The Sermon on the Mount, (Matt. 5-7)

By

Gary Primo

Jan. 5, 2019

The Sermon on the Mount is revered as one of the Messiah’s most revealing addresses, as it reveals the character of Elohim, and what sort of character we are to be developing in ourselves as Believers. In this study, I will dissect these verses and hopefully give them more clarity and meaning to assist all inspiring Believers in the Way of Yahuwah.

Again, for any new comers, I use the so-called sacred names exclusively. Since the Tetragrammaton original had five letters, I have adopted the original. So, Yahweh = Yahuwah; and Yahshua = Yahushua.

The biggest hurdle for any Believer is to overcome his own human nature and take on the nature of the Messiah (HaMashiyack), which is also the nature of the Father. This is why the Father placed His righteous spirit in us, to aid us in taking on the spirit of Elohim and making it our own. Newcomers might not know how they are to behave when first converted. These three chapters tell us exactly what is expected of us.

One of the problems with traditional Christianity, and even in some sacred name groups is they try to model themselves after some church leader. They expect these leaders to be perfect and often they are anything but. We have only one incorruptible High Priest and Teacher; and that is Yahushua HaMashiyack. We are to look to Him alone for an example of perfection; after all He is the only being in the creation to have attained such perfection. We already have open and free access to Him via the righteous spirit of Yahuwah dwelling in us.

So, let us examine these 3 chapters and see what comes out.

Matt. 5:1 - And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 - And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 - Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 - Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 - Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

I find that it is usually very unusual to find a humble rich person. However, I have known a few. I knew one man in my former church that was very well off due to a thriving paving business. One day he and his wife decided to give away all of what they had to their children, while they just pulled up roots and left all behind to supposedly follow after the Master, Yahushua. At first I was excited for him; however, he somehow ended up right back in mainstream Christianity, and I could not help but query, what happened to this fellow. It has been years since I have seen this former brother in the faith and I still wonder about him and how he is doing.

The strangest thing was; however, that I perceived this fellow to have basically all of the attributes listed in these verses. He was extremely generous and giving. He was always ready to help anyone in the congregation. His wealth did not seem to affect his spiritual state whatsoever.

Of course I do believe that there are many amongst the traditional Christian churches who are more or less righteous by nature; or at least righteous by human standards. But is that enough if at the same time they are worshipping made-over Roman gods, and following the dictates of Emperor Constantine, above the commandments of Yahuwah?

We have to keep in mind that these attributes only count if we are dedicating our worship towards the One True Elohim. Anyone can project the image of a righteous person, but we must judge righteousness by Yahuwah’s standards, not by the standards of men. Judging the heart of an individual is a most difficult task. The heart tends to hide as much as it reveals. Words can be cleverly manipulated. I certainly believe that actions are the better indicator of what exactly is hidden in the heart. All Believers need to be aware that the heart (Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?).

Following baptism we all experienced a change of heart; from one dedicated to following the god of this world to one dedicated to following after our Father in heaven. However, many have fallen from that way through the deceitfulness of false teachers. We have only one Teacher (Yahushua) in whom no deceit can be found. So why look to any corruptible, mortal man for righteous instruction?

6 - Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

How is righteousness gauged? Is it not by the Word of Elohim? Is the Word of Elohim not based on His universal laws? Then how can traditional Christianity preach that the Law is done away with? Does this not reveal that they are not seeking after the righteousness of Elohim?

Most humans are not righteous by nature. I know that I wasn’t before Yahuwah called me. In fact, when I began reading the Scripture for the first time, I did not do so because I was in anyway interested in following Yahushua. I started reading it as an atheist, bent on proving the ridiculousness of those writings. However, a curious thing happened while I was reading it. Yahuwah began speaking directly to me through my conscience and showing me the flaws in my character. Since that moment, I began striving to develop righteous character within my own nature and changing my nature to match Yahuwah’s. Of course I have still a long way to go before perfecting that nature in myself, but that does not deter me from seeking after the full nature of Yahuwah,

We have all heard it said that actions speak louder than words. This is so true. We have all likely known someone that talked the talk, but did not walk the walk. Our actions reveal what is truly in the heart. And, we need not only look to others for such hypocrisy; we must be constantly judging our own actions to make sure we are walking the walk.

7 - Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Remember the story of the king who forgave his servant’s debt and that servant turned around and jailed a person who owed him money? This story is an excellent example of mercy. The king showed mercy towards this servant, but the servant showed no mercy towards his servant. Picture that king as Yahushua. Yahushua in His pre-incarnate form was the Elohim of Israel. Throughout the Old Testament (OT) we have numerous examples of when Yahuwah showed mercy to those He called His children. Right from the beginning, with the original sin, Yahuwah has demonstrated nothing but mercy towards mankind. He made sure that Adam knew the penalty for disobedience was death. When Adam did not immediately die, he must have thought that as affirmation that HaSatan had told him the truth. But, of course, Yahuwah was not speaking of physical death but eternal death of both the body and the spirit. Adam did end up living a very long time, but eventually he did die. Of course, he will be brought up in the resurrection and face the judgement. I know of no scriptural verse that reveals whether Adam ever repented of his actions. If not, he will have one final opportunity when he stands before the Judge, and hopefully he will repent at that time.

8 - Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see Elohim.

What is it that determines the purity of one’s heart? It is the degree to which we have taken on the righteousness of Yahuwah, and how we demonstrate that purity. It is easy to speak righteously and yet possess an impure heart. Again, the heart is deceitful above all things.

9 - Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of Elohim.

Verbal disagreements can sometimes turn quite ugly and at times escalate into physical confrontations. And, I must admit that my own bad temper has gotten the better of me on numerous occasions throughout my life. It has proven to be one of the biggest hurdles during my quest for righteousness. I have; however, mellowed a lot in my advanced age in regard to my temper and my tolerance of other people’s opinions. When I do feel that rage emerging now, I usually keep it under control until I have had several days to think of a rational response and then confront the person with what I feel would be Yahuwah’s response. It usually works much better, and I do not have to feel guilty about the outcome.

Trying to be a peacemaker between two other parties is also difficult. One of the parties will almost always feel I am taking the side of the other party and be offended. These matters have to be handled delicately so as to cause no offense. We all have our own opinion on certain subjects (like on politics and religion) and find it offensive when challenged. We all have had different life experiences that have brought us to the opinions we host.

Some of perhaps the worst experiences we have had are from watching our parent’s behaviour. The family dynamic is where we learn many of the behaviours we carry with us throughout the rest of our lives – good or bad. It takes a very concentrated effort to change those bad behaviours. Being called of Yahuwah is a call for change. We must change ourselves before we can change others. We must be an example of righteousness ourselves before we can expound righteousness to others.

10 - Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Being persecuted for righteousness’ sake is a common element we face when pursuing the Way of Yahuwah. We are the oddballs, fish swimming against the strong current of worldly attitudes and opinions. Making the decision to follow Yahuwah often means losing jobs, family members and friends. Our ways confuse and cause offense to some who are still in the worldly state. Some who began this journey have succumbed to the pressure put on them, and gone back to the world. Blessed are those who hold a steady course through it all.

