Category: Love of God


Pssst. Want To Know A Secret?

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August 14, 2011

As you read over what I have written to you, you’ll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery  (secret)  of Christ.   None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God’s Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery  (secret) is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I’ve been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.

 This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message…When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. 

And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!

All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus.   Selected portions of Ephesians 3:4-13 The Message  (Author:  Paul the apostle)

         Go tell everyone you know, dear reader:  the same promises in Christ Jesus and the same help is there for the taking by everyone, and it is God’s plan that ultimately everyone WILL take it!  The irresistable love of Jesus (which was given to Him by Father as a part of Father’s own nature) will conquer everyone, everywhere–this is now and has always been Father’s secret plan since before the creation of the world.  His secret weapon to accomplish this:  your wonderful Lord Jesus, being revealed in spirit and truth in the overcomers.

          What once was a secret that has been concealed from humanity by Father for “eons” or ages, is now out in the open:  in spirit, the nations (meaning, all people everywhere–and we mean ALL PEOPLE–are going to be joint enjoyers and joint partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.  What “spirit”?  The spirit of the law of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus, of which we wrote earlier.  What “promise”?  That Jesus will, by the power of an indestructible, unending, holy, righteous, and perfect life (zoe) MAKE you, dear reader, just like Him!

          It doesn’t matter one iota whether you are a religious “insider”–meaning your particular religion or sect is (you think) “chosen” to be God’s holy ones or people–or whether you believe the church building will fall down the day you enter it as a religious “outsider”–meaning you think others might be saved, but because of x, y and/or z, (you can fill in the blanks here with the worst sins you have committed) there is just NO WAY you can be right with Father.  If you are in the latter group, do you want to know a “secret”?

***WE INTERRUPT THIS POST WITH AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM OUR SPONSOR:  THIS ENTIRE WEBSITE IS DEDICATED TO THOSE OF YOU WHO FEEL YOU ARE RELIGIOUS “OUTSIDERS”.  THANK YOU.***

           The hints have been there, laying out in the open, for literally thousands of years.  But because it was a secret, awaiting the time of Father’s revealing through the appointed messengers sent out by Jesus, no one “got” it, simply stated.  Let’s take a look at some of them (all from the New American Standard Bible):

(YHWH speaking)…but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD (YHWH).  Numbers 14:21

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before You.  Psalm 22:27

 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name.  Psalm 86:9

 (A)nd He Himself  (Jesus) is the propitiation (or satisfaction) for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.  1 John 2:2

Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before you, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.  Revelation 15:4

           Even now, today, some prefer to try to maintain the secret.  Usually, but not always, they are religious “insiders.”  The reasons for this are no longer important.  What is important, dear reader, is that you have found out that it is no longer secret.  See for yourselves, just as the beginning passage says–“turn” to the Lord, cease your running FROM Him and try running TO Him. 

          We did.  And you can, too.  Jesus is welcoming EVERYONE!  Why wait?  Join the “new order” today.

Blessed are You, O Lord our wonderful God.  You are the King of Forever!  You are so wise, Father–who can be placed beside You, to be compared to You?  You are AWESOME in praise, O Lord, doing wonders everywhere.  Your laughter and joy over everyone who turns to You will one day be completed when all have seen Your righteous acts.  Baruch ata!

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Loving Like Jesus Loves

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August 10, 2011

Do you want more and more of God’s kindness and peace?  Then learn to know him better and better.  For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life:  he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us!  And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character.

But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough.  For then, you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do.  Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you.  This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply.  2 Peter 1:2-7 The Living Bible (TLB)

          The natural progression of the Christian’s life is to become like his or her Master; so why do so many Christians lament the fact that they do not have the love of Jesus…that is, they do not love like Jesus loves?  They are painfully aware that the love of Christ Jesus, so evident in some, is sorely lacking in their inmost being.  No amount of effort can “gin up” the love of Jesus, because the source of the love of Jesus is neither our efforts nor our vast learning.  This amazing passage from The Living Bible uncovers, for the most part, what is lacking and what actually blocks the love of Jesus from full expression in the lives of many believers.  The problem, dear reader, is in our spirits–we have enthroned a false image of God, and until the image is corrected, one can only reflect the image of God that one has. 

          Therefore, if your image of God (whom, as a matter of fact, Jesus is the exact representation of) is unloving, your image of Jesus is also.  In other words, you can project no more of a loving image than you actually believe God has.  God will not allow you to project an image of Him that you do not believe He has.  The main theological point here is that the Father and Son are one, in nature, in actions, in words, and in attributes.  Do you believe we need a loving Jesus to save us from an angry God?  Then stop! and go no further until your view of Father is corrected.  Listen to Peter’s words:   Then learn to know him better and better.  For as you know him better,…he even shares…his own goodness with us!  The source of the love of Jesus is, in point of fact, your loving Father in heaven. 

          Perhaps you do not view God as angry; instead, you think He is ambivalent, or at the moment placated, but able to become very angry again.  Perhaps, you think He is hopeful, having His fingers crossed that enough people will come to their senses so that He won’t have to unleash great tribulation and punishment on the earth.  Here is the main question:  do you think He is poised to send the vast majority of everyone who has ever lived to hell to be tormented and tortured in fire and flames forever?  Your answer to this question determines whether the love of Jesus is blocked from full expression in your life.

          Father has specifically stated in His laws dealing with man’s punishment of man, a very important limitation on man’s authority:  do not punish to the extent that your brother is degraded in your eyes.  The Bible clearly testifies over and over about the love of God, and at one point the apostle John even says “God is love.”   As the previous link proves, it has been the plan and purpose of God from the beginning to manifest Jesus’ love in us, those who are the first to believe.  The problem has come in, after the time of Constantine, that the angry God of the Old Testament must exact revenge for all the people living in sin and unbelief–as though the blood of Christ did not pay for all sins for all times and absolutely, irrevocably destroy the works of the devil, and conciliate all men to Himself!

          If you think God is indeed going to send millions or even billions to hell for eternity, then you have degraded your brother in your own eyes.  Much more could be said about the ramifications of this judgment that you have formed, but we urge you reconsider–this is the reason the love of Jesus is blocked from full expression in your life.  If you truly desire the love of Jesus to flow out from you as a sweet savor and aroma,  pray that Father’s will be done in the earth as it is in heaven, and believe that some way, some how, He will drag all men to Himself because Christ was lifted up.  He will do this, and He will not violate their free will in the process!      

          The problem is the doctrine of eternal punishment–banish this hideous doctrine from your heart, and here is a wonder you will find:  you can begin to know the true, loving nature of your heavenly Father, and His real character.  You will stop degrading your brother in your own eyes as “going to hell”, and you will begin to see him as your Father sees him:  as a future brother in Christ!  Finally, you will grow to love him deeply.  This is the love of Christ.  It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!

