In the beginning, God said, "Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." Genesis 1:29
One of the first things God instructed humans on was the importance of plants within the creation he made for us. And all the way through the Holy Scriptures, that thread is interwoven with the history of humanity. In fact, the last book in the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, states "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right
to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city". God speaks of a positive relationship between his people and the plant kingdom, that will not end with the ushering of the New Heavens and New Earth, but will be deepened.
The Book of Genesis also mentions the tree of life. It is described as one of two particularly important trees in the Garden of Eden. The promise in Revelation about having the "right to the tree of life" is a potent one. That's because unfortunately humans had lost legal access to it through disobedience as described in Genesis. In that book, God is recorded as warning Adam not to eat of the other tree described, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or they will face dire consequences - the processes of death would enter their world.
Adam passed that command onto Eve, the woman. Before this, Adam and Eve had only experienced good and were completely unaware of evil. They had only experienced that which sustained and promoted life. Yet Eve was beguiled by a serpent to disobey the simple command. She then encouraged Adam to eat it as well. Once he did, "evil", which includes death, entered into human experience. God at that point, prevented Adam and Eve from partaking from the Tree of Life. Apparently, plants actually were involved in the fate of humanity from the very beginning.
Since then, botanical knowledge and the mysterious powers of plants has been woven through Scripture. They have been a force for healing and for harming.
It is notable that Solomon the King was a botanist and biologist and was known for his great wisdom in this regard:
"He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, from the
cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced
manuals on biology, describing animals, birds, insects, and fish. People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom; they
came from all the kings of the earth who heard of his wisdom". (1 Kings 4:29-34). The man who was, according to Jesus, the wisest man found it important to study in detail the plant (and animal) kingdom.
Besides Solomon, Moses the Man of God also was acquainted with plants. In fact, he heard the voice of God, emanating from a burning bush, and saying "I am that I am". In the next part of this series, we will explore other important references to healing plants and herbs throughout the Bible. We will then examine the role that the plant kingdom should have in the lives of followers of Jesus.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
The Sabbath was Made for Man (part 1 of 3)
The Sabbath, the seventh-day of the week as recorded the 10 commandments, is a day given to all humankind as a special set-apart (holy) day. It was not as many proclaim, given only to the Jews or the Israelites.
There are inherent blessings and gifts that come to anyone who will "remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy". The physical rest, the fellowship with God, the time with family and friends. These are some of the immediate benefits that the Sabbath provides.
Yet, the Sabbath also hides within it spiritual truths about the true story of redemption, the purposes of the Messiah and the results of the salvation he offers. Experiencing and understanding the Sabbath deepens one's relationship with the Creator. The flower-petals of the Sabbath-day will unfold to the mind that seeks spiritual understanding and truth, revealing hidden rubies of wisdom and understanding within it's royal recesses. While the keeping of the day as set-apart is in itself important in the sense of literal time and space, the spiritual understanding found within the Sabbath transcends that physical reality.
Yet one will find that the spiritual understanding of the Sabbath can only be truly grasped in when someone obeys the literal command. As the Psalmist said "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever."
The Sabbath command (Exodus 20:8-11), engraved on stone by the finger of God, connects the weekly seventh day we know as Saturday to the very first seventh day in earth's history.
God says in essence, remember the Sabbath to keep it holy, because in six days I made the heavens and earth and on the seventh-day I rested. That's why I made the Sabbath special.
"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
Hence the Sabbath provides a tangible marker in time that connects us to the very origins of creation and the Creator in an unbroken chain. It ties the fact of creation together with God's timeline as recorded in Genesis. It is a declaration that there is a Creator of time, space, energy and matter.
In Deuteronomy, when God repeats the commandments to Moses and he recites them to Israel, the reason for the Sabbath is different, giving us a deeper understanding of what it's all about. Here God connects the keeping of the Sabbath with the deliverance of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.
"And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day."
So we have two primary reasons that God gives the command to remember the Sabbath and to keep it holy. 1) It is a special day, set apart by God at the close of creation and given as a weekly reminder of the fact that there is a Creator. 2. The Sabbath serves as a reminder to the Israelites that they were once slaves in Egypt and that God brought them out to freedom through miraculous events.
These are the two foundational principles, or flower petals that unfold to reveal deeper meanings about the Sabbath. These principles also reveal that God gave the Sabbath not just for the Israelites (or to the Jews) but to all humankind. We will explore how that is as we dive deeper into the Sabbath in the next article in this series.
There are inherent blessings and gifts that come to anyone who will "remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy". The physical rest, the fellowship with God, the time with family and friends. These are some of the immediate benefits that the Sabbath provides.