11 - Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

I have had such experiences and I am sure that most other Believers have also. Remember, Yahuwah is the only one capable of true righteous judgement. What the unrighteous say about us is of no consequence when it comes to our spiritual journey.

Recently, I ventured out of my comfort zone to attend a Sabbath service with some former friends from my former church. I ended up feeling like I had taken a giant, 25 year step backwards, and that I had made a huge mistake. However, if we learn a lesson from our mistakes, it was worth the risk. When I told my host (later in a phone call) that I was not interested in returning, he got somewhat confrontational, judging me and condemning me for not following the directives of our former church to assemble on the Sabbath. He had called me at an inconvenient time and I was not interested in debating with him at the time, so I simply deflected his comments without telling him what I was really feeling.

What I was really feeling was a great deal of discomfort. They were still using the abominable Roman names for the Father and the Son, while I held to the true names under my breath. The message was a video of a sermon given by one of the leaders of that church. It was ok in a generic sort of way. But I walked away thinking that there seemed to have been 0 growth in that church since I left 25 years previously.

But many in the various churches are like that. They feel that adhering to the church’s doctrines is the end-all of our spiritual walk. Meanwhile, I have learned that (since leaving that group) that our spiritual walk is all about constant growth, change and revelations. Any who thinks they already know all there is to know about salvation are delusional. This is the common cop-out of those too lazy to search and prove all things for themselves. They are quite content to let their church leaders do all the work and simply accept what they say as truth. Part of doing the work is searching and proving all things, like the “noble Bereans”.

12 - Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

We live in a time when we are more or less free of the kind of persecution the prophets and apostles before us went through. About the only place where Christians are still being persecuted to death is in mid and far eastern nations. However, that does not mean that such persecution is not coming our way. It was announced just this week that California is moving to ban anyone in the state from owning a Bible. Of course, this is part of the One World Order movement; and is merely paving the way for the One World Religion (Christlam) which will soon be upon us. Christianity was nothing more than the state sponsored religion (One World Religion) of Emperor Constantine. It was Constantine who changed the laws and times, making him the antichrist (Dan. 7:25).

1 Thes. 5:1 - But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you.

2 - For yourselves know perfectly that the day of Yahuwah so comes as a thief in the night.

3 - For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4 - But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

How often have you heard someone say that we need not worry about the tribulation, that we will be whisked away to a place of safety when the time comes? Have they not read how many are going to share that experience (144,000 – 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes) and what the criteria is for being a part of that number?

Rev. 7: 4 - And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Rev. 14: 3 - And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

4 - These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto Elohim and to the Lamb.

5 - And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of Elohim.

How many of us honestly feel confident enough to declare that they fit all of the above criteria. I do not – at least yet. In fact, I have resigned myself to the conclusion that I will most likely have to suffer death because of my faith. I hope and pray that I will be able to remain faithful throughout it all.

Following the exodus to the place of safety, a great multitude will emerge from the tribulation with their “robes washed clean”. This is the best that most of us can hope for. The end time tribulation will be even worse that what Believers in the first couple of centuries experienced. Can you picture yourself being sawed in half, ripped apart by having your feet tied to horses and pulled in opposite directions, being hung upside down on a cross, boiled alive, etc., etc,? These and quite likely even more terrifying methods of torture will be utilized to get us to recant our faith. The very thought of such an experience is enough to scare us to death. No one wants to die by such means; but if our forerunners of the faith were made to endure this final test, who are we to think that we will not?

I find comfort in the fact that this will be the final and ultimate test of our faith and a final chance to prove our worthiness to enter the Kingdom. We all have to die sometime. Why not die for such a worthwhile cause? Yet, the fear of death is an awfully powerful deterrent, and I suppose that many succumbed to their fear and abandoned the Way of Yahuwah because of such fear.

The creation of the modern day Christian faith was certainly an example of this apostasy. The vast majority of the people preferred Constantine’s Christian counterfeit to the Way of Yahuwah because they feared death. It will be no different in the last days.

Matt. 5:13 - You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

It is the lack of spiritual growth that causes us to become stagnant and develop a “ho - hmm” attitude towards salvation. The grand lie of the serpent to Eve was that they were already gods. The grand lie of Christianity is that we are already saved. The Christian counterfeiters tell their followers that all they need to do is confess the name of the Saviour and recognize Him as the Son of Elohim to gain salvation. Was that really what Yahushua taught? If we do not recognize the need for spiritual growth, we will persist in the delusion that we are fine just the way we are and make no effort to grow spiritually. It is such that will be “cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men’.

14 - You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

15 - Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house.

Do you feel confident that you are currently a light of the world? How does one come to such a conclusion? The only way is to make sure that we are doing the will of Yahuwah. Are we to believe what other men tell us concerning what the will of Yahuwah is? Or are we commissioned with the job of searching and proving all things for ourselves? I choose option two. We have only one shot at salvation and we had better make sure we shoot straight. We have only one true, incorruptible and eternal High Priest and Teacher. We have no need of another (corruptible human teacher). We must follow directly in the path that our Eldest Brother, Yahushua, laid out for us – complete trust and devotion to the Father, obedience to His every word and law and not allowing even the fear of death to deter us from the path. This is the only way to salvation. Any other way is a fraud and will only lead to eternal death.

Prov. 14: 12 - There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Does a false teacher know he’s one, or does he firmly believe what he is teaching? I believe that before one can delude others, they must be deluded themselves. Actually, I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and not calling them out and out liars. We are presently in a situation similar to before the flood, with everyone doing what is pleasing and “right” in their own eyes. However, the ways that seem right to man are nothing but filthy rags to Yahuwah.

2 Thes. 2: 8 - And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom Yahuwah shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

9 - Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 - And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 - And for this cause Elohim shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

Yahuwah’s attitude is if we wish not to hear and abide in the truth, He will send you even greater delusion, so that you can no longer recognize the truth. This certainly appears to be the case with the world we know – and especially with mainstream Christianity. One of the greatest hurdles for new truth seekers is shedding the deceitful filters from our eyes. All our lives we were told one thing and suddenly we put the brakes on and head off in another direction. We can read the same verses we read before, but without the deceitful filters, we walk away with an entirely different understanding. However, that cannot be helped in the beginning, but as we search and prove all things and examine all the verses concerning any given topic throughout the Scriptures, we will (with Yahuwah’s guidance) come to a full understanding of the truth.

Matt. 5:12 - That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Any doctrine that cannot be substantiated via a thorough and exhaustive study of all scriptures related to the subject is likely one that came straight out of pagan theology. The Christian counterfeiters could not monkey around much with the OT because there were always Jewish experts to refute their claims. So, they focused almost exclusively on the NT, even declaring that the Old Covenant has been done away with. You will find no such passage that makes this claim; however, there are numerous passages declaring the OT to be alive and well for all True Believers. They made subtle changes to numerous passages that promoted their previously held pagan concepts. Many were first added as footnotes, but eventually crept into the passages over time. All such changes qualify as lies and prove that the authors took great pleasure in their unrighteousness and desired to bring down all future generations of followers to the pit with them. A lie, even though repeated often enough, never qualifies as truth, except in the reprobate minds of the former pagan worshipers. The most difficult thing in converting people is convincing them that what they have been taught and believed all their lives to be true is a lie. Their love of unrighteousness blinds them to the truth; and truth becomes a commodity that can be bought, sold and changed at will.

