2001.02.1.12 Seek Truth Not Error Created by James3 on 7/5/2019 8:38:16 AM Seek Truth Not Error
Since writing the article "Seeking for God's Truth - The Key to Unity", the critical importance of this principle has become increasingly apparent.
This article seeks to address the widespread tendency amongst believers in Yahweh God to find fault with one another by seeking error rather than truth.
It notes that all those who call on the name of Yahweh, whether they know Him as Yahweh, The Lord, Allah, Hashem, Jehovah, YHWH or any other name, will be saved, according to Joel 2:32. Thus all such people are part of the body of believers.
It is noted that Yahshua (Jesus) stated that He had sheep who were not of the sheepfold of Israel and we must seek to know them.
Since The Lord is the correct Anglicization of "Baal" a Phoenician pagan deity, and "Jesus" is the Anglicization of a Greek word which does not correspond to the Hebrew name Yahshua, we must conclude that Yahweh extends GREAT GRACE to us with regard to our errors. Accordingly we should extend great grace to others with regard to their errors.
We must seek TRUTH AND NOT ERROR in those we meet recognizing that since Yahshua is THE WAY, then we must never take our eyes of the way and since Yahshua is ALSO THE TRUTH, we must never take our eyes OFF TRUTH!
If we focus on error then we magnify error, yet scripture commands us to magnify Yahweh, so we must NOT focus on error.
We must recognize that no man is perfect and therefore we must learn to quietly agree to disagree! We must learn to avoid strife and division with other believers.
Only Yahshua has 100% truth, all men have some error and some truth. Most of us are fortunate if we have 50% truth and in reality we probably only have about 20% truth and 80% error, we may just happen to have the 20% of truth that is vital. Therefore, focusing on other peoples errors is entirely counter productive, they all have error, we only have to look to find it!
Parents whose child obtains 60% for their exams are generally well satisfied, even although this means the child had 40% error. Generally, in physical life we accept this reality but, somehow, believers expect all their brethren to be without error.
These phenomena account for much of the division in the church today.
We must seek unity. We ARE ALL ONE BODY and therefore, when there is division it hurts the Body of our Saviour!
The only vital truth that believers need to share is that Yahshua Messiah is the Son of God, who came in the flesh, who died on the Cross to take our sins, was resurrected on the third day and today sits at the Right hand of the Father to judge the living and the dead.
Many "christians" make much of the "spirit of error", "testing the spirits" and "the antichrist". 1 John 4 defines all of these terms as relating to denial that Yahshua Messiah came in the flesh. That is all. These scriptures DO NOT APPLY TO OTHER DOCTRINE! These same scriptures clearly tell us that if we do not love our brethren we do NOT love God!
If these principles were diligently applied there would be NO DENOMINATIONS because there would be no strife!
Much of what the church teaches about "Jesus" has been embellished beyond scripture. We need to return to the truths of scripture and depart from all other teachings that contradict scripture.
We should reverence truth, fear Yahweh and learn to agree to disagree.
Once we focus on truth in others we will learn to see Yahshua in them.
These principles have a dramatic impact on evangelism. Four categories of people are identified, those who believe in Yahshua Messiah, those who believe in Yahweh but NOT Yahshua, those who are ill-informed or uninformed and those who actively serve Satan. Yahshua died that ALL of these might be saved. If we seek truth and not error and repent of the sins of our forefathers in the faith, millions will rapidly come to salvation.
BUT we must examine all we believe and eliminate all that is not of God!
All Hell has broken loose on earth in the spirit realm and false doctrine and partial truth is now a luxury that true believers can no longer afford.
We are called to do greater works than Yahshua did and we will only do this if we walk in the same or greater anointing to that which He walked under. This generation will be judged according to what we do with the anointing of the Holy Spirit!
We must seek truth and not error in ALL that we meet!
In a sense, this article sums up much of what End Time Issue Ministries is called to do and therefore, it seems to me, that this may be one of the most important articles issued to date!
Since writing the article "Seeking for God's Truth - The Key to Unity", the critical importance of this principle has become increasingly apparent.
Romans 12:5 tells us clearly "so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." (NKJ).
Clearly all those who declare that "Jesus Christ" is Lord, as well as those who declare that "Yahshua Messiah" is Lord, as well as any other person who has had a personal encounter with the Lord of Lord's and King of kings in prayer and knows him by a name which has been given in a different culture and language which has never had access to Hebrew, Greek or English texts ARE ALL PART OF THE BODY of believers.
