Flames of Faith Ascending Prayers

Transcription

1 Flames of Faith Ascending Prayers But the hour cometh and now is When the true worshippers Shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that Worship Him must worship Him In spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24

2 Blessings of grace and truth be upon all of you as you read these pages. It is my hearts desire that you will find something that ministers to your heart. Maybe even a stirring of the Holy Spirit as you consider the writings that have been inspired by that same Holy Spirit that dwells within each believer. Along the way, I have read and considered all the teachings, articles, and prose that has come across my path and the ones I place in Flames of Fire are carefully and prayerfully chosen to minister to you. I am in such a place that I can find no words to utter (or type) that can match the importance of the words from those ministers of the Gospel that I am placing in this issue for you to read. Truly amazing! God has so gifted these men and women with the revelation of understanding of our Lord Jesus and of His Words. I hope you will absorb the heartfelt spiritual significance as you read. And, I hope you will appreciate and cherish God s Word more and more as that Day draws near. Maranatha! Whatever you do, do it in the Name of the Lord, with all your heart and for His glory. ~ Jewells ~

3 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13 Let us all be seasoned with God's love and savor the time. We are blessed to be able to reflect on those things that has been, and to be fashioned in strength towards those things to come. We are of the salt of the earth, given to bring flavor to every man s soul. The Lord brings our ingredients to fruition and His loving-kindness in us produces the most joyful of tastes, aromas, and the deepness of flavors in our prayers we faithfully bring to Him on behalf of His children. Lead us O Lord in the good way. May our conversations be led in love towards one another as is our conversations that we intimately share together. Lord, keep us in good measure that we may also have the perfect amount needed to dispense to those in need of Your sound wisdom given to us through Your perfect Word.

4 Let us bring the flavor of Your Truths to a deeply fallen world. Keep us refreshed in the knowledge of Your goodness and mercy that we may give notice to the world of Your imminent return and Your desire to gather us up together to usher us into Your Kingdom. Let us be quick with a word of encouragement to those that still may be unsure, even frightened. Be giving in kindness to each and to everyone, giving them a charge of repentance along with His promise of life ever after. As with exposure to unguarded salt that becomes of no worth, let us also be mindfully guarded against outside elements that would steal your sharpness of thought and the diligence of a stayed and cured mind only made possible with the guarded protection by the holy Spirit. Let us not meddle in the affairs of men when they are contrary to what God desires for us. Put away those things that are not beneficial to us spiritually and would in fact take away that which only belongs to Him, all our praising, all our honoring, and all our worshiping. Let us also not be trodden down with the burdens of our flesh, but be daily regenerated with the mind of Christ. Hold fast my children, for I come quickly for you saith our Lord. Do not lose your zest, for Jesus is ever closer to us than even our shadows. Let others taste the goodness of our Lord through you. Be that light in the darkness. Be that guiding beacon of light so that their lives do not crash upon the rocks of hopelessness. Be that invitation for others to experience the savory morsels of an abundant life that only our Lord can provide for those who desire it. Bring them Home O Lord, bring them Home. In Christ Jesus of Nazareth, I pray, Amen. ~ Gary Romele ~ July 2017

5 The Origin of the word Church (The Meaning of Ecclesia) Matthew 16:18, " And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church (Greek - ekklesia) " The Greek word "ekklesia," is used 115 times in the New Testament, and in most bibles, it is always translated as "church" (except in Acts 19:32,39,41, where it is properly translated as "assembly"). The first complete English bible was the Tyndale bible in about 1524, and that bible did not use the word "church" anywhere in its pages, it used the word "congregation." Sometime after this bible, they started replacing the word "congregation" with the word "church."

