where is the boundary line when you call someone a friend or just being a witness to them, but you back off as far as spiritual things?
- I'm not putting this in very good words, but do you understand what I'm asking?
EliYah:
- Yeah, we've got to draw a balance there. We're never really friends with the world. We might be an acquaintance, but there's not enough in common there for us to really be friends.
- If we're trying to reach out to someone, there's a real danger. Rather than our spirit, that Yahweh has put in us, influencing them, that their spirit, which is of the world, starts to influence us.
- When their spirit starts to influence us, then we need to have the wisdom to back off and to say we're not going to go here. This is not where I want to go. So we need to be very aware and be sure we are the ones who are being the influence.
- In fact, when we kept the Sabbath, sometimes after our Sabbath meeting we would go to someone's house that was not of our faith, and the television would be going, just the whole worldly atmosphere. We'd walk out of place feeling--after we got there, we were so happy and joyful, and we left feeling defeated.
- It's probably not a good idea. We need to be aware. If we do happen to go in the presence of people that don't understand or appreciate the things we do or what we're trying to do in Yahweh, that we're praying ahead of time that the enemy is bound up and cannot influence us, but that we are the ones who are being the influence wherever we go.
Tahar:
- Basically, I'm talking about people that call themselves Christians. We've had that experience. They read the Bible. It's okay to have fellowship. But we end up either getting browbeaten or something like that.
- I guess the other scripture is in Matthew, where it says not to walk in the way of the Gentiles. We've talked to several people that have said that that's actually doing what they do, but in some ways it's also practicing their practices.
- I'm just trying to get a good grip on how far you interact with them without taking on that clothing.
EliYah:
- We've got to be aware. Not every person is the same. Not every individual will be the same. The same thing is true, if they're starting to influence us toward the direction of wrong things, then the same principles apply there.
- Proverbs in one place says, "Make no friendship with an angry man, lest ye learn of his ways." You're being influenced by that anger. The same goes with everyone. We've got to be really careful even amongst people who would call themselves brethren. They have some negative character qualities which may influence us for negative.
- We've got to be careful we're not influencing other people in a negative way, as well. We've got to be wise and try to discern each person. I can't make a blanket statement for you to fit everyone, but those are some principles you can look at and try to apply to each person.
Tahar:
- Yeah, 'cause I have a really bad habit of when someone says, "Oh, yeah, I worship Yahweh," I let my guard down, because I so badly not only want to bless other people, but want them to be blessed by us. You know what I mean.
EliYah:
- I understand totally.
Tahar:
- Yohanan was telling me, "Sweetheart, you've got to be careful." Sometimes I trust the wrong people. I'm trying not to be stoic and be religious, but at the same time have wisdom. I really appreciate everything, and thank you for showing your wisdom. Yahweh bless you all. Everyone in the chat room, thank you so much. We really enjoy your fellowship.
EliYah:
- HalleluYah. We appreciate your phone calls and your fellowship. Yahweh bless you and Yohanan.
Tahar:
- All right. Yahweh bless you all. Thank you.
EliYah:
- Shalom.
Tahar:
- Shalom.
EliYah:
- HalleluYah. Some good questions there, the issues of daily life that all of us, as believers, face--learning not to compromise, and at the same time wanting to reach out and be a light to those who desperately need Yahushua's light.
- I think that will probably be our last phone call. We do have a song that my family and I have been asked for three or four weeks to share, and we'd like to do that. We're going to play a different song at first, and then we'll play this other one. The first song we're going to share will be called "The Song of Love." It's sung by Tammy Robinson.
- [Music Ministry: "The Song of Love," "Lamon Tsiyon"]
EliYah:
- HalleluYah. Lesheva Sharon, Lamon Tsiyon. We're collecting the prayer requests here. Looks like they're still coming in, so I'll go ahead and share another song. Looking for it--got a new program now that's playing all this music, so I'm a little unfamiliar with it. This is a song called "Table in the Wilderness." It's also by Tammy Robinson.
- [Music Ministry: "Table in the Wilderness," "Lead Me to the River of Your Healing Waters"]
EliYah:
- HalleluYah. Everyone have a very blessed week. We appreciate the interaction today. It's always good to see everyone of you here. Yahweh bless you and keep you. Yahweh make His face shine upon you, be gracious unto you, and Yahweh lift His countenance to you and give you His shalom. HalleluYah.
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