Remember that Romans 10:13 states "For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."" (NKJ)
This is quoting Joel 2:32 "And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD [Yahweh] shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD [Yahweh] has said, among the remnant whom the LORD [Yahweh] calls." (NKJ)
We see here reference to the "Remnant" which relates back to the teaching "Who or What is the Remnant?" of a few weeks ago.
It is important to note that the word "LORD" in Joel 2:32 is Yahweh, NOT Yahshua. Thus, while those who call themselves Christians appropriate Romans 10:13 and the other "New Testament" verses which cite Joel 2:32 and other "Old Testament" scriptures as applying to the name of Jesus / Yahshua, it is equally correct for any person who knows Yahweh but not Yahshua to appropriate that promise to themselves.
AT THE VERY LEAST, we are NOT told that Yahshua in any way nullified Joel 2:32 for such people, only that Yahshua "fulfilled the Law (Torah)" which, by implication indicates that those who do NOT recognize Yahshua for who He is, will find it considerably more difficult to comply with Torah than those that do recognize Him. BUT the implication of that is that those who call on the name of Yahshua MUST be subject to a HARSHER JUDGMENT because they have a BETTER COVENANT (Hebrews 7:22 and 8:6)!
Having said that, it is important that we recognize that the word "LORD" is a translation in the English translations for the Hebrew word Yahweh. This point has been made regularly in the end notes to articles from this ministry for over a year now so there is no need to elaborate on this. BUT, it is important to know that this SAME word is translated "Allah" in Arabic, it is translated Jehovah by come English speakers, it is reflected "YHWH" by some Jewish groups and "Hashem" by others. Certainly there are other names that we are not aware of!
By extension of Joel 2:32, we must conclude that anyone who knows Yahweh as The Lord, Allah, YHWH, Hashem or any other name that we do not know and who calls on THAT name WILL BE SAVED and therefore MUST BE PART OF THE ONE BODY!
In a previous article it was mentioned that the ancient Aztec's of South America had a comprehensive tradition of a God known as "Questa Co'otil" (spelling uncertain) who appeared to them about 2,000 years ago, who had been crucified to take their sins and who gave them all the important elements of the Gospel which we know as "Christian". They were expecting His return at any time to take them to dwell in heaven with him and thus, when the first Spanish Conquistadors arrived in South America they welcomed them and showed them all their treasure and then, initially, did not fight back when the men they thought were sent by their peace loving God started to murder them wholesale! We must therefore conclude that there are, indeed, sheep in other sheep folds. John 10:15-17, Yahshua speaking:
15 ""As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again." (NKJ)
Since Christians appropriate Joel 2:32 for those who believe in "Jesus Christ", which name as we have previously discussed is not an accurate Anglicization of "Yahshua Messiah", it is reasonable to conclude that Yahweh extends similar Grace to others who do not use an accurate translation of Yahshua but have, by the Grace of Yahweh a personal relationship with Him!
Put simply, these facts, which are verifiable for any who will seek confirmation, indicate that if we harm ANYONE who calls on the name of Yahweh, Yahshua or any other variation or name which in fact Yahweh has given them to use or permitted them to use in their ignorance, then we HARM THE BODY!
Thus, if we find fault with those who know Yahweh as "Allah", the well over one billion Muslims in this world, we harm the Body! Likewise if we find fault with those we know as "Jews". Likewise should there be any other group in a sheep fold of which we have no knowledge! They may not know all or anything about Yahshua. What they may know of Yahshua through the conduct of those who claim to represent him (such as the Nazi SS!) may be such that they cannot believe that Jesus Christ could possibly be the Messiah! But, if they call on the Name of Yahweh or any other substitute for that name that Yahweh in His Great Mercy and Grace has permitted them to use, THEY WILL BE SAVED.
Those of us who have come to a saving knowledge of "The Lord Jesus Christ" and have a personal experience of Him and His Gospel must be EVER CONSCIOUS that it is an act of GREAT GRACE that Yahweh answers our prayers in the name of a Greek!
By the same token, the point has been made in end notes to many of the documents from this ministry for some time that The Lord is the correct English translation of "Baal", the Phoenician pagan deity! Thus, it is an act of even GREATER GRACE that Yahweh hears the prayers of billions of "Christians" (Messianic Believers) who call on the name of The Lord instead of Yahweh. If Yahweh chose to be as fussy about facts as most Christians are, then NONE OF US WOULD BE SAVED!
