…WHERE
DOES YOUR COMPASS POINT?...
We all know what a compass is. Webster’s 1828
Dictionary[1]
defines our traditional understanding of a compass as “…5. An
instrument for directing or ascertaining the course of ships at sea, consisting
of a circular box, containing a paper card marked with the thirty two points of
direction, fixed on a magnetic needle, that always points to the north, the
variation excepted. The needle with the card turns on a pin in the center of
the box. In the center of the needle is fixed a brass conical socket or cap, by
which the card hanging on the pin turns freely round the center. The box is
covered with glass, to prevent the motion of the card from being disturbed by
the wind…”[2]
Now when
you hear of a compass, this is what you think of: But I want us to focus upon a different
type of compass, the one covered by Webster’s first definition: “…1.
Stretch; reach; extent;
the limit or boundary of a space, and the space included; applied to time,
space, sound, &c. Our knowledge lies within a very narrow compass.
The universe extends beyond the compass of our thoughts. So we say, the compass
of a year, the compass of an empire, the compass of reason, the compass of the
voice. ‘And in that compass all the world contains…’
What is the depth of one’s compass? What
limits or boundaries will one impose upon themselves in order to embrace the
due limits of truth? What direction dear one does your compass point?
There is a reason for what I ask. In the past
week, two separate incidents happened that involved members of my extended
family, incidents that had tragic outcomes. I won’t go into detail, yet my
heart is grieved over what has happened and what surely is to come over these
incidents. The situations involved young men whose lives will be forever
changed and I have to wonder, how did their compasses get so skewed to point
them in the wrong direction? Sadly, I believe I know, and the answer isn’t an
easy one to speak of, let alone teach about, yet it bears upon those of us who
are called to teach for it is in our failings that failure comes.
Ephesians 4:11-15 (NASB95)
“…(11) And He agave bsome as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as cevangelists, and some as pastors and dteachers, (12) afor the equipping of the 1saints for the work of service, to the building up of bthe body of Christ; (13) until we all attain to athe unity of the faith, and of the 1bknowledge of the Son of God, to a cmature man, to the measure of the stature 2which belongs to the dfullness of Christ. (14) 1As a result, we are ano longer to be children, btossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by ccraftiness 2in ddeceitful scheming; (15) but 1speaking the truth ain love, 2we are to bgrow up in all aspects into Him who is the chead, even Christ…” [3]
“…(11) And He agave bsome as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as cevangelists, and some as pastors and dteachers, (12) afor the equipping of the 1saints for the work of service, to the building up of bthe body of Christ; (13) until we all attain to athe unity of the faith, and of the 1bknowledge of the Son of God, to a cmature man, to the measure of the stature 2which belongs to the dfullness of Christ. (14) 1As a result, we are ano longer to be children, btossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by ccraftiness 2in ddeceitful scheming; (15) but 1speaking the truth ain love, 2we are to bgrow up in all aspects into Him who is the chead, even Christ…” [3]
“…for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up
of the body of Christ…” The role of the teacher is to equip the
saints, to present the Messiah to the lost, to weep, to laugh, to help, to
encourage; yet far too often most that are called to teach miss what their true
calling entails.
(1Ti
1:3-13)
“…As I counseled you when I was leaving for Macedonia, stay on in
Ephesus, so that you may order certain people who are teaching a different
doctrine to stop. 4 Have them stop devoting their attention to
myths and never-ending genealogies; these divert people to speculating instead
of doing God's work, which requires trust. 5 The purpose of this order is to promote love
from a clean heart, from a good conscience and from sincere trust. 6 Some, by
aiming amiss, have wandered off into fruitless discussion. 7 They want to be teachers of Torah, but they understand neither their
own words nor the matters about which they make such emphatic pronouncements. 8 We know that
the Torah is good, provided one uses it in the way the Torah itself intends.
9 We are
aware that Torah is not for a person who is righteous, but for those who are
heedless of Torah and rebellious, ungodly and sinful, wicked and worldly, for
people who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the
sexually immoral — both heterosexual and homosexual — slave dealers, liars,
perjurers, and anyone who acts contrary to the sound teaching 11 that
accords with the Good News of the glorious and blessed God. This Good News was
entrusted to me; 12 and I thank the one who has given me
strength, the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord, that he considered me trustworthy
enough to put me in his service, 13 even though I used to be a man who blasphemed
and persecuted and was arrogant! But I received mercy because I had acted in
unbelief, not understanding what I was doing…” [4]
And what is the way that the Torah
[the “Law”] itself intends? To show us how to come before a Holy
G-d and
live and how we are to treat our fellow man. In this the “church” is failing;
in this the teachers are failing; in this the preachers are failing; in this
the seminaries are failing; and on and on it goes.
