Roots and Culture Part 5 was published in the April 2012 issue of HM Magazine. I'll be reposting each column here around the time the following issue is released. As always, comments, suggestions and flame mail are always... entertained...
Welcome to Chameleon Church...
Roots & Culture
Allan Aguirre
of Olive Trees & Wild Branches
(Part 5)
We have established that the Punk Rock and Alternative genres established by bands like The Sex Pistols and Bauhaus have, through time, been replaced with mainstream hybrids and counterfeits like Avril Lavigne and Dave Matthews, and that the essence of these genres have been buried deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
I’ve shared my conviction that an understanding and application of the biblical roots of our faith would breathe new sound scriptural Life into the Covenant relationship bought for us with the shed Blood of the Lamb.
I shared how Paul, in Acts 24:14, defined Christianity as being a sect of Judaism and defended his faith by confessing that he believed “all things which are written in the Torah (‘law’) of Moses and in the Prophets” whereas for nearly 1900 years a Greek and Roman linear thought process of a Jewish cyclical concept has buried the biblical roots and essence of our faith deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
Paul’s teaching in Romans 11 should correct our modern perspective to the Jewish Roots of our faith, the Olive Tree of the House of Israel: “But if some of the branches were broken off [Israel], and you - a wild olive [a gentile believer] - were grafted in among them [Jews] and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if you were better than the branches [Jews]! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.” Romans 11:17-18 (emphasis mine)
We discussed Ephesians 2 and how gentiles had no Messiah, were estranged from the national life of Israel and foreigners to the covenants embodying God's promise (Torah) - but now have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah's blood (verses 12-13). We saw how Jesus has made both Jew and gentile one and broke down the wall of separation by destroying the Law of Atonement Sacrifice in his own body (the cross) (verses 14-15a).
We learned that scripturally, the law is separated into sections; the oral traditions, the Covenant and the Sacrificial Law. Ephesians 2:12 speaks of Covenant while verses 14-15a obviously speaks of Atonement Sacrifice as being “destroyed” by the cross. This did not, however, “destroy” the Covenant Law and it’s observance (verse 10) with the goal being “One New Man” (verse 16).
“So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with God's people (Israel) and members of God's family.” Ephesians 2:19 (emphasis mine)
Our root and culture as believers are found in Torah and Israel.
Christianity remains a foreigner to the Mosaic Torah covenant embodying Messiah and has rejected the scriptural foundational root of her faith, believing that she is “better then the branches”, and that she “supports the root” - thus estranging herself from the national and spiritual life of Israel.
What does Jesus say about this?
Popular Christian teaching has stated for centuries that Jesus “did away with” the Torah (law) of Moses – “the covenants embodying God’s promise” (Ephesians 2:12) - upon His resurrection.
Actually, immediately following His resurrection, we find Jesus expounding to His disciples all the things in the Scriptures (Old Testament), starting with Moses, concerning Him. He then reminds them that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets concerning Him and then opened their understanding, that they might comprehend these Scriptures. (Luke 24:27, 44- 45 NKJV)
Now, why would He default to the authority of the Law of Moses in regards to Himself - post resurrection – if He had just “done away with” it?
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Roots and Culture Series
Roots and Culture Part 4 was published in the March 2012 issue of HM Magazine. I'll be reposting each column here around the time the following issue is released. As always, comments, suggestions and flame mail are always... entertained...
Welcome to Chameleon Church...
Roots & Culture
Allan Aguirre
of Olive Trees & Wild Branches
(Part 4)
We have established that the Punk Rock and Alternative genres established by bands like The Sex Pistols and Bauhaus have, through time, been replaced with mainstream hybrids and counterfeits like Avril Lavigne and Dave Matthews, and that the essence of these genres have been buried deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
I’ve shared my conviction that an understanding and application of the biblical roots of our faith would breathe new sound scriptural Life into the Covenant relationship bought for us with the shed Blood of the Lamb.
I shared how Paul, in Acts 24:14, defined Christianity as being a sect of Judaism and defended his faith by confessing that he believed “all things which are written in the Torah (‘law’) of Moses and in the Prophets” whereas for nearly 1900 years a Greek and Roman linear thought process of a Jewish cyclical concept has buried the biblical roots and essence of our faith deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
Paul’s teaching in Romans 11 should correct our modern perspective to the Jewish Roots of our faith, the Olive Tree of the House of Israel: “But if some of the branches were broken off [Israel], and you - a wild olive [a gentile believer] - were grafted in among them [Jews] and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if you were better than the branches [Jews]! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.” Romans 11:17-18 (emphasis mine)
Paul continues, “… you (gentiles) had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Israel. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God's promise (Torah). You were in this world without hope and without God. But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah's blood. For he himself is our shalom - he has made us both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation which divided us by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances.” Ephesians 2:12-15a (emphasis mine).
Did Paul just say that Jesus destroyed Torah with its commands and ordinances? It would seem so but didn’t he also say that prior to Jesus gentiles were foreigners to this same Torah but have now been “brought near”? So which one is it; foreigners or destroyed?
The “simple” answer is both.
Scripturally, the law is separated into sections, a fact well known by Paul the Rabbi. We have the oral traditions, the Covenant and the Sacrificial Law. Verse 12 speaks of Covenant while verses 14-15a obviously speaks of atonement Sacrifice as being “destroyed” by the cross and the removing of the “middle wall of separation” (a temple reference). This does not, however, “destroy” the Covenant Law and it’s observance (verse 10) with the goal being “One New Man” found in verse 16, the very foundation of this idea being within the Torah itself.
“So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with God's people and members of God's family.” Ephesians 2:19 (emphasis mine). Our root and culture as believers is found in Torah and Israel.
Christianity today remains a foreigner to this Mosaic Torah covenant embodying Messiah; a foreigner that has rejected the scriptural foundational root of its faith, believing that it’s “better then the branches”, and that it “supports the root” - thus estranging us ever the more from the national and spiritual life of Israel.
What does Jesus say about this?
Welcome to Chameleon Church...
Roots & Culture
Allan Aguirre
of Olive Trees & Wild Branches
(Part 4)
We have established that the Punk Rock and Alternative genres established by bands like The Sex Pistols and Bauhaus have, through time, been replaced with mainstream hybrids and counterfeits like Avril Lavigne and Dave Matthews, and that the essence of these genres have been buried deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
I’ve shared my conviction that an understanding and application of the biblical roots of our faith would breathe new sound scriptural Life into the Covenant relationship bought for us with the shed Blood of the Lamb.
I shared how Paul, in Acts 24:14, defined Christianity as being a sect of Judaism and defended his faith by confessing that he believed “all things which are written in the Torah (‘law’) of Moses and in the Prophets” whereas for nearly 1900 years a Greek and Roman linear thought process of a Jewish cyclical concept has buried the biblical roots and essence of our faith deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
Paul’s teaching in Romans 11 should correct our modern perspective to the Jewish Roots of our faith, the Olive Tree of the House of Israel: “But if some of the branches were broken off [Israel], and you - a wild olive [a gentile believer] - were grafted in among them [Jews] and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if you were better than the branches [Jews]! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.” Romans 11:17-18 (emphasis mine)
Paul continues, “… you (gentiles) had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Israel. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God's promise (Torah). You were in this world without hope and without God. But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah's blood. For he himself is our shalom - he has made us both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation which divided us by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances.” Ephesians 2:12-15a (emphasis mine).
Did Paul just say that Jesus destroyed Torah with its commands and ordinances? It would seem so but didn’t he also say that prior to Jesus gentiles were foreigners to this same Torah but have now been “brought near”? So which one is it; foreigners or destroyed?
The “simple” answer is both.
Scripturally, the law is separated into sections, a fact well known by Paul the Rabbi. We have the oral traditions, the Covenant and the Sacrificial Law. Verse 12 speaks of Covenant while verses 14-15a obviously speaks of atonement Sacrifice as being “destroyed” by the cross and the removing of the “middle wall of separation” (a temple reference). This does not, however, “destroy” the Covenant Law and it’s observance (verse 10) with the goal being “One New Man” found in verse 16, the very foundation of this idea being within the Torah itself.
“So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with God's people and members of God's family.” Ephesians 2:19 (emphasis mine). Our root and culture as believers is found in Torah and Israel.
Christianity today remains a foreigner to this Mosaic Torah covenant embodying Messiah; a foreigner that has rejected the scriptural foundational root of its faith, believing that it’s “better then the branches”, and that it “supports the root” - thus estranging us ever the more from the national and spiritual life of Israel.
What does Jesus say about this?
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Roots and Culture Series
Roots and Culture Part 3 was published in the February 2012 issue of HM Magazine. I'll be reposting each column here around the time the following issue is released. As always, comments, suggestions and flame mail are always... entertained...
Welcome to Chameleon Church...
Roots & Culture
Allan Aguirre
of Olive Trees & Wild Branches
(Part 3)
We have established in Parts 1 & 2 that the Punk Rock and Alternative genres established by bands such as The Sex Pistols and Bauhaus have, through time, been replaced with mainstream hybrids and counterfeits like Avril Lavigne and Dave Matthews, and that the essence of these genres have been buried deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
I’ve stated that this same “disregard” for authenticity can be applied to our faith and how centuries’ worth of theological and doctrinal hybrids and counterfeits characterize our faith today. A faith, once synonymous with a specific Root and Culture, has given way to roots and culture seeped in hybrid manifestations.
I’m convinced that an understanding and application of the biblical roots of our faith would breathe new sound scriptural Life into the Covenant relationship bought for us with the shed Blood of the Lamb.