Yet, the Sabbath also hides within it spiritual truths about the true story of redemption, the purposes of the Messiah and the results of the salvation he offers. Experiencing and understanding the Sabbath deepens one's relationship with the Creator. The flower-petals of the Sabbath-day will unfold to the mind that seeks spiritual understanding and truth, revealing hidden rubies of wisdom and understanding within it's royal recesses. While the keeping of the day as set-apart is in itself important in the sense of literal time and space, the spiritual understanding found within the Sabbath transcends that physical reality.
Yet one will find that the spiritual understanding of the Sabbath can only be truly grasped in when someone obeys the literal command. As the Psalmist said "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever."
The Sabbath command (Exodus 20:8-11), engraved on stone by the finger of God, connects the weekly seventh day we know as Saturday to the very first seventh day in earth's history.
God says in essence, remember the Sabbath to keep it holy, because in six days I made the heavens and earth and on the seventh-day I rested. That's why I made the Sabbath special.
"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
Hence the Sabbath provides a tangible marker in time that connects us to the very origins of creation and the Creator in an unbroken chain. It ties the fact of creation together with God's timeline as recorded in Genesis. It is a declaration that there is a Creator of time, space, energy and matter.
In Deuteronomy, when God repeats the commandments to Moses and he recites them to Israel, the reason for the Sabbath is different, giving us a deeper understanding of what it's all about. Here God connects the keeping of the Sabbath with the deliverance of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.
"And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day."
So we have two primary reasons that God gives the command to remember the Sabbath and to keep it holy. 1) It is a special day, set apart by God at the close of creation and given as a weekly reminder of the fact that there is a Creator. 2. The Sabbath serves as a reminder to the Israelites that they were once slaves in Egypt and that God brought them out to freedom through miraculous events.
These are the two foundational principles, or flower petals that unfold to reveal deeper meanings about the Sabbath. These principles also reveal that God gave the Sabbath not just for the Israelites (or to the Jews) but to all humankind. We will explore how that is as we dive deeper into the Sabbath in the next article in this series.
Thursday, June 8, 2017
James Affirms the Torah
James the Apostle affirms what the Torah teaches about how we treat one another. He does not speak of a "law of Christ" that somehow supercedes the written commands (instructions) of God, the Torah.
As we read in James chapter 4, he that speaks against his brother, speaks against the law, that is, the Torah of God. And how is speaking against one's brother or sister speaking against the Torah of God? The Torah of God says "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." In another place, the Torah says "Thou shalt not bear false witness." In yet another place it commands "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the Lord."
Moreover, our Messiah Yeshua commanded "Judge not, lest ye be judged" and in another place "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." His words do not in any way in contradiction Torah or else he could not be the Messiah by the requirements of a prophet no less the sin offering. Instead the words of the Messiah must affirm the Torah. After all, Yeshua is a living embodiment of the written Torah, and the written Torah therefore points directly back to him as the Messiah. Therefore we must understand his words in light of this knowledge.
Many expositors have claimed that the law spoken of here by James is not the Torah, but a separate law they called the "law of Christ" which they equate with the law of liberty and the royal law that James spoke of in the first chapter of his letter. This "law of Christ" and "law of liberty", according to this reasoning, is distinct from the Torah which supposedly brought bondage to those under it. However, the whole context of James' writing is nested in the language of Torah.
As we read in James chapter 4, he that speaks against his brother, speaks against the law, that is, the Torah of God. And how is speaking against one's brother or sister speaking against the Torah of God? The Torah of God says "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." In another place, the Torah says "Thou shalt not bear false witness." In yet another place it commands "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the Lord."
Moreover, our Messiah Yeshua commanded "Judge not, lest ye be judged" and in another place "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." His words do not in any way in contradiction Torah or else he could not be the Messiah by the requirements of a prophet no less the sin offering. Instead the words of the Messiah must affirm the Torah. After all, Yeshua is a living embodiment of the written Torah, and the written Torah therefore points directly back to him as the Messiah. Therefore we must understand his words in light of this knowledge.
Many expositors have claimed that the law spoken of here by James is not the Torah, but a separate law they called the "law of Christ" which they equate with the law of liberty and the royal law that James spoke of in the first chapter of his letter. This "law of Christ" and "law of liberty", according to this reasoning, is distinct from the Torah which supposedly brought bondage to those under it. However, the whole context of James' writing is nested in the language of Torah.
In fact, James chapter 1 defines the law that is spoken of in his letter. "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors." James 1:8-9. James is quoting from the Torah, specifically Leviticus 19:18, which Yeshua also quoted from when he included that command as the second greatest commandment. James also refers to a common principle in the Old Testament about not having respect of persons, or showing partiality in judgement. "Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous." Deuteronomy 16:19. James then goes on to explain what breaking that law looked like:
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
(Pay close attention as James tells us how one becomes guilty of breaking this law...)
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty."