6 Now, some people might say we're just mincing words; they say, "Church, assembly, what's the difference?" "You know what I mean when I say Church." But words are very, very important according to the Word of God. The following verses tell us that one of the duties of all followers of Christ is to diligently look at the words to describe His Body. Matthew 4:4, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 12:36-37, "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Proverbs 6:2, "Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth." Proverbs 30:5-6, "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." One of the jurisdictions of the natural man is the Church. There are many Churches out there, even the Church of Satan. The Church of Wicka. The Church of Humanity. You name it, there's a Church for it. Even bars are like Churches, they go to worship the bottle, and fellowship around ungodly things, and play music that praises Satan and the things of the flesh because they love the creation more than the Creator (Romans 1:25), so everything they worship and all the songs they sing worship the creation. So, there's another Church for you. This article will attempt to demonstrate how the State receives jurisdiction over the Church. We have to differentiate because Christ's ekklesia is not the Church. If you look in a dictionary, under the word Church, it's defined as "a place of worship of any religion as a Jewish or heathen temple." When the world says "Church," they are thinking of a building or a structure, and this is actually the original meaning of Church, but somehow it transferred over as being the body of Christ. But as we're told in scripture, God "dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (Acts 17:24,48, 2 Corinthians 5:1, Hebrews 9:24). There's many different definitions for the Church, and it's really an arbitrary and capricious word. And we're going to take a look at how the natural man got jurisdiction over that. They got jurisdiction over the Church because he's the one that created it, he's the one that took the word ekklesia to a word that has no substance.

7 The Meaning of Ekklesia First, we'll look at the meaning of what Christ's ekklesia is, we'll look at the real thing first, then we'll compare the legal fiction that's being created as the substitute for Christ's ekklesia. The word ekklesia is the original Greek Word, it was used in the Septuagint. So, the seventy-two translators that translated the Septuagint around 280 B.C. were very much aware of that word ekklesia. They used it in the Septuagint as a replacement of the Hebrew for the "congregation of Israel." Now, if we go to the modern word studies on ekklesia, they'll always point to the secular meaning of the Greek, that it was a group of citizens called together. They rarely go to the original meaning. The first time it's spoken in the New Testament, by Christ, is at Matthew 16:18, " And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my ekklesia " When you go to Tyndale's bible, which was the first English Bible, he translated ekklesia as "assembly." In the George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek/English New Testament (it's a literal translation of the Greek into English), which was written in the late 1800's, he translated ekklesia as "assembly," and you won't find the word "church" anywhere in there. Christ only used the word ekklesia three times. It's not recorded in the book of Mark, John, or Luke. Matthew is the only one who recorded it. In Strong's Greek Concordance, the word ekklesia (word #1577) is defined as "an assembly," and it's from the word "ek," (word #1537) which means "out of"; and the word "klesis" (word #2821) which means "a calling." So ekklesia means to be called out, and obviously Christ is the one that's calling us out. But is that the first time we were ever called out? The apostle Paul wrote, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you" (2 Corinthians 6:17). Now he's quoting the Old Testament from Isaiah 52:11, so we were called out in the Old Testament. In the Septuagint, Isaiah 52:11 reads, "Depart ye, depart, go out from thence, and touch not the unclean thing; go ye out from the midst of her; separate yourselves, ye that bear the vessels of the Lord."

8 So, when you go to the original Greek in the Septuagint and find out what those verses mean, you find out what you're being called out of. And that's what His ekklesia is, it is those who are called out. When Isaiah says, "go ye out from the midst of her," what does that mean? Well, when you go to the original Greek, "out from the midst" means "out from the center." And the word "her" is from the Greek autos which means "self." So basically, what this verse is saying is to depart and separate yourself from your self will (those wants of the world) and touch not the impure. So what we're called out of is our self! We're called out of the self-will and all of those things that have to do with the flesh. And that is His ekklesia. This goes along with: Matthew 10:38-39, "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." The apostle Paul said, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31). What this means is to do His Will, and crucify the deeds of the flesh, kill our old man. So, there's only one definition for ekklesia, and that's "assembly" (or "congregation"). Now, how is it possible to take the word "church" (which means a physical structure) and insert it in there? Because the word "Church" does not mean "assembly" at all! It doesn't even closely correlate.