What is my point?
FIRSTLY there are many and VERY SUBSTANTIAL reasons for Muslims and Jews NOT TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST. This has been touched on in previous articles and I will not address it further here, other than to say that the level of atrocities and the false teachings that have been perpetrated in the name of Jesus Christ over the past 1,700 years are such that it is virtually impossible for Muslims and Jews to believe in Jesus! It IS more likely that they can believe in Yahshua!
SECONDLY, since Yahweh has extended SUCH GREAT GRACE to those who DO HAVE A REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST (Yahshua MESSIAH) with regard to their use of names which are not possibly scriptural and conduct which is totally against scripture. Then surely those who call themselves by that exalted Name above all Names, Yahshua or Jesus MUST LIKEWISE EXTEND GREAT GRACE TO OTHERS!
What do I mean?
Let Yahshua say it Himself Matthew 7:1-5
1 ""Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
3 "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
4 "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
5 "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye." (NKJ)
We have to cease finding fault with Jews, Moslems and every other group by focusing on their error and they must do the same with us. BUT WE MUST TAKE THE INITIATIVE!
REMEMBER Yahshua said to us "everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required;".
Reading this in context in Luke 12:47-49 we see:
47 "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
49 "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (NKJ)
Accordingly, those who apply the exalted title "Christian", meaning "Little Christ Like One" to themselves MUST UNDERSTAND THEY WILL BE SUBJECT TO A HARSHER JUDGMENT IF THEY TRULY BELIEVE WHAT THEY CLAIM THEY BELIEVE CONCERNING Yahshua Messiah (Jesus Christ)!
It is time for each and every person who calls themselves by the name of Messiah (Christ) to humble themselves and seek to remove the planks from the eyes of the Body of Messiah - starting with their own eyes. At the same time, it is time that they humble themselves and go to their Jewish and Muslim brethren who also worship Yahweh, and also to the Aztec's and any other group who worship Him and repent of the gross atrocities that have been committed against them in the name of Jesus Christ!
Furthermore, it is time to do the same within the Body of Christ. It is time that we cease to reject the Jehovah's (Yahweh's) witnesses, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons), Seventh Day Adventists (these are used as examples simply because in own experience they rank amongst the groups that most who call themselves "christian" understand least and reject most) and ALL THE OTHER FLAVOURS OF CHRISTIANITY that most of us do not understand and do not agree with. They share one common truth, Yahweh IS LORD. When one starts to investigate, one will find that WE SHARE FAR MORE IN COMMON THAN THAT!
And yet most who claim faith in Jesus (Yahshua) will not associate or communicate with such people and speak arrogantly and judgmentally about them or else will not even open their doors to them if they seek to visit us!
Brethren, these things ought not to be so!
James 3:8-10
8 "But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." (NKJ)
Where is this leading?
The Word that the Spirit has been repeatedly speaking to me over the past years but increasingly firmly in recent weeks is:
"Children of the Most High God,
seek TRUTH and NOT error!"
What does this mean?
In John 14:6 we read "Jesus [Yahshua] said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (NKJ)
Since Yahshua IS THE WAY, then we must NEVER TAKE OUR EYES OFF THE WAY!
Since Yahshua IS ALSO THE TRUTH, then we must NEVER TAKE OUR EYES OFF TRUTH!
Psalm 119:29-31
29 Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Your law graciously.
30 I have chosen the way of truth; your judgments I have laid before me.
31 I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD [Yahweh], do not put me to shame! (NKJ)
Clearly there is a way of lying whereas Yahweh's way is TRUTH!
In John 8:44 Yahshua says ""You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (NKJ)
Clearly ALL LIES are from the devil!
Thus, IF WE FOCUS ON LIES WE ARE FOCUSING ON SATAN AND HAVE TAKEN OUR EYES OFF Yahshua WHO IS TRUTH AND THE WAY!
This is ONE of the reasons Yahshua warned us against Judging.
When we examine something, we MAGNIFY IT, we make it BIGGER, we focus attention on it and we LOSE FOCUS on that which surrounds it.
When we magnify truth, we MAGNIFY Yahweh and Yahshua!
Psalm 34:3 "Oh, magnify the LORD [Yahweh] with me, and let us exalt His name together." (NKJ)
Acts 10:46 "For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. ...." (NKJ)
BUT
When we focus on error or deception or false doctrine, we MAGNIFY SATAN! And, we lose focus on the truth that surrounds it.
