How Do You Know?

A comment was recently made to me concerning proof of Yeshua’s Messiaship and how we know of its authenticity. Is there a litmus test to tell us once and for all if He is truly the Messiah? Can we know with absolute certainty? This question has haunted believers since our Savior walked the earth. C.S. Lewis concluded in Mere Christianity that either Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be or else He was a raving lunatic, and there could be no middle ground.

What about you? Have you gotten quiet enough before Him to hear Him whisper to you, “Whom do you say that I am?” Have you come to a conclusion or have you allowed the jury of your mind to remain sequestered, deadlocked in never ending deliberation? (See Matthew 16:13-20)

I am struck by the fact that Yeshua posed this question to an ignorant, belligerent fisherman plagued by small-man syndrome. Why didn’t He ask the same question of the religious leaders? Why was Peter’s answer important enough to be recorded in Scripture? Why, after Peter gave an answer that would rock every religious establishment to the core of its being, did Yeshua tell the disciples not to tell any one else of their conclusion?

We can see several things that must be brought into our decision making process here:

• Whatever conclusion we come to must NOT be based on academia…Peter had none!
• Our conclusion must be based upon a simple, yet spiritual event…a revelation!
• When revelation is received, my personal lack of ability to explain every nuance of that revelation becomes secondary…The important thing is, “I once was blind, but now I see” (John 9:25).

I believe the reason that Yeshua didn’t ask the religious leaders this question is because He understood the trappings of religion and academia (religion and academia without revelation is a lethal combination). The ability to fully explain the four levels of interpretation (according to a Hebrew mindset) of every scripture well enough to write our own commentaries…without a personal revelation of the Sonship of Messiah is mindless drivel! If the question of the identity of our Messiah was to be settled by scientific proof, wouldn’t the Creator of all science have been able to make that proof as succinct as the law of gravity? Just as our elementary textbooks explain the simple rules of mathematics, our place in the Creator’s universe would be taught in every school in the world. THAT WAS NOT HIS PLAN! It was, now is, and always will be a matter of personal revelation!

Revelation allows us to put things in proper order. God allows us to see who He is knowing that we can NEVER understand Him or His ways. Being able to prove my point through scripture is far less important than the personal revelation. While scriptural understanding will add color and clarity to the revelation, it must never supersede it. Academia allows US to figure it out….Revelation concludes the matter from YHVH’s perspective!

Shalom

The Masculinazation of Love?

Is it possible that, at least to a small degree, we men have fallen into the same trap that we are complaining about with our wives? Could it be that we bear some responsibility here?

Of course, the answer is a resounding YES! It is a characteristic of human nature that whenever we are under pressure (of any kind) we revert to a “former lifestyle”. Allow me to explain:

When installing plumbing into a new construction project and before final inspection, the plumbing must pass a “pressure test”. A pressure gauge is installed, compressed air is put into the pipes, and the pipes must hold that amount of compressed air for a specified amount of time. When there is a leak, it ALWAYS occurs at the ‘place of least resistance’. Whatever is inside the pipe will come out at the weakest point.

The “former lifestyle” mentioned above comes into play here. When pressure is applied, we naturally retreat to a place of comfort and/or habit. We are not compelled to change our behavior until we perceive that the place we are trying to attain will be more comfortable than the place we currently are in. We will only take on new employment when we perceive that more money will make us more comfortable. We make purchases, move the furniture in our homes, and even change the channel on our TVs based on this concept. We will never change our behavior concerning our interpersonal relationships UNTIL we perceive that change will bring us more comfort. (OK, if the word comfort makes you feel selfish, you can use the word PEACE in its place.)

Scripture tells us, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”. (Matthew 12:34). In other words, “If it wasn’t in the pipes, it wouldn’t leak out!” As human beings, we are created to “leak” a little. The leaks serve to show us (and those around us) what is inside.

The “masculinization” of love tries to fix the leak, even when that leak may be extremely important to the well being of your relationship. Our wives will thrive when we allow them to share emotions, ideas, and especially intellect with us. Learn to embrace her intellectual contribution to your relationship.

My bride and I, when combining our I.Q.s are an extremely intelligent unit, created in our Father’s image!

Shalom

The Feminization of Respect

Women’s libbers beware!  My intent in this post is not to be disparaging of women in any way, shape , or form, but to point out how a particular societal shift has affected a foundational component of marriages in America. 

When it comes to the concept of respect in marriage, most women will tell you that love = respect.  However, when asking men about the same concept, you will get a far different answer.  Here is where a problem arises.  Because of our innate lack of ability to verbally communicate, we come across like an ogre with fourteen thumbs trying to perform micro-surgery!  We can’t tell you why love and respect are not mutually inclusive, but we are absolutely sure that they are not.

So, on behalf of all men everywhere, here is my attempt!

The problem with the women’s liberation movement is that in trying to “level the playing field” between the sexes, the movement brought down men instead of raising the bar for women.  In order for this to happen, a fundamental component of our society had to be changed.  Positions of authority that were held mostly by men had to be attacked in order to break through the ‘glass ceiling’ and level the field.  The easiest way to accomplish this is to disparage (disrespect) those individuals whose positions were the desire of attainment.  Thus, in the attempt to elevate themselves, the result was a lowering of standards.  I am not saying that I think it impossible for women to attain to those various positions…in fact, I am saying the opposite.  The women’s liberation movement took the easy way out!  Our society would have benefited mightily had they taken the high road and taken on the glass ceiling through merit alone. (No, I am NOT saying there was a lack of equality based on merit…that is not what this post is about).