Paul, in Acts 24:14, defined Christianity as being a sect of Judaism and defended his faith by confessing that he believed “all things which are written in the Torah (‘law’) of Moses and in the Prophets.” A far cry from today where 1900 years of Greek and Roman linear thought processes of a Jewish cyclical concept have buried the biblical roots and essence of our faith deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion. A hybrid.
Scripturally, Paul’s faith was embodied, modeled and taught by Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. Scripturally, salvation is by and given to the Jew first - then the gentile. Scripturally, it is intended to be practiced and rooted in ‘all things which are written in the Torah of Moses and in the Prophets’.
Paul establishes this in Romans 11 in regards to gentiles being grafted into the cultivated Olive Tree of the House of Israel: “But if some of the branches were broken off [Israel], and you - a wild olive [a gentile believer] - were grafted in among them [Jews] and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if you were better than the branches [Jews]! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.” Romans 11:17-18 (emphasis mine)
Paul continues, “… you had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Israel. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God's promise. You were in this world without hope and without God. But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah's blood.” Ephesians 2:12-13 (emphasis mine).
Christianity today remains a foreigner to the Mosaic Torah covenant embodying Messiah; a foreigner that has rejected the scriptural foundational root of its faith. Not only does it believe that it’s “better then the branches”, it also believes that it supports the root - ripping this “root” entirely out of the equation, centuries ago - thus estranging us ever the more from the national and spiritual life of Israel. And all heaven just weeps…
Paul continues, “For he himself is our shalom - he has made us both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation which divided us by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances.” Ephesians 2:14-15a. Did Paul just say that Jesus destroyed Torah with its commands and ordinances? Doesn’t that contradict what he said in Acts 24:14? Doesn’t this kill my argument?
And herein lies our 1900-year-old dilemma.
What to do… what to do…
Welcome to Chameleon Church...
Roots & Culture
Allan Aguirre
of Olive Trees & Wild Branches
(Part 3)
We have established in Parts 1 & 2 that the Punk Rock and Alternative genres established by bands such as The Sex Pistols and Bauhaus have, through time, been replaced with mainstream hybrids and counterfeits like Avril Lavigne and Dave Matthews, and that the essence of these genres have been buried deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
I’ve stated that this same “disregard” for authenticity can be applied to our faith and how centuries’ worth of theological and doctrinal hybrids and counterfeits characterize our faith today. A faith, once synonymous with a specific Root and Culture, has given way to roots and culture seeped in hybrid manifestations.
I’m convinced that an understanding and application of the biblical roots of our faith would breathe new sound scriptural Life into the Covenant relationship bought for us with the shed Blood of the Lamb.
Paul, in Acts 24:14, defined Christianity as being a sect of Judaism and defended his faith by confessing that he believed “all things which are written in the Torah (‘law’) of Moses and in the Prophets.” A far cry from today where 1900 years of Greek and Roman linear thought processes of a Jewish cyclical concept have buried the biblical roots and essence of our faith deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion. A hybrid.
Scripturally, Paul’s faith was embodied, modeled and taught by Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. Scripturally, salvation is by and given to the Jew first - then the gentile. Scripturally, it is intended to be practiced and rooted in ‘all things which are written in the Torah of Moses and in the Prophets’.
Paul establishes this in Romans 11 in regards to gentiles being grafted into the cultivated Olive Tree of the House of Israel: “But if some of the branches were broken off [Israel], and you - a wild olive [a gentile believer] - were grafted in among them [Jews] and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if you were better than the branches [Jews]! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.” Romans 11:17-18 (emphasis mine)
Paul continues, “… you had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Israel. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God's promise. You were in this world without hope and without God. But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah's blood.” Ephesians 2:12-13 (emphasis mine).
Christianity today remains a foreigner to the Mosaic Torah covenant embodying Messiah; a foreigner that has rejected the scriptural foundational root of its faith. Not only does it believe that it’s “better then the branches”, it also believes that it supports the root - ripping this “root” entirely out of the equation, centuries ago - thus estranging us ever the more from the national and spiritual life of Israel. And all heaven just weeps…
Paul continues, “For he himself is our shalom - he has made us both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation which divided us by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances.” Ephesians 2:14-15a. Did Paul just say that Jesus destroyed Torah with its commands and ordinances? Doesn’t that contradict what he said in Acts 24:14? Doesn’t this kill my argument?
And herein lies our 1900-year-old dilemma.
What to do… what to do…
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Roots and Culture Series
Roots and Culture Part 2 was published in the January 2012 issue of HM Magazine. I'll be reposting each column here around the time the following issue is released. As always, comments, suggestions and flame mail are always... entertained...
Welcome to Chameleon Church...
Roots & Culture
Allan Aguirre
of Olive Trees & Wild Branches
(Part 2)
In Part 1 I shared my Punk Rock history, (which also includes Alternative, a category once used to delineate music outside the mainstream), my frustration with genre hybrids and musical counterfeits, and how time has buried the essence of both Punk and Alternative deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
I stated that this same “disregard” for authenticity can be applied to our faith and how centuries’ worth of theological and doctrinal hybrids and counterfeits characterize our faith today. I suggested that time and culture have buried the essence of our faith deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion. A faith, once synonymous with a specific Root and Culture (much like the Ramones or the Sex Pistols defined Punk Rock), has given way to roots and culture seeped in hybrid manifestations much like Dave Matthews’ “Alternative” genre categorization - a far cry from Bauhaus or Siouxsie and the Banshees, artists that birthed the genre.
The same must be said of our faith.
In Acts 24:14, Paul, in defense of his faith, states: “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.” (NKJV) Christianity, the Way, was considered a sect of Judaism that included the belief of “all things which are written in the Torah (‘law’) of Moses”. It is on this original definition of Christianity that I propose that:
Our understanding and application of the biblical roots of our faith would breathe new sound scriptural Life into the Covenant relationship bought for us with the shed Blood of the Lamb.
Romans 11 establishes this root system, our role as wild olive branches, and our responsibilities as branches grafted into the cultivated Olive Tree of the House of Israel.
“…don't boast as if you were better than the branches (Jews)! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root (Israel), the root is supporting you. So you (gentiles) will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ True, but so what? They were broken off because of their lack of trust (Jesus). However, you keep your place only because of your trust. So don't be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified! For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly won't spare you! So take a good look at God's kindness and his severity: on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off; but, on the other hand, God's kindness toward you - provided you maintain yourself in that kindness! Otherwise, you too will be cut off!” Romans 11:18-22
Paul continues, “… you had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Israel. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God's promise. You were in this world without hope and without God. But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah's blood.” Ephesians 2:12-13 (emphasis mine)
Welcome to Chameleon Church...
Roots & Culture
Allan Aguirre
of Olive Trees & Wild Branches
(Part 2)
In Part 1 I shared my Punk Rock history, (which also includes Alternative, a category once used to delineate music outside the mainstream), my frustration with genre hybrids and musical counterfeits, and how time has buried the essence of both Punk and Alternative deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
I stated that this same “disregard” for authenticity can be applied to our faith and how centuries’ worth of theological and doctrinal hybrids and counterfeits characterize our faith today. I suggested that time and culture have buried the essence of our faith deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion. A faith, once synonymous with a specific Root and Culture (much like the Ramones or the Sex Pistols defined Punk Rock), has given way to roots and culture seeped in hybrid manifestations much like Dave Matthews’ “Alternative” genre categorization - a far cry from Bauhaus or Siouxsie and the Banshees, artists that birthed the genre.
The same must be said of our faith.
In Acts 24:14, Paul, in defense of his faith, states: “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.” (NKJV) Christianity, the Way, was considered a sect of Judaism that included the belief of “all things which are written in the Torah (‘law’) of Moses”. It is on this original definition of Christianity that I propose that:
- Scripturally, this “Way”
- was to the Jew first and then the gentile
- was taught, modeled and embodied by Jesus, the Jewish Messiah
- was followed by Paul and the original disciples
- is intended to be practiced and rooted in ‘all things which are written in the Torah of Moses and in the Prophets’, and that
- 1900 years of Greek and Roman linear thought processes of a Jewish cyclical concept have buried the biblical roots and essence of our faith deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion
Our understanding and application of the biblical roots of our faith would breathe new sound scriptural Life into the Covenant relationship bought for us with the shed Blood of the Lamb.
Romans 11 establishes this root system, our role as wild olive branches, and our responsibilities as branches grafted into the cultivated Olive Tree of the House of Israel.
“…don't boast as if you were better than the branches (Jews)! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root (Israel), the root is supporting you. So you (gentiles) will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ True, but so what? They were broken off because of their lack of trust (Jesus). However, you keep your place only because of your trust. So don't be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified! For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly won't spare you! So take a good look at God's kindness and his severity: on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off; but, on the other hand, God's kindness toward you - provided you maintain yourself in that kindness! Otherwise, you too will be cut off!” Romans 11:18-22
Paul continues, “… you had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Israel. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God's promise. You were in this world without hope and without God. But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah's blood.” Ephesians 2:12-13 (emphasis mine)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Roots and Culture Series
Doug Van Pelt (editor and founder of HM Magazine) and I had discussed my doing a monthly column for the mag for over a year. A lack of subject matter on my behalf kept it from happening. A couple of months ago, Doug made the suggestion, "Why don't you write about the Jewish/biblical roots of our Christian faith?". My immediate response was "Are you kidding? You trying to get me in even more trouble? Christians strain at the gnat of 'Christ and Him crucified' let alone the Jewish roots of our faith". How was I going to present a scriptural truth - a truth virtually lost, ignored and rejected by the vast majority of Christendom for almost 1900 years - in a column of 600 words or less? It was an insane task.