Blessed are You, O Lord our loving God.  Who is like You O Lord?  Soon everyone will be like You!  Amen, let it be so.

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More on Missing the Mark

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July 16, 2011

And you, being dead to your offenses and sins, in which once you walked, in accord with the eon of this world,… Ephesians 2:1 Concordant Version of the New Testament 

          One of our readers, Dave, has commented on Notes on Missing The Mark with several criticisms that we gratefully view as constructive.  His general observation is that hamartia is a noun (which we contend the apostle John meant as legal offenses against God’s law), and hamartano is a verb (which we contend John meant as missing the mark).  Therefore, since the noun and the verb derive from the same basic word, they should not be interpreted with such markedly divergent meanings.  We think it is fair to say that Dave’s chief objection to the post is the view that one may miss the mark without committing a legal offense against God’s law.  Here is Dave’s comment in his own words:

“Scripture does not divide sin between small failures and legal condemnations.  Even small things are deserving of unending death (Matthew 5:21-22) precisely because any sin at all is not just a failing (“missing the mark” in your nomenclature) but enmity towards God.  (Romans 5:10)”  (scripture references cited by Dave)

          We wish to clearly state at the outset that Dave’s opinion represents the mainstream; that is, it is the predominant view of most of the Church today.  Our view is NOT the mainstream; we trust God will change the Church’s collective mind when He is ready.  Because of this fact, we intend for this post to give an account for the faith we have, with gentleness and reverence, for it is based upon hearing God’s word, knowing God’s mind, and rightly dividing the word of truth. 

           Setting aside for the moment the manner of punishment, does God punish all wrongdoing the same?  The idea that He does is essentially a priori, meaning that it is not based upon experience  and observation, but instead is based upon thought.  It appears nowhere in nature or in any civilization (even where sharia law is practiced), and no one would seriously argue that any father should execute his child for disobediently sneaking a cookie.  In the same way, no one would seriously argue that the punishment for stealing a cookie should be the same as for stealing a car.  Indeed, no one in the Church can accuse Father of treating themselves or anyone else in such fashion.  Finally, such an idea does not appear in Scripture, as we shall see; rather, the witness of Scripture is that the punishment fits the crime.

          One cannot rightly divide the word of truth in the New Testament by disregarding the Old Testament, specifically God’s laws and His teachings.  Most, if not all, of the New Testament had underpinnings from the Old Testament.  Think about it:  when the Lord Jesus referred to “the Scriptures”,  to what was He referring?  (See, for example, Matthew 21:42, Matthew 22:29, Matthew 26:54, and Luke 4:21.)  The concepts of sin and punishment did not originate in the New Testament.  Instead, they were part of the careful, continuing and unfolding revelation from Father that was delivered by Moses to the Church in the wilderness which gave specific instructions to restore the lawful order depending upon each situation–that is, the Old Testament, in general and Torah, in particular.  These instructions have been abandoned today as hopelessly irrelevant with not even the slightest thought to what was in Father’s mind when He gave them to the people.

          In Leviticus 4:2-3, if a person sinned (chata, a Hebrew verb) unintentionally or in ignorance, a bull was to be offered to YHWH (chatta’ath, a Hebrew  noun), the blood sprinkled upon the altar, the blood applied to the horns of the altar, the fat and the kidneys offered up in smoke (just like the Sacred Gift of Greeting of which we wrote earlier), and the rest of the bull removed to a clean place outside the camp and burned.  See by comparison, Leviticus 6:1-7, where the guilty party not only takes an animal to the priest to be offered up, he must also “make restitution” and add one-fifth to the amount in controversy.  This is where the guilty party comes forward on his own; if he is caught before he repents, he is to pay double according to Exodus 22:3-4.  If he has no means to make restitution, he is sold into bondage to pay the debt, for all sin is a debt.  For other crimes against Father and man, the matters were presented to the local leaders, who were to judge all men fairly without partiality and bribes, regard to wealth, and status as a citizen or alien.  Exodus 23:1-9 

          Where the misdemeanor warranted it, a man was to be beaten on the spot, but with the important limitation that the strokes could not exceed forty, “so that…your brother is not degraded in your eyes.”    Deuteronomy 25:1-3  When a culprit refused to submit to the judge’s decision, or in the case of a felony, the culprit was stoned and submitted to Father for correction.  See, for example, Deuteronomy 17:12 and Deuteronomy 19:11-13.  Much more could be said about the restorative and corrective nature of God’s laws and instructions.  However, the point is, not all wrongdoing is to be punished the same by Father, unless Father is guilty of instructing us to do one thing while He does another.  This is a grievous charge, and we insist that Father is innocent of it.  Romans 3:4

          Dear reader, note the verse with which we began this post:  do you think Paul, the author, was being intentionally redundant by saying “offenses and sins” or was he trying to describe two different things?  Take a look at this page and ask yourself if all the different Hebrew and Greek words for which “sin” is given as a gloss definition really mean the same thing.  (Hint:  click on the tab next to “Primary Results” that says “LexiConc.”)  You do not need to be the proud owner of The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon to see that different meanings are intended both in substance and in effect.  Open your heart to the teaching and leading of the Lord Spirit–He will lead you into the truth of it as you dig deeper.  Frankly, most of the time such fine tools will confirm His leading.  Can you see that to ascribe the punishment of “unending death” to every offense and every missing of the mark is “degrading your brother in your eyes”? Understand the reason for the rule and you will see that it doesn’t matter who administers the punishment, whether God or man.  Father wants us to judge with mercy, not degradation.

          Back to hamartia and hamartano:  we contend that you can miss the mark without committing a legal offense against God’s law, but you cannot commit a legal offense without missing the mark, also.  We also contend the apostle John wrote from a Hebrew background and understanding of Torah and the sacrifice system.  He understood that His Lord (and yours) had fulfilled the laws of that system, because He said that He had come to accomplish that very thing–not to abolish those laws.

          Approximately 250 years before the common era, also called the Christian era (“B.C.E.”) that commenced with the birth of Messiah Jesus, a translation of various books now comprising the Old Testament into Greek from the original Hebrew was undertaken in Egypt.  It is called the “Septuagint”.  Although not entirely without controversy, it does provide a basis for comparison of Greek and Hebrew words that cannot be claimed to have a pro-Christian bias, since it was accomplished about two centuries before Christ was born.  Using this tool, anyone who cares to dig deeply enough can see how the translators used hamartia and hamartano.  That is, by finding the places where the translators used those two Greek words, we can see if they agreed with Dave’s position.  In other words, did the translators ever use hamartano (the verb) in more than one way?  The answer is:  yes, they did.