In other words, if in discussion with someone they say something that we cannot agree with and we then get focused on that error and end up in dispute with them, the moment we focused on the error we took our eyes off Yahshua and focused our attention on Satan. Once we do that strife, division and every evil thing MUST RESULT because Satan is the father of all those evil things and we are focused on his work in our brother!
HOWEVER
If in the same situation we simply ignore the point, or say quietly "I'm sorry, I can't agree with that point" and move on to a different topic, OR say "I'm sorry, I can't agree with that point, may I share my understanding on that topic" strife and division is much less likely. If the other party consents to listen quietly AND attentively to the other persons point of view, then strife CANNOT OCCUR!
In considering this there is a fundamental principle that we need to recognize - NO MAN IS PERFECT!
Revelation 5:2-5
"2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?"
3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.
5 But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."" (NKJ)
From this we understand that ONLY Yahshua is a perfect man!
This being so we MUST conclude that ALL MEN on earth today are IMPERFECT!
THEREFORE
If Yahshua, the PERFECT MAN represents 100% truth, He is ALL truth and there is no lie found in Him and if Satan represents 100% error / deception / lies we MUST CONCLUDE THAT EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS SOME TRUTH AND SOME ERROR!
My father was an internationally recognized Investment Consultant. He attributed his success to the fact that he was consistently right MORE THAN 50% of the time! Put differently, he was wrong LESS than 50% of the time. BUT he was wrong from time to time and sometimes his clients lost money on his advice BUT, on balance, his clients profited from his advice.
Another example: Most parents would be relieved if their child obtained 60% for their final examinations at school. They would be ecstatic if that child obtained 80%! If we again look at the negative side, most parents would be relieved if their child was 40% in error in their final exams and ecstatic if that child was only 20% in error!
Few parents would even think about their child's school results in the latter terms. The child knew enough to pass, and that is ALL THAT CONCERNS THEM. Most parents would never EVEN THINK in terms of "my child did not know 40%". If they did, they would be likely to start getting panicky because 40% error SOUNDS A LOT until one recognizes that statistically most of us operate most of our lives in the area of 30 to 50% error!
If this is the implicitly accepted reality in the physical world, WHY SHOULD IT BE ANY DIFFERENT IN SPIRITUAL AFFAIRS?
It WOULD be NICE if it were not like this, but practical experience indicates that this is the way it is. Those who move forward with Yahweh are those who make mistakes LESS than 50% of the time, if you like, in those CRITICAL ISSUES OF DOCTRINE they are MORE THAN 50% CORRECT (less than 50% in error).
Practically, that MAY mean that their lives contain LESS THAN 50% SIN! Sin is simply "missing the mark" so, those who are not growing closer to God, in other words those who are slipping away from God, are those who superficially have more than 50% sin in their lives and those who are growing closer to God are those with less than 50% sin in their lives.
That is what Yahshua was talking about when He spoke about specks in other peoples eyes and planks in our own eyes. If we have some truth which another lacks, it is VERY MUCH EASIER to see that error in the other person than it is to recognize that we have error which another lacks -- in other words, that they have TRUTH WHICH WE LACK!
Because of our fallen, carnal nature, we tend to be SIN FOCUSED - WE LOOK FOR SIN IN OTHERS rather than LOOKING FOR GOD'S TRUTHS IN OTHERS!
BUT, IT COULD BE WORSE THAN THAT!
There is another principle in business, known as the Paretto principle or 80:20 rule. Essentially it says that 20% of anything accounts for 80% of what is important. In the context of this discussion, if we are correct in the critical 20% of our doctrine we may yet get to heaven EVEN THOUGH WE HAD 80% ERROR in less critical aspects of doctrine. Experience indicates that most who call on the name of Christ [Yahshua] agree on the core 20% and disagree on the 80% which MAY NOT be that critical! BUT there are many cases where they cannot even agree on the critical aspects!
Thus, if it is possible that most of us have as much as 80% error in our doctrine, can you see how futile it is to be offended by another's error!
As a consequence of this, it has been an almost universal experience that if one believer enters into discussion with another and that discussion starts to range over the FULL DIVERSITY of what each believes, they will eventually find something on which they do not agree.
Since NO ONE DELIBERATELY SEEKS TO BE IN ERROR both parties sincerely believe that they are correct on ANY point where there is a difference until the truth is pointed out to them AND they receive that truth.