I took it.
Roots and Culture Part 1 was published in the December 2011 issue of HM Magazine. I'll be reposting each column here around the time the following issue goes to press. As always, comments, suggestions and flame mail are always... entertained...
Welcome to Chameleon Church...
Roots & Culture
Allan Aguirre
of Olive Trees & Wild Branches
(Part 1)
My involvement with Punk Rock between 1978-85 has become a “badge of honor” and has garnered me the label of “authenticity.” This experience also carries the frustration of decades worth of genre hybrids and musical counterfeits that has branded everything “alternative,” warranted or not. Time, and time alone, has buried the essence of an era deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
The same can be said of our faith.
Centuries’ worth of hybrids and counterfeits that have branded everything “Christian,” warranted or not, defines us today. Time and culture have buried the essence of an ideal deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion. An ideal, once synonymous with a specific Root and Culture that defined it (much like the Ramones or the Sex Pistols defined Punk Rock), gives way today to roots and culture seeped in hybrid manifestations much like Avril Lavigne defining “punk rock” to a generation — a far cry from the original ideals represented by the X-Ray Spex.
The same can be said of our faith.
In Acts 24:14, Paul, while on trial in Jerusalem before the Roman governor Felix and the Sanhedrin, had this to say in his defense of his faith: “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.” (NKJV) Christianity, (aka the Way), was considered a sect of Judaism and involved the belief of “all things which are written in the Torah (‘law’) of Moses and in the Prophets.” Quite a different “religion” than the one we practice today. It would behoove us to learn about this Way.
I propose we go back to our biblical Roots and Culture.
Paul, in Romans 11, establishes this root and culture as well as our roles as the wild olive branches that have been grafted into the cultivated Olive Tree of the House of Israel. This is a hybrid I can support and, because of the blood of Jesus, it’s not a counterfeit. It’s because of Jesus we are able to be grafted in. “But if some of the branches were broken off [Israel], and you - a wild olive [a gentile believer] - were grafted in among them [Jews] and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if you were better than the branches [Jews]! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.” Romans 11:17-18 (emphasis mine)
Welcome to Roots and Culture…
[fb/twitter: allanAguirre]
HM Mag
I took it.
Roots and Culture Part 1 was published in the December 2011 issue of HM Magazine. I'll be reposting each column here around the time the following issue goes to press. As always, comments, suggestions and flame mail are always... entertained...
Welcome to Chameleon Church...
Roots & Culture
Allan Aguirre
of Olive Trees & Wild Branches
(Part 1)
My involvement with Punk Rock between 1978-85 has become a “badge of honor” and has garnered me the label of “authenticity.” This experience also carries the frustration of decades worth of genre hybrids and musical counterfeits that has branded everything “alternative,” warranted or not. Time, and time alone, has buried the essence of an era deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
The same can be said of our faith.
Centuries’ worth of hybrids and counterfeits that have branded everything “Christian,” warranted or not, defines us today. Time and culture have buried the essence of an ideal deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion. An ideal, once synonymous with a specific Root and Culture that defined it (much like the Ramones or the Sex Pistols defined Punk Rock), gives way today to roots and culture seeped in hybrid manifestations much like Avril Lavigne defining “punk rock” to a generation — a far cry from the original ideals represented by the X-Ray Spex.
The same can be said of our faith.
In Acts 24:14, Paul, while on trial in Jerusalem before the Roman governor Felix and the Sanhedrin, had this to say in his defense of his faith: “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.” (NKJV) Christianity, (aka the Way), was considered a sect of Judaism and involved the belief of “all things which are written in the Torah (‘law’) of Moses and in the Prophets.” Quite a different “religion” than the one we practice today. It would behoove us to learn about this Way.
- I propose that 1900 years of Greek and Roman linear thought processes of a Jewish cyclical concept have buried the essence of an ideal deep below the sands of conjecture and opinion.
- I propose that we have fallen victim to the ripple effect of ramrodding a square peg into a round hole - disguised as doctrine - and have fallen short of the documented biblical responsibilities and results that this Way requires and produces.
- I propose that a life sold out to the biblical instruction of this Way, a Way
- followed by Paul and the original 11 disciples
- taught and modeled by the Jewish Messiah Himself
- established and founded on ‘all things which are written in the Torah of Moses and in the Prophets’
would not only reestablish us on the intended foundational path instituted by our God, but it would also breathe sound scriptural Life into the New Creation that was bought with the shed Blood of the Lamb.
I propose we go back to our biblical Roots and Culture.
Paul, in Romans 11, establishes this root and culture as well as our roles as the wild olive branches that have been grafted into the cultivated Olive Tree of the House of Israel. This is a hybrid I can support and, because of the blood of Jesus, it’s not a counterfeit. It’s because of Jesus we are able to be grafted in. “But if some of the branches were broken off [Israel], and you - a wild olive [a gentile believer] - were grafted in among them [Jews] and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if you were better than the branches [Jews]! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you.” Romans 11:17-18 (emphasis mine)
Welcome to Roots and Culture…
[fb/twitter: allanAguirre]
HM Mag
Thursday, October 27, 2011
A Typical Day at the Office
Status Update on a friends FB Wall: "Be holy, because I am holy." How can one be holy?
FB User 1: The trick is striving for holiness. "None are holy. No not one." But it also says "without holiness, we can not see the kingdom of God." So how we strive fore holiness is by sanctification and setting ourselves apart and actually living like jesus did and living up to the name "christian" which means "little christ".
Me: Read the entire chapter (Mt 5). The answer is there
My Friend: So is it possible to "be" holy? Or will we always fall short?
Me: It's possible or this whole thing is a farce and/or Jesus didn't know what he was talking about. I'm going with Jesus and not popular erroneous Christian theology. They can think its unachievable all they want. I'm not drinking THAT koolaid! :)
FB User 2: I agree with FB User 1. Being holy doesn't mean "striving for sinlessness", as some churches teach, but it means to be "set apart", seeking to be mature in Christ, and not be conformed to our former worldly lusts before we were saved (see 1 Peter 1:13-16).
Me: FBU2: but there's no sin in holiness. Israel was set apart but wasn't found holy because of their sin. Holiness is more then just "set apart", scripturally
FBU1: @allan-- they're location was set apart. But not they're hearts and they're actions
Me: FBU1: That's my point. They were set apart as a People (humans), unto God. A Nation of Kings and Priests. Their sin found them to be unholy. Holiness, scripturally, isn't just to be set apart and has the absence of sin. Holiness absolutely/biblically means "striving"/pursuing sinlessness contrary to what FBU2 was saying
FBU1: True:) what I meant by set apart though is to be different from the world and not be a slave to sin (1 john 3:19)
Me: FBU1: yes. "sinless" :)
FBU1: Oh ok. I see what your saying!! I was confused for a second!! Haha yeah I have to disagree with FBU2 on the point. Paul definitely made it clear that we are not suppose to sin.. "Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?? Certainly not!" And jesus himself even said.. Can a "good" tree produce bad fruit" or can a fig tree produce thorns? He even took it to the extent of saying... "If I find a tree that bears fruit that isn't pleasing to me I will chop it down and cast it into hell".
FBU2: The problem is Allan, is we will always have sin in our mortal bodies until we are resurrected. Paul explains that in Romans, especially in Chapter 7. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 8). If we could achieve "sinlessness" on our own, then Jesus wouldn't have had to die. Sin is falling short of God's law. The Pharisees tried to be sinless, and Jesus rebuked them.
Me: FBU1: Yup. and this goes against most popular church teaching.
FBU2: Not so. Also, Romans 7 is speaking about the Torah of Moses. Either way, Paul's teaching doesn't/wouldn't trump the teaching of Jesus, who said to be perfect and holy, nor would it contradict the teaching of Jesus. Are you suggesting that?
You also mis quote 1 John 8. John's teaching would also not trump the teaching of Jesus nor would it contradict it.
Who on here ever suggested we could achieve sinlessness on our own? No one on here has even hinted at that. Not a single comment has been made suggesting taking the death of Jesus out of the equation. I know I haven't.
You also state that "sin is falling short of God's law". Are you Torah observant? (that was a question not a challenge) :)
I agree that being Torahless is sin but by making that comment you support my original post.
My original post said that the answer to Shawn's question was found in Mt 5 where Jesus defines how He's going to "fulfill" Torah. He also praises the one that observes and teaches others to observe Torah and "curses" the one that doesn't observe and teaches others not to observe. Then He goes on to define how He was going to fulfill Torah (the greek word for fulfill in this chapter means to expand and give legs - not "do away with") and then after saying all that, Jesus concludes this portion of the sermon on the mount with "Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." - and should there be any confusion regarding what Jesus means by "therefore", the greek means "then, therefore, accordingly, consequently, these things being so".
So, one must be Torah compliant in order to even be able to achieve perfection like our Father in heaven (holiness), according to Jesus, and any interpretation of this chapter or the teachings of John and Paul that you ("you" generally speaking) use to conclude that we are not required to or incapable of being holy/perfect isn't the gospel (teaching) of Jesus or His disciples or of the Father.
And Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for other things, not for "trying to be sinless".
FBU2: It all depends on where your focus is. Since we are walking in grace now, not bondage, we have peace with God. We should focus on God and not our sin. He is sanctifying us daily and conforming us to the image of his Son. If we walk with Him in obedience, love and grace, then the desire to sin will diminish as we grow in Christ.
Allan: In Matthew 5:48, Jesus is talking about being perfected in love(verse 43 - 48), not sin. Paul explains in Romans that God's law was put in place to reveal how sinful we are and not that we can live up to it. If you interpret what Jesus says the way you do, it will contradict what Paul and the rest of the new testament says. I am curious as to what church you attend that led you to this type of scriptural interpretation?
