Two Kind of Christians: Which One Are YOU? A Balaam or a Hebrew?

Numbers 22:10ff, Crossing over. Many carnal people—especially those playing at religion—want to be like YHVH’s saints, and to be the recipients of the blessings of Israel, and to be numbered among YHVH’s chosen, but few want to walk the walk required to receive these blessings and privileges. Many will “court YHVH” by getting as close to him as possible without actually crossing over that spiritual river that divides the land of Israel from the rest of the world.

Those who actually cross over become an Ivrit or a Hebrew, which means “to cross over.” Abraham was one who crossed over. He forsook Babylon and crossed over the Euphrates and Jordan Rivers in his journey westward en route to the Promised Land as he followed YHVH’s leading. He was the first Hebrew (Ivrit) or “one who crossed over.”

Crossing over means going from being a worldly Babylonian to becoming the Israel of Elohim (Gal 6:16; Eph 2:11–13) and a child of Abraham (Gal 3:29) It also means surrendering one’s life totally to the Elohim of the Hebrews who is YHVH. The sacrifice of crossing over is too great for most people to make—too great of a price to pay. To leave the world or spiritual Babylon and to cross over the Jordan River to YHVH’s side and come into the land of Israel as a spiritual Hebrew means that the fame and fortune that this world has to offer must be laid aside and one must become a servant-slave of YHVH. Moreover, it means embracing YHVH’s Torah as the law of life—Elohim’s instructions in righteousness.

Balaam couldn’t cross over all the way. He still preferred the riches, fame and sinful “delights” that Babylon had to offer. He was willful, carnal and greedy (Jude 11).

Many religious game-players or cultural Christians in the mainstream church are like Balaam. They want the Savior part of Yeshua, but not the Lord or Master part. How serious are you about serving YHVH? The Scriptures say of the end-times saints that they loved not their lives unto death (Rev 12:11). Paul declares that followers of Yeshua must become “living sacrifices” in the service of YHVH (Rom 12:1).

Yeshua gave his very life for you. Are you holding back some of your life for him? Do the cares of this world, the desire for pleasures, material goods, money, entertainments or acclaim still have a grip on your heart? Are they preventing you from moving into your spiritual calling and destiny—to truly walk by faith in obedience to YHVH?

 

11 thoughts on “Two Kind of Christians: Which One Are YOU? A Balaam or a Hebrew?

  1. Shalom. There a very strong effort to brainwash the entire planet to give complete allegiance to greed and immorality in greater measures. I am crying out to persons who desire salvation but are not prepared to cross over.
    Even believers think that if they make no effort to block some policies, they will be okay. Rev. 2 and 3 promises the victorious eternal life. The victorious are those who are loyal to YHWH and are loyal unto death.
    The victorious live in the Word and do not voraciously drink in secular propoganda on the internet and TV. They do not leave themselves open to be brainwashed.
    I thank YHWH for Natan Lawrence and his ministry.

  2. My understanding is that trying to be a “Hebrew Christian” is an oxymoron. Christianity is a worldly, man-made, syncretistic, psuedo form of religion and it has distorted some of the most significant doctrines of the faith of YHVH, even the character, esteem, and authority of Yeshua, the messiah of Israel, himself. It has been inculcated with false teachings for centuries and, itself, is part of the system of “Babylon”.

    Christianity must, itself, be forsaken in order to “cross over” and be a “Hebrew”, a true child of Abraham and a true follower of Messiah Yeshua and the Elohim of Israel, YHVH. Those involved with Christianity must “come out from among them” and be set-apart from it, to the true living faith of YHVH. They must stop identifying themselves a “Christians” and be willing to forsake allegiance not only to the traditions of it, but even to the people, even family, associated with it, if necessary. It is difficult enough to fully “cross over” having even come out of Christianity and “the church”, but to continue to identify oneself as a “Christian” and to be involved with it, one may be highly unlikely to be counted among those YHVH calls His people.

    This issue is about much more than forsaking the love of riches, fame and sinful “delights” that “Babylon” has to offer. or being willful, carnal and greedy. As important as it is to forsake all this, as you say, “Moreover, it means embracing YHVH’s Torah as the law of life—Elohim’s instructions in righteousness”.

    Many Christians may agree with you that they need to forsake these things, but, as I know you know, there is much more that must be forsaken and “Christianity” embodies way too much of it, itself, not to be at the top of the list of what must be forsaken to truly be a Hebrew.

    [ BTW – I haven’t been getting any notifications of new comments or posts via email, despite always checking those boxes at the bottom here before posting my comments.]

    • Oversimplifications of terms and labels is a dangerous thing and leads to bigotry and hatred. I know because I’ve been there and done that.

      First, “Christian” is a term that can mean anything and nothing. It’s the same with any other term or label for people that you want to choose. To say that it is bad is like saying that because a few Americans, or French, or Sudanese act badly, have evil beliefs and practices, we must reject all Americans, etc. and, therefore, can’t ever use such a term or label is simply illogical.

      Frankly, I could care less about the label “Christian” or any other label. They mean nothing. Labels split and divide people and can cause hatred and strife. Their misuse can lead to the great sin of pride, which is the greatest sin of all. What really matters is what is our Father in heaven’s view and perspective? This is what we need to have. Does he reject someone because they call themselves Christian or Messianic or Hebrew Christian or whatever? Do you really think that he’s that superficial in his evaluations of people to put manmade labels above their heart actions? I think and know this not to be the case. He doesn’t judge by appearance including labels, but looks at the heart and judges righteously.