In some cases, if a truth is shared in an effective fashion, a person with a contradictory opinion will see for themselves that they are in error and change their position. However, in most cases, each person will state their position and that is where the CONVERSATION stops!
From that point onwards, although we generally do not see it that way, we engage in an ARGUMENT! Each person states in more and more detail why what they believe is correct so that the other person who in their opinion is "obviously mistaken" can come to a revelation of their truth. At the moment that ARGUMENT starts, PRIDE HAS TAKEN OVER! One can only have an argument if both parties are PROUD of the knowledge they have.
This tends to end up either in a situation where considerable time is consumed repeatedly restating the same positions and, effectively getting nowhere OR, eventually, one party is SO OFFENDED that they terminate the relationship. Often several rounds of the same futile discussion will take place before one or other party either loses interest and leaves the fellowship or one gets offended and leaves the fellowship. It is relatively uncommon for believers to AGREE TO DISAGREE!
However, if both are walking in humility, meekness, self control, love, etc, it is NOT POSSIBLE to argue!
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 summarizes this well:
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (NKJ)
If we "think no evil" and "rejoice in the truth" and do not parade our truths, are long suffering and kind, do not behave rudely, etc, etc we really should find it IMPOSSIBLE to get into an argument with any other sincere believer!
This phenomenon is at the heart of the hundreds, if not thousands of "christian" denominations. I write "christian" in inverted commas and lower case deliberately because that is NOT CHRIST LIKE! Yahshua Messiah came that there might be ONE BODY, anything that is divisive IS NOT OF Yahweh, it is of the evil one and therefore to refer to a "christian" denomination is a CONTRADICTION IN TERMS!
We are enjoined in Ephesians 4:2-6:
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (NKJ)
If we truly believe that there is ONE GOD, and there are many who DO BELIEVE THERE IS ONE GOD, we MUST SEEK UNITY!
Psalm 133 states:
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD [Yahweh] commanded the blessing-- life forevermore. (NKJ)
Yahweh has commanded the blessing, life forevermore when the brethren dwell together in unity! The point has been made previously regarding the "remnant" and in other postings that Yahshua is returning for a "bride without spot or blemish", that MUST be a CHURCH WITHOUT DIVISION.
Accordingly, IF WE DIVIDE OURSELVES FROM THE BRETHREN, we must recognize the possibility that IF we are in error we COULD BE CUTTING OURSELVES OFF FROM THE BRIDE!
We MUST reach out and seek UNITY with every person who truly believes that Yahshua Messiah is the Son of God, who came in the flesh, who died on the Cross to take our sins, was resurrected on the third day and today sits at the Right hand of the Father to judge the living and the dead.
THAT IS THE ONLY FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENT FOR BEING PART OF THE BRIDE!
Many Christians quote extracts from 1 John 4 in support of their rejection of fellow believers, but it is well to consider ALL OF 1 JOHN 4:
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.
6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
19 We love Him because He first loved us.
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (NKJ)
Many quote verse 1 "test the spirits" and then go around testing the spirits of the brethren to discern whether they are in error.
Others make frequent reference to "the spirit of error" to justify seeking error.
Others are looking for "the Antichrist".
HOWEVER, what does this passage tell us? The spirits we are called to test, the spirit of error and the antichrist ALL refer to spirits who do not accept that Yahshua Messiah has come in the flesh!! THAT IS ALL!! NOTE that this verse refers to "the spirit of the antichrist", the antichrist (anti Messiah) is a spirit IT IS NOT A MAN!
We are further enjoined that if we love God we will love the brethren!
WHO ARE THE BRETHREN? EVERYBODY who confesses that Yahshua Messiah (Jesus Christ) has come in the flesh!
Furthermore we are told that if we hate our brother whom we have seen we ARE LYING if we say that we love God whom we have not seen!
If we all applied 1 John 4 diligently there would be NO DIVISION AND NO DENOMINATIONS!
If we take it further, any person who does NOT confess that Yahshua Messiah has come in the flesh is an UNBELIEVER! We are COMMANDED to preach the Gospel to such people! BUT, observation teaches that most of the time through PRIDE, believers in Yahshua Messiah are unable to preach the Gospel OF TRUTH to such people. Far too many "christians" condemn the Jews for one reason or
another and condemn the Muslims for one reason or another AND condemn the other "christian denominations" which do not fully believe that Yahshua Messiah is who they believe Him to be.