Me: FBU2: absolutely not. You have to completely take v43-48 out of context (as you have) to conclude that. Ch 5 - 7 is a contextual teaching. It's known as the Sermon on the Mount and is considered by everyone to be the definitive teaching/gospel of Jesus. You can not conveniently remove His teaching on Torah observance to suit your theology. You're also not understanding what Paul is saying in Romans and you're also taking that out of context. Contextually, Paul says in Romans that he was blameless in regards to Torah observance and that the Torah is holy, just and good. The Torah, Paul says in Romans, is for blessing and cursing (revealing sin) and your misquote about not being able to live up to it regards living up to it, contextually, as the means of atonement and the legalistic observance of Torah commands. You have to keep it contextual. You just can't use a verse standalone.
As far as "interpretation", all one has to do is understand the original intent (Greek & Hebrew) and that Jesus and the writers of the NT were Torah observant Jews. It's pretty simple.
Regarding your comment that my "interpretation" of Jesus contradicts Paul and the NT: what you need to understand is that everything Paul and everything NT is entirely based on the OT & Jesus who was the living incarnation of the OT (Word made flesh). So that would be incorrect. Also, the NT doesn't teach that the Torah is no longer applicable to Christians. That's what you've been told.
FBU2: With all respect to you, Allan, it looks like some of your doctrinal beliefs (as you yourself said earlier), differ from the rest of the mainstream church. I'm not saying that everything that I believe doctrinally is totally correct, but when a question comes up like this I try to find the answers there first. An organization that has been around a long time is the Christian Research Institute, and I called them and they gave me a reference on the subject we are talking about at the following address: http://www.equip.org/perspectives/the-error-of-perfectionism. I hope you, FBU1 and My Friend will read and consider it and contact them if you have further questions. Blessings :)
Me: (completely perplexed) heh... When did I ever state that I had "reached a state of sinless perfection" (to quote the article you suggest I read)? Did you even read any of my comments?
It would behoove "mainstream" Christianity to grasp the reality that Jesus and the writers of the NT were Torah observant Jews (and not nonTorah observant Greeks and Romans) and that they based their teaching and writings on the OT and not on 2000 years of Greek and Roman linear thought processes of a cyclical Hebrew concept. That realization would go a long way in restoring the Church and preparing her to ready herself as the bride.
As far as the "Christian Research Institute", Hank Hanegraaff can be your go to guy but I'm not interested. Thanks anyways! :)
-----------------------------
I shared this with you to give you an idea of the challenge involved with speaking biblical truth, Jewish roots or not. People are preprogrammed and any possible varient to their thought process is threatening. If it's at all possible that their foundational beliefs are erroneous, then they have nothing to base their life on and fear sets in. This happens when you have an association with an idea (Christianity) verses a relationship with the Father - in the Son - through the Spirit.
They say that upwards of 80% of the US population affiliates themselves with "Christianity". Of that, 48% (if my memory serves me) are active in church going. Of that 48%, we can conclude that only 20% are actually living an interactive relationship with God based on the data.
Many are called, few are chosen. Broad is the way and narrow is the gate. Only 50% of the virgins made it to the feast. As Angela has said, the Jewish roots is the oil in their lamps. I believe whole heartedly that a balanced and scriptural revelation of our biblical roots is paramount in determining that we are in the 20% projectile that are actively and aggressively engaged with the Father - the 5 virgins that were received by the Bridegroom.
FB User 1: The trick is striving for holiness. "None are holy. No not one." But it also says "without holiness, we can not see the kingdom of God." So how we strive fore holiness is by sanctification and setting ourselves apart and actually living like jesus did and living up to the name "christian" which means "little christ".
Me: Read the entire chapter (Mt 5). The answer is there
My Friend: So is it possible to "be" holy? Or will we always fall short?
Me: It's possible or this whole thing is a farce and/or Jesus didn't know what he was talking about. I'm going with Jesus and not popular erroneous Christian theology. They can think its unachievable all they want. I'm not drinking THAT koolaid! :)
FB User 2: I agree with FB User 1. Being holy doesn't mean "striving for sinlessness", as some churches teach, but it means to be "set apart", seeking to be mature in Christ, and not be conformed to our former worldly lusts before we were saved (see 1 Peter 1:13-16).
Me: FBU2: but there's no sin in holiness. Israel was set apart but wasn't found holy because of their sin. Holiness is more then just "set apart", scripturally
FBU1: @allan-- they're location was set apart. But not they're hearts and they're actions
Me: FBU1: That's my point. They were set apart as a People (humans), unto God. A Nation of Kings and Priests. Their sin found them to be unholy. Holiness, scripturally, isn't just to be set apart and has the absence of sin. Holiness absolutely/biblically means "striving"/pursuing sinlessness contrary to what FBU2 was saying
FBU1: True:) what I meant by set apart though is to be different from the world and not be a slave to sin (1 john 3:19)
Me: FBU1: yes. "sinless" :)
FBU1: Oh ok. I see what your saying!! I was confused for a second!! Haha yeah I have to disagree with FBU2 on the point. Paul definitely made it clear that we are not suppose to sin.. "Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?? Certainly not!" And jesus himself even said.. Can a "good" tree produce bad fruit" or can a fig tree produce thorns? He even took it to the extent of saying... "If I find a tree that bears fruit that isn't pleasing to me I will chop it down and cast it into hell".
FBU2: The problem is Allan, is we will always have sin in our mortal bodies until we are resurrected. Paul explains that in Romans, especially in Chapter 7. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 8). If we could achieve "sinlessness" on our own, then Jesus wouldn't have had to die. Sin is falling short of God's law. The Pharisees tried to be sinless, and Jesus rebuked them.
Me: FBU1: Yup. and this goes against most popular church teaching.
FBU2: Not so. Also, Romans 7 is speaking about the Torah of Moses. Either way, Paul's teaching doesn't/wouldn't trump the teaching of Jesus, who said to be perfect and holy, nor would it contradict the teaching of Jesus. Are you suggesting that?
You also mis quote 1 John 8. John's teaching would also not trump the teaching of Jesus nor would it contradict it.
Who on here ever suggested we could achieve sinlessness on our own? No one on here has even hinted at that. Not a single comment has been made suggesting taking the death of Jesus out of the equation. I know I haven't.
You also state that "sin is falling short of God's law". Are you Torah observant? (that was a question not a challenge) :)
I agree that being Torahless is sin but by making that comment you support my original post.
My original post said that the answer to Shawn's question was found in Mt 5 where Jesus defines how He's going to "fulfill" Torah. He also praises the one that observes and teaches others to observe Torah and "curses" the one that doesn't observe and teaches others not to observe. Then He goes on to define how He was going to fulfill Torah (the greek word for fulfill in this chapter means to expand and give legs - not "do away with") and then after saying all that, Jesus concludes this portion of the sermon on the mount with "Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." - and should there be any confusion regarding what Jesus means by "therefore", the greek means "then, therefore, accordingly, consequently, these things being so".
So, one must be Torah compliant in order to even be able to achieve perfection like our Father in heaven (holiness), according to Jesus, and any interpretation of this chapter or the teachings of John and Paul that you ("you" generally speaking) use to conclude that we are not required to or incapable of being holy/perfect isn't the gospel (teaching) of Jesus or His disciples or of the Father.
And Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for other things, not for "trying to be sinless".
FBU2: It all depends on where your focus is. Since we are walking in grace now, not bondage, we have peace with God. We should focus on God and not our sin. He is sanctifying us daily and conforming us to the image of his Son. If we walk with Him in obedience, love and grace, then the desire to sin will diminish as we grow in Christ.
Allan: In Matthew 5:48, Jesus is talking about being perfected in love(verse 43 - 48), not sin. Paul explains in Romans that God's law was put in place to reveal how sinful we are and not that we can live up to it. If you interpret what Jesus says the way you do, it will contradict what Paul and the rest of the new testament says. I am curious as to what church you attend that led you to this type of scriptural interpretation?
Me: FBU2: absolutely not. You have to completely take v43-48 out of context (as you have) to conclude that. Ch 5 - 7 is a contextual teaching. It's known as the Sermon on the Mount and is considered by everyone to be the definitive teaching/gospel of Jesus. You can not conveniently remove His teaching on Torah observance to suit your theology. You're also not understanding what Paul is saying in Romans and you're also taking that out of context. Contextually, Paul says in Romans that he was blameless in regards to Torah observance and that the Torah is holy, just and good. The Torah, Paul says in Romans, is for blessing and cursing (revealing sin) and your misquote about not being able to live up to it regards living up to it, contextually, as the means of atonement and the legalistic observance of Torah commands. You have to keep it contextual. You just can't use a verse standalone.
As far as "interpretation", all one has to do is understand the original intent (Greek & Hebrew) and that Jesus and the writers of the NT were Torah observant Jews. It's pretty simple.
Regarding your comment that my "interpretation" of Jesus contradicts Paul and the NT: what you need to understand is that everything Paul and everything NT is entirely based on the OT & Jesus who was the living incarnation of the OT (Word made flesh). So that would be incorrect. Also, the NT doesn't teach that the Torah is no longer applicable to Christians. That's what you've been told.
FBU2: With all respect to you, Allan, it looks like some of your doctrinal beliefs (as you yourself said earlier), differ from the rest of the mainstream church. I'm not saying that everything that I believe doctrinally is totally correct, but when a question comes up like this I try to find the answers there first. An organization that has been around a long time is the Christian Research Institute, and I called them and they gave me a reference on the subject we are talking about at the following address: http://www.equip.org/perspectives/the-error-of-perfectionism. I hope you, FBU1 and My Friend will read and consider it and contact them if you have further questions. Blessings :)
Me: (completely perplexed) heh... When did I ever state that I had "reached a state of sinless perfection" (to quote the article you suggest I read)? Did you even read any of my comments?