          Without exception, the translators used hamartia (legal offenses) in place of the Hebrew noun chatta’ath in every instance the latter word appears in the Old Testament.  This remarkable consistency is even more noteworthy when we understand that chatta’ath itself means not only the sin, (that is, the offense), but also is used to mean the sin offering, or that which was offered to God to expiate the offense.  This bears witness to the wonderful truth that Christ became sin (chatta’ath) in order to become the sin offering (chatta’ath) for us and in our place!

          Now for the verb (chata) from which the noun (chatta’ath) derives:  In approximately 93 different verses where the original Hebrew word is chata, the translators used a word other than hamartano;  and in approximately 56 different verses, hamartano was used where the original Hebrew word was NOT chata!    All of these examples are too numerous to list here.  The point is, the ancient translators felt that hamartano had a broader range of meanings than simply the one word we now call “sin”.  Therefore, we are justified in assigning a broader meaning to the verb hamartano to allow for a range of the degree of severity.  Furthermore, we may loosely refer to this assignment of meaning as a “translation” without intending the technical usage of scholarly translation, although scholarship vindicates the meaning we have assigned.

          We are sincerely grateful to Dave, because he required us to dig in and prove that which we have believed.  No part of the body of Christ is less important than any other part, and when one part hurts, the whole body hurts.  In the same way, no man hates his own body, or says to one part “I have no need of you”, but instead nourishes and cherishes it–all  of it.  For the word of the Lord is:  He will be all in all.  Praise you, Lord!

Blessed are You, O Lord, our wonderful and giving God, who knew no sin or offenses, and who was offered up for all of our failures!  All men will rise up and call you righteous, wise and blessed!  Thank you for always leaving us a witness, lover of our souls.  Baruch ata.

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For This We Strive

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May 21, 2011

This is a long-overdue Part 2 to What Is God’s Will?…

Our text is 1 Tim. 4: 10-11– “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Prescribe and teach these things.”

As we discussed earlier, Paul clearly states in chapter 2 that God’s will is that all be saved…He now goes on reiterate that, calling Jesus the Savior of ALL men, ESPECIALLY those who believe.  And this is the full gospel message that he (Paul) is exhorting Timothy to preach. 

I see many beautiful things in this passage: God is the Savior of all. This is the message we are to give to the world. And Paul says this is what he labors and strives for.  What else could be more satisfying to labor and strive for, than to give the message of God’s redemptive love for all men to all the world?

Once again, the question inevitably arises as to how all men are saved, since obviously not all believe in this life.  In the NASB, the word “especially” gives us a hint that some are saved for something more than others.  I believe Paul is referencing the overcomers, who are saved in this life and will rule and reign with Christ in His kingdom on earth.  These are “especially” saved. But that does not mean that God is excluding the rest of humanity from His salvation.  “Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive.”  The first Adam brought death to all. The second Adam brought life to all, but it will come each in his own time: “But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power….and when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, THAT GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL.” (1 Cor. 15:23, 24, 28)

God has always had a plan of salvation in mind. He has an order in which He will accomplish it.  He will save some in this life, and some in the ages to come.  And He has a right to do as He pleases in this, because He will be completely fair in the process.  Jesus shows us the Father’s mind in this with the parable of the landowner (Father), in Matthew 20.  The man hires workers (men) at all hours of the day, but each receive the same pay (salvation).   Those who were hired last (not saved in this life) missed out on the benefit of being in the landowner’s field (God’s kingdom/family), but did he neglect them? No, He brought them in throughout the day (ages to come) and gave them the same wages as those hired first….God is completely just in his dealings with men, as the entire plan of salvation is His.

So, back to our original text… Paul clearly states that there is a “special” salvation for believers in this life. But part of that privilege is to labor and strive to tell about who our Father really is, not the god that the world has made Him out to be, one of anger and condemnation for most of His creation.  No, His love is the essence of His character, and all He is and does comes out of His love for humanity.  THESE are the things we are to prescribe and teach.  As soon as we do, the world will turn in masses to the Living God, who is indeed the Savior of all mankind.

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The Pre-eminence of Christ

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May 12, 2011

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,… 2 Corinthians 10:5 New American Standard Bible

          The doctrines of hell, everlasting punishment and unending separation are lofty thoughts raised up against the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, His unfolding glory will completely correct all of men’s ideas about free will and election, and other such notions.

          Calvinists and Arminians unwittingly have in common this predominant characteristic: a stunted and dwarfish view of the Christ of the cosmos, from whom are all things, through whom are all things, and to whom are all things.

          Before the creation, the Son was in the Father and lived by the life of the Father. John 5:26 In creating, He created out of Himself. In the consummation all things will return into Him. Ephesians 1:10 All that will remain is His life–the zoe/divine nature of which all will have become partakers. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be made alive. Not made alive with life that is indigenous to this realm, but with the unending divine life from the divine realm which was promised by God before age-times. And God will be all in all, not all in some or only a few.

          Christ is the beginning and at once is also the end. He WAS during ages before the ages, and will still BE after the ages of the ages. Behold the Christ whose power, plan and purpose were granted to us before eonian times! When He comes to have first place in everything, the Calvinists and the Arminians will meet together in peace and the traditions of men will no longer supplant the word of God.

          For He did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. He would be neither pre-eminent nor have first place in everything were the majority of mankind separated somewhere from Him in eternal punishment. Such lives would be destroyed, not saved.

          Moreover, His word has gone forth from His own mouth and will not turn back: “turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth.”  Isaiah 45:21-23 He will not rest until He has safely restored the last lost sheep.

Blessed are you O Lord, our wonderful God.  Baruch haba b’shem Adonai.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

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The Manufacture of Evildoers

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April 24, 2011

The eyes of the LORD  [YHWH] are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.  The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.  Psalm 34:15-16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.  1 Peter 3:12 NASB

          King David is the author of the 34th Psalm; Peter quoted King David in his first letter to the dispersed Israelites and Jews to whom Peter ministered.  In neither case did the respective authors use the phrase “the face of the Lord is against evildoers”–instead, these verses remain as examples of blatant translator bias, at the very least.  Worst of all, such a translation is a terrible libel against the nature and character, not to mention the wonderful plan, of God and against Christ Jesus as a co-conspirator. 

          Specifically, the verb translated “is against” is used often (literally, thousands of times) in the Old Testament, and never anywhere else as “is against”.  The translators of the King James version of the Bible rendered it so in the Psalm, then repeated it when they came to Peter’s reiteration.  Regrettably, nearly every translation and paraphrase have parroted this mis-translation in a stunning display of slavish unity.  See for yourself at www.biblegateway.com. 

