Personal Faith

As we look to Scripture to determine our actions in the circumstances of our lives, it is imperative that we, as believers, know how, when, and where to pick our fights. The vast majority of what we choose to squabble over would fit quite comfortably within the same categories as "the color of carpet" in the local sanctuary. Somehow the color of that carpet has risen to eternal importance because many churches have split over issues of equal or less import. I submit to you that when we choose to quarrel over such trivial matters, we cheapen our own salvation and denigrate the grace that purchased it. Let's look at Romans 14:1-13.

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for Yehuweh has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for Yehuweh is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives Yehuweh thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives Yehuweh thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Messiah died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah. For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to Yehuweh." So then each of us shall give account of himself to Yehuweh. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

I believe what Paul is saying to believers here, is "let lesser issues remain lesser." There is something far greater in the works than what we eat or what holidays we celebrate. I will continue to live by my own personal convictions and be always ready to discuss them with you. I will continue to pray for the Body's collective eyes to be opened to the truth of the Word and will pray for the ability to not be a stumbling block by imposing my convictions on others.

Personally, I wish this passage was absent from the writ of Scripture. Then I would be free to make spiritual clones of myself. I would be able to say to my clones, "Do what I do: Say what I say; Wear what I wear; etc., etc." However, I must come to understand that our Heavenly Father loves me enough to give me the power to choose whether or not to believe in Him AND how to carry out that belief in my own life. As a believer in Him, I must allow fellow believers that same privilege.

Shalom

Our family is currently facing a situation that is of grave concern to us and it involves our newest member. Asher William Pogue was born January 13, about 6 weeks early. His progress seems to be steady, but certainly far too slow for his parents and family. As we pray for his growth, our Father continues to show me parallels between this precious little one and His bride, the body of Messiah. Because Asher was losing a little weight, the Doctors determined a supplemental feeding tube through his nose was in order. He was not getting the nourishment he needed because he was not quite developed enough to do the job,

Here is the parallel...As the body of Messiah begins to wake up, she finds herself losing spiritual weight because she is not used to feeding herself. She has become so accustomed to the spoon feeding from the pulpits of the local churches that she feels like she is starving, How many times have you heard the statement, "I used to go to church there but I quit because I wasn't being fed."? Scripture teaches that we are to grow up, get beyond the milk of the Word, and be able to digest the meat. I remind you, it is hunger that will drive you to growth.

There seems to be a fear that articulates itself like this: Who will tell me if the spiritual food I am getting is good food? We have produced a system that does not allow individuals to 'feed themselves'. I must have a pastor/priest/rabbi to tell me if I am doing the right thing or interpreting the Scriptures correctly. Please don't misunderstand here...a balance is in order. My point is that the current system fosters fear that prohibits individual growth rather than encouraging it. Leaders pacify themselves with the justification: "I foster growth, as long as it fits within the scope of the local model." "Come and sit under my ministry, I will give you a track to grow on," is another mantra that is bandied about. Where are the leaders of the Kingdom that encourage uninhibited growth? Where are the teachers that are overjoyed when their students outpace them in Kingdom achievement? Men and women of faith take heart, your day is at hand!

Shalom

Whose Agenda in Prayer?

Because of the election season in the United States, I hear believers calling for prayer in greater measure than usual. While more people praying can never be a bad thing, this illustrates our reliance on crisis to move us to do what is right. Our sincere belief is that our god (lower case g on purpose) will perform according to a particular political ideology. I remind you that the Elohim of Scripture cannot be reduced to a political persuasion and to do so is tantamount to idol worship. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says Yehuweh. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8,9) If our governmental system could be perfected through our prayer efforts alone, there would be no need for our Messiah to return!

The reformation principle in play here, is prayer motivation. We need to move from crisis motivation to relationship motivation. When we are moved to pray through relationship, we are much more inclined to pray the will of our Heavenly Father. Our approach must be that of the betrothed longing to spend time with her Beloved as opposed to 'the kid in the candy store' trying to get the owner to give us a freebie. When the heart of our Lover is our goal we determine to study the Word for our answers, assured that He has buried treasure there just for us to discover. With relationship as our moving force, our prayer for the return of Messiah is NOT about fixing the world's problems. When relationship is our guide, political agendas shrink to their proper perspective and we realize the problems of the United States of America are not very high on the priority list of the Almighty. Scripture says that He wants to give us the desires of our HEARTS as opposed to our wallets. Yeshua DIED to have relationship with us, therefore, political systems are inconsequential! The one exception to this statement is our Messiah's own political system and in order to implement it requires the destruction of every other system including our own!