Matt. 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

This is exactly what Yahushua did – He let His light shine before all men. And, of course, His light was derived from the spirit of the Father dwelling in Him. Yahushua had a full measure of the Father dwelling in Him. We are to be found working diligently towards acquiring the same measure of the Father’s spirit living in and through us as well. Then, and only then, will we be able to claim, “When you see me, you see the Father also”. Our words and actions will perfectly reflect those of the Father’s. We too should be filled with enough faith to perform some of the awesome miracles that were done by Yahushua and the apostles and others of the first couple of centuries. Have you ever wondered why such miracles do not flow from whatever church we are affiliated with these days? I would have to say it is because of the Laodicean attitude that permeates the churches today. My former church used to boast that they were the Philadelphian church. Yet, they continued to worship the Roman gods that Constantine set up for them. One cannot just take one baby step out of the worldly religious system and stop. We must step away completely.

The following verses prove beyond doubt that the Messiah, Yahushua, did not come to do away with the law.

Matt. 5:17 - Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 - For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 - Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 - For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

There we have it – as plain as the noses on our faces. Yahushua did not come to destroy the law or the Prophets (or their prophesies) but to fulfill them. Nothing is to pass from the law until all is fulfilled. When are all things to be fulfilled? Not until heaven and earth pass away and are replaced by the new heaven and the new earth. Even breaking one of the least of those commandments will greatly diminish our future role in the Kingdom, or may even disqualify us altogether.

The scribes and Pharisees were great at talking the talk, but certainly did not walk the walk. Their actions revealed their level of hypocrisy. It is not to be so with us. Our walk must equal our talk. If not, the doors to the Kingdom will be closed to us. And we will be on the outside crying “Master, Master, have we not done everything you taught? And, the answer is going to be, “No you did not, you only did what you thought to be the bare minimum.”

Would any employer be satisfied if you only did the bare minimum when working for them? I highly doubt it. So, why would anyone expect Yahuwah to be satisfied with the bare minimum? The answer – He is not. He is far from satisfied, and if we do not give 100%, he will fire our worthless carcasses from the main body. We are not a part of some government union, where we are able to negotiate our work contract. We are to be in the body of Yahushua, teaching and doing the full will of the Father – not picking and choosing which laws we feel comfortable following. We MUST follow ALL of them!

The following verses reveal the spiritual intent of the Law.

Matt. 5:21 - You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 - But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

I would say that one of the best examples of being angry or hating without cause is racism. As far as I am concerned, it is one of the most pathetic reasons to hate someone is on account of their race and/or their skin colour. In many cases, members of such white supremacy groups also claim to be “good” Christians. There are some, even within the sacred name movement, that subscribe to such a philosophy. And. I am sure that they find a number of passages that they twist to their own understanding. One such person that I will name is Eric Phelps, who wrote the book, Vatican Assassins. While I feel he did an excellent job on exposing the Roman Catholic faith for what it really is, he, at the same time, is a self-professed, white supremist.

What always precedes a murder? A person is offended by something someone has done or said. They become angry. They begin to hate the person. If left festering long enough, that hatred turns into action (murder).

Admittedly, hatred and anger are two emotions I am quite familiar with – but not without cause. One example is against a fellow who sexually molested one of my daughters for an ongoing period of 4 years (while in her mother’s care) before being found out. My daughter attempted suicide 7 times over the matter. I do not believe my hatred for this person is “without cause”. Since he has never admitted his crime or apologized, he is surely unrepentant. In the beginning, I would have loved nothing better than to have killed him. However, I ended up praying about it and putting the matter before Yahuwah, and leaving this man’s punishment in His capable hands. And yet, I think of him often, and when I do the anger and hatred comes flooding back. I am working on it, but man is it hard.

Matt. 5:23 - Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you;

24 - Leave there your gift before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Any gift offered to Yahuwah must come from a person who is pure of heart, for that gift to be valued. Anything less is worthless. For example - the story of Cain and Abel. Cain had an evil and jealous heart. Therefore, his gift was unacceptable to Yahuwah. And Yahuwah even told him how to remedy the situation.

Gen. 4:6 - And Yahuwah said unto Cain, Why are you angry, and why is our countenance fallen?

7 - If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin lays at the door. And unto you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him.

Cain was the eldest child. His was the birthright. However, the birthright was not solely claimed due to birth order. It was also dependant on righteousness. We have numerous cases where the younger was more righteous and pleasing to Yahuwah; and was promoted above the eldest brother. The very thought of his younger brother being promoted before him, gave Cain reason to be angry and hate and kill his brother. He could have avoided it all by listening to and obeying Yahuwah. Instead, he thought that eliminating his competition would qualify him to hold onto his birthright. However, to his great disappointment, Cain became an outcast, while the next in birth order, Seth, was promoted above him.

Matt. 5:25 - Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.

26 - Verily I say unto you, You shall by no means come out thence, till you have paid the uttermost farthing.

I do not believe this means to blindly agree with someone no matter what, but to come to (or work out) an agreement quickly. “While you are in the way with him” may be referring to someone who is in the Way of Yahuwah with us. To allow such hard feelings to dwell and fester within the body of Yahushua would not be a good thing.

The last two Passovers I observed while with my former church were the worst I remember. At the second last one, the host advanced the cause of his hatred and contempt toward the church leadership. At the last Passover I attended there the conversation somehow turned against the host’s neighbour, who was also a member; but was celebrating the feast elsewhere. The whole theme of the Passover got thrown out the window and was consumed by a gossip-fest instead. Rather than soap boxing their personal grievances behind the backs of those persons, they should have gone directly to the person they had a grievance with and worked things out. That is the sort of thing I believe these verses are talking about

27 - You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery:

28 - But I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

We all know, or should know by now that Yahuwah judges the heart. Why? Because the heart id deceitful above all things. If our hearts are pure so will our minds, words and actions be. It is primarily our hearts that need changing. They need to be replaced with Yahuwah’s heart – in which deceitfulness does not exist. We develop that heart within ourselves by remaining obedient to every word of Yahuwah. When and if we develop that heart in us, we will be fit for the Kingdom; and not before.

Matt. 5:29 - And if your right eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.

30 - And if your right hand offend you, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.

I believe these verses are speaking metaphorically. Basically, anything that stands between us and the Kingdom needs to be dealt with – directly and immediately. Our eyes lead us to lust after what we are not supposed to have. Our right hand then becomes obedient to the lusts of the eye.

31 - It has been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32 - But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced commits adultery.