          The Hebrew verb in question is ‘asah (Strong’s Concordance H6213).  It means to do, produce, accomplish and make.  It can also mean to deal with and to put in order.  In Exodus 31:4, the word was used to mean to work in gold and silver, to fashion it.  And to produce by labor, an altar in Genesis 13:4, and idols in Deuteronomy 4:16.  And to create, as in heaven and earth in Genesis 1:7.  And finally, to produce something from oneself,  as in Job 15:17.  A visit to Thayer’s Lexicon on this topic would be most helpful:    http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H6213&t=KJV

          Does this mean that God has created evildoers?  Yes, and He created the evil that goes with them.  We know this instinctively, because God has created everything, and created it out of Himself; at the end, all things will be summed up in Him.  (Dear reader, we realize that this can boggle the mind, but understand that no one goes from the first floor to the second floor except step by step.)  And we know this by scripture:

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD  [YHWH] do all these things.  Isaiah 45:7 King James Version (KJV)

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD  [YHWH] hath not done it? Amos 3:6 KJV

          A bit more comparison, then we’ll be ready to see what meaning was actually intended by the authors.  Peter’s version was in Greek, so the word there used is epi, which simply means upon, as in “the eyes of the Lord are UPON”–same word.  The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, uses epi in place of ‘asah in the Psalm.  This means that Peter was trying to accurately quote the Psalm in Greek, and it helps us understand what the real meaning is.  So now we can, to use Peter’s words, say:  For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,…but the face of the Lord is upon the evildoers.  So far, we have 1) God created them, and 2) His face is “on” them, whatever that means.

          Not far from our home is the Hewlitt Packard campus that used to be the world headquarters of Compaq Computers.  Some of the brothers used to work there and reported that a select group of engineers had the authority to go to the shipping department, where products were kept for immediate shipping to customers, and select at random finished products that were ready for shipping.  The selected products were taken to a laboratory where the engineers “injected fault” into the computers and try to make the computers fail.  The purpose for the injection of fault was not to “damn them to hell forever” merely for the sake of watching the product fail, but to produce a more durable and satisfactory computer, not only in the one tested but all others of its kind!  Don’t you think your Father in heaven is at least as wise as the engineers at Compaq Computers?

          The face of YHWH/Jesus is His full attention.  Evildoers are a work in progress, created out of Himself, who are being slowly and inexorably dealt with and put in order, fashioned into a precious metal although at first used in a disreputable way.  This use is viewed as unfair, if you are of the mindset that if one doesn’t “trust Jesus” he is doomed to hell forever; but if your view is of restoration, then you can see that God will restore all evildoers as the final product of the process which His face indicates.

          King David and Peter have announced the conciliation of God to man through the cross of YHWH/Jesus:  God is no longer angry with men, but intends a new covenant.  God has sworn by Himself, since there is no one higher:  Indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD [YHWH].  Numbers 14:21 NASB  Because of the harlotry of the Israelite people, God stated that He would indeed “hide His face”.  It was a dreadful prediction of the results of abandoning the true and living God in exchange for the false gods of the nations they were invading.

Now this people will proceed to go whoring after the gods of the foreigner of the land that they are entering in his midst, they will abandon me and violate my covenant that I have cut with them.  And my anger will flare up against them on that day.  I will abandon them and will conceal my face from them; (they) will be (ripe) for devouring, and there will befall them many and troubling ills.  And they will say on that day:  Was it not because God was not in my midst (that) there have befallen me these ills?  But I, I will conceal, yes, conceal my face on that day, because of all the ill that they have done, for they faced-about to other gods!  Deuteronomy 31:16-18 Schocken Bible

          Just as the concealment of God’s face was bad, so the focus of His face is benevolent and beneficial.  For God intends that the blessing which was commanded to be spoken over the children of Israel apply to all mankind:

The LORD bless you, and keep you; the LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.  Numbers 6:24-26 NASB

          In Messiah Jesus this has now been fulfilled.  See with new eyes:  God’s goal is change the evildoers and erase even the memory of all evil from the earth.  It has always been the plan of God and the purpose of Messiah.  God has the power to pull it off.  He has “injected fault” into mankind, not to destroy it, but to redeem it and to cut off the memory of evil from creation forever.

Blessed are You, O Lord, our wonderfuld God, for You will go forth like a warrior, You will arouse your zeal like a man of war.  Give voice to Your shout, yes, raise a war cry against evil, and prevail against Your enemies–transform them by Your holy love.  Baruch ata.

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More On Enemies

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April 18, 2011

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy (echthros–Strong’s G2190), but I (Jesus) say unto you, Love your enemies (echthros), bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;…  Matthew 5:43-44 King James’ Version (KJV)

For if, when we were enemies (echthros), we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.  Romans 5:10 KJV

(For many walk, of whom I [Paul] have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies (echthros) of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)  Philippians 3:18-19 KJV

          The word translated “enemy” and “enemies” in the New Testament in most Bibles is echthros (Strong’s Concordance G2190).  It is a very common word in the New Testament and the above verses are only a small selection of its uses.  The word derives from the root verb echtho–to hate.  Literally, echthros  means those who hate, or who are hostile.

          Jesus said we are to love those who are hostile to us and do good to them.  God has set the example by conciliating us to Himself through the death of Jesus while we were haters of Him and hostile to Him.  And if those hostile to God are conciliated to Him through the death of Jesus, why is the “end” of some of them “destruction” and why is Paul weeping?

          The word “destruction” is apoleia (Strong’s Concordance G684), and in the active sense, means precisely that:  destruction.  However, in the passive sense, the word merely means waste, ruin, destructive thing or opinion.  In other words, NOT literal destruction.  Indeed, much of the Church does not think “destruction” in this case is literal.  Note this definition from Thayer’s Lexicon: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G684&t=KJV

b. in particular, the destruction which consists in the loss of eternal life, eternal misery, perdition, the lot of those excluded from the kingdom of God.

           Dear reader, do you see the irreconcilable conflict in the second and third verses we have quoted?  Either you are an enemy/hater of God and you are reconciled to God by the death of Christ upon the cross, or you are an enemy/hater of God and your eternal destination is destruction (if the Church is correct, eternal damnation).  But it cannot be both!  Set aside, if you can, the obvious hypocrisy of God for commanding us through Jesus to LOVE our enemies, while He DESTROYS His enemies. 

          Some apologists have come to God’s rescue and stated the opinion that the “destruction” must be literal; so according to this point of view, if you die a hater of God, you are simply annihilated, without the eternal damnation part.  Somehow, we are not very comforted by this “rescue.”

          Part of the problem is the very word “end”.  In the Greek language, there are seven or eight Greek words for “end”.  The first word is telos (Strong’s Concordance G5056), which simply means a termination point, always referring to the end of an act or state but not of the end of a period of time.  See for yourself in Thayer’s Lexicon:  http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5056&t=KJV.  Another word for end is synteleia (Strong’s Concordance G4930).  Synteleia means completion or consummation.  In other words, when the “end” in question is the “end” of life, the word to be used would be synteleia, because the sense of a completion or consummation is intended; when the “end” is of an act or state, the word to be used would properly be telos, meaning not the final end or complete end.   Here is the point:  In the phrase “whose end is destruction”, the Greek word for “end” is telos, NOT synteleia!