      Next, is everything about Christianity bad? There are many people who think it is and that we can’t accept any truth that Christianity teaches. This is shameful! This is unmitigated nonsense and indicates weak, carnal, prideful and shallow thinking. Can I be any clearer about my feelings about this? I know, because I was like this for the first 30 some years of my life as a born and bred Torah-keeper. No! Consider the fact that Christianity believes the Bible is Elohim’s word, that Yeshua died on a cross, that Yeshua is the Messiah/Christos, is divine and is Elohim’s Son. So do we reject these truths because Christians believe it? Give me a break!!!!

      So what is it to leave come out of Babylon? When leaving spiritual/religious Babylon, we leave the errors including the unbiblical traditions and doctrines of men along with the paganism that has been assimilated along the way. We, on the other hand, keep all the good stuff/the truths that are biblical. We also leave the secular corporate structure of Churchianity. Remember, Babylon is a mixture of both good and evil. When coming out it, keep the good and reject the evil. That’s all. Nothing more or less. Period. End of discussion. It’s that simple. Let’s not make it more difficult than that. And let’s not look down our noses at those who are still in it. We were there once, and by Yah’s grace we’ve been called out of it. Remember that our Christian (and Jewish) brothers are the lost sheep of the house of Israel that Yeshua commissioned us to help regather into his sheepfold. Let’s not be disparaging toward those we’re to whom we’re to preach the truth in love and for whom we have been given the ministry of reconciliation.

      Finally, I’d rather people stay in the church instead of converting to Yeshua-less Judaism. At least they have a chance of getting “saved” in the church. Not typically so in Judaism.

      I pray that his makes sense to the readers.

      • Please don’t hear what I’m not saying, Natan. Most of my whole family, besides my wife and I, is in Christianity and we do not reject them or mistreat them, but we still encourage them to “come out of them” and to take on a new identify as Hebrew, messianic torah believers.

        You don’t identify yourself as a Christian, do you? Have you not come out of the Christian church and separated yourself from Christianity as a form of religion?

        Personally, I believe Abraham, Moses, Yeshua, and Shaul would all have encouraged people to come out of Christanity and the church.

        We ought to take care to not encourage believers in Yeshua to now try to syncretize Hebraic doctrine and practices in with the Christian faith and practices of the church. I know you agree and are not intending to do that here, but to suggest that believers in Yeshua can become Hebrews and remain Christian and continue in the life and practices of the church is at least potentially somewhat misguiding.

        Being a Hebrew Christian is an oxymoron. That’s all. Nothing more or less. Period. End of discussion. It’s that simple. ; )

      • You’re welcome to call or not call yourself anything you want, as am I. I will not dictate how someone wants to refer to themselves, i.e.,the labels by which they call themselves, since I don’t know what meanings, connotations, biases, definitions or mental or emotional predispositions they’re infusing into that meaning. This is their freedom. I may disagree, but ultimately, it is between them and their Creator.

        I am not ashamed of the label Hebrew-Christian because I know who am and what I am before YHVH. And I don’t hate Christians or Christianity as long as it agrees with the Bible. I hate anything that is contrary to the Bible. But I’m not so parochial in my view as to view Christianity in a monolithic manner as to either have to love it or hate it, accept it or reject it with no middle ground. My understandings, due to my life experience, has become more refined than that.

        Each of us is at a little different place in our spiritual walk, and I respect that. So with that, we’ll have to agree to disagree.

        Let’s keep our eyes on the goal, which is to be like Yeshua. Everything beyond that is often merely rhetoric and semantics—children squabbling in their little sandboxes.

        Blessings!

      • It’s my blog, and with all due respect, I’ll end the discussion when the Ruach tells me. Thank you. 😉

        Now to rock someone’s boat even more, and to prove how little I care about religious titles, names and labels, let me say this:

        I am Baptist in that I agree with them in full water baptism.
        I am Pentecostal in that I believe in the gift of tongues and in what happened on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2—plus I celebrate Pentecost.
        I am Seventh Day Adventist in that I keep the seventh day Shabbat and believe in the second advent or coming of Yeshua the Messiah.
        I am Protestant in that I protest against all the evils of the Roman Catholic Church.
        I am Catholic in that I believe in the universality of the spiritual body of Yeshua.
        I am Christian in that I believe in Jesus Christ, whose real name I acknowledge as Yeshua haMaschiah.
        I am sacred names in that I use the Hebraic names for deity.
        I am Christian orthodox in that I believe in the right or straight way of the Bible.
        I am Jewish in that I follow the Torah as best I can and in the Tanakh or Old Testament.
        I am Presbyterian in that I believe in church leadership.
        I am Charismatic in that I believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit/Ruach haKodesh.
        I am Messianic in that I believe in the Yeshua, the Maschiach of Israel.
        I am Hebrew Roots in that I believe in the Hebraic roots of the Christian faith.
        I am Shaker and Quaker in that when I come into the presence of YHVH Elohim, I always shake and quake in my spirit and sometimes in my body.
        I am Apostolic in that I believe in the ministry of the apostle.
        I am Latter Day Saint because I am a latter day saint who follows Yeshua the Messiah and his Torah and this is how the Bible defines the end time saints in Rev 12:17 and 14:12.
        I am Assemblies of God in that I believe that the church belongs to Elohim.
        I am Foursquare because I believe that the New Jerusalem is a cube.
        I am Calvary Chapel because I believe that Yeshua died at Calvary, the Greek name for Golgotha.

        And I could go on.

  3. Do you think there is a “connection” between the two water crossings in the Exodus, the Red Sea and the Jordan River, and Genesis 1:7, where God separated the waters from above from the waters below (two waters again) ??

    I had not thought nor heard of this before. It may be coincidence, but maybe not…

  4. Good luck with your tithing; one of the few Torah commandments that all of them agree HASN’T been done away with. ; )

    • Sad but true. The irony and hypocrisy of it all to say that Torah was abolished and then to keep the Levitical tithing law. Very two faced. Shows where their true heart is. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Hirelings!

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