9 The Origin of the word Church It's very difficult to get an exact handle on where the word "church" popped up, but there is some writings on it. In Vincent's Word Studies, he comments on 1 Corinthians 11:18, "For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it." Concerning the phrase "in the church, " he says, "not the Church edifice, a meaning which the word never has in the New Testament and which appears first in patristic writings." The "patristic writings" would be the Church fathers after the apostles and Christ. So that's where the word "church" popped up, and it's not in the Word of God, so obviously it's a creation of man. In 325 AD, "The Church" joined the State under Constantine, and it was carried through the Reformation. The Reformers, were all involved in civil government, such as John Calvin who set up the civil government in Geneva. The pope was the head of the Catholic Church and he was kicked out of England, and King Henry VIII took jurisdiction over the Church. And then when the King James version was done, it was very important for them to retain the word "church" because they had jurisdiction over it, so King James made fifteen specific edicts, as far as the translation goes, and one of those edicts (edict number three) stated that this bible was to retain the word "church" in the translation and it was not to be replaced with the word "congregation." That was his specific edict. He has no jurisdiction over the congregation (people), but he does over the church (physical buildings). So you can see he never wanted the word "assembly" associated with the original meaning of the Old Testament which meant "congregation." So he knew the correct translation, obviously, but he didn't want it in there, that way they retain control over "the church."

10 For example, the New Testament, at Hebrews 2:12, quotes the Old Testament, at Psalms 22:22, word for word. The word "congregation" in the Greek is "ekklesia." But since King James forbade replacing this Greek word with "congregation" (the true interpretation), it was replaced with a word which has a totally different meaning: Psalms 22:22, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee." Hebrews 2:12, "Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee." And when we see what Vincent said about Patristic writings, we can see that "from the beginning it was not so," and it is a tradition of the elders that the word "church" has been retained. When you look in all of the word studies on the word "church", they put in there "the assembly," as if they were one and the same. But when you go to their own definitions, such as Elwells Evangelical Dictionary, it says the English word church "derives from the late Greek word kurioton, which means "the lord's house," a Church building. In the King James New Testament, the word translates from the Greek word ekklesia. Notice this says "Church" is from a "late Greek word," so it's not a word that's used in the original Koine Greek, it's a modern word. So you see the problem. Also, kurioton, means "the lord's house." In the Old Testament, the phrase "the lord's house" is used three times, and it has to do with a secular lord every time (Genesis 40:7; 44:8, Isaiah 22:18). So, who is the lord we're talking about? The secular lord always had jurisdiction of the Church because it was their realm to begin with! In Smith's Bible Dictionary from 1884, at page 452,, it says "the derivation of the word 'church' is uncertain. It is found in the Teutonic and Slavonic languages and answers to the derivatives of ekklesia, which are naturally found in the romance languages and by foreign importation elsewhere. The word is generally said to be derived from the Greek kyriakos, meaning the lord's house. But the derivation has been too hastily assumed. It is probably associated with the Scottish kirk, the Latin circus/circulous, the Greek klukos, because the congregations were gathered in circles."