It would behoove "mainstream" Christianity to grasp the reality that Jesus and the writers of the NT were Torah observant Jews (and not nonTorah observant Greeks and Romans) and that they based their teaching and writings on the OT and not on 2000 years of Greek and Roman linear thought processes of a cyclical Hebrew concept. That realization would go a long way in restoring the Church and preparing her to ready herself as the bride.
As far as the "Christian Research Institute", Hank Hanegraaff can be your go to guy but I'm not interested. Thanks anyways! :)
-----------------------------
I shared this with you to give you an idea of the challenge involved with speaking biblical truth, Jewish roots or not. People are preprogrammed and any possible varient to their thought process is threatening. If it's at all possible that their foundational beliefs are erroneous, then they have nothing to base their life on and fear sets in. This happens when you have an association with an idea (Christianity) verses a relationship with the Father - in the Son - through the Spirit.
They say that upwards of 80% of the US population affiliates themselves with "Christianity". Of that, 48% (if my memory serves me) are active in church going. Of that 48%, we can conclude that only 20% are actually living an interactive relationship with God based on the data.
Many are called, few are chosen. Broad is the way and narrow is the gate. Only 50% of the virgins made it to the feast. As Angela has said, the Jewish roots is the oil in their lamps. I believe whole heartedly that a balanced and scriptural revelation of our biblical roots is paramount in determining that we are in the 20% projectile that are actively and aggressively engaged with the Father - the 5 virgins that were received by the Bridegroom.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Dimensional Plane of Practicality
They came to Beit-Tzaidah and some people brought him a blind man and begged Yeshua to touch him. Taking the blind man's hand, he led him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him and asked him, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see men, as trees, walking." Once more Yeshua put his hands on the blind man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Yeshua sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."(Mark 8:22-26)
If you have ever read 'Out of the Silent Planet' by C. S. Lewis, you'll remember when Ransom meets with Oyarsa the eldila. In order to be "seen" by Ransom, Oyarsas' shape, or form, goes through certain manifestations, almost killing Ransom, until a suitable shape/form that can be perceived, conceived, viewed, by Ransom, with comprehension and without danger, is achieved. In the story, Ransom states that this is maybe why angels are always depicted in "flight"; angels are actually "moving" in order to be seen in our dimensional plane.
I have always thought of that meeting between Ransom and the Oyarsa of that planet when reading this account in Mark of a healing presumably "gone wrong." Were the eyes of this blind man opened to a dimensional plane coexisting invisibly with ours? Did Yeshua error, needing to touch him twice? I don't know... I do know this: Contextually, if you consider what the disciples had been experiencing for the last few days, you'll read that they were experiencing a convergence of dimensional planes themselves. Let me explain.
At the top of Mark 6 we find Yeshua back in His home town of Natzeret with his disciples. On the sabbath day He goes and teaches in the synagogue and "many who heard him were astounded. They asked, 'Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom he has been given? What are these miracles worked through him? Isn't he just the carpenter? the son of Miryam? the brother of Ya`akov and Yosi and Y'hudah and Shim`on? Aren't his sisters here with us?' And they took offense at him."
The Dimensional Plane of Practicality
I propose that a convergence of dimensional planes occurred that day in the synagogue of Natzeret. His townspeople could not grasp the fact that this common, everyday man, a carpenter's son, a man they knew from childhood was a wise miracle worker. And because of that, they were offended by Him. I say a convergence of dimensional planes because the "plane" or "dimension" that His townspeople functioned from couldn't comprehend or accept that it was their Yeshua that was teaching them with wisdom, power and authority.
The reason is quite simple -- and let me state here that I am just an average guy myself. I've never been to seminary. I haven't a doctorate or master's in theology or biblical studies, etc., etc. I am simply a man that pursues hard after God, that's all. Even still, I'm amazed how something this "simple" causes so many to walk not only outside of the mandates, mysteries and precepts of God, but how something so simple causes so many to be offended by Him. Howbeit, this is a crucial point to understand. Their dimensional plane of understanding and comprehension was based on the practical. This plane/dimension of practicality, that we all function from, completely contradicts and opposes "...on earth as it is in heaven." This is why they couldn't and didn't believe. This is why man has historically struggled with the basic concept of intimacy with Abba, obedience to Abba and stewardship towards Abba. His dimensional plane isn't our dimensional plane, and until we live outside of our known "plane of practicality" we will always miss Him. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares ADONAI. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9) And because of this, many of us choose not to believe. We choose to doubt and we choose to be offended by the things of God. (By "believe" I don't mean "believing" for salvation, unless of course it applies. By this I mean there is so much more to believe Him for after salvation). Take this simple concept of functioning from a "plane of practicality" as the biggest hindrance in our lives and let's use it as a key to unlock the mysteries of God as the disciples had to do.
Back to the Synagogue in Natzeret
Yeshua said to them, "The only place people don't respect a prophet is in his home town, among his own relatives, and in his own house." As a result, he could do no miracles there other than lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their unbelief. Then he taught throughout the surrounding towns and villages.
When we choose to function from a dimension of practicality (unbelief) we not only miss Him, we render Him powerless in our situation. The Children of Israel in the wilderness is a great example of this (1 Corinthians 10:1-12), but that's for another time.
Go: Preach Repentance, Cast Out Demons, Heal the Sick
Yeshua summoned the Twelve and started sending them out in pairs, giving them authority over evil and unclean spirits. He instructed them, "Take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave as a testimony against them." They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
More "convergence". Power and authority over evil and unclean spirits. Power and authority over sickness. Traveling without food, money, extra clothes. Is any of this "practical"? I know many who believe that a lifestyle defined by these things is ridiculous. Sad...
The Feeding of the 5000
Those who had been sent out rejoined Yeshua and reported to him all that they had done and taught. There were so many people coming and going that they couldn't even take time to eat, so he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a place where we can be alone, and you can get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
The disciples had an agenda that day: Rest and relaxation with their beloved Rabbi. I use the word "agenda" because the plan was for them to be in "...a place where we can be alone, and you can get some rest." Ministering to the crowds wasn't in the plan. A major convergence between the dimensions of heaven and earth was about to take place. Something would happen that would quicken the need for the disciples to do away with their own "plane of practicality". Take a look.
When Yeshua came ashore, he saw a huge crowd. Filled with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, he began teaching them many things. By this time, the hour was late. The talmidim came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's getting late. Send the people away, so that they can go and buy food for themselves in the farms and towns around here." But he answered them, "Give them something to eat, yourselves!" They replied, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" Some of you reading may say, "How else were they suppose to respond?" The disciples' response was practical. Instead, let's put ourselves in this scenario with what we "know" to be true and we'll see that even though weknow, oftentimes we still choose to function from our plane of practicality.
We "know" that when Yeshua speaks, it will be done. It will come to pass. What differentiates us from all other religions and belief systems is that we serve a risen Saviour. We serve a God that isn't a man that he would lie. An Abba that will gives us bread when we ask and not a rock -- fish and not a snake. Every self respecting Christian would agree to this, yet I am constantly hearing from believers that they respond in the very same way the disciples did when told to feed the multitude. Yeshua speaks, and they look at how many zeros they have in their bank account. They determine that what He's saying to them isn't practical or else they decide it's not Him speaking at all -- both responses go hand in hand. Others of us are offended by what He may be asking... and we all know that practically speaking, God would never ask or require of us anything impractical or anything that would offend...
Here's a basic run down of how it usually works:
The Chameleon Like Ability to Create Something Out of Nothing
Obviously, a huge convergence of dimensional planes -- an example of the power of heaven on earth -- just occurred. Remember, we're talking about the convergences the disciples experienced leading up to the blind man in Beit-Tzaidah.
The disciples had just received authority and power over evil and unclean spirits and all manner of sickness. They had just come back from driving out "...many demons" and anointing "...many sick people with oil and heal[ing] them." Essentially, Yeshua was asking these men early on in their relationship to function in and from a deeper level of understanding of scriptural teaching.
For the sake of argument, to some extent, these men would have known and might have possibly been raised on the Teachings of Moses (Torah), The Prophets (Nevi'im) and the Old Testament (Tanakh) in general. Now Yeshua was challenging them to actually function in the realm and dimensional plane He Himself functioned from simply because they should have known that it was in their power to do so. I make this potentially bold statement for the following two reasons:
They would have known what scripture stated about them as Hebrews
Rabbi was already functioning from that realm and dimensional plane
As Israeli men, they would have known about the promises, covenants, blessings and favor over their lives as taught in scripture. Of course, reading and believing these things is another thing entirely and the same holds true for us today. They were having an identity crisis. We're having an identity crisis. The second reason is the Rabbi/disciple relationship. Rabbis hand pick their disciples. They choose disciples in whom they feel they can successfully duplicate themselves. The goal of a rabbi is to raise up disciples that will surpass them; the sign of a good rabbi. They knew this. They also knew that what Rabbi does, we can do too.
With this in mind, they surely would have known about Deuteronomy 8:11-18:
"Be careful not to forget ADONAI your God by not obeying his mitzvot, rulings and regulations that I am giving you today. Otherwise, after you have eaten and are satisfied, built fine houses and lived in them, and increased your herds, flocks, silver, gold and everything else you own, you will become proud-hearted. Forgetting ADONAI your God - who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you lived as slaves; who led you through the vast and fearsome desert, with its poisonous snakes, scorpions and waterless, thirsty ground; who brought water out of flint rock for you; who fed you in the desert with manna, unknown to your ancestors; all the while humbling and testing you in order to do you good in the end - you will think to yourself, 'My own power and the strength of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.' No, you are to remember ADONAI your God, because it is he who is giving you the power to get wealth, in order to confirm his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as is happening even today.