James says that breaking the royal law, the whole law, only required one infraction to the Torah, specifically one of the ten commandments. The royal law is the law by which we are judged but it is also the "law of liberty" for those who trust and obey the word. Living by its precepts brings liberty, not bondage. Yet, this is the law that we speak against when we speak against our brother. In other words, we deem the commandments of God unworthy of adequately judging others so we insert our own fleshly opinions in the place of God's holy commandments. This is something that Yeshua condemned thoroughly in his ministry.
Yet James explains that if we break only one of those commandments, we have in essence broken them all, even if we've kept all the others. By speaking against our brother, we transgress the law and bring judgement on ourselves. Simultaneously, we judge the Torah an inadequate measure of judgement.
James' letter affirms the immovability of God's ten commandments and the whole of Torah. His whole letter is an admonishment to live by the righteous ways of Yahweh and to free ourselves from partiality and bitterness towards each other. He gives a strong exposition on the importance of works in relation to faith. True faith results in salvation in a legal sense. Yet faith also brings salvation in the experiential sense that results in obedience and works of righteousness. We can show our faith by our works, our obedience to God's commands.
The faith spoken of is the faith in the Son of God, Yeshua, who overcame the principalities and powers of wickedness in high (and low) places. He offers forgiveness from our past sins, and a complete and lifelong renewal where we increasingly desire the things of God. At the same time, our love for the things of the world begin to wane and die off.
Finally, James admonishes: "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
We know that our brother and elder John the Apostle said that "sin is the transgression of the law." In other words, sin is the transgression of Torah. So James wraps up his letter by admonishing us to convert sinners (Torah breakers) from their errors. Let us go on to learn more about our Messiah by the reading and adhering to Torah, and teaching others to do the same also, under the grace that has been provided in this age. And let us never be found guilty of teaching others consciously to disobey the very Word that Jesus came to embody and to live perfectly.
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Yoga - Man Without the Word
Yoga is the man without the word. This is the reasoning that the elders in the Rasta Church taught from the beginning. Yoga represents the man that thinks he can reach God without the Word of God - by his own earthly methods. Over the years, as I continued to devote myself to prayer and the word of God, I found that the scriptures confirmed that the reasoning the elders gave was true.
The Scriptures command every Israelite, every follower of God to avoid the "ways of the nations" completely. So then the question arises: "What are the ways of the nations?".
The ways of the nations are the religious and cultural practices of pagan people outside of the Israelite covenant with God. For example, the pagan nations had temples in which they worshiped idols and where all manner of immorality was practiced at times. In other places, the priests and prophets of pagan traditions taught esoteric knowledge to initiates, designed to enlighten the practitioner or bring them into favor with various spirits. God commanded the Israelites, and every follower of God, to flee from such practices no matter how enticing.
That's because God wants us to know him and to know us. He wants us to seek for moral excellence in what we do and say. He wants us to learn to listen to his voice in prayer and through reading the Torah, Prophets, Psalms, Proverbs and the New Covenant writings. God actually wants a friendship that develops through our obedience to him, which manifests our love for him.
Yoga promises the things that only God can truly give, and it promises us that in the context of a pagan worldview. The fact is, Yoga means at its core to "yoke", or to join the practitioner with the Hindu God. Yet the God envisioned in Hinduism is very different from the God that is described in the Bible. Yeshua himself stated that the only way to be "yoked" with God was by trusting in him. There are no replacements.
Since Yoga is a way of the nations, we cannot worship God fully in Spirit and Truth while practicing yoga. The truth is, no man or woman of God has need for yoga. Stretching and breathing belong to God and he made our bodies to do such things in accordance with our design. But practicing the poses of yoga associates the believer with idolatry and witchcraft. EVEN if the believer does not give any mental credence to idolatry and imagines he or she is praying to God while doing Yoga. "We cannot sit at the Table of the Lord and the table of devils. We cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils." 1 Corinthians 10:21. We should not use the methods of the heathen in our pursuit for union with God.
Under careful examination, it becomes clear that the physical aspects of yoga are designed to lead people into the more esoteric and religious practices. That is an essential part of the Hindu religion. Today, many individuals including those who say they are believers in the One True God and His Son practice and promote yoga. It has become a popular form of exercise and relaxation for millions including Christians. There are reported health benefits that many seek after, but at what cost?
Let each member of the body of Christ examine this prayerfully and realize that Yoga is a "way of the nations" that God has condemned. If a believer in Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah is still practicing the poses of Yoga, no matter if they aren't intentionally giving attention to the unbiblical teachings associated with it, they are still joining themselves with paganism and its false worldview.
What we do with our bodies (God's own temple) matters to God. "Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid." 1 Corinthians 6:15.
The Scriptures command every Israelite, every follower of God to avoid the "ways of the nations" completely. So then the question arises: "What are the ways of the nations?".
