Tag Archives: John

Celebrating Hanukkah from a Correct Perspective

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This year Hanukkah starts on the night of Wednesday, November 27 and ends on Wednesday, December 5. (For free, printable monthly calendars, go to http://hoshanarabbah.org/calendars.html.)

In some Messianic circles, more is made of Hanukkah than the biblical feasts. This is wrong.

Hanukkah, Happy 2-33399066

In some Messianic circles, Hanukkah (and Purim) is listed along with the biblical feasts giving the impression that this holiday is equal to or only slightly less important than the biblical feasts. This also is wrong.

Hanukkah is mentioned only once in the Scriptures, in the Gospels, by it’s English name — the Feast of the Dedication (John 10:22). There we read that Yeshua was at the temple in Jerusalem during this holiday. This scripture doesn’t say whether he was celebrating it or not, so we don’t know.

In a certain sense, Hanukkah was to the ancient Jews what the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving is to Americans — a secular holiday commemorating a historical event. It is Continue reading →

 

How Much Do You Love Yeshua? A Year’s Wages Worth?

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John 12:5, Three hundred denarii. This large sum is equal to 300 days’ wages for a common laborer.

Devotion for El-19158646 3To the natural mind, Judas’ objection to the use of this expensive spice (worth between $30,000 and $50,000 in today’s money) to anoint someone’s feet seems logical. It seems like a total waste of something very valuable. By contrast, from our perspective, we can look backwards historically with perfect 20–20 hindsight and realize that for Yeshua, the Messiah and Savior of the world, he was worth every penny of the spikenard and much more. Yet, from the perspective of Yeshua’s followers, Yeshua’s true identity and mission still weren’t clear. This confusion wouldn’t clear up until after his resurrection and glorification (v. 16). So for some of them, Mary’s act of faith in anointing Yeshua’s feet with a year’s wages of spice seemed to be illogical folly.

This spice, most likely was originally intended for use on Lazarus’ body, whom Yeshua had just resurrected and so was no longer needed for that purpose, at least. It is likely that it was out of gratefulness for resurrecting her brother that Mary performed this act of love and devotion to Yeshua, not realizing that her actions were prophetic in that she was pre-anointing Yeshua’s body for his own burial ten days from that night (v. 7).

Now let us consider the following. We know that YHVH Elohim the Father gave us his greatest love gift by sending Yeshua, his Son, to this earth to live, die and resurrect for our redemption and ultimate glorification (John 3:16). How much do we love Yeshua, and what is the greatest gift we could ever give him, even if those around us thought we were crazy to do so? Have you given him all your heart? Does all that you own belong to him including your life? Would you give away all of your possessions in devotion to him if he asked it of you? Would you literally lay your life down for him as he did for you? How much do you love Yeshua?

 

Do You Go to Heaven When You Die?

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John 3:13, No one has ascended to heaven. Most Christians believe that when they die, they immediately go to heaven in spite of Yeshua’s clear statement in this verse.

Heaven, Christian -21823731

Some believers see this verse as referring to saints who died before his resurrection, but not true of those who died afterwards, even though Yeshua doesn’t say this. Therefore, they reason, this is why, according to Peter, David, who was born before Yeshua, is still resting in his grave awaiting the last days resurrection (Acts 2:29).

If what the majority of Christians believe on this subject is true, then the saints of old are second-class citizens and YHVH is a respecter persons (which he is not, see Acts 10:34; Rom 2:11) in that they have to wait for resurrection day and for their ultimate reward of eternal life, while saints born since Yeshua receive their glorified bodies immediately upon death.

Laying aside all the church traditions and doctrines of men, what does the Bible in the simplest and clearest terms say about the timing of the saints receiving immortality? Paul states that the resurrection of all the dead saints and their receiving immortality occurs not at the time of their physical death, but at the second coming of Yeshua at the last trumpet (1 Cor 15:51–54; 1 Thess 4:13–18 cp. Rev 11:15, 18).

Actually, men’s eternal inheritance isn’t heaven, but the New Jerusalem, which is coming down from heaven to the new earth (Rev 21:2).