Shalom

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2Timothy 3:1-7)

This passage could easily be a commentary from a socially conservative individual on any modern news program! In this day of mud-slinging presidential politics, I want to key in on the phrase "having a form of godliness but denying its power." We believers find ourselves between the proverbial 'rock and hard place.' We feel pressure from all sides as we listen to the rhetoric. America is looking for a candidate who: will lower taxes and provide more social programs...is against abortion but says its okay to kill babies...wants to bring our soldiers home and will put in place a global police force...supports Israel and Palestine...is a believer in Jesus Christ and Muhammad, Buddha, Hinduism, etc.,... The bottom line is this...The next president of the United States of America will be a human being. America does not need another human being (of any political persuasion). AMERICA NEEDS A MESSIAH! I call upon the believers of this country to quit looking to our political leadership as pseudo messiahs. Your call to be a part of the Family of the Almighty is much higher than a political ideal. Do not allow any smooth talking politician to define your relationship with your heavenly Father. In the big scheme of things, our political persuasion is about on the same level as deciding which gas station to use to fill your automobile.

Men and women of the Family, "lift up your heads, your redemption draweth nigh"! As you watch events unfold, please don't forget that this world is about to undergo some radical changes in the very near future and there is not one man or woman anywhere that is up to the task of staying the judgement that is about to be unleashed. The One-World Government is right around the corner. With every tick of the clock, we see end times prophecy being fulfilled. Many times I find myself in the position of not knowing how to pray because of biblical prophecy (i.e. the division of Jerusalem, etc.). I believe we are in for an exciting ride in the days ahead!

Just as we as Americans have allowed fear-mongering politicians scare us into voting in a particular fashion, we as believers have allowed memorial building preachers to scare us into a scriptural belief system that is contrary to the whole of the Word. We have spent a whole lot of time teaching about the reign of the Antichrist, when according to Scripture, his reign is designed by Yehuweh to set up Messiah's kingdom. This is the one-world government we should be focusing on! We are talking about a 1000 year period versus a 7 year stint...Which one requires a greater preparation? Think about it!

Shalom

2007 letter

The following is a letter we put out to our regular supporters. I thought it might help answer some questions, etc. Thanks for understanding!

2007 was a year of reflection and determination for Church on the Highway Ministries. We spent much time and prayer reflecting on the past in order to better determine the future. As we examined our vision and scope of ministry we have determined that changes are in order to more accurately reflect the direction that we feel the Holy Spirit would have us go.

The first and most significant change is a change in the name of the ministry. From this time forward Church on the Highway Ministries will be known as House to Life Ministries. House to Life describes the thrust of the ministry in establishing homes to be the primary focus for the maturing of the body of Messiah. We are committed to the priesthood of the believer being primarily carried out in the home.

A word of explanation is in order here: We considered changing the name of Church on the Highway Ministries to Beit L’ Chiam Ministries. Beit L’Chiam is the Hebrew rendition of House to Life. We decided against the Hebrew name solely to ward off confusion.

We have started a ministry blog entitled Reformation Now. The web address for this blog is www.beitlchiam.blogspot.com. The articles on this blog are intended to be mildly controversial. They are short in length and thought provoking. The blog is updated 2-3 times each week. A website is under construction for the ministry. It’s address is www.house2life.org. Eventually the blog will be hosted here as well as video streaming of The Living Room, our weekly television broadcast. A sister site is also being built for the purpose of Commerce for the Kingdom. We are researching books and products that promote the believers lifestyle. These resources and products will be available at www.house2life.com. There will be links to sites of ministries committed to the same purposes.

As always, DVDs and other ministry resources are provided free of charge. We so appreciate those of you who help monthly with our ongoing expenses. House to Life Ministries will NOT be a 501(c)3 non-profit corp. According to the IRS, your contributions ARE tax deductible when given to a recognized religious organization. You must use your cancelled check as a receipt.

Blessings,


Bill & Carol Sperry
House to Life Ministries

The Baby is Comin'!!

1Thessalonians 5:1-6 says,"But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

Our daughter just gave birth to her second son (Grandchild #7 for my bride and myself!). She had a difficult labor as the baby wanted out approx. 6 wks. early. The medical team did everything in their power to stop the labor, but the baby was comin'! She was in the hospital, confined to bed rest, and on powerful drugs, all to no avail...The baby was comin'! Once the labor starts, the blessed event is about to happen!