          What does that all mean, you ask?  It means that the Church got it wrong both times–the “end” referred to is not the consummation or completion of one’s life, and that one isn’t “destroyed” when the termination point of his or her hostility to the cross or to God finally arrives.  Sadly, most translations and paraphrases of the Bible don’t convey the true meaning of Paul’s words, except for The Message, which clearly shows the sense of ruin when life is wasted upon “earthly things.”  See if you agree:

There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.  Philippians 3:18-20, The Message Bible

          Here is the waste:  The death of Jesus upon the cross conciliated God to all men, including those who hate Him, who oppose Him, and who are hostile to Him.  But as far as God is concerned, the hostilities are over–He is no longer angry with men and now intends to love them and do good to them, even as He has instructed us.  That some men hate the very means by which this was accomplished is sad, wasteful, unnecessary and ruinous beyond words.  This is why Paul wept. 

Blessed are You, O Lord.  Our wonderful God, there is no one like you, whose lovingkindness and mercy endureth forever.  Let all who hate you and who hate the cross be overwhelmed by Your love and be ashamed.

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When God Scatters His Enemies

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April 4, 2011

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him.  As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire,  so let the wicked perish before God.  But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; yes, let them rejoice with gladness.  Psalm 68:1-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

          POP QUIZ.  Question:  To know God is to love Him–true or false?  Answer:  True.  Question:  Then, where does God get His enemies?  Answer:  He makes them Himself (He creates men who do NOT know Him), and thereby assumes all legal responsibility for them. 

          God must create all His enemies; otherwise, He would have none.  To make it fair, He didn’t tie His hands behind His back; instead, He nailed them apart on a cross!  And for good measure, He nailed down His feet also.  All this after being mercilessly beaten and nearly flayed alive.  Yes, dear reader, that made it more than fair!  So if God creates His own enemies (by not letting them know Him), how does He become legally responsible for them?  The answer is in the Law of the Blind Servant and the Law of the Open Pit.

If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye.  And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.  Exodus 21:26 NASB

If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restitution (or, “restoration”); he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.  Exodus 21:33-34 NASB

          If God afflicts a person with spiritual blindness, or creates a situation in the world where a person falls into temptation (a pit), and thus become an enemy, God will set such a person free AND make restitution.  Notice how in the Law of the Open Pit “the dead animal shall become His.”  This action is taken by God, first, because He is just, and second, because His great love, mercy, and compassion is the central ingredient of His law.  These several words, collectively, are a weak attempt to describe one Hebrew word that is the essence of God and the essence of Christlikeness:  chesed (Strong’s Conconrdance H2617)  This is the word that is used 26 times in a row in Psalm 136:  His mercy (chesed) endureth forever.

          But the Psalm opening this post doesn’t sound too loving, merciful, or compassionate.  It sounds like His enemies get scattered, driven away like smoke, melted like wax, and perish–all this to the sounds of the glad rejoicing and exultation of the “righteous”, right?   Most of today’s Church, thinking themselves to be the “righteous” referred to, believes that God’s justice requires Him to give them (the enemies) what they’ve got coming.  And to give the Church its due, it has done a pretty good job of convincing the others, the “enemies”, that what is coming for them is not good.  The truth is that the Church, like the religious leaders of old, is mistaken and does not understand the Scriptures and does not understand the power of God.  Matthew 22:29  NASB   It does not understand the Laws we have discussed above, and does not understand what God, in fact, has planned for His enemies.

          Dear reader, go and learn what this means:  I desire compassion (chesed).  Matthew 9:16, Hosea 6:6  Here’s a hint:  God gets what He desires!  Then, take a closer look at Psalm 68.

          The word “scattered” in verse 1 of Psalm 68 means to be dispersed, in reference to a flock or in reference to a people, as for example in the following verse:

They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”  Genesis 11:4 NASB

          The word also can mean to overflow as in a literal reference to a fountain, and metaphorically, to abound or overflow with prosperity.  Note its use in the following verse:

Again, proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD (YHWH) of hosts, “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”  Zechariah 1:17 NASB

          In short, the word “scattered”, in the Hebrew tense in which it was used in Psalm 68:1 means to “disperse” and to “overflow with prosperity”.  So far, so good.  Let’s skip down to “perish”–what does this word actually mean?  In Hebrew, it is ‘abad (Strong’s Concordance H6).  According to Genesius’ Lexicon, the first meaning of ‘abad is “to be lost, to lose oneself, and to wander, especially used of lost and wandering sheep”!  (See our post: For One Missing Sheep).  The word can be used to mean “perish”, but usually when it is used in this sense it means a metaphorical loss, as in Jeremiah 25:35:  Flight will perish from the shepherds–in other words, the shepherds will not be able to run.  Notice, it does NOT mean death or destruction.  Without question, there is metaphorical loss of well-being before God for the “wicked”, but in no sense can one imply temporal death or destruction, not to mention eternal death or destruction.  Nevertheless, the point of view chosen by this particular translation of the Bible (NASB) is grim and dark because of pre-existing ideas about God that are mistaken.  Most translations, if not all, adopt this same view.

          We respectfully submit an entirely different point of view, one that does not view Father God as angry, vengeful, vindictive or destructive.  When King David, God’s anointed, said in Psalm 23 that He (God) prepared a table before him (David) “in the presence of my (David’s) enemies”, David meant that the enemies–now reconciled to God, and thus also to David–were invited to the feast also!  YHWH is the preparer of this table!

          As an alternate rendering, we offer the following:

Let God have the ascendency and disperse His enemies and overflow them with prosperity–under His personal supervision, let them who hate Him go quickly!  As smoke is driven by the wind, send them into all the world.  As wax complies with the fire, so let the wicked lose their independence before God, accomplishing His purposes for them.  And let the righteous be glad about this, and let them exult before the merciful God.  Yes, let them rejoice with gladness at His never-failing love!

          This is how God treats His enemies–exactly as He taught us to:  with love, mercy and never-failing compassion.  And so we come to the prophetic fulfillment of this psalm of King David.  There is coming a day, when all who are angry at Father will be put to shame by His righteousness and strength.  They will see the wisdom of His plan, and all–from the least to the greatest–will bow and praise Him.

Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.  I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.  They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength’.  Men will come to Him, and all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.  Isaiah 45:22-24 

          When this occurs, His “enemies” will disperse throughout the world with a message.  They will say:  I was an enemy of God, and angry at Him; but I was wrong and I see now that He is true and His ways are right–all men should know without a doubt, that the discipline of God is beneficial and for our benefit, and should turn to Him! 

           Those who have understood this plan of God, and have agreed with Him and trusted Him are already rejoicing, and it hasn’t even yet occurred.  This is my God and I will ever praise Him!