These days, respect for the sanctity of marriage has almost become an unknown commodity. I have been married twice and divorced twice on account of an adulterous spouse. The first marriage took place before I was called of Yahuwah; and I will readily confess my own infidelity as well. My second marriage took place just before being called, and while this wife did nothing to share in my new found faith, I was determined to stick it out because of the “till death do us part” clause in the marriage vows. Of course by this time I took my vows much more seriously. These days I content myself with the marriage contract I have with the Lamb.

33 - Again, you have heard that it has been said by them of old time, You shall not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto Yahuwah your oaths:

34 - But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is Elohim’s throne:

35 - Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36 - Neither shalt you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.

37 - But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these comes of evil.

Do not swear by anything that is on earth nor in heaven. Simply let your “yes” mean yes and your “no” mean no. I have heard so many people swear by their child’s life. If they are swearing falsely, it could cost them that child’s life.

38 - You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 - But I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Again, I believe these verses to be speaking metaphorically and within the confines of our faith community. I do not believe it to mean that if someone (of the world) is threatening to kill us or a member of our family, we do not have the right to defend ourselves or our loved ones. However, if someone in the faith becomes angry with us to the point that they actually strike us, we are not to respond in kind. Rather, we are to let the shame of what they have just done sink in and then resolve the issue. Reacting in kind tends to only make matters worse. It is the same when one person begins raising their voice. Before you know it there is a screaming match going on. The best way to handle such a situation is to remain calm and talk softly until the other person lowers his/her voice. When dealing with threats of bodily harm, my standard response is to calmly look at the person straight in the eye and say, “Go for it.” If they do, I am ready for them; but in almost every case such a response is not what they were expecting and confuses then. Usually they walk away.

40 - And if any man will sue you at the law, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.

41 - And whosoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two.

42 - Give to him that asks you, and from him that would borrow of you turn not you away.

Again, I believe this is talking of within the believing community. If a brother believes you owe him something, give him more than what was owed and make him even happier. Perhaps he will be shammed by his actions and you will be able to return to your friendship with the person afterward.

43 - You have heard that it has been said, You shall love thy neighbour, and hate your enemy.

44 - But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 - That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 - For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans the same?

47 - And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans so?

In this matter we are to treat non-Believers and Believers the same. We are to be a light before them. Respond to them the way you would think Yahushua would respond. We never know when our actions might inspire the other person to reassess his spiritual state or even become a Believer.

The way in which I was called and who inspired my change is a prime example of this. This person was a friend with whom I played guitar and entertained at parties. He had formally attended a Bible college on the East Coast of Canada (somewhere). Even though he had “fallen” into a drunken, drugged adulterer, he still spouted scripture constantly, and it was he who inspired me to start reading the Scriptures, if only to prove him wrong. Instead, Yahuwah opened up a whole new and exciting world to me, for which I am eternally grateful.

In my former church, we were not encouraged to go out and seek new converts on our own. That was basically left up to the church leadership. However, if we are to be modelling ourselves after Yahushua and taking on His mind (same mind as the Father), why would not all of us be qualified to spread the gospel? There was no such division within the early church. All were considered messengers of the gospel. Others, besides the apostles, were performing miracles and suffering martyrdom for their faith (e.g. Steven). In those days, hundreds were converted in a single day. What was there about these early saints that so many readily became believers at their teachings?

And, what does this say about our generation? How many are we converting in a single day? How enthusiastic are we about stepping out from the back bleachers to address a crowd? Have our former or current churches done anything to encourage and build confidence in ourselves to do this? Are we the Laodicean church or the Philadelphian? How do we compare to those first Believers? Those are the types of questions we must ask when introspecting ourselves.

48 - Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Is it really possible to attain to the same level of perfection as the Father? Of course it is! Yahushua did it. He would not command us to do so if it were not possible. And again, how do we make ourselves perfect? By bring ourselves under total obedience to the Father and taking on His nature and His heart.

Matt. 6:1 - Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

2 - Therefore when you do your alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3 - But when you do alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand does:

4 - That your alms may be in secret: and your Father which sees in secret himself shall reward you openly.

How many in the mainstream churches are guilty of this. The affluent show up in their Sunday finest and often find themselves surrounded by other members who are in admiration of their wealth and prestige; while a poor widow may barely receive any acknowledgement at all. This reminds me of the story of the poor widow.

Mark 12:41 - And Yahushua sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

42 - And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

43 - And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow has cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

44 - For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

This poor widow gave all that she had. It was such a pitiful amount that no one honoured her for her contribution. But one did honour her – Yahuwah. As far as He was concerned, the widow’s offering was the greatest of all. She had the heart of Yahuwah living and growing inside of her. She put her faith first, and trusted that Yahuwah would provide for her. Those who expect great blessings of wealth from Yahuwah are likely to be greatly disappointed. Yahuwah usually just provides enough for our sustenance only. We have no need of great material wealth to be pleasing to Yahuwah. For a rich man to give a tenth of his wealth is no big deal at all; and they have received their reward in this life time because that was all that they interested in all along. The only reward the widow was expecting was entry into the Kingdom, which I am sure she will receive.

Matt. 6:5 - And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 - But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.

7 - But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 - Be not you therefore like unto them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him.

The question we must all ask ourselves is, “Who is it we are trying to impress?” Is it Yahuwah or our fellow church members? I never enjoyed any form of prestige in my former church. I’d show up in a suit I had purchased from the Salvation Army and had little to offer in the way of tithes. However, whenever I was down and out and wondering where I was going to get what I needed to support my family, Yahuwah always came through for me in ways I had never expected. I never became rich, but I was always able to provide a roof over our heads and food on the table. What more do we really need?

Matt. 6:9 - After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which is in heaven, Hallowed be your name.

10 - Your kingdom come. Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 - Give us this day our daily bread.

12 - And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 - And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

This is what is commonly known as “the Lord’s Prayer”, and many simply repeat this prayer word for word, believing that it is all that is required of them. However, this was meant to be a basic guideline only. We can expand greatly on this outline, which was the Messiah’s insinuation.

Matt. 6:14 - For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 - But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

I believe this is one of the greatest hurdles of all – one which I personally have a great deal of difficulty with. My human nature is such that I desire vengeance on anyone who does me or my family wrong. And backing down from anyone is not part of my mindset or nature at all. What these verses are implying is that simply not taking action against such that wrong you is not enough. We must actually forgive them. If that person came forward and actually expressed repentance and regret for what they have done, I would likely be more apt to forgive; but when they are not even seeking forgiveness, it is much more difficult. However, I have prayed and left the matter in Yahuwah’s most capable hands in many of these matters. But putting the matter completely out of my mind is exceedingly difficult. When such matters arise, we need to think of Yahushua’s words when hanging on the cross, “Father, forgive then for they know not what they do”.

Matt. 6:16 - Moreover when you fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

17 - But you, when you fastest, anoint your head, and wash your face;

18 - That you appear not unto men to fast, but unto your Father which is in secret: and your Father, which sees in secret, shall reward you openly.

