A man trying to explain a woman, even his wife, is faced with a daunting task. Women are complex creatures with paradoxical attributes that leave men perplexed and confused. Maybe you have heard men lament about women. “Can’t live with them; can’t live without them.”
The first woman, Eve, seemed to have the same mystique over Adam. Why did Adam partake of the fruit that was forbidden? Answer: His wife gave it to him, and his desire to agree with his wife was stronger than his will to obey the Lord. How could Adam surrender his will so quickly for his wife? Whatever it was, men have been moved by it many times since.
Leadership. You know what it is, and you know what it is not. But, if you were asked directly, how would you define it?
Defining leadership is a little like nailing Jello to the wall. It is a very elusive and slippery proposition. Most people are unable to give a verbal definition. They know that leadership involves many things. It is about good judgment and decision making. It is about inspiring others to accomplish more than they thought they could. Webster’s defines leadership as the position or guidance of a leader, the ability to lead. That is like defining a flower as something green that rises up. It doesn’t express what the flower is really about. I present this little dilemma to you to draw your attention to a very important aspect of our faith. I want you to consider the Messiah’s style of leadership. How does the Messiah lead us?
When I was a young man serving in the U.S. Navy, I went through the experience of “boot camp.” Every person who serves in the military service goes through it. There are a couple of interesting things that happen to a person when they go through “boot camp.” First, they never forget the experience. If you ask any past veteran of the military, regardless of their branch of service, they can tell you about their “boot camp.” No one will ever say that they don’t remember that part. Secondly, they will also remember their training on how to stand a watch. Standing watch can be referred to as guard duty, manning a post, being on station, or standing a fire watch. Boot camp trains you how to be a “watchman.”
One of my favorite Jewish stories is about the two Yeshiva students arguing over when the dawn of the day begins. One said it was the dawn when you could tell the difference between an olive tree and a fig tree. An olive tree has small leaves; fig trees have big leaves. The other argued that the dawn of the day was when you could tell the difference between a man and woman. Neither could agree. Finally, they asked their rabbi. The rabbi answered, "It is the dawn of the day when you can no longer see a difference between a Jew and a Gentile. That is the dawn of THE DAY.
It is the smallest book in the New Testament. It has no chapters, just twenty- five verses. It is one of the last writings included in the Bible. The book is entitled after the writer's name but written in a general sense to all of his fellow Messianic believers. The writer was the brother of Yeshua, the Messiah, and James (Jacob) the leader of the Jerusalem brethren. He obviously knew Peter and John, and probably Paul and the other Apostles, since he was an Apostle himself. He spoke with apostolic authority; however, he preferred to call himself just a bond-servant of Yeshua the Messiah and not assert his positional authority. He based his arguments upon the lessons of Torah and used triad logic (sets of threes) to make his point. The content of his book is a specific, singular warning to the body of Messiah. His warning is about a danger within the fellowship, not outside of it. He warned about certain persons (leaders and teachers) in the faith who make the Grace of God a license to transgress the Commandments of God.
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-19
It is an understatement, but it needs to be said. When the Lord returns, there will be a lot of changes. One of the greatest changes will be JOY. We will laugh and dance before the Lord as we have never done before. It will be a homecoming and a party like nothing we have ever experienced. The Lord will return to dwell with us and He will be bringing His reward with Him. It will be the dawning of a new day and a new world for us. It will begin with great joy and laughter.
But what else will happen? What will that new day bring? What will it be like to dwell with the Lord? Isaiah offers some answers to those questions.
In Yeshua’s letter to the seven churches in Revelation chapters two and three, various warnings are given to us that require correction in preparation for the Lord’s return. He does not give a lot of commentary on why they need to be corrected; instead, He just runs through the list of needed corrections and gets quickly to the point. We need to address one of those correction items.
But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality.
Revelation 2:14
Passover will soon be here in springtime. If you are like me, then you are anticipating the newness of life as the warmth brings leaves to the trees and green grass to the ground. It is also the renewal of the story of redemption. It is no wonder that God commanded us to keep the Passover in the spring, and that He used the Passover to give us the resurrection of the Messiah.
The Lord commanded us to observe and keep a memorial to our deliverance from Egypt. I say "our" because we are to see ourselves as being the very people who were delivered out of Egypt. This personalization of placing ourselves in Egypt at the Passover causes us to prepare for the festival differently from all other kinds of feasts.
Many years ago, I attended a seminar hosted by a local synagogue for the benefit of church pastors in the city. It was my first opportunity to hear a Rabbi share their views on Jesus and the New Testament. The seminar was entitled, "What Jews think about Jesus and the New Testament." In the question and answer period, we were afforded the opportunity to ask questions. My question was about the book of Revelation. The Rabbi’s answer stunned me.
"It’s a stolen book. There is nothing new in the book. All the symbols and distinct prophecies originate from Moses and the Prophets of Israel."
Maybe you haven’t noticed it, but I think you probably have… The time is quickly approaching when you will be hated because of your faith and testimony of God. Now, I am not talking about a little scorn or disregard from your family or friends; I’m talking about from people who don’t know you, but know that you represent or are associated with God. I am talking about the kind of hatred that results in harassment, intimidation, and a threat to your person. This is the kind of hatred that the prophecies tell us is to come. From my point of view, I can see a growing trend that our God is not wanted anymore by the world. If they reject our God, it follows that we too will be hated. I am convinced that the hatred of God and His people is growing with acceptance every day now, fueled in part by the war on terror and the conflict with Islamic terrorists. No longer is the war against God on the back burner simmering throughout history. Specific events in our very own communities and with many national governments is indicating that faith in God is being equated with extremist and dangerous behavior. We are being stereotyped and prejudged. The anti-God forces are becoming bolder. There is a war against God and the battle lines are quickly approaching us.