11 And if you go into congregations that were gathered in circles, that's what the pagans did, they gathered in prayer circles, that's all pagan religions. After reading that comment, you might see why that word "Church" was adopted, because so many of the people that were being brought into the Church were of pagan origins, and they accommodated those pagans. Smith's Bible Dictionary goes on to say, "Although kyriakos is found signifying a church, it is no more the common term used by Greeks than dominicum (the Latin word for 'church') is the common term used by Latins (in other words, it's not a common term). It is therefore very unlikely that it should have been adopted by the Greek missionaries and teachers and adopted by them so decidedly so as to be thrust into a foreign language." What he's talking about is how all these other languages have picked up the word "church" and they all have different derivations of it. In the Anglo Saxon it's circay, in Scottish it's kirk, etc. He's saying all these different languages picked it up by the similarity of sound. Smith's Bible Dictionary goes on to say, "further, there is no reason why the word should have passed into these two languages rather than into the Latin. The Roman Church was, in its origin, a Greek community and it introduced the Greek word for Church into the Latin tongue. But this word was not 'Church' (or dominicum), it was 'ekklesia." In other words, the Latin has the word ekklesia, it passed from the Greek into the Latin and it stayed the same. But this other word, dominicum (church), was brought in, which is something completely different from ekklesia. Lidellan's Scott's Greek English Lexicon confirms that the origins of the word "church" is shrouded in mystery. On defining the word "Klukos" which is one of the words church comes from, it says, "Of or for a lord or master (speaking of a secular lord). Assumed to be original of the Teutonic kirk, kirche, or church, but how this Greek name came to be adopted by the northern nations rather than the Roman name or Greek name ekklesia has not been satisfactorily explained." We see from this Greek Lexicon that no one really knows how church got into the languages of the world to be used as a replacement for the Christ's ekklesia.

12 Church: "Derived from the Middle English word chirch/kirke, which is derived from the Old English word cirice (and the Old Norse kirkja), which is derived from the Germanic kirika, which is derived from the Classical Greek kyriake (oikia) which means "lord's house," and kyriakos which means "belonging to the lord," and kyrios which means "ruler," and kyros which means "supreme power," and all these words are derived from the Indo European base keu which means "a swelling, to be strong, hero," whence is derived "cave." 1. A building set apart or consecrated for public worship." Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, 1988, page 251. Church: "The etymology of this word is generally assumed to be from the Greek, Kuriou oikos (house of God); but this is most improbable, as the word existed in all the Celtic dialects long before the introduction of Greek. No doubt the word means "a circle." The places of worship among the German and Celtic nations were always circular. (Welsh, cyrch, French, cirque; Scotch, kirk; Greek, kirk-os, etc.) Compare Anglo-Saxon circe, a church, with circol, a circle." The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, Church: "Derived probably from the Greek kuriakon (i.e., "the Lord's house"), which was used by ancient authors for the place of worship. In the New Testament it is the translation of the Greek word ecclesia, which is synonymous with the Hebrew kahal of the Old Testament, both words meaning simply an assembly, the character of which can only be known from the connection in which the word is found. There is no clear instance of its being used for a place of meeting or of worship, although in post-apostolic times it early received this meaning." Easton's Bible Dictionary. The courts have ruled that "The word 'church' is used interchangeably to designate a society of persons who profess the Christian religion and the place where such persons regularly assemble for worship." The word in Latin for ekklesia is also ekklesia, so even the Latin retained this word. When we know what the word ekklesia means, how can we take something unclean, such as "The Church," and make it clean (Job 14:4)? We can't. So, most bible translators have interpreted the Greek word ekklesia as Church, but ekklesia has nothing to do with the word Church! Every word study and reference available all agree that the word Church does not come from the original Koine Greek word ekklesia, but comes from a late Greek word, which has a totally different meaning! So we must ask ourselves this question: "Why do bibles falsely use the word church in place of the Christ's ekklesia?"

13 Acts 7:49, "Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?" 1 Kings 8:27, " behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" Word Study by Richard Anthony For complete study go to: ~

14 SPURGEON SIMPLE COMMENTS JAMES 1 There is a tendency to grow angry with those who do not see the truth; but is it not a foolish thing to be angry with blind men because they do not see? What if you see yourself? Who opened your eyes? Give God the promise for what you see, and never think that your anger, your indignation, your hot temper, can ever work the righteousness of God. It is contrary thereto, and cannot work towards it.