BUT, virtually none of us know about ALL THE ATROCITIES that have been committed against these groups in the name of Jesus Christ. As mentioned in the recent postings on the "Bridge to the Jews" and "Thoughts on Islam's End Time Teachings", WE MUST REPENT of the sins of our forefathers in the Christian Faith BEFORE we can effectively minister the truth about the death and resurrection of Yahshua Messiah.
The Jews, Muslims and others are seeking atonement for sin through sacrifices of good works, etc and, it appears to me, that many of their lives are far more pleasing to the Father than the lives of most "christians". Yet, the Messiah for whom the Jews and Muslims are waiting HAS ALREADY COME to bring forgiveness of sins!
IT SHOULD BE EASY TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THEM IN THIS AGE!! We are not living in the time immediately after Yahshua's death, the beginning of the time of the Gentiles. We are now in the season when the "times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21:24 ""And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." (NKJ)
It is NOW TIME for Israel, Judah (the Jews) and others who have not received Yahshua Messiah for who He truly is, to receive HIM.
IF we present the unvarnished truth about Him as it is in scripture, NOT as it has been embellished by Satan through man over the last almost 2,000 years. If we truly repent of ALL the wrong that has been committed, taught and practised by the "christian" church over the past 1,700 years, if we TRULY seek to LOVE all those whom Yahweh has commanded us to love. THEN we will see the flood gates opened and billions of souls will rush into the Kingdom of King Yahshua!
For those who WILL DO THIS, there is a crown laid up. James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (NKJ)
If we love God we will love the brethren, therefore, we CANNOT receive a crown UNLESS we love the brethren and do not practice or preach division!
2 Timothy 4:8 "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (NKJ)
1 Corinthians 9:25-27
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (NKJ)
We must discipline our bodies and one of the ways we MUST discipline ourselves is to AVOID dispute and division and to SEEK unity!
Revelation 2:10 ""Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (NKJ)
THERE IS A CROWN, but to receive it we must SEEK UNITY!
What is the answer?
Firstly, if we truly desire to become like Yahshua Messiah, that is to become "Christ Like" or truly become "Christians", or more accurately "Messianic Believers" we MUST learn to REVERENCE TRUTH and NOT seek error.
In a number of recent postings reference has been made to 2 Corinthians 5:10-11:
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. (NKJ)
If we truly understand this passage of scripture. If we TRULY understand that we must ALL appear before the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST [MESSIAH] and that we are enjoined to KNOW THE TERROR OF THE LORD, we must surely have a reverent fear of being found to be in error on the Day of Judgment.
If we further understand that Revelation 21:8 says that ALL LIARS WILL HAVE A PART IN THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, we must surely have a reverent fear of being found to be liars on the Day of Judgment.
Given that ANY FALSE DOCTRINE is a lie, we must therefore learn to have a reverent fear of being found to have false doctrine.
ACCORDINGLY, if we EVER find ourselves in discussion with another believer and they believe something different to ourselves, we should BOTH immediately consider the possibility that WE could be in error!
IF we will do that, then instead of trying to ensure that the other person "UNDERSTANDS" our belief, we will ASK QUESTIONS in order to better understand what THEY believe.
Once we start focusing on SEEKING ANY TRUTH THEY MAY HAVE, we start looking for Yahshua in them and take / keep our eyes off that part of them which is yet unregenerate and in bondage to the world, we are likely to find ourselves making progress.
The principles set out in this document have an ENORMOUS impact on evangelism.
Essentially, any evangelist is confronted with four categories of people:
1) THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN Yahshua MESSIAH
Those who already believe in Yahshua Messiah, who are not the focus of his attention.
2) THOSE WHO ALREADY BELIEVE IN Yahweh BUT NOT IN Yahshua MESSIAH
This includes the Jews, Muslims and other groups, some of whom call themselves "christian" but who do not recognize Yahshua Messiah for who He REALLY is!
Currently, there is a strong tendency to regard these people as unbelievers. THEY ARE NOT! They are believers in Yahweh and MANY of them are far more devout and reverent in their service of Him and in their faith in His Word (the so-called Old Testament) than the VAST MAJORITY of "christians".