This text gives an incredible parallel to the start of the birth process. "When they say, 'Peace and Safety'" is analogous to "My water just broke, time to go to the hospital." President Bush is just completing a Middle East tour of which the entire purpose is "Peace and Safety' for the region. My friends, we can now 'take it to the bank'; sudden destruction will be unleashed! The fulfilment of biblical prophecy will once again be read in our newspapers and broadcast across our airwaves.

For those of us who anxiously await the return of Messiah, these days are full of anticipation and promise. We know our time of reigning with Him is just around the corner. For those who are not expecting His return, our text passage addresses their state of mind as well, They will be caught unaware, overtaken as by a thief in the night. The challenge to us, as believers is to be prepared for the events about to be unleashed upon the world. It is wise parents who spend time in 'making the nursery ready' for the arrival of the new baby. Is your home ready for the intense labor period that is coming upon the earth. No matter where you stand in the scheme of eschatological events, we must realize that our Father only has ONE plan and that means a whole lot of somebodies are going to be wrong! We are not talking about our salvation here. We are speaking of prudent preparation and Yeshua Himself gave many warnings to be prepared for this time.

Shalom

Back to the Basics

It is time to re-establish some ground rules for understanding/interpreting Scripture. Before we do that, however, we must determine by whose rules do we play? While the answer may seem obvious to some, I will attempt to state my case clearly, nonetheless.

If we believe that Scripture is inspired of the Almighty, and that Scripture is a road map for all mankind, does it not stand to reason that our Father would make His love letter to His people easy for them to understand and apply?

1. Use Scripture to interpret Scripture. It is vital in determining courses of action concerning our own lives to allow the Bible to interpret itself. It is my contention that every question we may pose having to do with our relationship with the Almighty, will be answered within the pages of Holy Writ. I also contend that these answers are well within the grasp of the average Biblical student. 2 Timothy 2:15 states, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to Yehuweh, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Other versions say "Study to show yourselves approved." One of the problems that has permeated the church is the belief that Scripture is too difficult to understand, therefore leave its interpretations to the experts. This is a lie that continues to wreak havoc for the body of Messiah.
2. Every word of Scripture is appropriate for today's born-again believer. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of Yehuweh, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of Yehuweh may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16,17) The attempt by various groups and/or denominations to discount portions of scripture by deeming them out dated, for a specific people group/race, under a different dispensation, etc., is faulty, at best. In many cases it becomes downright heretical because our refusal to accept certain passages changes the message of the Gospel. We must build our lives on the concept that every word from Genesis through Revelation is inspired of the Almighty and is for me! (It is ironic that many denominations state this concept in their belief statements, and then circumvent it by their actions).
3. Every doctrine (including the blood atonement of Messiah) is found in the writings of Moses (Torah). 85% of the New Testament is direct quotation with commentary on the Old Testament. I challenge anyone to find a single doctrine of Scripture that can be found in the New Testament alone. If our Heavenly Father does not change, why would we think He would give conflicting ideas concerning His plan for mankind. Ephesians 4:4-8 says. "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one Elohim and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Messiah's gift. Therefore He says:
   "When He ascended on high,
   He led captivity captive,
   And gave gifts to men."

One of the gifts He has given to you is the ability to PROPERLY understand His word!

Shalom

What Idenity Crisis?

In "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", a short story by Washington Irving, the tale speaks of a revolutionary war soldier who lost his head due to a cannonball shot. The soldier spends his nights on his horse searching the countryside, for his head. If there is an identity crisis in the body of Messiah, it is because we, like this poor soldier, have lost our head. Our decapitation, however, did not come as the result of warfare, its cause is our own lethargy. We fell into a drunken stupor because of our comfort. We began demanding our "rights" because of the royal blood of Messiah coursing through our veins. Prosperity and ease of living became our goals. We fell into traps of building personal memorials instead of building the Kingdom. If there is no repentance, we will be subject to eternity without our Head! (Matthew 25)

As I was writing yesterday's post, I had an epiphany of sorts. It finally got through my thick skull that doing Kingdom business keeps us from this identity crisis. We get caught up in memorial building, even in our personal expressions of worship. If my place and method of worship supersedes Kingdom business, then my worship is in vain. We must not let principles of Kingdom etiquette (what we wear, prayer posture & times etc.) keep us from Kingdom purpose. In other words, even things that are commanded can be a distraction if we lose sight of our purpose. I am not telling anyone to disobey the commandments. Yeshua Himself, taught "the ox in the ditch" principle. Kingdom purpose is about people! Commands are the guidelines to help us win the people. Far too often we have used the commands to keep us from reaching people.