15 James 1: Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: It is a good thing for him to do that, to see himself as others see him. Beholding his natural face, even as men in looking into the Word of God, behold the face of their nature; they see what they are like as they look into the glass. James 1: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man s religion is vain.. James 1:18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. It is a very delightful idea that we are presented to God as a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. There is a whole harvest behind us, as Paul also reminds us in Romans 8:19-21 : For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

16 James 1: Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Therefore, when we are tempted, let us not be in a hurry to pronounce a verdict on the temptation. If we are slandered and evil spoken of, let us not be quick to reply, or to grow angry. Let us be slow very slow to wrath; it will be our wisdom, for no good comes of human wrath: The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. James 1:21. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Receive it as a graft. As the tree is prepared by the knife to receive the new shoot that is to be put into it, and does so receive it as to make it its own, and to use it for its own fruit-bearing purposes, even in that way receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1: But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. The best thing to do when you look into a glass, and spy a spot on your face, is to wash it off directly. The true use of hearing the Word, or reading it, is to amend one s self at once in those points in which the Word discovers us to be faulty. To look in the glass, and not to wash off the spots, is but a piece of vanity; and to hear a sermon, or read a chapter, and not to put into practice what we are taught, is a sad waste of time.

17 James 1:25. But whose looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. There are many who complain of their short memories when they are hearing sermons. Well, then, let them be quick about doing what the sermon bids them, and then they will not be forgetful hearers. You have heard how one good woman described the effect of the sermon she has heard. She was one who washed wool, and when her minister went round to ask her what she had learned on the previous Sabbath, she did not even recollect the text. Oh, Janet! said he, I am afraid you are a forgetful hearer; I cannot see what good the sermon has done to you. So she took him to the back of her house, where she had a pump; and she worked at the handle while she held underneath the spout a sieve full of wool that was dirty and foul. The water ran through the wool, and through the sieve, and all ran away. There, she said, this sieve is like my memory; but, sir, though the water does not stop in the sieve, it washes the wool; and what you preach, though it does not stop in my memory, it has washed my heart and cleansed my life and conversation. Never mind about keeping the water in the sieve so long as it washes the wool. No man can be said to be a forgetful hearer who is a doer of the work that he is bidden to perform. James 1:26. If any man among you seem to be religious, You know what that means; and there are some who do seem to be wonderfully religious. Butter would not melt in their mouths, as we say; they are so solemn: If any man among you seem to be religious, James 1:26. And bridleth not his tongue, That little noisy troublesome member: and bridleth not his tongue,

18 James 1:26. But deceiveth his own heart, this man s religion is vain. If religion does not salt your tongue, and keep it sweet, it has done nothing for you. If the doctor wants to know the state of your health, he says, Let me see your tongue; and there is no better test of the health of the mind than to see what is on the tongue. When it gets furred up with unkind words, when it turns black with blasphemy, when it is spotted with lasciviousness, there is something very bad inside the heart, you may be quite sure of that. James 1:27. Pure religion It might be rendered, Pure ritualism James 1:27. And undefiled before God and the Father is this, What is pure ritualism according to the inspired apostle? To wear a white surplice, and to change it for a black gown? I do not see that in the Scriptures. To have little boys in white to sing for you? I do not see that; but what I do see is this, James 1:27. To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. I should like to have such a choir as this, a company of Christian men and women robed in unspotted holiness. We shall have such a choir as that around the eternal throne, so they who wish to be there had better begin to practice the music here. The Lord help you to do so, for Christ s sake! Amen. CHARLES SPURGEON ~

19 Romans 3:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. KJV Why are people lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (II Timothy 3:4)? Why are people so indifferent to the state of their spiritual wellbeing? Why has the Bible been relegated to little more than a coffee table display? Why are people so defiant toward heaven and so little concerned about sin? Romans 3:18, following a long list of sins prominent among men, says in summation, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." Do today's churches of this world teach the fear of God, or has their teaching turned Him into a divine, snugly teddy bear, a benign but doddering grandfather, or maybe an absentee landlord busy doing other things? God's Word says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7), adding later, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10). These two verses, even without any other confirmation, reveal that the fear of God is very important, yet so frequently the ministry of this world tries to blunt the force of the word "fear." Nevertheless, it means in Hebrew exactly what it means in English, encompassing everything from a faint but grudging respect to outright terror. However, neither outright terror nor faint respect produce a good relationship. Neither will win another's heart. God wants more from us, more than a mere healthy respect. He wants us to have a deep, abiding, and reverential awe for Him. Being all-powerful, holy, just, good, kind, careful, encouraging, inspiring, merciful, patient, loving, forgiving, and wise, He is far more than One we should simply respect.