By repenting of the wrong done in the name of "christ" and seeking the truths that they already have which Yahweh has preserved for their complete salvation, millions can quickly and easily be led to salvation. Many of them have so much truth but, because of the grievous sins of those who appropriate the title "christian" without ANY Christ like conduct, they CANNOT accept Yahshua Messiah for who He really is. Refer previous postings on the Jews and Islam.
There is an enormously fruitful and, as yet, largely untapped harvest field which currently is vigorously and, for the most part violently, opposed to "christianity".
It is no good making excuses as many do that we have "liberty" to change the Sabbath, celebrate "Jesus" birthday on a pagan feast day and preach things which Yahweh God could not and would never say! WE MUST SEEK TRUTH, THE TRUTH which IS Yahshua Messiah and we MUST REPENT of the sins of our fathers. That way, thousands, if not millions can cross the bridge into the kingdom in one day!
3) THOSE WHO ARE ILL-INFORMED OR UNINFORMED
There is a mass of people who do not believe because they have NEVER HEARD THE GOSPEL preached in TRUTH!
This includes the VAST MASS of people in Eurocentric countries who have grown up with Christmas, Easter, etc. They THINK they know about Jesus Christ and what they have seen of Jesus Christ through the conduct of those who call themselves "christian" causes them to conclude that they DON'T WANT TO BE CHRISTIANS!
They hear people declare that "the Bible is the Word of God" and that it is "the final authority" and yet if they start to read the Bible they find that any number of things the "christian church" teaches is NOT ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE and, when they seek clarification from a person who calls themselves "christian" they are fobbed off with arguments that have no basis in scripture.
As a simple example, consider that most people will start to read a book from the front. Accordingly, most people who are vaguely interested will start reading Genesis. By the time they have finished Genesis they will find that there are several references to men having more than one wife. In particular, they will find that Abraham, whom most "christians" will tell them is the "father of the faith" and Jacob, later called Israel, both had more than one wife.
Yet, if they speak to almost any Christian they are told that Yahweh God has ordained monogamy and that it is a TERRIBLE SIN for a man to have more than one wife! In other words, Abraham the "father of faith" and Israel "the father of God's chosen people" were both TERRIBLE SINNERS??!!
They then find that this "christian" cannot produce a SINGLE SCRIPTURE to back up their argument. All they can offer are obscure arguments based on "Genesis 2:24 says the two shall become one, that means God only intended a man to have one wife" which is not explicit and is not amenable to rational understanding. They may also present some arguments based on verses in Timothy and Titus which relate to leaders only and which results in some ingenuous argument to the effect of an implied statement that "what is good for the Bishop is good for the flock".
At this point, any person of integrity will conclude that Yahweh is either confused or a hypocrite that He could bless Abraham and Jacob and yet His servants declare these men to be terrible sinners. THERE ARE MANY who have rejected faith in Yahweh and Yahshua ON THIS POINT ALONE!
If the person concerned has any Jewish or Muslim connections, they will KNOW that the "christian's" doctrine is wrong and they will reject this obviously false "christ". They will reject this false "christ" rightly BECAUSE Yahshua NEVER introduced monogamy. In the same way that He never introduced the "christian sabbath" on Sunday instead of Saturday, He was not born on "Christmas day", a pagan feast day, etc, etc, etc.
UNTIL those who have a personal saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (Yahshua Messiah) develop a love of their precious Saviour WHICH IMPELS
THEM TO SEEK HIS TRUTHS AT ALL COSTS, they will NEVER preach the Gospel of Truth effectively.
4) THOSE WHO ACTIVELY WORSHIP SATAN
The final group that evangelists should reach but whom most evangelists fear, are those who actively worship Satan. The witches, warlocks, Satanist's, etc. Those people have experience and detailed knowledge of the spirit realm. They have experienced the power of the demonic and they know how to wield that power effectively!
We have repeatedly seen congregations where the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully completely disintegrate after they have been visited by witches!
How do the witches exercise their power? They identify sin in the leadership of the congregation and that gives Satan the legal right he needs to attack that congregation - refer the teaching on God's Wrath for the Church to understand how this is possible.
What sin do they use? FREQUENTLY doctrinal error! Everyone who is moving in the power and anointing of Yahweh IS A TARGET FOR SATAN'S AGENTS, the witches, etc. Those agent's will make use of ANY SIN to gain a foothold to introduce demons, etc into the congregation and break it up!
It is time that ALL those who seek to serve Yahweh and Yahshua understand that sin of any kind and particularly division and doctrinal error is tantamount to writing a spiritual DEATH WARRANT for their ministry!