Please allow me to preach here, to
speak of the “Law” or the Torah, by way of the Apostle Rabbi Sha’ul, {Paul}…
[Authors Note
: The following section comes from my epistle “Before Reformation: 10 Indictments of the Modern
Church…an exposition on the sermon of Paul Washer” [5].
See additional information in footnotes.]
(Start of section)“Romans 1”
1 Paul, a bondservant of
Jesus Christ, acalled to
be an apostle, bseparated to
the gospel of God 2 cwhich He promised before dthrough His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3
concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who 1was eborn of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4
and fdeclared to
be the Son of God with power according gto the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection
from the dead. 5 Through Him hwe have received grace and apostleship for iobedience to the faith
among all nations jfor His name, 6
among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are
in Rome, beloved of God, kcalled to
be saints: lGrace to you
and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, mI thank my God through
Jesus Christ for you all, that nyour faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9
For oGod is my
witness, pwhom I serve 2with my spirit in the
gospel of His Son, that qwithout
ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making
request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to
come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that rI may impart to you
some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— 12 that is,
that I may be encouraged together with you by sthe mutual faith both of you and me. 13
Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to
you (but twas hindered
until now), that I might have some ufruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14
I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15
So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are
in Rome also. 16 For vI am
not ashamed of the gospel 3of
Christ, for wit is
the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, xfor the
Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For yin it the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, z“The just shall live
by faith.” 18 aFor the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and bunrighteousness
of men, who 4suppress the
truth in unrighteousness, 19 because cwhat may be known of God is 5manifest 6in them, for dGod has shown it
to them. 20 For since the creation of the world eHis invisible attributes
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His
eternal power and 7Godhead, so
that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God,
they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but fbecame futile in their
thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 gProfessing to be wise,
they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the hincorruptible iGod into an image made
like 8corruptible
man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 jTherefore God also gave
them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, kto dishonor their
bodies lamong
themselves, 25 who exchanged mthe truth of God nfor the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather
than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason
God gave them up to ovile passions.
For even their 9women
exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise
also the 1men, leaving
the natural use of the 2woman, burned
in their lust for one another, 1men with 1men committing what is shameful, and receiving in
themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as
they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over
to a debased mind, to do those things pwhich are not fitting; 29 being filled with
all unrighteousness, 3sexual
immorality, wickedness, 4covetousness, 5maliciousness; full of
envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30
backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents, 31 6undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, 7unforgiving,
unmerciful; 32 who, qknowing
the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things rare
deserving of death, not only do the same but also sapprove
of those who practice them. [6]
The Epistle
to the Romans gives us a unique glance into the mind of Sha'ul. While it isn’t what modern day scholars
regard as systematic theology[7],
it is still the closest one can come to in the New Testament. While only chapter one of Romans is cited
here, the first three chapters are the Holy Spirit’s indictment (through Sha'ul)
of mankind; this indictment is summarized in the following verses:
Romans 2:1-10 (NKJV)
2 Therefore you are ainexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, bfor in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise cthe riches of His goodness, dforbearance, and elongsuffering, fnot knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your 1impenitent heart gyou are 2treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who h“will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and ido not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew jfirst and also of the 3Greek; 10 kbut glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. [8]
And in
verse 31 of Romans 3, we see the
reason for all things:
Romans 3:31 (NKJV)
Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. [9]
This is the
reason for the law, or more correctly, the Torah;
this was its true intent. In it’s
fullest sense, Torah exists for one
purpose, to teach us what is hateful to God and to instruct us on a moral
course that we are to live by. There is
in Christianity today the idea that the Torah
is done away with, that we are not “under the law” anymore, for it is grace
which abounds. But what is grace? Is
grace license to sin? What is sin, if we
are not under the law? For Sha'ul tells us:
“…Rom 7:7 Therefore, what are we to say?
That the Torah is sinful? Heaven forbid! Rather, the function of the Torah was
that without it, I would not have known what sin is. For example, I would not have become conscious of
what greed is if the Torah had not said, "Thou shalt not covet." 8 But sin,
seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, worked in me all kinds of
evil desires — for apart from Torah, sin is dead. 9 I was once alive outside the framework of
Torah. But when the commandment really encountered me, sin sprang to life, 10 and I died.