20 Americans, especially, have been taught to be familiar and casual in our attitudes toward others, and this carries over into our attitude toward and relationship with God. It is a form of the "I'm just as good as you, and you will just have to accept me just as I am" approach. A disrespectful and sometimes even defiant attitude is born. But what is the Bible's counsel? Paul tells us that even among ourselves, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself" (Philippians 2:3). What about familiarity with God? Peter tells us to honor all people, love the brotherhood, and honor the king but we are to fear God (I Peter 2:17). Do we hear much teaching that will incline us to revere God's majesty? Do we unconsciously think that the fear of God is something only the unconverted need? Since Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom," and since wisdom in its simplest form is skill or right application, who needs wisdom more than God's children? Reverential awe is wisdom's foundation, because it moves us to obedience, and God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him. Paul writes in Philippians 2:12, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out you own salvation with fear and trembling." We need this quality more than anybody does because our eternal life is on the line. It used to be that someone known to believe in God was referred to as "God-fearing." This was obvious to others because they knew the person obeyed God and was very concerned about what God said. It marked his relationship with God and set him apart from others. Fearing not only makes a great witness before others, it also pays great dividends, as Psalm 103:13 shows. "As a father pities His children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him." We all want God to be compassionate toward us. In I Peter 2:21, the apostle instructs us to follow Christ's steps, suggesting that He is the model after whom we must pattern our lives. Did He fear God? "[Jesus], in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear" (Hebrews 5:7).

21 Notice especially the link connecting His being saved from death and being heard because He feared. Christ acknowledged God's sovereignty through a deeply held reverential awe, showing that answered prayer, eternal life, and the fear of God are intertwined. This is true because the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is right application, and right application is obedience. Jesus Christ obeyed God perfectly. His fear was not an occasional burst of deep respect as ours so often is but sustained and built throughout His entire life. It had to be this way because His trials intensified as He aged, and His need of godly fear became ever more urgent. ~ John W. Ritenbaugh ~ THE BEREAN ~

22 The Genesis of Discord and Strife Messianic Bible Korah "Korach son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth became insolent and rose up against Moses. (Numbers 16:1 2) The seeds of rebellion were sown as the Israelites threatened to replace Moses as their leader. So great was their fear of the giants in the Promised Land, and so great was their unbelief that they would be able to overcome those giants, that they wanted to forsake the promises of God and return to Egypt. the rebellion continues with the mutiny against Moses leadership by a man named Korach ( ק ר ח ), which means baldness, ice, hail, or frost

23 The Abomination of Strife and Division God loves peace and the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) dwells in peace (shalom). God hates strife, discord, and division between brothers, calling the one who sows them an abomination: These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: one who sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16, 19) Korach created division, strife, and disaster within the community through his rebellion, discontent, and dirty politics. In fact, the name Korach is derived from Korcha, which means split. With an utter lack of humility, Korach, who was a Levite, rose up against Moses, joining forces with Datan and Aviram, who were from the tribe of Reuben, along with On, son of Pelet, and 250 respected chieftains from the Israelite community. But what charge did the rebels have against Moses? They accused him of exalting himself over the community: They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord? (Numbers 16:3) In fact, this sin that they accused Moses of was, in reality, their own sin. Sadly, many are guilty of such self-deception and projection. It is vital to realize that people often unknowingly judge others for the very sins that they themselves are committing.