The result…A lack of respect has permeated our society and we men have stood by and allowed it to happen!  Our fault men, not theirs.  The reason women will tell you that love = respect is because our Creator has created them to conceptualize that way.  A typical male response (conceptualized, not verbalized) is I cannot feel (accept) your love until I feel your respect. 

Just as a woman needs romance to fan her feelings of love toward her man (Yes gents, I am talking about flowers and chocolate and all that other sappy stuff here), a man needs to feel respected in order to be motivated to provide the romance.

I am taking for granted that I am speaking to mature believers that have laid aside the arguments of “If he shows me love, I will show him respect'”, and vice-versa.  If that is your attitude, you need to grow up.

Respect for your man can be summed up this way…Awareness and recognition of his provision, protection, and covering for you and your family.  Your man wants to know that he is still attractive to you, even with his stretched out belly and shrunken posterior.  Do you remember how you used to like to just  “watch” or “look at him”?  He needs to know that you are still interested in the same way!

Maybe I can get my wife to write about love.  I guarantee she will give valuable input!

 

Shalom

Love and Respect

I was recently asked to join a team of speakers/teachers at a Feast of Unleavened Bread celebration in Pie Town, New Mexico.  As I waited on the Lord for His direction, He whispered into my spirit. “Speak on interpersonal relationships.”  Consequently, I find myself in the midst of that period of preparation.

Because my bride and I have a 32 year track record of what marriage is supposed to be (I am convinced if every man had a lady like mine, divorce and even most of the conflict in marriage would be non-existent!), and because of our mutual commitment to our Heavenly Father, I believe I can speak to this issue with a certain degree of competence.

Marriage, romance, and familial relationship has long been a passion of mine and the shelves of my library prove that statement.  My son and his bride recently gave us a book that added to my arsenal…LOVE AND RESPECT by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.  Although some readers may find Dr. Eggerich’s style redundant and a bit condescending, the premise of the book hits the proverbial nail right on the head.  He uses the scriptural passage in Ephesians 5 to prove a major difference in the emotional needs of men and women in their relationships.  While women are primarily motivated by love (no surprise here), men are moved to action by the simple concept of respect.  Because of the feminization of our culture, respect has been greatly diminished.  This is evidenced by our society’s view of law enforcement, the education system, clergy, etc. Fifty years ago, individuals whose careers encompassed these callings were highly respected…today they find themselves treated with a degree of contempt with no explanation of how they got there.

In the posts to come, I will deal with these two primary motivations.  Love and respect need to be restored in order to attain the health that YHVH intended for our relationships.

 

Shalom

Lets have Relationship

This past week I have received no less than 5 prophetic warnings of disaster that is about to strike the United States of America and other parts of the world.  Most of the warnings that we hear will come from ministers and ministries that have compromised their journeys with the Father in one way or another.  At least 2 of the five that I received come from people whom I trust implicitly (If they spoke to me and said that YHVH told them to tell me to swim the ocean, I would immediately begin looking for my launching point!).  David Wilkerson is encouraging people to have a 30 day supply of food on hand, as he believes there will be panic buying of groceries when this disaster hits.

I want to encourage you to get involved in another type of preparation that is (or at least will become) more important that the food we stock. 

What is the status of your interpersonal relationships?  As a believer in Messiah, does your relationship with your spouse and family adequately reflect His concern for you?  Sir, does your wife know that the needs of your family will be priority #1 when disaster hits, or have you shown her a lifestyle pattern that says something far different?  Ma’am, does your husband know that you trust and respect him to make critical decisions in the face of calamity?  Do your children see your relationship as a “united front” that will be a source of protection for them? 

RELATIONSHIP IS A FOUR LETTER WORD!

And that word is WORK!  It is time to take inventory of your relationship status.  As you discover things that are missing, please don’t delay…get the shelves re-stocked! 

The most important tool for “relationship-shelf-re-stocking” is repentance.  Prove your acts of submission to the Almighty by your willingness to humbly say to your spouse or children, “I’m sorry.”  Then do whatever is necessary to live out that repentance.

 

Shalom

I’m back!

Because of work responsibilities, I have not been able to write on this blog with the frequency that I desire.  My work seems to be slowing down to somewhat less of a breakneck speed so I should be able to catch up with some writing.  I hope to soon be back in the swing of posting here 2-3 times a week.  I am excited to share what YHVH has been speaking to my heart.  I believe we are headed for some extremely difficult times in the United States.  Our relationship with our Messiah will come to light in ways never before seen.  Discerning His voice will become a matter of survival in the days to come.  Preparation for this time will consist of deepening your relationship with Him alone.  In other words, stocking up on food,  clothes, money, etc., will be insufficient for what is to come.  Yeshua made the statement to all 7 of the churches in Revelation (see Rev. 2-3) “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.” 

The question that naturally follows is: What is the state of your spiritual hearing?  Have you developed a quiet enough spirit to hear His voice?  When He speaks, do you recognize His voice?

Just something to think about.

Shalom