The commandment that was intended to bring me life was found to be bringing me
death! 11
For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived
me; and through the commandment, sin killed me. 12
So the Torah is holy; that is, the commandment is holy, just and good.
13 Then
did something good become for me the source of death? Heaven forbid! Rather, it
was sin working death in me through something good, so that sin might be
clearly exposed as sin, so that sin through the commandment might come to be
experienced as sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the Torah is of
the Spirit; but as for me, I am bound to the old nature, sold to sin as a
slave. 15
I don't understand my own behavior — I don't do what I want to do;
instead, I do the very thing I hate! 16 Now if I am doing what I don't want to do, I
am agreeing that the Torah is good. 17 But now it is no longer "the real
me" doing it, but the sin housed inside me. 18 For I know that there is nothing good housed
inside me — that is, inside my old nature. I can want what is good, but I can't
do it! 19
For I don't do the good I want; instead, the evil that I don't want is
what I do! 20
But if I am doing what "the real me" doesn't want, it is no
longer "the real me" doing it but the sin housed inside me. 21 So I find
it to be the rule, a kind of perverse "torah," that although I want
to do what is good, evil is right there with me! 22 For in my inner self I completely agree with
God's Torah; 23
but in my various parts, I see a different "torah," one that
battles with the Torah in my mind and makes me a prisoner of sin's
"torah," which is operating in my various parts. 24 What a
miserable creature I am! Who will rescue me from this body bound for death? 25 Thanks be
to God [, he will]! — through Yeshua the
Messiah, our Lord! To sum up: with my mind, I am a slave of God's Torah; but
with my old nature, I am a slave of sin's "Torah”…”[10]
No, what Sha'ul is telling us is not that the law dictates to us all that is sinful, but
rather is the agency that God has used to awaken within us the knowledge of our
depraved souls, the sin nature. If, as Ravi Sha’ul (Rabbi Paul) says “…apart from Torah, sin is dead…”, then what is sin?
1Jn 3:4 Everyone
who keeps sinning is violating Torah — indeed, sin is violation of Torah.[11]
1 John 3:4 (NASB95)
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness [Torah-lessness]; and asin is lawlessness. [12]
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness [Torah-lessness]; and asin is lawlessness. [12]
We are not as some profess free of the law,
for these are the commandments of God, and He changes not. What He decreed to the Isra’elites, He
decreed to believers today. If all the
law (Torah) hangs upon the two
greatest commandments,
Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV)
“36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, x‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39
And the
second is like it: y‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.’ 40 zOn these two
commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” [13]”, then
how is Torah put aside, seeing as how
Torah is based on love?
The bottom line here is, if apart from the law sin is
dead, then why does man need a Savior?
If there is no law, there is no sin.
If no sin, Christ needn’t have died.
Hell’s best kept secret is in convincing man that we no longer are under
Torah. If man has no sin, then for what does he seek
salvation for? John the Immerser [
modern: “baptist”] asked the Pharisees
“…who hath warned you to flee from the
wrath to come?…”[14] Charles Spurgeon once said:
“…Lower
the Law, and you dim the light by which man perceives his guilt. This is a very serious loss to the sinner,
rather than a gain; for it lessens the likelihood of his conviction and
conversion…I say you have deprived the Gospel of its ablest auxiliary [most
powerful weapon] when you have set aside the Law. You have taken away from it the schoolmaster
that is to bring men to Christ…They will
never accept grace till they tremble before a just and holy Law. Therefore,
the Law serves a most necessary and blessed purpose, and it must not be removed
from its place…”[15]
Torah then represents not the end, but the
means by which man’s need for salvation is realized. Much too often, we picture Christ as pleading
with sinners to come, to accept Him as Lord so that He can save them. We approach salvation as “man-centered”, not
Christ centered. Oh but you say, “Not
So!” “We give an altar call by telling
them of what Christ can do for them!”
Friends, this is attraction. We
try to make Yeshua “appealing”, so that the masses will find Him attractive and
want to “try” Him out. This is not
salvation! How does the sinner turn
himself around? How can a dead man make
himself live? For Scripture tells us
in Romans
3:10-18 (NKJV):
10 As it is
written:
l“There is none
righteous, no, not one;
11There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all
turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
n“The poison of
asps is under their lips”;
16Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17And the way of peace they have not known.”