We have been lulled into a false sense of security. There has been no urgency for Satan until recently. But, in 1995, Joyner reports after a vision in which he was transported to the third heaven "The hordes of hell have been released. This is the time for which all of creation have been waiting. The great mystery of God will soon be finished."
Any way one looks at it, we are either at the very, very end of the sixth millennium (the sixth day) from creation OR we are at the very beginning of the seventh millennium (the seventh day) and since Yahweh has declared His intention to REST on the seventh day, Satan MUST be cast into the pit shortly.
Revelation 20:1-3:
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. (NKJ)
Accordingly, we must UNDERSTAND THAT SATAN HAS PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS TO DESTROY BELIEVERS ANY WAY THAT HE CAN!
Our experience of "christian" complacency and wilful error of the last 1,700 years is NO BASIS for living the Messianic life today!
All Hell has broken loose on earth in the spirit realm if we will open our eyes to see!
False doctrine and partial truth is now a LUXURY that true believers can NO LONGER afford!
FURTHERMORE, Yahshua died for the sins of the witches, warlocks, Satanist's and other agents of Satan AS WELL!! He LOVES THEM TOO! He WANTS THEM SAVED!
Reported experience indicates that the vast majority will ONLY come to salvation if they experience the MANIFEST POWER OF GOD working through believers which demonstrates that Yahweh is INDEED GREATER THAN SATAN!
That power WILL ONLY be manifest in the lives of believers who seek Yahshua and Yahweh with ALL their hearts, minds, souls and strength and, as we have seen, if one does that one MUST SEEK ALL TRUTH! Only those who do not have major sin in their lives will be able to stand against those who serve Satan with ALL THEIR hearts, minds, souls and strength. No man who teaches material false doctrine will have ANY HOPE of standing against an experienced and well equipped and trained servant of Satan. The servant of Satan will take the would be servant of Yahweh apart in the spiritual realm in a devastating and possibly FATAL (as in losing salvation for eternity) fashion.
BUT Yahweh and Yahshua WANT THOSE PEOPLE SAVED!
So we MUST all seek Yahshua and therefore we must seek ALL TRUTH and we must ALSO seek the fullness of the anointing of the Holy Spirit that is available to us.
Until we realize that Yahshua died on the Cross in order that WE might do GREATER WORKS THAN HE DID, in other words that we might receive an infilling of the Holy Spirit equivalent to OR GREATER than that which He received, WE SIN GRIEVOUSLY AND WE WILL REMAIN TOTALLY INCAPABLE OF BRINGING THE VAST MAJORITY OF SATAN'S AGENTS TO REPENTANCE AND SALVATION!
This generation will be judged according to what they do with the anointing of the Holy Spirit!
Certainly by virtue of what is written here there are MANY who are in error. In fact, every one of us is in error to a greater or lesser degree.
How does one respond to someone who is manifestly in error in an area where we have absolute certainty that we have truth?
That is outside the scope of this article but will, God willing, be addressed in a separate article shortly.
My conclusion?
1) Serve Yahweh your God with ALL your heart, mind, soul and strength.
2) Seek crucifixion with Messiah (Christ) DAILY.
3) Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead you into ALL TRUTH!
4) STOP LOOKING FOR ERROR IN OTHERS BUT SEEK TRUTH IN THEM!
5) NEVER speak against a fellow believer or even against someone who CLAIMS to be a fellow believer, whether a believer in Yahshua and Yahweh or in Yahweh alone.
6) NEVER judge a person on the basis of what any other person reports second hand.
7) NEVER judge any person UNLESS Yahweh has raised you up as a judge in the church and, right now, there are VERY FEW such men!
8) Avoid strife and division at ALL COSTS. In EVERY relationship seek to identify the points of agreement and, if you have a truth which you know that you know is truth, ask for a hearing, share the truth and then leave it to the Holy Spirit to do the work.
Agreement CANNOT be demanded, commanded, bought or earned! It is a free gift, a choice that each has to make.
9) If necessary, and it will OFTEN BE NECESSARY, AGREE TO DISAGREE!
10) Take ownership of the sins of our fathers in the faith and be QUICK TO REPENT to any person who might ever have been offended by those sins.
It cannot be stressed enough!
Seek truth and not error in ALL you meet!
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ [Messiah] forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ [Messiah] dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Yahshua [Jesus], giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:12-17 (NKJ)
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