24 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (Romans 2:1) Moreover, wicked people don't necessarily realize that their deeds are evil, having internally justified themselves that their way is the right way. This in no way negates the seriousness of that sin, however. The Genesis of Discord and Strife Wisdom calls for discerning the underlying motivation of a brother creating strife before making judgments and issuing condemnations. And this is just what Moses did. Moses knew the reason for Korach s discord the dark desire that lurked in his heart to exalt himself and the Levitical priesthood to the position God had expressly granted to the Aaronic priesthood. Since God Himself had made the priesthood and outlined the duties of the Levites, they acted in rebellion against the authority of God. Moses pinpointed the problem when he said, Hear now, you sons of Levi: Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you?" (Numbers 16:8 10) Not too long before their rebellion, God chose the Levites to be caretakers of the Holy Tabernacle the structure and its vessels as servants to the Aaronic priesthood.

25 While all Levites serve God, Aaron and his descendants held the special appointment of being able to approach the altar to perform sacrifices. The Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) could even enter the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant stood, a status that would certainly stir some hearts to great envy. Moses pointedly asked the group, Are you seeking the priesthood also? The Word of God warns us against this sort of self-aggrandizing ambition as it brings with it great evil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16) Envy and selfish ambition cause all kinds of trouble in our personal lives, not only at home or at work, but also in congregations and fellowships as those who are neither qualified nor anointed vie for positions God never intended them to occupy.

26 Death and Separation: The Consequence of Strife Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, We will not come up. (Numbers 16:12) Korach sinned by coveting the more prestigious role of the Aaronic priesthood, rather than that of Levitical servanthood. Unlike Datan and Aviram, he had the courage to confront Moses directly, face to face. During this confrontation, Datan and Aviram seemed to remain in their tents. They sinned by rebelling against Moses authority over them as God s divinely appointed leader. When Moses called for them, they replied, Loh na aleh (we won t go up). Ironically, those who refused to go up to negotiate peace with Moses ended up going down to their deaths. The earth swallowed them up (as well as their families and Korach's family) alive. So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly." (Numbers 16:33) The other 250 in the group, who were offering incense to God and, therefore, elevating themselves to the position of the Aaronic priesthood, were consumed by fire. (Numbers 16:35) The firepans on which they were offering incense were pounded into copper plating for the altar, a visible warning for the Levites to stop encroaching on the Tabernacle and assuming the responsibilities of the Aaronic priesthood. It also served as a reminder to the community of Israelites that sowing strife, questioning God's leadership, and exalting themselves to positions of leadership ultimately lead to their own destruction.

27 A worthless person, a wicked man... he sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy. (Proverbs 6:12 15) Wisdom and Godly Company: Avoiding the Korachs of Today The rabbis consider this rebellion of Korach the most perilous moment for Israel during its wilderness journey, remembering Korach as the Torah s professional troublemaker and the most famous rabble-rousing Jew of all time. King Solomon (Melek Shelomo), whose very name comes from the Hebrew word for peace (shalom), advises us to find wisdom, which prevents us from following wicked, devious people: Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. (Proverbs 2:12 15) In fact, in this Torah reading, Moses warned the people of Israel to move away from the tents of Korach, Datan, and Aviram lest they be destroyed by God's judgment of their sin, as well: Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins. (Numbers 16:26) Paul confirms this sage advice of King Solomon and the rabbis: Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character. (1 Corinthians 15:33) That is not to say that we should not minister to those who are caught in sin.

28 Yeshua (Jesus) ate with and talked to sinners and social outcasts tax collectors, prostitutes, adulterers, beggars, and lepers. He loved them enough to share the Kingdom of God with them and called them to repentance and holiness. He did not, however, allow their sinful desires and behavior to influence or deter His holy purpose. And He did not allow any outside influence to taint the holiness of His calling Likewise, we should not allow strife, jealousy, self-aggrandizement, or any other sin to taint our calling as royal children of the Most High King. And rather than being jealous of the power, prestige, position, or possessions of others, let us be content with what God has given us. Godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6) Moreover, Yeshua said, Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) With God as our Father and Friend, we can trust Him to meet our social, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