Legally speaking, there is only one day of the year where we are required to fast, and that is on the Day of Atonement. Since the first day of a fast is usually the most difficult, it naturally follows that if we only fast one day of the year, it will be somewhat difficult and uncomfortable. However, if one fasts often, it becomes much less of a discomfort. By day 3, one does not feel hungry any more. The longest period of fasting I have undertaken was for 33 days. It was not for spiritual reasons that I fasted but for weight control and (presently) to reverse my diabetes. If one fasts one day a week instead of once a year, it will make the Day of Atonement much easier to deal with.

Matt. 6:19 - Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 - But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 - For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What, if anything, of this physical existence we find ourselves in, is of any spiritual value? Our heart must not be on earthly riches but on the heavenly. We cannot buy our way into the Kingdom. We will not be able to take any of our earthly treasures with us. We go out the same way we came into this world – naked and penniless. However, if we, during our natural life-times have developed the heart of Yahuwah in ourselves that is the most valuable treasure that we can take from this life into the next.

Think about the life of Yahushua while He was on the earth in human form. He did not fret over becoming rich, where His next meal was coming from nor where He was going to rest His head. He cared only about those who flocked to see Him and listen to what He had to say. And, what did he tell His disciples?

Luke 9:1 - Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

2 - And he sent them to preach the kingdom of Elohim, and to heal the sick.

3 - And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.

4 - And whatsoever house you enter into, there abide, and thence depart.

5 - And whosoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

And also:

Matthew 10:1 - Yahushua called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

2 - These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

3 - Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

4 - Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5 - These twelve Yahushua sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.

6 - Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

7 - As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'

8 - Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

We have need of nothing from this physical world to preach the gospel, save for a heart that is truly dedicated to serving Yahuwah. When my former church crumbled, fell away and faded into history, many splinter groups evolved; and all directed their followers that they were to pay them tithes. Well, I have read the Scriptures from the opening page to the last and have never found any directive to pay tithes but to the Levites alone. And since there has been a change to that priestly system – from the Levitical priesthood to Melchizadek, who is it that we are to be paying tithes to?

Yahushua did not come to this world to create any new religion (Christianity, or any “corporate religion’ that is profit based). Yahushua was the author of the Levitical system. He was also the author of the previous priestly order of Melchizadek. It was the Romans (under Constantine) and non-believing Jews who created the Christian religion. It was created as a clever counterfeit to the true faith of Yahushua and His disciples. It was forced upon them by Roman military force, not by way of an individual’s change of heart. The true believers never conformed to it and were driven to near extinction by the Christian/Roman authorities.

Today, we have no need of an earthly church or religion. The Kingdom is to be found inside of us – in our hearts. Our tithes can be used to support other members and purchase study materials to aid our studies. They can be used to buy Bibles and distribute them to those who cannot afford them. There are many ways to use our tithes that would be considered pleasing to Yahuwah. However, I cannot see Yahuwah being pleased when we blindly hand over our tithes to any fool that begins his own ministry, no matter how well intentioned it is. Remember, we are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Instead, one of the first things any new convert seeks is fellowship. They usually seek a church or one of the over 800 different Christian denominations to become a part of. I did the same thing, only I had already read the entire Scriptures on my own and knew that something was not right with the worldly religions. So, I sought out the one that I felt corresponded most closely with the Scriptures. At the time, the Worldwide Church of God was the closest one I could find. However, when the new leadership took over that church and began to make unscriptural changes to its doctrines, I recognized that I was not in the right place and left (before its eventual breakup). I have never regretted that move. I did fellowship with small “living room” assemblies for a while, but they also fell apart over doctrinal issues after a time. Since then, I have looked only to the Word of Yahuwah for my righteous instruction. And, I have not been disappointed.

Note also (Matt. 10:6) that the gospel was to be delivered to the Lost Sheep only; not to the Gentiles or Samaritans. It was Yahushua’s objective to reunite the 12 tribes of Israel – not to convert the entire world. So, how do we find these Lost Sheep? That is a good question, and I have not found the answer yet. How are we to know who is descended from one of the 12 tribes? The Jews are the only ones that have retained their identity. The only answer I can think of is that Yahuwah alone knows His sheep and He alone can call them out and reveal them to us.

Matt. 6:22 - The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light.

23 - But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!

https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/jamieson-fausset-brown/matthew/matthew-6.html

22. The light--the lamp.

of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single--simple, clear. As applied to the outward eye, this means general soundness; particularly, not looking two ways. Here, as also in classical Greek, it is used figuratively to denote the simplicity of the mind's eye, singleness of purpose, looking right at its object, as opposed to having two ends in view. (See Proverbs 4:25-27 ).

thy whole body shall be full of light--illuminated. As with the bodily vision, the man who looks with a good, sound eye, walks in light, seeing every object clear; so a simple and persistent purpose to serve and please God in everything will make the whole character consistent and bright.

Prov. 4:25 - Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. 26 - Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 - Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

23. But if thine eye be evil--distempered, or, as we should say, If we have got a bad eye.

thy whole body shall be full of darkness--darkened. As a vitiated eye, or an eye that looks not straight and full at its object, sees nothing as it is, so a mind and heart divided between heaven and earth is all dark.

If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!--As the conscience is the regulative faculty, and a man's inward purpose, scope, aim in life, determines his character--if these be not simple and heavenward, but distorted and double, what must all the other faculties and principles of our nature be which take their direction and character from these, and what must the whole man and the whole life be but a mass of darkness? In Luke ( Luke 11:36 ) the converse of this statement very strikingly expresses what pure, beautiful, broad perceptions the clarity of the inward eye imparts: "If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light."

We lust after what we see with our eyes, whether it be righteousness or unrighteousness. If we desire that which is dark, that is what we will lust and seek after. And, eventually we will find it. We must have our sights set on the Kingdom alone. We must lust after it with all of our hearts, minds and souls. It is the most valuable treasure of all.

Most of my relatives see me as a delusional looser, because I do not pursue the material things of this world. But I see them all as the true losers for not seeking first the eternal riches of Yahuwah. I’d rather live in a cave and live off the land than in one of their fancy homes.

Matt. 6:24 - No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve Elohim and mammon.

The various Sacred Name groups that are around, often come under criticism by the mainstream Christian groups for using the Sacred Names. I recently attended a small gathering of former church members, mostly to see where they were at spiritually. It had been a number of years since I had met with them and sadly I saw no spiritual growth there whatsoever. The most difficult thing for me was hearing them use the corrupted Roman names of Roman gods. We cannot serve two masters. We cannot pray to and worship Roman counterfeits and think in any way that the Elohim of Israel is pleased. I have preached to some of them in the past as to the value of using the Sacred Names; but that preaching fell on deaf ears. I wanted to leave about 5 minutes into the service. I knew I had wasted my time (and a perfectly good Sabbath) meeting with this group. As far as I was concerned they were attempting to serve two masters, but in reality were only serving the one – their Roman master, Constantine.

25 - Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 - Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?

27 - Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 - And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 - And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 - Wherefore, if Elohim so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 - Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 - (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.

33 - But seek you first the kingdom of Elohim, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 - Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

While it is quite normal and natural to worry about such things, we must have faith that Yahuwah will provide these things for us, if we are striving to please Him. So, seek to please Yahuwah first and He will provide for your basic needs. Most people have been brainwashed into believing that eating 3 meals a day is essential to human health. However, the majority of people on the earth are fortunate to eat once a day, or even less often. Eating less is much healthier than over eating. The human body expends around 25% of its energy digesting food. That energy could be much better used for such things as healing instead.