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, for you are the savior of all men, especially of believers.  There is none like you.

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The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

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March 20, 2011

           We are indebted to Dr. Stephen Jones for much of the topic of this post.  Read his teaching at  http://www.gods-kingdom-ministries.org/COLDFUSION/booklet.cfm?PID=20  Because some of the statements here may be considered controversial, we will try to attribute to each concept the supporting scripture.  The groom in the new covenant marriage is Jesus, the long-awaited messiah; his bride is Israel–but do not think that “Israel” the bride is limited to those who are physically descended from Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham.  Likewise, “Israel” does not exclude the physical descendants either.  It certainly does not mean the current Jewish state which has unlawfully taken the name from the sons of Joseph, but it does not necessarily exclude individuals living therein.  The true identity of this bride will surprise you, dear reader, but that is not for this post.  The new covenant is best understood as a marriage covenant.  This subject of this post is the telling of a love story and it is the most beautiful love story ever told!

Jesus is YHWH of the Old Testament, the Torah (the “Law”), the songs (“Psalms”), and the Prophets (the “T’fillim”); in fact, the entirety of scripture is about him.

The LORD (YHWH) is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation (Hebrew, “yeshua”, Strong’s Concordance H3444); This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will extol Him.  Exodus 15:2 New American Standard Bible (“NASB”) (nearly all translations use LORD in place of the actual Hebrew word, YHWH)

          Moses said it first:  YHWH has become my Yeshua, the Hebrew pronunciation of “Jesus”.  When Mary called her first-born son to dinner, the name she called was “Yeshua.”  This is my God, and I will praise Him!  Jesus himself said of Moses, “He wrote about me.”  John 5:46  (In Greek, “peri”, Strong’s Concordance G4012–from which we get our words, perimeter, periscope–can you see that a 360-degree view is intended?)  In Hebrew, “yeshua” means “salvation,” but that in no way leads to the conclusion that Moses did NOT mean Jesus, for Jesus said Moses wrote about Him! 

          Isaiah said it again, in Isaiah 12:2-3, thus fulfilling the Law of the Double Witness.  Many have said he was merely repeating the statements of Moses; we cannot say that he was not quoting Moses; however, we can definitely say that Isaiah did not attribute his statement to Moses:

Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD (Hebrew, “YHWH”) is my strength and song,  And He has become my salvation (Hebrew, “yeshua”).”  Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.  Isaiah 12:2-3 NASB

          In actuality, the above statement is attributed by Isaiah directly to YHWH, as a direct quote that begins all the way back in Chapter 7, verse 11.  Therefore, we believe that Isaiah was not quoting Moses, but providing a second witness by which every matter is established.  Deuteronomy 19:15.  Grasping this very important truth about YHWH is a key to understanding the effect and scope of the new covenant marriage by Jesus at the wedding supper of the Lamb.

YHWH married Israel at Mount Sinai on the first Pentecost, precisely 50 days after leaving Egypt.

          If you read carefully, you will see that conditional vows were exchanged between YHWH and the people of Israel.  Because these vows were conditional (meaning, if YOU do this and that, then I will do such and such), we can easily see that the marriage was an Old Covenant marriage, the same kind that we all see at every wedding any of us have ever attended.  In this kind of marriage, the preacher solemnly intones, “Do you promise to…etc., etc.?” and the groom responds, “I do.”  Then the process is repeated for the bride, who also says, “I do.”

          See for yourself how the people responded, after the giving of the Ten Commandments and the law:  “All the words which the LORD (YHWH) has spoken we will do!”  Exodus 24:3  Sadly, as is the case with too many Old Covenant marriages (and this one set the pattern for all that have followed), one party was not able to keep their promises/vows.  The problem then, as it is now with such cases, was that Israel had no heart to know YHWH’s love.  Deuteronomy 29:4

Israel’s hard heart is personified by Hagar, the Egyptian princess/bride of Abraham.  Genesis 16:1

          Actually, Hagar and Sarah, the two wives of Abraham are personal, prophetic patterns of the two covenants, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, respectively.  Hagar represents the bond, or slave, woman and the old covenant; Sarah represents the free woman and the new covenant.  Galatians 4:24  (Sarah’s identification as the free woman is monumentally important, as we shall see below.)  Hagar was Pharoah’s daughter by a concubine, according to the historical book of Jasher 15:31-32.  Her father was not the pharoah at the time of the Exodus, but one ruling much earlier when Abraham first went to Egypt.

          Although scripture does not say so, Hagar’s heart was probably hardened when she realized that her son, Ishmael–the first son born to Abraham, was not going to be the inheritor of the birthright, which instead was going to be given to Isaac who was born much later.  Her anger over this situation probably influenced Ishmael to the point that he toyed with killing Isaac by pointing a bow and arrow at him.  Ultimately, she and her son were cast out of Abraham’s camp and sent into the wilderness.  This iniquity was visited upon “Hagar”/Israel, who also hardened their hearts in the wilderness, contrary to the vows they had made to do all that YHWH had spoken.  Hebrews 3:7-9

But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.  Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.  But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.  Galatians 4:23-2 NASB

          Paul gives an allegory that is as startling nearly 2000 years later as it was when he first created it:  The relationship God created with Israel at Mt. Sinai is as much a master/slave relationship as the relationship between Abraham and Hagar:  she was never more than a slave woman, and her children were never more than slaves and were ultimately cast out.  In fact those children were born to be slaves.  God, like Abraham, intends to “cast out” the Hagar slave relationship.  In its place He intends to inaugurate a Sarah-relationship, a second covenant, and one that is free of slavery but instead consists of promise.  The children of this relationship will be born ” through the promise” and their mother shall be free and they will also born to be free.  How this change takes place has been a great mystery.

At the outset of the marriage, Israel’s heart was hardened during the master/slave old covenant marriage relationship.  Before long, Israel was committing adultery, meaning that Israel gave its affections to pagan gods that were really not even gods at all.