 

Vine … Branches: A Lesson From Tree Anatomy

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John 15:5, I am the vine, you are the branches. Yeshua likened his followers to tree branches that when attached to him will produce much fruit. Let’s examine tree biology to see what we can learn spiritually from how trees operate.

Trees are phototropic. Tropism is the orientation of the direction of the tree’s growth in response to external stimulus. The leaves of a tree are phototropic. They orient themselves to catch the maximum energy from the sun’s light.

  • Spiritual parallel: Yeshua is the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2) whose face shines like the sun (Rev 1:16), and the righteous man orients himself to catch the light and energy from Yeshua.

Trees are geotropic. They grow away from the earth and toward heaven.

  • Spiritual parallel: The spirit of righteous man must reach toward Elohim in heaven, though he came from the earth and the feet of his flesh are planted firmly in this world. His soul is in the middle with both heaven and earth battling for control over it.

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What Is it to “Abide in Yeshua”?

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John 15:1–10, Abide in me.
The term abide is found nine times in this passage. Seven of the those nine times are in reference to abiding in Yeshua or his Father. Seven is the biblical number of completion or perfection. When we abide in Yeshua and his Father, then we’re made perfect or complete in all areas of our life: spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Let’s explore what it means to abide in Yeshua so that we produce good spiritual fruit for our Master and Savior.

  • We are made clean/katharos [to be made pure, blameless, innocent; free of corrupt desire, sin, guilt and from that which is false] through the Word of Elohim (John 15:3, 7).
  • We must continue/abide in the love of Yeshua by keeping his/the Father’s commandments (John 15:10).
  • We must love one another (John 15:12–17).

We must practice the key elements Yeshua taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

  • We must do the beattitudes (Matt 5:3–12)
  • We must love the Torah (Matt 5:17–19)
  • We must love our enemies (Matt 5:21–26, 38–42).
  • We must keep our word (Matt 5:33–37).
  • We must be a charitable giver (Matt 6:1–4).
  • We must pray without ceasing (Matt 6:5–15; 1 Thess 5:17).
  • We must fast regularly (Matt 6:16–18).
  • We must flee materialism and greediness (Matt 6:19–21).
  • We must set our life’s priorities spiritually straight — seek first the kingdom of Elohim in all that you do (Matt 6:24–34).
  • We must seek Elohim’s help/trust in him in every way in all that you do, say and think (Matt 7:7–11).
  • We must live by the golden rule (Matt 7:12).

What are the results of abiding in Yeshua?

  • Being made clean, pure, free of sin, corruption, defilement and guilt (John 15:3).
  • Bearing much fruit (John 15:5). What fruit? The fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22–25).
  • Avoiding the (lake of) fire (John 15:6).
  • We can ask whatever we want of the Father and he will give it to us (John 15:7, 16).
  • Glory comes to the Father as a result of our bearing much fruit (John 15:8).
  • We are filled with joy (John 15:11).
  • We become the friends of Yeshua (John 15:14).
 

Spirit to Spirit: How the Holy Spirit Helps Us

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John 14:16, Another helper/Comforter.

The Spirit of Elohim Energizes our Spirit to Keep the Torah
At the end of his ministry, Yeshua promised his disciples to send them his Holy (Set-Apart) Spirit or Comforter after he had left earth (John 14:16). He declares that his Set-Apart Spirit:

  • Would dwell in them (John 14:17)
  • Would testify of him (John 15:26)
  • Would convict the world of sin (or Torahlessess, John 16:8)
  • Would guide them into all truth (i.e., Torah, see Ps 119:142, 151)
  • Would tell them things to come (John 16:13)
  • Would glorify the Son and speak to them on behalf of the Son (John 16:14).

How, therefore, does the Spirit of Elohim interact with man?

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Blog Scripture Readings for 3/18–3/24/12 Midrash

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Exodus 29–35; Isaiah 11–24 and John 10–16

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. The full year’s Bible Reading Schedule can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.”

If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.