The natural man thinks not of
the things of God (1 Cor. 2:14); only God through His Spirit makes men live (Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)
“ 6 …So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to fZerubbabel: g‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts… [17]”) and
again in John 1:12-13 (NKJV); “12 …But qas many as received
Him, to them He gave the 5right to become children of God, to those who believe in
His name: 13 rwho were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God…” [18]
So the common way of “seeking converts”, the common way
we teachers in the west seek to bring men before God, holds no promise of true
repentance, no promise of eternal life for we seek dead men to save themselves,
instead of allowing God to do His work.
The Spirit must quicken the dead heart, must restore it to life, and
then that man would seek to flee the wrath that is to come when he comes face
to face with the certain judgment of a Holy God. He must be brought into the knowledge of self
before he can be brought to the knowledge of the Savior and salvation. Every hope in the flesh has to be cast down
before they can be brought to the cross; such is the fallen manner of man.
There must be a reckoning of self; no “invitation” is
sufficient for the sinful man, you must break their hearts! Plow their hearts till the Spirit of God
brings them to their knees. Forget the
invitation – the ground must be worked, must be torn asunder, must be broken by
the harrow and the tooth, by the disc and the plow – for if we just talk to
them, just give them some “nice” points to ponder – then we have made them into
a two-fold son of hell, never to be open to the gospel again because of the
damnable easy lies we have told – asking them to pray a “sinner’s prayer” or a
prayer of “invitation” to “make a decision” when
they are dead and have no life within them to even begin to ask such a
thing. How easy it is for us to say to a man “You are saved!” when we know not
whether such a great transaction has taken place for it is the providence of
G-d and G-d alone to save a man or woman; our job is to preach the Gospel of
Christ, to plead with the lost that their eternal destiny hangs in the balance
if they disregard such a great salvation, to plead with them not to resist the
leading of the Ruach. For us to do otherwise is a lie, and leads the lost not
to salvation but to false hope based upon works of the flesh.
This religious
lie is a spewing lukewarm paste in our mouths!
When we treat sin
as an exercise, as a thing that can be tossed about casually, then we are fighting
against the Holy Spirit who has come to convict the world of its sin! Why do preachers today want to give you your
best life now when they should be concerned with your eternity! Think about it brethren! When one does not preach or mention sin, repentance,
daily dying to oneself, or carrying your cross in their sermons, then the Holy
Spirit has nothing to do with his ministry, unless it is to work against
it. If we don’t preach against sin, if
we say our ministry isn’t concerned about sin, then we are in contradiction
with the Holy Spirit because His ministry is about sin! It is His primary ministry, to convict men of
sin, to bring them to the truth, to reveal to them Jesus Christ! If we do not deal with men in their sin, in
their depraved condition with passion, conviction and love – then the Holy
Spirit is no where near us, and God is not in the house. We are also deceivers if we deal not with the
sin of men or treat it lightly [compare with Jeremiah
8]:
Jeremiah 6:8-19 (KJV)
8 Be thou
instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul departc from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land
not inhabited.
9 Thus saith
the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine
hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets. 10 To whom shall I speak,
and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is
uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto
them a reproach; they have no delight in it. 11 Therefore I am full
of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon
the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the
husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of
days. 12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their
fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants
of the land, saith the LORD. 13 For from the least of them even unto
the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the
prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 14 They have
healed also the hurtd of the
daughter† of my people
slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 15
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at
all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them
that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith
the LORD. 16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in
the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and
walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
Pause with me here for a brief
moment; the next two verses contain the most heart-breaking words that Jeremiah
had to have ever heard… Here was a man that wept, that pleaded, that begged his
people to t’shuvah, to repent, yet hear what they said:
But they said, We will not walk therein. 17 Also I set watchmen
over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
Thus Yahoveh had little choice but to pronounce His judgment:
18 Therefore
hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. 19
Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil
upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have
not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. [19]
If we as ones
who are called to teach do not teach the way of God, then not only are we deceivers,
but we are immoral, for we shy away from the truth so that those around us
won’t be cross with us.
“…Oh but they’ll be angry- they’ll
be sad; they just won’t understand…”
And yet how
can we justify keeping the one truth from them that will save their lives? Teachers and pastors will say though, “My
sheep are weak, they can’t bear the truth! We just must bring them along
slowly… Why even Paul tells them in 1 Cor. 3:1-2:
“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as
unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able
to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” [20] Even Jesus told them in John 16:12: “… I have yet many things
to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now…” [21]”
Let me say this: man has never been able to bear the
truth of God’s word. Either he’ll react
to it with anger, reject it with finality, or he’ll be broken by it, crushed by
the weight of his iniquity and be saved.