Galatians 6:7-10 says, "Do not be deceived, Yehuweh is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (emphasis mine)

Kingdom business is people business. Let's get busy!

Shalom

The One New Man

And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)

As the times of the Gentiles draws to a close, is the "One New Man" ready to take his place? Ephesians 2:11-18 says, "Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without Yehuweh in the world. But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah.
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

There is a fulfilment of this Scripture that is happening in front of our eyes and, I might add, largely unnoticed by the church world. A few weeks ago a petition was started to encourage our president NOT to give land for peace in Israel. The goal was 100,000 signatures before the President leaves for the Holy Land. Two days ago an addendum was forwarded, a portion from which is quoted here:

"Because of the marvelous response of over 100,000 appealing to President Bush to not divide Jerusalem, Rabbis in Jerusalem have contacted me, have humbly appealed that the Jerusalem Prayer Team would not stop this campaign but would continue it until a million lovers of Jerusalem signed the Petition to President Bush.We have pledged that they will pray at the Kotel, the Western Wall. One of the Rabbis came from the Soviet Union and said that many years ago one million Americans united in a petition called "Let My People Go" to the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, to appeal to Gorbachev to let one million Russian Jews go home to Israel. A television special and book by the same name were also written.I appealed to President Reagan if he would ask Mikhail Gorbachev to release the Russian dissidents - specifically Natan Sharansky - and open the doors for Russian Jews to go back to Israel. Ronald Reagan did just that. Since those days, one million Russian Jews have returned to the Land of Israel as the prayer of their lips "Next year in Jerusalem," came true. Sharansky left his cold prison cell with a small book of Psalms and a Yarmulke. The skull cap, Yarmulke, was made from the rags around the feet of a Pentecostal pastor who shared his cell with him one evening when he slept. The pastor gave it to him so that he could celebrate the Passover. To this very day Natan Sharansky wears that Yarmulke on Yom Kippur and during the Passover."

As a voice, crying for reformation, is is very encouraging to see tangible evidence of the "one new man" doing what he is supposed to do. As we discussed in our last post, it is time for the body to begin 'doing' because of who we are. We have a tremendous responsibility to the grace that has been given to us (See Romans 6:1). Let us be students of Scripture to see what believers do...Lay your traditional thoughts aside here...Much of what we have been taught is simply more man-made religion. The voice of the prophet is being heard among the dry bones, and there is definitely a wind stirring. Is LIFE on the way?

Shalom

Our Nation in Peril

As I write, our president is preparing for a trip that will put a nail in the coffin of the United States of America, if not seal her doom. Matthew 25:31-46 describes what we refer to as "The Judgement Seat of Messiah." There are some very specific things that are mentioned that we, as Americans, should be concerned. This scene describes the judgement of the nations. It says all nations are gathered before the Messiah. It speaks of judgement of those who do not take care of "the brethren." The obvious context is the Jewish people. By our president participating (and in some cases orchestrating) in a process that will divide the city of Jerusalem, he is going against the written Word and the will of Yehuweh, our Heavenly Father. Please read the entirety of the text:

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
"Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

There are several things that stand out and are worthy of note:

• This is a judgement of the nations.
• There are nations that are found righteous.
• Those who are found righteous are surprised.
• Those who are found unrighteous are surprised.
• Righteousness has to do with doing as opposed to being.

I understand it goes against what we have been taught that righteousness could have anything to do with our performance. "After all, we are saved by grace and works has nothing to do with it." Once again, we find ourselves at odds with the whole of Scripture. We are certainly saved by grace, grace, and nothing but grace. But with grace, just as with freedom, comes responsibility. As born again believers, we have a responsibility to take care of the brethren. Our eyes must be opened to view the people of the Almighty, both the 'grafted in ones' and the 'natural branches', the way He does. When we pay attention to His laws that He has written on our hearts (Jer. 31:33) we find ourselves doing, simply because it is the right thing to do.

Shalom

Reformation vs. Restoration

As we examine this topic, I want to state at the outset that I don't believe reformation and restoration are opposed to each other. Neither do I believe that they are synonymous terms. As far as our discussion is concerned, reformation will be defined as what we as human beings can do, whereas restoration will be defined as the areas that only Yehuweh can accomplish.