There are over 900 diet based diseasing we in danger of contracting due to our poor eating habits. Most can be healed by correcting those eating habits. Instead, the medical profession peddles their pills for profit and do not care about curing anything. Their pills are mainly “bandaide” solutions that address the symptoms while totally ignoring the roots causes. Think of a tap running in a sink. If ignored, the sink will overflow and you will end up with a big mess to clean up. Meanwhile, the simplest and most sensible solution is to turn off the tap and avoid the mess altogether. Thus it makes much more sense to nip our health problems at the source as well. In the end it will save us a great deal of suffering and money. This is especially true of diabetes. The ketogenic diet has proven enormously successful in reversing diabetes. Yet, the medical community tells people that diabetes is progressive and incurable. Meanwhile they push their pills and insulin shots, which for type 2 diabetes is the worst thing you can take.

I am paying right now for a lifetime of improper eating. I am currently in a hospital in Peterborough, Ontario, awaiting triple bypass surgery. It should have never come to this point. I totally blame myself.

I am in no way rich. There has been numerous times where I did not know where my next meal was coming from. I prayed about it and left the matter in the Father’s most capable hands – and he always came through for me (sometimes in very strange ways that I had never imagined). So, if you find yourself in such a situation, my advice is to pray and then put it out of your mind and see how Yahuwah will answer.

Matt. 7:1 - Judge not, that you be not judged.

2 - For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3 - And why behold you the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye?

4 - Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?

5 - You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shalt you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye.

How often does this happen? Seems like it almost as automatic as breathing. I heard about a pastor who was sent to take over a new church. Instead of showing up in his Sunday finest, he showed up dressed like a homeless person and sat on the front steps begging for money. Not a single parishioner paid him any mind, and some looked quite disgusted when walking by. They were in total shock when he walked from the back of the church up to the pulpit and addressed the group. I’m sure some likely considered rushing up and escorting him out of the church. Of course the subject of that day’s sermon was on judging. The congregation was all embarrassed and ashamed of their behaviour afterword.

Another example is when I was attending my former church. We always had two sermons, separated by a lunch break. During those breaks, the pastor would be surrounded by parishioners waiting to talk to him. The crowds were usually so big; I never bothered and instead sought out anyone I saw standing alone and struck up a conversation with them. These were often people who were on their own in the church, as was I, and were often ignored. At feast time, we were always the last to be offered an invitation to anyone’s home who was hosting the events. Judgment comes in many forms and can be quite hurtful. It is something we all need to pray about and work on.

Matt. 7:6 - Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast you your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/jamieson-fausset-brown/matthew/matthew-7.html

6. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs--savage or snarling haters of truth and righteousness.

neither cast ye your pearls before swine--the impure or coarse, who are incapable of appreciating the priceless jewels of Christianity. In the East, dogs are wilder and more gregarious, and, feeding on carrion and garbage, are coarser and fiercer than the same animals in the West. Dogs and swine, besides being ceremonially unclean, were peculiarly repulsive to the Jews, and indeed to the ancients generally.

lest they trample them under their feet--as swine do.

and turn again and rend you--as dogs do. Religion is brought into contempt, and its professors insulted, when it is forced upon those who cannot value it and will not have it. But while the indiscriminately zealous have need of this caution, let us be on our guard against too readily setting our neighbors down as dogs and swine, and excusing ourselves from endeavoring to do them good on this poor plea.

I am sure that we have all tried “preaching” to friends and relatives. So, we know how frustrating and fruitless that can be. Yahuwah alone knows who is ready to receive the word, and He calls them out of the world

I can recall my own experience of being called by Yahuwah. I was an atheist and supported Erik Von Daniekin’s theory of the life on earth being started by space aliens. A friend that used to visit often had attended a Bible college in Eastern Canada and we often debated each other’s beliefs. I started to read the Scriptures only to gain ammunition to support my arguments. However, I experienced a very strange phenomenon while going through the scriptures. I actually experienced Yahuwah “talking” to me (through my mind). By the time I was finished, I was a staunch believer. However, I had one dilemma; I knew of no church/religion at the time that matched what I had read about the 1^st century church. I thought I finally found a match with the Worldwide Church of God, but after 10 years I became disillusioned with them as well. Since then I have relied on my own studies, following the directive to search and prove all things for myself. And I continue to experience the same phenomenon (of Yahuwah talking to me) via those studies. I do not know how to explain it any other way.

Of course, my friends and family were all shocked by my sudden change of direction and thought I had lost my mind. And, I did, indeed, try to convert them (to no avail, of course). That is what this term “casting your pearls before swine” is all about.

Matt.7:7 - Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 - For everyone that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.

9 - Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 - Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 - If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Yahuwah supplied mankind with everything he needed to survive - animals for meat, water to drink and a host of different fruits and vegetables. It was all free to anyone wanting to work to get it. It was man who put a price tag on everything. It is because of man, not Yahuwah that so many in the world are starving. We send aide to third world countries and most of it is stolen by corrupt governments. Starvation is a weapon that is used quite often.

Yahuwah does know our needs before we ask Him, but He still likes for us to come to him in prayer and ask anyway. Ask and you shall receive. You never know until you ask. I, personally have experienced innumerable answered prays. Yahuwah does hear, and He does listen. Try it and find out.

Matt. 7:12 – Therefore, all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

In other words, do unto others what you would have them do unto you. Think before you act or speak, Is this something I would like done or said about me.” Or, “Let him that is without sin throw the first stone.” And, “Seek peace and pursue it earnestly.” This is good advice for those world leaders who seem to be pursuing war instead of peace. What degree of innocent blood is on their hands? What are they going to say in their defense when they stand before the Great Judge? It will be the peacekeepers who will be afforded the greatest position of authority in Yahuwah’s Kingdom.

Matt. 7:13 - Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 - Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which lead unto life, and few there be that find it.

Of course, this is addressing all the worldly, man-made religions that exist today. We have only one True Teacher, High Priest and Saviour whose feet we should be learning at; and, that is Yahushua HaMashiyack. We have no need of a human interpreter. His words are plain enough that anyone should be able to understand them. Every religion on the earth today tries to interpret Yahushua’s words to suit their own individual doctrines. Even the Jews have placed their doctrines and their Talmud above the Torah, making Yahuwah’s word of no effect. Like all the other worldly religions, they lead their followers away from Yahuwah instead of towards Him. In the end, it will have been better for them if they were never born. Of course, misery loves company, so the common thread of all worldly religions is that they desire to drag all their followers through the gates of hell with them.

Matt. 7:15 - Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 - You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 - Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.

18 - A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 - Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 - Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.