I want to focus on a part of verse 18:
"...you are to remember ADONAI your God, because it is he who is giving you the power to get wealth..." and then let's focus on the words "power" and "get". The Hebrew word for power is "koach" (Strongs 03581): a small reptile, a kind of lizard, chameleon. The Hebrew word for get or make is "`asah" (Strongs 06213): to act, act with effect, to create, to create from nothing. This word "`asah" is also used in Genesis 1:26: And God said, Let us make man in our image...
Deuteronomy 8:18 is basically saying "...you are to remember ADONAI your God, because it is he who is giving you the power, "koach", the chameleon like ability to get, make, "`asah", create out of nothing, to work with the substance of creation, wealth..."
Chameleons have the ability to adapt to any condition, any situation, any environment, any economy, any climate and create the necessary resources that are conducive to their own success. This is why Isaac is able to go to the land of famine and reap 100 fold from the famine infested land as well as increase in flocks and herds, etc. (Genesis 26). Because of his covenant relationship, Isaac was able to create the necessary resources conducive to his own success. This is also an example of how this "chameleon-like ability" of spiritual authority and power is transferable. Another example of transference can be found in Genesis 24.
The chameleon-like ability to work with the substance of creation to make something out of nothing is powerful. It also can't be manipulated. This spiritual authority requires one to be functioning deeply in three basic areas of personal relationship with Abba through the blood covenant of Yeshua via an interactive relationship with the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit): extreme intimacy - extreme obedience - extreme stewardship. We must be confident in our identity as far as knowing who we are (Intimacy); a Royal Priesthood (a people with a kingly and priestly anointing) believing who we are (Obedience); Joint Heirs and functioning as Sons and Daughters of the Living God (Stewardship). This is how we'll walk in the spiritual authority expected and desired of us by our Father.
Yeshua knew who He was. He knew that Abraham had been blessed by a King and a Priest; Malki-Tzedek, king of Shalem, and cohen (priest) of El 'Elyon (God Most High) (Genesis 14:8, Hebrews 7:1). He knew that He was from the same order; "You are a cohen forever, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek." (Hebrews 5:6, 10, 6:20, 7:17). He knew that this line would culminate in Him and that He would birth a hybrid: a Royal Priesthood -- you and I (1 Peter 2:9). In this, Yeshua was challenging the disciples and they were going to have to pick up the pace, as we will soon see. We will also see how we're going to have to pick up the pace.
Welcome to Chameleon Church!
Storms and Ghosts
Immediately, Yeshua made his talmidim get into the boat and go on ahead of him toward the other side of the lake, toward Beit-Tzaidah, while he sent the crowds away. After he had left them, he went into the hills to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, a considerable distance from land and he was by himself, on land. He saw the talmidim were having difficulty rowing, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against them; so at around four o'clock in the morning he came toward them, walking on the lake! He meant to come alongside them; but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and let out a shriek; for they had all seen him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Stop being afraid!" He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves; on the contrary, their hearts had been made hardened. (Mark 6:45-52)
The talmidim (disciples) are having a bit of a rough day. It was suppose to be a day of rest and relaxation. Instead they are forced to think impractically and function in a dimension foreign to them and participate in a massive display of heaven on earth. Then, instead of having alone time with Yeshua, he orders them into the boat and across the lake without Him, where they find themselves struggling in a storm. Now, a ghost is approaching them, walking on the water (you see, they hadn't seen Rabbi walk on water before -- now...if Rabbi can walk on water, so can I, (Matthew 14:28-33) but that also is for another time).
Remember when I mentioned that the talmidim were going to have to pick up the pace? They saw what looked like a ghost and shrieked and were astounded by this display of authority over nature. Hadn't Yeshua spoken? Wasn't it going to come to pass simply because he had spoken it? Why didn't they believe that he would meet them on the other side? It's simple, actually. The reality of his words were trumped by the practicality of storms and ghosts! The text says "They were completely astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves; on the contrary, their hearts had been made hardened." They didn't believe or understand about the loaves. It wasn't practical. It was super-natural. A convergence of dimensional planes had occured and they couldn't wrap their brains around it, so they functioned from fear, doubt and unbelief, causing their hearts to become hardened to the reality of what they were experiencing.
Remember why the Children of Israel were forced to die in the wilderness? Fear, doubt and unbelief. Fear, doubt and unbelief causes us to walk in the practical - leaving us impotent (lacking power or ability, utterly unable to do something, without force or effectiveness) in the mandate to bring heaven to earth and to walk in our spiritual authority. It causes the heart to be hardened. They (we) had better understand about the loaves and do so quickly.
Practicality and the Religious Spirit
The Pharisees and some of the Torah-teachers who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Yeshua and saw that some of his talmidim ate with ritually unclean hands, that is, unwashed hands. (For the Pharisees, and indeed all the Judeans holding fast to the Tradition of the Elders, do not eat unless they have given their hands a ceremonial washing. Also, when they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they have rinsed their hands up to the wrist. They also adhere to many other traditions, such as washing cups, pots and bronze vessels.) So the Pharisees and Torah-teachers asked Yeshua, "Why don't your talmidim live in accordance with the Tradition of the Elders, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?" Yeshua answered them, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is useless, because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.' You depart from the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men. Indeed," he said to them: "you have made a fine art of departing from God's command in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is korban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus, you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down! And you do many things like that." Then Yeshua called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand this! There is nothing outside a person which, by going into him, can make him unclean. Rather, it is the things that come out of a person which make a person unclean!"
So much of what we have been taught to believe as sound Christian doctrines are man-made rules and traditions that have been handed down for the last 1700 years. Unfortunately, many of them are based on the anti-Semitic traditions established by gentiles 300 years after Yeshua. Non-Jewish traditions you won't find in scripture and that were never practiced or taught by Yeshua or any of his disciples. These are gentile and pagan-based traditions that have a form of godliness but deny the Power of the Ruach HaKodesh (2 Timothy 3:5). Today, so much of Christianity is a social structure that is powerless, politically correct and tolerance based, severed from the House and people of Israel. Once we regain our identity, that Christianity is a Jewish-based religion, to the House of Israel first and then the gentile, we can begin to take the steps necessary for us, His church, to ready herself and become the blameless and spotless bride. (Revelation 19:7)
When Yeshua had left the people and entered the house, his talmidim asked him about the parable. He replied to them, "So you too are without understanding? Don't you see that nothing going into a person from outside can make him unclean? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and it passes out into the latrine." It is what comes out of a person," he went on, "that makes him unclean. For from within, out of a person's heart, come forth wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, arrogance, foolishness... All these wicked things come from within, and they make a person unclean."
Now the talmidim are receiving the understanding Yeshua apparently expected them to already have grasped. It is rather elementary, isn't it? They would soon leave and make their way to Tyre, unable to make their presence unknown. A Greek women whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit would come and fall at His feet where He stressed the importance that Israel be fed first before "...tossing the bread to the dogs". Her reply that "...even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs", showed her understanding and place and that would prompt the deliverance of her daughter. They would leave Tyre, through Sidon, down to Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis where they would bring Him a deaf and mute man to heal.
Round Two
It was during that time that another large crowd gathered, and they had nothing to eat. Yeshua called his talmidim to him and said to them, "I feel sorry for these people, because they have been with me three days, and now they have nothing to eat. If I send them off to their homes hungry, they will collapse on the way; some of them have come a long distance."
(Doesn't this sound like a setup? Deja vu anyone?)
His talmidim said to him, "How can anyone find enough bread to satisfy these people in a remote place like this?" (You've got to be kidding...)
"How many loaves do you have?" Yeshua asked them. They answered, "Seven." He then told the crowd to sit down on the ground, took the seven loaves, made a b'rakhah, broke the loaves, and gave them to his talmidim to serve to the people. They also had a few small fish; making a b'rakhah over them he also ordered his talmidim to distribute them. The people ate their fill and were satisfied. Afterward, the talmidim picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand men were present. After sending them away, Yeshua got into the boat with his talmidim and went off to the district of Dalmanuta. The Pharisees came and began arguing with Yeshua; they wanted him to give them a sign from Heaven, because they were out to trap him. With a sigh that came straight from his heart, he said, "Why does this generation want a sign? I tell you the truth! No sign will be given to this generation!" With that, he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other side of the lake. Now the talmidim had forgotten to bring bread and had with them in the boat only one loaf. So when Yeshua said to them, "Watch out! Guard yourselves from the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod," they thought he had said it because they had no bread. Aware of their discussion, Yeshua asked them: "Why are you talking with each other about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" "Twelve," they answered him. "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" "Seven," they answered. He said to them, "And you still don't understand?"
Can't you almost hear the frustration in Yeshua's voice? How could they not understand? The talmidim had received authority and power over evil and unclean spirits and all manner of sickness. They had testimonies of going throughout the region driving out demons and anointing sick people with oil and healing them. They had directly participated in the feeding of over 5000 with just five loaves and two fishes. They had seen Rabbi and Peter walking on water. They witnessed nature submit to Yeshua's authority. They had received insight into the falsehood of traditional doctrines. An evil spirit would leave a Greek child without Yeshua's need to even be present. They would hear of their role of seniority as Jews over gentiles when it came to the things of Abba. A deaf and mute man would be healed by Yeshua, emphasizing the model even more. And to make matters worst, they would seemingly be "set up" in the feeding of another throng of over 4000 with seven loaves and a few small fish. Yet, Yeshua would still have to chastise them for their inability to see, hear or understand.