“Oh but,” says
the pastor, “it’ll crush what little self-esteem they have!”
I say, what little self esteem? SELF is all any - if the truth is told - esteem! More than they esteem God! We are all thieves when we speak not of
sin. Look at the morning sky- bright is
the sun. The stars have gone (though not
really!) but what they are, is dwarfed by the light. In the absence of light, when the sun goes
down and the sky darkens, the whole of the visible cosmos shines and we see the
stars everywhere. This is how sin
is. In the absence of the Son of Man,
the darkness takes over and sin abounds, unabashed and unashamed to be seen,
standing tall in its pride and in the power of itself.
When we refuse to preach and speak on the utter depravity
of man, we refuse to give glory to God, His Son and His Spirit. There can be no glory in self! Found there in is only darkness and the
revealed sin, unabashed, unashamed. God
is only glorified when we see Him in and as the light, when He is the light
dwarfing our darkness in Glory, Power and Honor. Only the cross of Christ and its glory is
revealed in the back drop of our own depravity.
It is impossible to bring Glory to God, His Christ and His Cross if we
fail to teach about man’s sin. Consider
the following scriptures:
Luke 7:36-48 (1901 ASV)
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. 37And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment, 38and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee that had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner. 40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Teacher, say on. 41A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty. 42When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath wetted my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but she, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but she hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. [22]
She loved much for she was forgiven much and she was
forgiven much for she knew how wretched she was…
Man can never know or love God unless we tell him how
wicked he really is, by showing him the Torah
to reveal his nakedness and then he will be able to receive all of God’s
counsel. To do otherwise is to rob them of the opportunity to put aside self,
and let them exalt Adonai Yahoveh and boast of His salvation and grace.” (End of section) [23]
So where does your compass point today?
Remember the
second definition for compass? “…Stretch; reach; extent; the limit or
boundary of a space, and the space included; applied to time, space, sound…” It is in the limit or the boundary that our compass must reside, that it
must point. The tragedy that I had mentioned at the beginning might not of
taken place had a compass been instilled in the young men involved. From mother
and father, to brothers and sisters to the community as a whole, especially the
community of G-d, if the work had been done, and I’m talking of the work of the
Kingdom of G-d, if it had been done maybe lives would not be shattered today.
Deut 6:4-9 says:
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (KJV)
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NASB)
“…4 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!
5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
7 "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
8 "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
9 "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates…”[24]
If there is to be any hope for civilization, we
the teachers have to place back the ancient boundaries and the institutions of
God. I can blame no one for not getting the message of G-d if I don’t teach it
right. James said in James 3:1: “…My
brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a
stricter judgment…” [25] The blame lays to me if I don’t lift
you up, if I don’t work in you that “…godly
sorrow…” which “… worketh [in you] repentance to
salvation not to be repented of…” For if I do less, all you are left with is “…the sorrow of the world [that] worketh
death…” [26]
I know how
harsh sometimes my words can be, or at least seem. I speak sometimes as if I am
coming against “Christianity”, yet it is never my intention to do so. But, and
this is a huge “BUT”: I am called to teach, and there is but one message the
Father and Son has given me, and that is to proclaim Truth.
Pilate
asked, “What is truth?”
The answer
comes from Yeshua Himself: John 14:6(a): “…Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life…” [27]
And what is
the way:
What is the
truth:
What is the
life:
Proverbs 13:14 lThe law of the wise is
a fountain of life, To turn one away from mthe snares of death. [30]
There’s
more:
Proverbs 7:2 2 keep my
commandments and live, keep my teachings as the apple of your eye;
Proverbs 28:9 9 If one turns away
his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. [31]
Psalm 1:2 But chis delight is in the law of the Lord, dAnd in His law he 2meditates day and night. [32]
Psalm 119:44-45
44 So I will akeep Your law continually, Forever and
ever. 45 And
I will awalk 1at liberty, For I bseek Your precepts. [33]
This is the compass of life, this Torah, the direction
marker that leads us to salvation, to Messiah Yeshua. As a teacher it is my
obligation to teach it, to plead it, to weep if need be to help you as a
disciple of Jesus get going on the correct bearing. In the case of my family
members, someone failed them; they lost their way, they had no moral compass,
no boundaries, no ancient path laid before them that could have prevented what
happened. Many lives lay in shambles today because someone somewhere failed to
do the work of G-d. Thus, humbly I come before G-d this day, aware of my own
short comings and yet prepared to do what is necessary to help guide His people
onto the path of the way of truth and life. There are those who might speak
against what I teach; there are those who will undermine the message I bring.