29 The Strife Among God s People Today When you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, when the LORD your God was your king. (1 Samuel 12:12) Sadly, strife and questioning God's appointed leadership did not end with this incident in the wilderness In the Promised Land, God gave the Israelites judges and prophets, but they continuously rebelled against them. For instance, in Haftarah Korach, we find that God answered the Israelite's request for a king by appointing Saul, and yet the people questioned Saul's fitness for the job. (1 Samuel 11:14 12:22) In doing so, they also questioned the authority of the prophet Samuel, who at their request went to God with their demand for a king. Samuel defended his authority by saying, "Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes?" (1 Samuel 12:3) Likewise, Moses defended his conduct as an honorable leader, saying to God in the presence of his accusers, "I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them." (Numbers 16:15) When the people admit that Samuel had never defrauded them, Samuel outlines how God had faithfully delivered them from their enemies without the aid of a king. Samuel then provides a sign of his authority, confirming that the choice of Saul as king is ordained by God. That sign is unseasonable rain during the dry season

30 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking for yourselves a king. (1 Samuel 12:17) So the Lord confirmed His displeasure with the people by sending thunder and rain on what should have been a joyous feast day. When the people repent and ask Samuel to pray, he tells them how to avoid God's wrath: Fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king. (1 Samuel 12:24 25) Still, strife did not end with this incident. The Jewish historian, Josephus, recorded that the Jews of his time fought with each other, doing everything their besiegers could have desired. At the time of the invasion of Jerusalem in AD 70, Titus and his Roman warriors found no less than 24 different factions fighting amongst themselves, each convinced that only they had the right way to ensure the salvation of the Jewish People. In fact, the destruction of the Second Temple is linked to sinat chinam (baseless hatred) between opposing factions. Today, the Jewish People still struggle with division and strife. In Israel, animosity and contention rise up between various movements of Judaism: Ultra-Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, secular, and even Messianic. This problem of strife and division amongst brethren is not unique to Israel and the Jewish People. The Christian Church is also plagued with many thousands of splits and denominational divisions each one convinced that they have the truth while all others are in error. Strife and division result in splits. A quarrel-ridden congregation or home is doomed to destruction. How can it be otherwise since a house divided upon itself will not stand? (Mark 3:25; Matthew 12:25)

31 Strife and division result in splits. A quarrel-ridden congregation or home is doomed to destruction. How can it be otherwise since a house divided upon itself will not stand? (Mark 3:25; Matthew 12:25) Choose Humility: A Solution to Strife The truth of the matter is that Moses did not exalt himself over Korach and the others; it is God who raised him up into the position of leading Israel out of Egypt. It was not his own desire to be the leader of Israel; rather, he was a leader of Israel as an act of obedience to the Lord. He was not in that position due to self-aggrandizing ambition or a desire to rule over others Even in that exalted position, Moses was called the most humble man on earth (Numbers 12:3), and we are told to humble ourselves as well. Walking in humility is being willing to walk in obedience to our calling whether God is requiring us to wash dishes or serve in a position of leadership or wash dishes while in a position of leadership. It also means allowing God to exalt us in His perfect way and time not to exalt ourselves out of jealousy or discontentment, but to be content in our status today. (1 Peter 5:6) Choose Gentleness: Another Solution to Strife In addition to contentment and humility, we are not to seek a showdown or create a power-struggle; we are to seek harmony and peace, allowing God to judge between people. The Bible tells us that a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1) We must remember also that we all see through the glass of God s mysteries dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12).

32 One day, though, when all truth is revealed at the Second Coming of the Messiah, it may be effortless to live in a world without strife or division while our Messiah reigns from Jerusalem. Until then, we must make a concerted effort to walk in holiness and unity because this is where the anointing is. May we all learn to walk in greater humility, contentment, and gentleness towards all people; and may God bring unity and peace between brothers, as it is written, Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity. (Psalm 133:1) "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called." (Ephesians 4:4)

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