What challenges keep you from seeing? Why, having ears, can you not hear? After all that the Father has revealed to you, do you still not understand?
What's In a Name?
We started this "Day in the Life" of the disciples so that you could see the many examples of convergence of dimensional planes they had experienced leading up to the blind man in Beit-Tzaidah... After asking rhetorically "And you still don't understand?", they came to Beit-Tzaidah and some people brought him a blind man and begged Yeshua to touch him. Taking the blind man's hand, he led him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him and asked him, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see men, as trees, walking." Once more Yeshua put his hands on the blind man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Yeshua sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."
I contemplated ending with that last line but since this isn't a foreign film and we expect resolve... The text continues:
Yeshua and his talmidim went on to the towns of Caesarea Philippi. On the way, he asked his talmidim, "Who do people say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah." Then Yeshua warned them not to tell anyone about him. He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and the Torah-teachers, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke very plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But, turning around and looking at his talmidim, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said, "For your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God's perspective!"
There it is. The dimensional plane of practicality and it's root: "Your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God's perspective!"
Then Yeshua called the crowd and his talmidim to him and told them, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him say 'No' to himself, take up his execution stake, and keep following me. For whoever wants to save his own life will destroy it, but whoever destroys his life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will save it. Indeed, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? What could a person give in exchange for his life? For if someone is ashamed of me and of what I say in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.
That's what Men As Trees Walking means. The convergence of heaven on earth. The paradigm shift between the dimensional plane of practicality and the higher dimensional plane of the Father's heart for His people. That's what we desire.
Men As Trees Walking means equipping others into the same testimony as the blind man of Beit-Tzaidah: "Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly." (Mark 8:25)
If you have ever read 'Out of the Silent Planet' by C. S. Lewis, you'll remember when Ransom meets with Oyarsa the eldila. In order to be "seen" by Ransom, Oyarsas' shape, or form, goes through certain manifestations, almost killing Ransom, until a suitable shape/form that can be perceived, conceived, viewed, by Ransom, with comprehension and without danger, is achieved. In the story, Ransom states that this is maybe why angels are always depicted in "flight"; angels are actually "moving" in order to be seen in our dimensional plane.
I have always thought of that meeting between Ransom and the Oyarsa of that planet when reading this account in Mark of a healing presumably "gone wrong." Were the eyes of this blind man opened to a dimensional plane coexisting invisibly with ours? Did Yeshua error, needing to touch him twice? I don't know... I do know this: Contextually, if you consider what the disciples had been experiencing for the last few days, you'll read that they were experiencing a convergence of dimensional planes themselves. Let me explain.
At the top of Mark 6 we find Yeshua back in His home town of Natzeret with his disciples. On the sabbath day He goes and teaches in the synagogue and "many who heard him were astounded. They asked, 'Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom he has been given? What are these miracles worked through him? Isn't he just the carpenter? the son of Miryam? the brother of Ya`akov and Yosi and Y'hudah and Shim`on? Aren't his sisters here with us?' And they took offense at him."
The Dimensional Plane of Practicality
I propose that a convergence of dimensional planes occurred that day in the synagogue of Natzeret. His townspeople could not grasp the fact that this common, everyday man, a carpenter's son, a man they knew from childhood was a wise miracle worker. And because of that, they were offended by Him. I say a convergence of dimensional planes because the "plane" or "dimension" that His townspeople functioned from couldn't comprehend or accept that it was their Yeshua that was teaching them with wisdom, power and authority.
The reason is quite simple -- and let me state here that I am just an average guy myself. I've never been to seminary. I haven't a doctorate or master's in theology or biblical studies, etc., etc. I am simply a man that pursues hard after God, that's all. Even still, I'm amazed how something this "simple" causes so many to walk not only outside of the mandates, mysteries and precepts of God, but how something so simple causes so many to be offended by Him. Howbeit, this is a crucial point to understand. Their dimensional plane of understanding and comprehension was based on the practical. This plane/dimension of practicality, that we all function from, completely contradicts and opposes "...on earth as it is in heaven." This is why they couldn't and didn't believe. This is why man has historically struggled with the basic concept of intimacy with Abba, obedience to Abba and stewardship towards Abba. His dimensional plane isn't our dimensional plane, and until we live outside of our known "plane of practicality" we will always miss Him. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares ADONAI. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9) And because of this, many of us choose not to believe. We choose to doubt and we choose to be offended by the things of God. (By "believe" I don't mean "believing" for salvation, unless of course it applies. By this I mean there is so much more to believe Him for after salvation). Take this simple concept of functioning from a "plane of practicality" as the biggest hindrance in our lives and let's use it as a key to unlock the mysteries of God as the disciples had to do.
Back to the Synagogue in Natzeret
Yeshua said to them, "The only place people don't respect a prophet is in his home town, among his own relatives, and in his own house." As a result, he could do no miracles there other than lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their unbelief. Then he taught throughout the surrounding towns and villages.
When we choose to function from a dimension of practicality (unbelief) we not only miss Him, we render Him powerless in our situation. The Children of Israel in the wilderness is a great example of this (1 Corinthians 10:1-12), but that's for another time.
Go: Preach Repentance, Cast Out Demons, Heal the Sick
Yeshua summoned the Twelve and started sending them out in pairs, giving them authority over evil and unclean spirits. He instructed them, "Take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave as a testimony against them." They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
More "convergence". Power and authority over evil and unclean spirits. Power and authority over sickness. Traveling without food, money, extra clothes. Is any of this "practical"? I know many who believe that a lifestyle defined by these things is ridiculous. Sad...
The Feeding of the 5000
Those who had been sent out rejoined Yeshua and reported to him all that they had done and taught. There were so many people coming and going that they couldn't even take time to eat, so he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a place where we can be alone, and you can get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
The disciples had an agenda that day: Rest and relaxation with their beloved Rabbi. I use the word "agenda" because the plan was for them to be in "...a place where we can be alone, and you can get some rest." Ministering to the crowds wasn't in the plan. A major convergence between the dimensions of heaven and earth was about to take place. Something would happen that would quicken the need for the disciples to do away with their own "plane of practicality". Take a look.
When Yeshua came ashore, he saw a huge crowd. Filled with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, he began teaching them many things. By this time, the hour was late. The talmidim came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's getting late. Send the people away, so that they can go and buy food for themselves in the farms and towns around here." But he answered them, "Give them something to eat, yourselves!" They replied, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" Some of you reading may say, "How else were they suppose to respond?" The disciples' response was practical. Instead, let's put ourselves in this scenario with what we "know" to be true and we'll see that even though weknow, oftentimes we still choose to function from our plane of practicality.
We "know" that when Yeshua speaks, it will be done. It will come to pass. What differentiates us from all other religions and belief systems is that we serve a risen Saviour. We serve a God that isn't a man that he would lie. An Abba that will gives us bread when we ask and not a rock -- fish and not a snake. Every self respecting Christian would agree to this, yet I am constantly hearing from believers that they respond in the very same way the disciples did when told to feed the multitude. Yeshua speaks, and they look at how many zeros they have in their bank account. They determine that what He's saying to them isn't practical or else they decide it's not Him speaking at all -- both responses go hand in hand. Others of us are offended by what He may be asking... and we all know that practically speaking, God would never ask or require of us anything impractical or anything that would offend...
Here's a basic run down of how it usually works:
- Yeshua speaks: This is a good start. It means that He's your shepherd and you're His sheep and you know His voice. An important first step
- We usually begin the practical process of disqualification: no money, lack of skills, giftings, etc.
- He speaks again: asking us what it is we do have to work with. What are our resources? Again, it's crucial for you to be in a place to hear that question. It's almost more important then Step One because this is where about 80% of you stop moving forward
- Our response: We'll always be able to come up with a resource if we really look
- He then asks us for the resource: He takes it from us, blesses it, consecrates it and then gives it back to us and tells us to do what He originally told us to do in the first place
- The Lesson: Once we will to do His will, He provides the resources necessary to accomplish His will
- But he answered them, "Give them something to eat, yourselves!"
- They replied, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
- He asked them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and check."
- When they had found out, they said, "Five. And two fish."
- Then he ordered all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. They sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up toward heaven, made a b'rakhah. Next he broke up the loaves and began giving them to the talmidim to distribute. He also divided up the two fish among them all
- They all ate as much as they wanted, and they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces and fish. Those who ate the loaves numbered five thousand men not counting women and children
The Chameleon Like Ability to Create Something Out of Nothing
Obviously, a huge convergence of dimensional planes -- an example of the power of heaven on earth -- just occurred. Remember, we're talking about the convergences the disciples experienced leading up to the blind man in Beit-Tzaidah.
The disciples had just received authority and power over evil and unclean spirits and all manner of sickness. They had just come back from driving out "...many demons" and anointing "...many sick people with oil and heal[ing] them." Essentially, Yeshua was asking these men early on in their relationship to function in and from a deeper level of understanding of scriptural teaching.
For the sake of argument, to some extent, these men would have known and might have possibly been raised on the Teachings of Moses (Torah), The Prophets (Nevi'im) and the Old Testament (Tanakh) in general. Now Yeshua was challenging them to actually function in the realm and dimensional plane He Himself functioned from simply because they should have known that it was in their power to do so. I make this potentially bold statement for the following two reasons:
They would have known what scripture stated about them as Hebrews
Rabbi was already functioning from that realm and dimensional plane
As Israeli men, they would have known about the promises, covenants, blessings and favor over their lives as taught in scripture. Of course, reading and believing these things is another thing entirely and the same holds true for us today. They were having an identity crisis. We're having an identity crisis. The second reason is the Rabbi/disciple relationship. Rabbis hand pick their disciples. They choose disciples in whom they feel they can successfully duplicate themselves. The goal of a rabbi is to raise up disciples that will surpass them; the sign of a good rabbi. They knew this. They also knew that what Rabbi does, we can do too.