          Within just a few hundred years of arriving in the land of Canaan, during the reigns of the kings, YHWH sent Israel out of God’s house (the land of Palestine) with a writ of divorce “for all the adulteries” she had committed.  2 Kings 17:7-13  Jeremiah clearly states that YHWH divorced Israel for her adulteries, and even though it was witnessed by Judah, Judah was even MORE treacherous.  Jeremiah 3:6-8  (By this time, after the death of Solomon and the split of the nation into two groups (Israel–consisting of 10 northern tribes) and (Judah–consisting of Judah and Benjamin, in the south and in Jerusalem), each group had its own kings.)  Even after the divorce, YHWH was willing to take Israel back in marriage, but SHE refused.  Jeremiah 3:14  This led to the final pronouncement according to the Law of Divorce:

Contend with your mother,  contend,  for she is not my wife,  and I am not her husband; and let her put  away  her harlotry  from her face  and her adultery  from between her breasts,… Hosea 2:2 NASB

          Although the divorce removed the barriers to adultery and harlotry, it led to an even greater problem:  now Israel was free to re-marry any of her false gods, and so she did.  Hosea prophesied that Israel would grow tired of the false gods that she followed so passionately, and would want to return.  Sure enough, Israel later repented, and decided to return to worship YHWH:

She will pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them; And she will seek them, but will not find them. Then she will say,  ‘I will go  back  to my first  husband, For it was better  for me then  than  now!’  Hosea 2:7  NASB

          But once remarried, God’s law prohibited re-marriage to YHWH even if Israel wanted to re-marry YHWH.  The God-fearing rabbis knew this, and knew what a pickle Israel was in.  But they didn’t know the half of it.

The Problem of the Law of Divorce and Remarriage

          According to God’s Law of Divorce and Remarriage found in Deuteronomy 24, once a woman was lawfully divorced she could lawfully remarry another man, but once remarried, she could not return to her first husband.  Deuteronomy 24:4  Jeremiah addressed this problem and said if a single woman tries to re-marry her first husband, it would completely pollute the entire land.  Jeremiah 3:1  Imagine the pollution of an entire people who tried to return to YHWH!

God says, “If a husband divorces his wife and she goes from him and belongs to another man, will he still return to her?
Will not that land be completely polluted?  But you are a harlot with many lovers; yet you turn to Me,” declares the LORD.   Jeremiah 3:1  NASB

YHWH increases the tension by PROMISING Remarriage!

          No sooner did Hosea finish quoting YHWH as saying, “It’s too late, I’m no longer your husband!”,  he followed with YHWH’s promise of re-marriage.  The rabbis of the day, aware of the law, could not believe it!  Here is the quote; read it for yourself:

14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her… 
 16“It will come about in that day,” declares the LORD, “That you will call Me Ishi (my husband) and will no longer call Me Baali (my master)…      19“I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, 
20And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.   Then you will know the LORD.   Hosea 2: 14, 16, 19-20 NASB

          Isaiah, a more-or-less contemporary of Hosea, compounded the tension by quoting the Lord as saying Israel’s husband was her “Maker”, but not to worry, she (the nation of Israel) would forget her widow-hood.  By now the rabbis were in a fit–what?  now the Maker is going to die?  How does God die, exactly, and why?  Do you see, dear reader, that the rabbis did not understand how or why God would die.  Even when Jesus ministered on earth, the religious leaders did not understand the scripture that the Son of Man must suffer and be put to death, nor the reason for it.  Acts 3:17

Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; and do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced;  But you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.  For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the LORD of hosts; Isaiah 54:4-5 NASB

          But you know how–Jesus, whom Himself was God, did precisely that.   You know that He died on the Cross, and you know that it was for the forgiveness of sin.  Dear reader, do you see His mighty love at work:  you will not be put to shame or feel humiliated?  Israel had plenty to be ashamed of (as do we all), and yet the loving husband who has no guilt whatsoever says, “My love will cause you to forget the shame of your youth.”  In this case, it can truly be said that the husband has given his life for his beloved spouse.  The question is, What does His death have to do with Israel’s re-marriage?  Paul explains it in Romans 7:1-3.  The death of the first husband releases the woman from the Law of Divorce and Remarriage:

 1Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?  2For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.  3So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.  Romans 7:1-3 NASB

          In other words, the death of first husband YHWH/Jesus frees Israel from the laws of divorce and remarriage.  She is now the free woman–get it?   Now she is free to enter into a marriage covenant, not like the “Hagar” slave-covenant with legal vows she cannot keep, but the “Sarah” free-woman new covenant based upon a promise.  So the bride is ready–now all we need is a groom and a promise.

The Resurrection of YHWH/Jesus as a New Creation Allows Remarriage to Israel–But This Time Things Will Be Different!

          Yes, this time around, God intends to have a bride for YHWH/Jesus that will love Him from her heart.  To assist in that endeavor, He intends to give her a new heart:

 19“And I will give them (meaning, Israel) one heart, and put a new spirit within them and I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,  20that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them.   Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.  Ezekiel 11:19 NASB

          Hagar and the old covenant she personifies will be cast out.  The new covenant will take its place.  It is based upon a single promise:  I will take out the heart of stone and put in its place a heart of flesh.  This means that it will be entirely done by YHWH/Jesus–it is his wedding promise to replace the “stone” heart with one that desires and agrees with Him.  In other words, His wish shall become her command. 

          The new covenant will not be based upon mutual conditional covenants, as was the prior “Hagar” marriage relationship.  Instead, it will be based upon a better promise, and one that originates only from the groom’s side.  God has given His word; this time, it is not conditional.  It is based upon the promise of God, not the promises of men.  Here is how it is stated in The Message Bible:

20-22The old priesthood of Aaron perpetuated itself automatically, father to son, without explicit confirmation by God. But then God intervened and called this new, permanent priesthood into being with an added promise:    God gave his word; he won’t take it back:   “You’re the permanent priest.” This makes Jesus the guarantee of a far better way between us and God—one that really works! A new covenant.  Hebrews 7:20-22 The Message Bible

          By this means, God will restore all things.  Acts 3:21  Jeremiah is the first witness to this promise of a new covenant, one that will hold the marriage together.  God will write His law within the hearts of Israel.

33“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  Jeremiah 31:33

          King David is a second witness, affirming that doing God’s will shall be a delight!  Not an external duty, a bother, an opportunity for failure or legalistic observance.  Instead, it will become an internalized joy and a success!  For Israel, so used to failure, it will be a success driven by returning the love of Jesus to Him. 

 6Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. 7Then I said, “Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.  8I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.”  Psalm 40:6-8 NASB

          Our final witness is the writer of the book of Hebrews, quoting Father that ALL will know Him, and all of their sins will be forgotten!

“Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a new covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah; not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and I did not care for them, says the Lord.  For this is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, says the Lord:  I will put my laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts.  And I will be their God and they shall be my people.  And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyon his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from the least to the greatest of them.  For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”  When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first (covenant) obsolete, but whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.  Hebrews 8:8-13 NASB

          YHWH/Jesus is going to fulfill all the vows–all that remains for the bride to say is, “Amen”, or “let it be so”.  At this time, the Ten Commandments will have become the Ten Promises (together with all of His laws):

          You shall have no other gods before Me.  You shall not steal. You shall not carry My name in vain, and you shall love Me with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all of your mind.  And, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.  It can’t get any plainer than this–He does it all!

And who, exactly, is this woman “Israel”?