Acts 3:19-21 says,"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of Yehuweh, and that He may send Messiah Yeshua, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which Yehuweh has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

Notice the phrase 'until the times of restoration of all things'. I believe there is incontrovertible evidence that we are living in those times. As our Heavenly Father puts into motion the times of restoration, it becomes the responsibility of His children to bring about the reformation. Example: Yehuweh has restored to us an understanding of His way of reckoning time. We are living in the day when, for the first time in history, we can determine with absolute certainty the dates of events in Scripture. This is accomplished through calculators that NASA has developed that map lunar and solar cycles for the past 6000 years. Yehuweh has placed in the hearts of leaders across the globe to search the Scriptures and apply His reckoning of time to modern events. It is no coincidence that believers from around the world find their hearts turning toward Israel. (For more information see Michael Rood's work on the Creator's calendar). Now the reformation side: Our responsibility is to examine Scripture and make application. Leviticus 23 tells us about the Feasts of Yehuweh and when they are to be observed. Notice these feasts are to be observed perpetually. These annual celebrations are Divine Appointments! Yehuweh restores and we must reform!

The calendar is just one example of restoration that is taking place. In Matthew 4:17 we see another restoration/reformation principle, "From that time Yeshua began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand' is the restoration statement. The reason this requires reformation thought is because the church has adopted a "repent for the kingdom will come after the rapture" mentality. I want remind believers that the time lapse between the last day of the Great Tribulation and the first day of the Millennial Reign is one second. Matthew 25 speaks of the time when the nations will be gathered to be judged and separated by Messiah. The purpose of the separation is so the righteous can reign with Him throughout the earth. Reformation Question: Are you prepared to reign with the Messiah? Don't be deceived into thinking that He will put your house in order for you. He has restored...we must reform. If your business practices are not 'up to snuff' today, don't think they will somehow be okay when Messiah returns. Remember this passage speaks of judgement. The kingdom of heaven is at hand!

Shalom

Attitudes Concerning Reformation

Philippians 2:5-11 says, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah Yeshua, who, being in the form of Elohim, did not consider it robbery to be equal with Elohim, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore Yehuweh also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Yeshua Messiah is Lord, to the glory of Elohim the Father.

This is probably one of the most challenging passages in the whole of Scripture. It is a dissertation on how the believer should approach life. The challenge is to apply its encouragements to every aspect of our lives. In this article, we will look at how to apply its concepts to our relationship with the Almighty and His creation. (Not polar bears....people).

We need to understand that change, in any form, is uncomfortable. Human beings are comfort driven. It is a characteristic of human nature to not accept change until we perceive that the change will make us more comfortable than the situation in which we currently find ourselves. This applies to every thing from rolling down a window or turning on the air conditioner in a car to remodeling our homes. It is especially true of our belief system. We don't want to even examine a different belief system because it causes great discomfort. We don't want to face the possibility of being wrong. Not only is this an affront to our pride, it makes us uncomfortable.

Agents of change, by their nature, make us uncomfortable! This is why Yeshua was always in trouble with the Pharisees. He made the religious establishment uncomfortable. This is why the prophets of old were persecuted and killed by those to whom their messages applied. And, my friends, this is why you are misunderstood by your friends and family. As hard as it is to accept, we were warned about this in Scripture and told to rejoice because of it. (See Matthew 5:10-12).

Now that we know why people are uncomfortable because of us, how should we respond? I am going to assume that none of us responds with 'heaping on of new found knowledge' when our loved ones are uncomfortable with our statements concerning paganism and Christianity. I am also assuming that we don't have to prove our points by raising our voice, posturing anger because of their ignorance, or any other condescending attitude. After all, because of our new knowledge, all of the principles of love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, meekness, etc. no longer apply. We have come under a Messianic covenant (of our own making) that does away with the old Christian covenant. The problem is...This is NOT scriptural!

In examining the passage above, we see that Yeshua set forth for us an attitude that we must implement. The phrase 'did not consider it robbery to be equal with Elohim' can be translated "did not cling to the fact that He was Elohim." If He could let go of the fact that He is Almighty, we must be willing to be misunderstood while the Holy Spirit works on our loved ones. Yehuweh is using you as an agent of change! Let's make sure our attitudes are up to the task.

Shalom