The ways of the nations are the religious and cultural practices of pagan people outside of the Israelite covenant with God. For example, the pagan nations had temples in which they worshiped idols and where all manner of immorality was practiced at times. In other places, the priests and prophets of pagan traditions taught esoteric knowledge to initiates, designed to enlighten the practitioner or bring them into favor with various spirits. God commanded the Israelites, and every follower of God, to flee from such practices no matter how enticing.
That's because God wants us to know him and to know us. He wants us to seek for moral excellence in what we do and say. He wants us to learn to listen to his voice in prayer and through reading the Torah, Prophets, Psalms, Proverbs and the New Covenant writings. God actually wants a friendship that develops through our obedience to him, which manifests our love for him.
Yoga promises the things that only God can truly give, and it promises us that in the context of a pagan worldview. The fact is, Yoga means at its core to "yoke", or to join the practitioner with the Hindu God. Yet the God envisioned in Hinduism is very different from the God that is described in the Bible. Yeshua himself stated that the only way to be "yoked" with God was by trusting in him. There are no replacements.
Since Yoga is a way of the nations, we cannot worship God fully in Spirit and Truth while practicing yoga. The truth is, no man or woman of God has need for yoga. Stretching and breathing belong to God and he made our bodies to do such things in accordance with our design. But practicing the poses of yoga associates the believer with idolatry and witchcraft. EVEN if the believer does not give any mental credence to idolatry and imagines he or she is praying to God while doing Yoga. "We cannot sit at the Table of the Lord and the table of devils. We cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils." 1 Corinthians 10:21. We should not use the methods of the heathen in our pursuit for union with God.
Under careful examination, it becomes clear that the physical aspects of yoga are designed to lead people into the more esoteric and religious practices. That is an essential part of the Hindu religion. Today, many individuals including those who say they are believers in the One True God and His Son practice and promote yoga. It has become a popular form of exercise and relaxation for millions including Christians. There are reported health benefits that many seek after, but at what cost?
Let each member of the body of Christ examine this prayerfully and realize that Yoga is a "way of the nations" that God has condemned. If a believer in Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah is still practicing the poses of Yoga, no matter if they aren't intentionally giving attention to the unbiblical teachings associated with it, they are still joining themselves with paganism and its false worldview.
What we do with our bodies (God's own temple) matters to God. "Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid." 1 Corinthians 6:15.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
What does God have to do with "Ghosts"?
Normally, I like to read from the King James Version of the Bible for daily devotions. The King James brings out the meter and cadence of the word and because it is close to being a word-for-word translation, it allows for more spiritual interpretation of the word. It is also highly accurate and can easily be checked against the Strong's Concordance to clarify places that the old English gets confusing.
But there are places where I realize that the translation is not really the best. Thankfully, because there are concordances that align nearly word-for-word with the King James so we can investigate places we are unsure about. Another excellent tool for the Bible student is the Blue Letter Bible which incorporates the Strong's Concordance, Thayer's Greek Lexicon and other texts for each verse in the King James Bible. It is apparent to me that God has in these days made it possible for anyone with access to a computer to search these things out for themselves. One place recently that I searched out was the use of the word "Ghost" in the King James text.
In my early days as a follower of Christ, under the tutelage of a Rasta elder and other brothers and sisters of the faith, I learned not to use the word "Ghost" when reading the King James Bible (which we read exclusively) but to replace that word with "Spirit". The elders explained that God is not a "Ghost", that to say so is to make God into an apparition. I accepted that reasoning as being sound and have stuck with it ever since.
Since that time, like many other things I learned in those early days, this teachings has been verified through research. A clear example of a place that it evident the folly of using the word Ghost is John 7 when Jesus declares "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
John goes on to clarify in the next verse "But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified." The word translated as "Spirit" is the same word translated "Ghost" just a few words down. Which one is more accurate? Spirit is actually one of the options from the concordances and lexicons. The word ghost disconnects "Holy Ghost" from almost every other instance when the word Spirit is used in connection with God, Jesus or any of their activities. In fact, if we accept the text exactly as it is written, then we are led to believe that the Spirit in verse 39 is not the same as the Holy Ghost in the same verse. We lose important information about the "Holy Spirit" if we change the term to Ghost in some places.
There are many other examples of this throughout the KJV. I am grateful for the King James Bible and use it exclusively for prayer, reading and exhortation. I do believe it is the best translation in English even if it can feel a bit awkward with the Old language at times for those that are unwilling to learn it. But the translators tell us when they've supplied words, and we have lexicons and concordances to check meanings so it seems the most transparent version. I am also in favor of gaining a deeper understanding behind the text and the best way to understand God, His Spirit and the meaning of words. So as for me and my house, we don't call God, or His Spirit, a Ghost.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)