          We know from Romans 2, that he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and neither is circumcision that which is in the flesh.  Rather, he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart.  In the same way, he is not an Israelite by the flesh and “chosen-ness” is not by being physically descended from Jacob.  Rather, he is an Israelite who is “ruled by God”, which is what the name “Israel” means.  He is an Israelite according to God who wants God’s laws to be written upon his heart and upon his mind, so that he can be in agreement with the One who gave Himself to set him free.  If this is your heart’s desire, dear reader, then hearken and come along–there is room for all, and sooner or later, all will come:

17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come ” And let the one who hears say, “Come ” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.  Revelation 22:17 NASB

Even so, let it be, Lord Jesus, and come.  Baruch ata.

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Notes On Missing The Mark

Filed Under: Love of God by admin — Comments Off on Notes On Missing The Mark
September 12, 2010

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin (hamartano).   And if anyone sins, (hamartano) we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins (hamartia); and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.  1 John 2:1-2

          It is time to address a virtually universal mis-translation of the scriptures that has caused untold mischief in the church and in the lives of sincere believers.  In the verses above we have the clearest example of the misuse of two Greek words, translating both as “sin” or “sins”, when common sense tells us that they cannot both mean the same thing, except in the vaguest and most general sense of wrongdoing.  Hamartano (Strong’s Concordance G264) means “missing the mark”.  It is wrongdoing, but of a lesser degree and with different results than the other word used for “sins”.  Hamartia (Strong’s Concordance G266) is also wrongdoing, but of a much greater degree and with much more serious results.  We have translated this word as “legal offenses.”  

          A person goes to a lawyer with the following complaint: “Every morning when I go out of my house to get in my car, my neighbor is waiting for me.  Standing in his own driveway, he begins to curse me–he calls me every name in the book, plus a few extra.  It’s getting where I dread going outside, because I know he’ll be there.  Can I bring a lawsuit to get the court to assist me?”  The lawyer listens patiently, then asks the following questions:  Has he ever threatened physical harm against you or a family member?  “No.”  Have you ever felt in imminent danger of physical harm, based upon any threatening physical movements?  “No, he is a safe distance from me.”  Has he ever thrown anything at you?  “No.”  Has he ever followed you?  “No.”  Has he ever come into your yard?  “No.”  The lawyer then says, “Although the man has definitely missed the mark on being a good neighbor, he has committed no legal offense.  There is nothing the court can do, since he has not broken, or even threatened to break, any laws.”

          Although the neighbor’s actions amount to wrongdoing which can be recognized by anyone, those actions do not rise to the level of requiring redress by a judge, who is sitting in protection of society at large.  The same is true with hamartano and hamartia.  In our example, the neighbor’s actions did not violate the law, although clearly falling short of the ideal.  Most importantly, the results of missing the mark are vastly different from those of legal offenses.  Notice what our passage says.  And if anyone misses the mark, we have an advocate with the Father,  Jesus Christ the righteous…  Christ intercedes directly with God for all those who miss the mark.  John then goes on to state that Jesus Christ paid the death penalty for the legal offenses of the entire world!  And He Himself is the propitiation (an atoning blood sacrifice) for our legal offenses, and not for ours only but for those (legal offenses) of the whole world.

          Here is why the distinction is critically important:  the advocacy of Jesus is ongoing, because all have missed the mark and fallen short of the glory of God (this is the correct translation of Romans 3:23), but the propitiation of Jesus is one sacrifice, for all legal offenses, for all people, for all time!  So precious was the  blood of our Redeemer!  This is how the scriptures put it:

For Christ also died for sins (hamartia) once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.  1 Peter 3:18

For the death that He died, He died to sin (hamartia) once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Even so (in the same way) consider yourselves to be dead to sin (hamartia), but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Romans 6:10-11

         We sincerely apologize in advance if we offend anyone’s religion or creed, but the fact is that God was completely satisfied by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross.  He has destroyed the works of the devil; He has satisfied and the fulfilled the law of God in toto.  It is finished, as He said.  You cannot add one thing to what has already been done for you.  If you want to repent or do penance, please do so.  If you want to be baptized, please, feel free.  Do whatever the leaders of your particular denomination say to do, but know this:  the war between God and man is over, and Christ has won it!  With His own blood He has repurchased the earth and all it contains and all who dwell in it.  It now belongs to Him, and as a result the legal offenses have been removed for all time.  God has been conciliated (katallasso–Strong’s Concordance G2644) to men through Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:18  This word means that hostilities between warring sides have been called off unilaterally by one side (God’s side); what remains is for the other side (man’s side) to also be re-conciliated (apokatallasso–Strong’s Concordance G609).  We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us–we beg you, on behalf of Christ, be re-conciliated to God.  2 Corinthians 5:20

          What about the wrongdoing we have called “missing the mark”; is God ok with that?  Not really.

          We have missed the mark, and so have you, dear reader.  (Please do not disagree with this, because John also said:   If we say that we have not sinned [hamartano], we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.)  John said he was writing his epistle so that we may NOT continue to miss the mark, but if we should do so, not to worry, not to get baptized again, not to re-dedicate or re-re-dedicate your commitment again, not to promise God or man you’ll never do that again, not to do whatever your religious creed or denomination says you must do, not to do anything that rises up out of your religious flesh–we have an Advocate with the Father!  Praise you, Lord!

          Our Advocate ever lives to intercede with the Father for us as a great high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:25  Here is the question each of us must ask and decide for ourselves:  Will we trust Jesus’ intercession to be effective, or must we add to it with human effort by repenting, rededicating, being filled with the Spirit, speaking in tongues, promise-keeping, etc.?  Please insert whatever formula has been given to you.  As you do, please consider the truth in these scriptures:

God was in Christ reconciling (katallasso) the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation (katallasso).  2 Corinthians 5:19

(B)ut Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.  Therefore He is able also to save forever (eis ta panteles–into the uttermost, which is not liimited to time) those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.  Hebrews 7:24-25

          Our missing the mark from time to time is a part of God’s plan for our lives–it shows our continued need for a Savior, it teaches us to trust Him, and it teaches us the nature of this life, if you have put your trust in Christ.  If you have not, your unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God–He will use it to draw you to Himself.  It is the kindness of God that leads to repentance.  Romans 2:4

          We are indebted to Bishop Carlton Pearson for his wonderful teaching on the difference between hamartia and hamartano, contained in his book, The Gospel of Inclusion,  in Chapter 6 entitled “The Gospel of Salvation”.  We recommend this excellent work to everyone.

          Elsewhere on this site is a page containing a re-translation of 1 John containing, among other words, a proper distinction between hamartia and hamartano.  The result makes 1 John sensible instead of the usually jumbled mass of contradictions that all but eliminates understanding.  Enjoy!

Blessed are You, O Lord, our wonderful high priest!  Thank you for interceding for us, for making payment for us, and for re-conciliating us to our Father, Who is above all, through all, and in all.  Blessed be your holy name forever!

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