Of course this is not speaking of fruit trees, but of false prophets. We have numerous accounts in the Scriptures of the true prophets of Yahuwah competing against the false prophets of Baal (Satan) and demonstrating that it is the true Elohim whom they served. Most suffered the ultimate fate of most such great men of Yahuwah – death. All were types of messiahs, giving their lives in the service of Yahuwah. But then, it was mankind (through Adam and Eve) who chose for themselves who they served and worshipped – who is HaSatan, the elohim of this world. It does not matter what religion or church one belongs to, 99.9% of them worship HaSatan, the elohim of this world, in place of Yahuwah. They all offer their followers instant and uncompromising citizenship in Yahuwah’s Kingdom, if those followers are loyal to the customs and traditions of whichever religion. ALL ARE LIES! The only one whose word is true and uncompromising is Yahushua HaMashiyack. Believe no other man. Do not seek any other to deliver the truth to you. Search and prove all things for yourself and Yahuwah will reward you with true spiritual understanding.

Matt. 7:21 - Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 - Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?

23 - And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

Many today claim to know the will of Yahuwah, yet they preach understandings that are completely foreign to what the Word of Yahuwah actually says. The lying Christian leaders all teach that all one needs to gain salvation is to profess unwavering belief and loyalty to the Messiah. The only question is, “Which messiah?” Many do not even know that there were at least 16 crucified (pagan) saviours that the world has esteemed throughout history. All but the True Messiah originated with the very first false Messiah, Tammuz, the illegitimate son of the ancient King Nimrod, the first human post-flood king to be worshipped as an elohim. Following the confusing of the (original) one earthly language, Nimrod and Tammuz were worshipped under a host of different names according to their language; but all were the same pagan deities.

One’s words must be verified by their actions. “Practice what you preach”. This was the main problem Yahushua pointed out with the Jewish authorities. He accused them of being Hypocrites – which they were; and as are most religious teachers today.

Mt 23:13 - But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in.

One of the most difficult things I have encountered throughout my spiritual walk is convincing people not to trust the religion/church/man that they revere as a true servant of Yahuwah, when they are anything but. There is only one True High Priest in whom we can have all confidence. All who put their trust in Him alone, and seek His instructions only (searching and proving all things) will receive true understanding. This is one of the greatest treasures of all, for not many in this world has it.

Have you ever been disfellowshipped by any church of man for disagreeing with any of their doctrines? Do not despair, but rejoice! Do not seek out some other church or lying minister. Recognize the fact that Yahushua is attempting to lead you into all truth, which only comes from trusting in the Word of Yahuwah alone. Get off your lazy backsides and search and prove all things for yourself. Yahuwah may not reward you with great monitory riches but He will reward you with the greatest gift of all – true understanding of Yahuwah’s purpose for your life and how to truly work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

I left my former church for this exact reason; and, even though I left on my own accord, the lying minister that presided over that church, afterword claimed that he kicked me out and that the rule of disfellowshipment applied to me – which meant that none were to contact or have anything to do with me. As far as they were concerned, I had left the body of HaMashiyack and disqualified myself for salvation. If I blindly followed their teachings I would have been as big a liar as they were. If I had believed one word of their judgment, I would have likely returned to the world and committed the one unforgiveable sin – of turning my back on Yahuwah after receiving the truth.

However, being the stubborn sort that I am, I delved into my own studies and allowed Yahushua to lead me into all truth. By saying this, I do not mean to imply that I know all truth at this time, but I am certainly seeking it with all my being. I often use the analogy of an onion to explain this. An onion has many layers. We peel off one layer just to reveal another layer. So it is when we study the Scriptures. All truth is not revealed all at once but here a little and there a little. It has taken me 36 years of diligent study to attain the level of truth I have now; and I am in no way deceived into believing that I now have ALL truth. I continue to search diligently for new truths that I am not aware of; and am confident that Yahushua will one day reveal them to me.

That church that condemned me, the Worldwide Church of God, does no longer exist, at least under that name. They rejected the truth and authority of Yahuwah and adopted instead mainstream theology and now call themselves “ Grace Communion International”. I find it very fitting that the liars who condemned me have themselves been condemned and rejected by the True Temple Builder.

Mt 23:14 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore you shall receive the greater damnation.

True servants of Yahuwah must demonstrate their faith with action, being charitable at all times. We (in western nations) supposedly are Christian in nature. And there are many Christians with charitable hearts. However, there are others who make a great show of their charity for outward appearances only. If we want to show charity, do so in secret, not to seek public recognition.

One day several years ago, I stopped at a Tim Horton’s restaurant for lunch. A homeless man was trying to buy something to eat with whatever meager amount of money he had. The restaurant manager refused him service because of his dirty, unkempt appearance. When I had finished eating my lunch, I went outside where the man was and asked him what he would like to eat. I cannot remember what that was but went back into the restaurant and bought it for him. I never saw that man again but often think about him and wonder whatever became of him. Since then, any homeless person that I encounter, I try to help out (if I indeed can). It is no big deal financially, but the reward is indeed immense considering spiritual state of the heart. Freely you have received, freely give. Yahuwah judges the heart not the amount of money in your wallet.

Mt 23:15 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

This one is pretty much self-explanatory. Again, the Roman Catholic Church is probably the best example. They actually believe that theirs is the universal church and that all others are reprobate. They have, since their inception, attempted to bring their faith to every nation on earth. Where they were successful in some, in others, not so much. And where they fail to sell their doctrine to a nation because of that nation’s strong beliefs otherwise, they establish counterfeits. Such was the case with Islam. Mohammed had a Roman Catholic mentor who aided him in writing the Koran. Why would the RCC engage in such an endeavor? They wanted Jerusalem. They helped create Islam to destroy the Jews and the Muslims were supposed to hand over Jerusalem to the RCC. However, the Muslims reneged on the deal and seized Jerusalem for themselves. That was the reason for all of the crusades against the Middle East. To this day the RCC is still seeking after this conclusion. It was reported rather recently that the Vatican had purchased a plot of land in Jerusalem where they are planning to build a church. In converting the worldly masses to Catholicism, they are making those converts “twofold the child of hell” as themselves.

Mt 23:23 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Mt 23:25 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Mt 23:27 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

The scribes and Pharisees, like any of the Christian churches, cared more about outward appearances than their inward spiritual state. Of course, that is why they hated Yahushua so much – He exposed their hypocrisy. And, who was this uneducated young upstart to condemn them? He had no legal right to teach the faith of Yahuwah to anyone. He was neither a priest nor of the tribe of Levi. This is where the parable of the non-bearing fruit tree comes to the forefront. If the fruit that is supposed to bear fruit does not, Yahuwah will graft in a branch from another tree (tribe) to take its place. The scribes and Pharisees simply were not bearing the fruit that Yahuwah intended them to bear. And so, He grafted in a branch from another tree that would bear His fruit. We can be assured that if we do not bear the fruit we are intended to, we also will be replaced by someone that will.