To this situation there is little else I can do except never compromise in my
duty to Yeshua to speak the truth He has laid on my heart. That is the compass
I follow. May you dear brethren always be ready to follow yours.
May Yahoveh richly bless you all
this day, Amein and Amein…
[1] Author’s
note: There is a reason I use this particular Dictionary; Noah Webster
was and is considered the Father of American Christian education. I take the
following quote from the website http://1828.mshaffer.com:
“…No other dictionary compares with the Webster's 1828 dictionary. The English
language has changed again and again and in many instances has become corrupt.
The American Dictionary of the English Language is based upon God's written
word, for Noah Webster used the Bible as the foundation for his
definitions…” and this quote also:
“…This master linguist understood the power of words, their definitions, and
the need for precise word usage in communication to maintain independence. Webster
used the Bible as the foundation for his definitions…” By using a dictionary
that focuses upon the Word of God as its inspiration, a clearer more Biblical
world view can be had in the defining of terms, in the defining of words. (An
updated website for utilizing the words of Noah Webster is found at http://www.1828-dictionary.com.
[2] Webster’s Dictionary, 1828 Edition,
(electronic edition) e-Sword® v.9.9.1, Copyright ©2000-2011 by Rick Myers
[3] New
American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman
Foundation.
[4] The Complete Jewish bible, translated by
David H. Stern ©1998 by David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc,
Clarksville Maryland
[5] Part of
the title and parts of the theme of my epistle are derived from the original
message of Paul Washer, HeartCry Ministries. Always give credit where credit is
due… 1 Cor. 3:5-7: “…5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos,
but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6I
planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7So then
neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the
increase…” Thank you Paul for your inspiration.
j Acts 9:15
l Num. 6:25; 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3;
Eph. 1:2; Phil. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1
Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:2
o Rom. 9:1
[7] “…Systematic
theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an
orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs.
Inherent to a system of theological thought is that a method is developed, one
which can be applied both broadly and particularly. Systematic theology draws
on the foundations of the sacred texts of Christianity, and also looks to the
development of doctrine over the course of history, philosophy, science, and
ethics to produce as full a view and as versatile a philosophical approach as
possible…” From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia, @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systematic_theology
[10] The Complete Jewish bible, translated by
David H. Stern ©1998 by David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc,
Clarksville Maryland
[11] …Ibid…
[12] New
American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman
Foundation.
x Deut.
6:5; 10:12; 30:6
[13] The New
King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[15] The Best of C.H. Spurgeon, by Charles H.
Spurgeon ©1986 Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI
[16] The New
King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
f Hag. 1:1
† A Hebrew word occurs that is not directly translated in
the King James Version.
Hebrew Strong’s: 1323
Stem, Mood: 8676
Hebrew Strong’s: 1323
Stem, Mood: 8676
[19] The Holy
Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the
1611 Authorized Version.). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[20] The Holy
Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the
1611 Authorized Version.). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[21] The Holy
Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the
1611 Authorized Version.). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[22] American
Standard Version. 1995 (Electronic edition.). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos
Research Systems, Inc.
[23] From the epistle “…Before Reformation: 10
Indictments of the Modern Church…an exposition on the sermon of Paul Washer” by
David E. Robinson; original by Paul Washer can be seen/heard at: http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=17378&commentView=itemComments
A copy of my exposition can be obtained by contacting me at david_seedofabraham@hotmail.com
.
[24] New American Standard Bible, Updated
Edition, ©1995 by THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION. Database©2007 WORDsearch Corp.,
ver. 9.0.2.125
[27] King James Version, Red-Letter Bible, by
James Strong, ( electronic edition), e-Sword®, v. 9.9.1, copyright ©2000-2011 by Rick Myers
[28] Darby, J. N.
(1996). The Holy Scriptures : A new translation from the original languages
(electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.
[29] American
Standard Version. 1995 (Electronic edition.). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos
Research Systems, Inc.
[30] The New
King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[31] The Revised
Standard Version. 1971. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[32] The New
King James Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