Mt 23:29 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

Mt 24:48 - But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming;

49 - And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

50 - The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51 - And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Ah yes, the religions of man put on a grand outward show – big, beautiful cathedrals, dressed in all sorts of religious looking finery, or in the cases of some TV evangelists, very expensive suits, immaculately trimmed hair and beards. For all intents and purposes, they look like their god has rewarded them handsomely with great riches and finery. These are the kinds of things that impress a great many people. If they had the appearance of some bum off the street, no one would pay any attention to them (like the story I related earlier). People are quick to judge and slow to change their opinions following that initial judgement. If Yahushua were to walk into a grand cathedral today, hardly anyone would give Him the time of day. He would simply not fit the image that they had in mind. Neither did He fit the image that the Jews had in mind of the Messiah they were expecting. Most were expecting a great conquering military hero that would rid them forever of Roman oppression. They certainly were not expecting a lowly shepherd from Nazareth without a home or a bed of his own to lay His head. If it were not for His great miracles, no one would have likely believed Him.

Mr 7:6 - He answered and said unto them, Well has Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Lu 11:44 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Lu 12:56 - You hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that you do not discern this time?

The faith of the Jews (and indeed, all of Israel) was perhaps at its greatest height from the time of Moshe (Moses) through the time of Joshua (Yahushua). After that it was barely more than one short revival after another. What is it about man that he cannot learn from the past but keeps making the same mistakes over and over again? But, we are not only to look at ancient Israel in continually falling off the wagon, but our own personal relationship with Yahuwah, as well.

Generation after generation of Believers have passed, all believing they were living in the last generation, and that they would see HaMashiyack in their lifetimes. All such hopes thus far have come to naught. As I have mentioned many times previous, we should not be focussed on that assumption; but rather on the fact that we only have within our lifetimes to get things right with our Elohim. By getting things right I mean developing the mind and nature of our Elohim within ourselves. We must completely put off all forms of corruption and unrighteousness in this lifetime, if we even wish to see the next life. There is simply no way that corruption can inherit incorruption. And, if you think putting off all corruption is an easy task, you had better think again.

Why was it that the leadership of the Hebrew faith seemed to be further away from Yahuwah than the common people? By that time, they were more concerned with their own traditions and customs than faith. Yahushua was constantly laying this bone of contention at their feet. And yet, they could not fathom the truth of His accusations because of their spiritual blindness. And yet, are the churches today any better? Where do we see today the spiritual fruit of our worship manifesting itself openly? What are we yet lacking?

Matt. 7:24 - Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 - And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 - And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 - And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

The following should have come to mind when reading the above verses:

Rom. 2:13 - For not the hearers of the law are just before Elohim, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Paying lip service to the law is easy, and we may fool people with our flowery holy sounding words; however, fooling the holy (set-apart) spirit is quite a different story. Many have tried but failed miserably. Yahuwah’s spirit knows all of our deepest, darkest secrets. We do not stand a chance of hiding anything from Him. This is why we must bring such deep, dark secrets before Yahuwah in confession before we stand in the Judgement and have a clear conscience in His presence. It has been our nature to conceal rather than reveal, since the days of the Garden of Eden.

Neither does passing the buck work, as Adam and Eve readily found out. And yet, it is quite common today for cleaver defense lawyers to try to blame the victim – especially in rape and pedophilia cases. And, sometimes it works in human courts, but in the grand court of Heaven, it most definitely does not. We are each ultimately responsible for our own actions.

Matt. 7:28 - And it came to pass, when Yahushua had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

29 - For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

The people were indeed astonished. Imagine if Yahushua were to appear today before one of those immense evangelical audiences and preach the word? Would they recognize His speech or would it sound foreign to them? Would they accept or reject anything He had to say? What if He were to appear before any of us individually? Would we recognize Him? Would we recognize His speech? Would we accept or reject Him? It all boils down to what we were expecting and how disappointed we are. Those who have not tried to hide from Yahuwah during this lifetime will have nothing to hide in the next.

The anti-Christ; however, will be a different story altogether. He will fit their vision of the coming messiah to a “T”. Him will they believe. Him will they follow. Him will they worship. And, his fate will they share.

Conclusion

The prime message throughout this address is that we are mostly all missing the mark when it comes to truly following Yahuwah. The thing that should be foremost in our lives is making ourselves over into the image (having the nature and heart) of Yahushua. Only the righteous are going to inherit the Kingdom, and the only example of righteousness that we have before us is that of Yahushua. Our righteousness is based upon our obedience to the laws and every word that proceeds from the mouth of our Saviour. Those laws were not done away with (as the lying Christian ministers proclaim), but remain as the basis for learning righteousness and changing our character from unrighteous to righteous. It is the only true path to righteousness.

All of the man-made religions of this world serve only one purpose, to lead as many away from Yahuwah rather than towards Him. This is the chief goal of HaSatan. And, it certainly seems as if he is winning.

Those who are seeking righteousness have a tough road before them; but Yahuwah would never ask for more than we can handle. We must remain steadfast, with the Kingdom forever before us as our ultimate goal. All else will fall naturally in line when we seek the Kingdom first.

Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. We must have all of our spiritual armour in place to survive these days.

Ephesians 6:13– Therefore take up the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

14 - Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15 - and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

16 - In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

17 - and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of Elohim,

This is our spiritual check list. These six things rank the highest of all things spiritual which we should be seeking. If we have all these firmly in place, we can be pretty much assured of our salvation. However, Adam’s sin changed man’s nature to one that is by nature enmity towards the Creator, and we must continually battle that nature if we are to become part of the Kingdom to come. It is not an easy task. Sometimes we may find ourselves giving into that nature before we even realize it. We must not excuse this behaviour but vigorously resist it. The will to sin (violate the law) must no longer exist in us, if we are going to see the Kingdom.

So far, I have not heard any Christian minister identify themselves as being the Laodicean Church. All claim to be the favored Philadelphian Church. The Laodicean Church is branded by the Scriptures as being neither hot nor cold. They are somewhere in the middle. In other words, they are caught between the Truth of Yahuwah and the lies of Christian tradition. They are self deluded, thinking their salvation is guaranteed simply because they profess belief in a name that is purely fictional. They do not study nor prove anything for themselves. They simply go to church every Sunday, politely listen to whatever the minister is talking about, do the bare minimum and walk away refreshed. Well, their human half may be refreshed, but their spiritual side certainly is not. Anyone who already believes that their salvation is guaranteed is not going to be earnestly striving to achieve that reward. They think they already have it made, and sit back and wait. These are the slothful servants whom Yahushua warned us about. They will do everything possible to sway us to their way of thinking. We must see that they do not.

The Way of Yahuwah is definitely not the way of man. If only Adam had not have sinned, the world and the history of man would be much different. We would have learned the way of peace, instead of the way of war. Sickness, disease and starvation would be non-existent. We would not have to die, but would naturally evolve into eternal spirits being at some point of our existence. Adam allowed his emotions to rule over him instead of common sense. We cannot allow ourselves to make the same mistake.

We, who are the legitimate children of Yahuwah, have been commissioned with bringing truth and peace to the world. There are many imposters out there spreading lies. The only way to differentiate between the truth and the lie is by earnest study of the Scriptures and endlessly searching for all truth. And, those who seek the truth will find it. So, continue on will all diligence; and hopefully we will all see each other in the Kingdom.

Yahuwah Bless

G.P.