With this in mind, they surely would have known about Deuteronomy 8:11-18:
"Be careful not to forget ADONAI your God by not obeying his mitzvot, rulings and regulations that I am giving you today. Otherwise, after you have eaten and are satisfied, built fine houses and lived in them, and increased your herds, flocks, silver, gold and everything else you own, you will become proud-hearted. Forgetting ADONAI your God - who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you lived as slaves; who led you through the vast and fearsome desert, with its poisonous snakes, scorpions and waterless, thirsty ground; who brought water out of flint rock for you; who fed you in the desert with manna, unknown to your ancestors; all the while humbling and testing you in order to do you good in the end - you will think to yourself, 'My own power and the strength of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.' No, you are to remember ADONAI your God, because it is he who is giving you the power to get wealth, in order to confirm his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as is happening even today.
I want to focus on a part of verse 18:
"...you are to remember ADONAI your God, because it is he who is giving you the power to get wealth..." and then let's focus on the words "power" and "get". The Hebrew word for power is "koach" (Strongs 03581): a small reptile, a kind of lizard, chameleon. The Hebrew word for get or make is "`asah" (Strongs 06213): to act, act with effect, to create, to create from nothing. This word "`asah" is also used in Genesis 1:26: And God said, Let us make man in our image...
Deuteronomy 8:18 is basically saying "...you are to remember ADONAI your God, because it is he who is giving you the power, "koach", the chameleon like ability to get, make, "`asah", create out of nothing, to work with the substance of creation, wealth..."
Chameleons have the ability to adapt to any condition, any situation, any environment, any economy, any climate and create the necessary resources that are conducive to their own success. This is why Isaac is able to go to the land of famine and reap 100 fold from the famine infested land as well as increase in flocks and herds, etc. (Genesis 26). Because of his covenant relationship, Isaac was able to create the necessary resources conducive to his own success. This is also an example of how this "chameleon-like ability" of spiritual authority and power is transferable. Another example of transference can be found in Genesis 24.
The chameleon-like ability to work with the substance of creation to make something out of nothing is powerful. It also can't be manipulated. This spiritual authority requires one to be functioning deeply in three basic areas of personal relationship with Abba through the blood covenant of Yeshua via an interactive relationship with the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit): extreme intimacy - extreme obedience - extreme stewardship. We must be confident in our identity as far as knowing who we are (Intimacy); a Royal Priesthood (a people with a kingly and priestly anointing) believing who we are (Obedience); Joint Heirs and functioning as Sons and Daughters of the Living God (Stewardship). This is how we'll walk in the spiritual authority expected and desired of us by our Father.
Yeshua knew who He was. He knew that Abraham had been blessed by a King and a Priest; Malki-Tzedek, king of Shalem, and cohen (priest) of El 'Elyon (God Most High) (Genesis 14:8, Hebrews 7:1). He knew that He was from the same order; "You are a cohen forever, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek." (Hebrews 5:6, 10, 6:20, 7:17). He knew that this line would culminate in Him and that He would birth a hybrid: a Royal Priesthood -- you and I (1 Peter 2:9). In this, Yeshua was challenging the disciples and they were going to have to pick up the pace, as we will soon see. We will also see how we're going to have to pick up the pace.
Welcome to Chameleon Church!
Storms and Ghosts
Immediately, Yeshua made his talmidim get into the boat and go on ahead of him toward the other side of the lake, toward Beit-Tzaidah, while he sent the crowds away. After he had left them, he went into the hills to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, a considerable distance from land and he was by himself, on land. He saw the talmidim were having difficulty rowing, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against them; so at around four o'clock in the morning he came toward them, walking on the lake! He meant to come alongside them; but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and let out a shriek; for they had all seen him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Stop being afraid!" He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves; on the contrary, their hearts had been made hardened. (Mark 6:45-52)
The talmidim (disciples) are having a bit of a rough day. It was suppose to be a day of rest and relaxation. Instead they are forced to think impractically and function in a dimension foreign to them and participate in a massive display of heaven on earth. Then, instead of having alone time with Yeshua, he orders them into the boat and across the lake without Him, where they find themselves struggling in a storm. Now, a ghost is approaching them, walking on the water (you see, they hadn't seen Rabbi walk on water before -- now...if Rabbi can walk on water, so can I, (Matthew 14:28-33) but that also is for another time).
Remember when I mentioned that the talmidim were going to have to pick up the pace? They saw what looked like a ghost and shrieked and were astounded by this display of authority over nature. Hadn't Yeshua spoken? Wasn't it going to come to pass simply because he had spoken it? Why didn't they believe that he would meet them on the other side? It's simple, actually. The reality of his words were trumped by the practicality of storms and ghosts! The text says "They were completely astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves; on the contrary, their hearts had been made hardened." They didn't believe or understand about the loaves. It wasn't practical. It was super-natural. A convergence of dimensional planes had occured and they couldn't wrap their brains around it, so they functioned from fear, doubt and unbelief, causing their hearts to become hardened to the reality of what they were experiencing.
Remember why the Children of Israel were forced to die in the wilderness? Fear, doubt and unbelief. Fear, doubt and unbelief causes us to walk in the practical - leaving us impotent (lacking power or ability, utterly unable to do something, without force or effectiveness) in the mandate to bring heaven to earth and to walk in our spiritual authority. It causes the heart to be hardened. They (we) had better understand about the loaves and do so quickly.
Practicality and the Religious Spirit
The Pharisees and some of the Torah-teachers who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Yeshua and saw that some of his talmidim ate with ritually unclean hands, that is, unwashed hands. (For the Pharisees, and indeed all the Judeans holding fast to the Tradition of the Elders, do not eat unless they have given their hands a ceremonial washing. Also, when they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they have rinsed their hands up to the wrist. They also adhere to many other traditions, such as washing cups, pots and bronze vessels.) So the Pharisees and Torah-teachers asked Yeshua, "Why don't your talmidim live in accordance with the Tradition of the Elders, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?" Yeshua answered them, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is useless, because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.' You depart from the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men. Indeed," he said to them: "you have made a fine art of departing from God's command in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is korban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus, you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down! And you do many things like that." Then Yeshua called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand this! There is nothing outside a person which, by going into him, can make him unclean. Rather, it is the things that come out of a person which make a person unclean!"
So much of what we have been taught to believe as sound Christian doctrines are man-made rules and traditions that have been handed down for the last 1700 years. Unfortunately, many of them are based on the anti-Semitic traditions established by gentiles 300 years after Yeshua. Non-Jewish traditions you won't find in scripture and that were never practiced or taught by Yeshua or any of his disciples. These are gentile and pagan-based traditions that have a form of godliness but deny the Power of the Ruach HaKodesh (2 Timothy 3:5). Today, so much of Christianity is a social structure that is powerless, politically correct and tolerance based, severed from the House and people of Israel. Once we regain our identity, that Christianity is a Jewish-based religion, to the House of Israel first and then the gentile, we can begin to take the steps necessary for us, His church, to ready herself and become the blameless and spotless bride. (Revelation 19:7)
When Yeshua had left the people and entered the house, his talmidim asked him about the parable. He replied to them, "So you too are without understanding? Don't you see that nothing going into a person from outside can make him unclean? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and it passes out into the latrine." It is what comes out of a person," he went on, "that makes him unclean. For from within, out of a person's heart, come forth wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, arrogance, foolishness... All these wicked things come from within, and they make a person unclean."
Now the talmidim are receiving the understanding Yeshua apparently expected them to already have grasped. It is rather elementary, isn't it? They would soon leave and make their way to Tyre, unable to make their presence unknown. A Greek women whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit would come and fall at His feet where He stressed the importance that Israel be fed first before "...tossing the bread to the dogs". Her reply that "...even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs", showed her understanding and place and that would prompt the deliverance of her daughter. They would leave Tyre, through Sidon, down to Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis where they would bring Him a deaf and mute man to heal.
Round Two
It was during that time that another large crowd gathered, and they had nothing to eat. Yeshua called his talmidim to him and said to them, "I feel sorry for these people, because they have been with me three days, and now they have nothing to eat. If I send them off to their homes hungry, they will collapse on the way; some of them have come a long distance."
(Doesn't this sound like a setup? Deja vu anyone?)
His talmidim said to him, "How can anyone find enough bread to satisfy these people in a remote place like this?" (You've got to be kidding...)
"How many loaves do you have?" Yeshua asked them. They answered, "Seven." He then told the crowd to sit down on the ground, took the seven loaves, made a b'rakhah, broke the loaves, and gave them to his talmidim to serve to the people. They also had a few small fish; making a b'rakhah over them he also ordered his talmidim to distribute them. The people ate their fill and were satisfied. Afterward, the talmidim picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand men were present. After sending them away, Yeshua got into the boat with his talmidim and went off to the district of Dalmanuta. The Pharisees came and began arguing with Yeshua; they wanted him to give them a sign from Heaven, because they were out to trap him. With a sigh that came straight from his heart, he said, "Why does this generation want a sign? I tell you the truth! No sign will be given to this generation!" With that, he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other side of the lake. Now the talmidim had forgotten to bring bread and had with them in the boat only one loaf. So when Yeshua said to them, "Watch out! Guard yourselves from the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod," they thought he had said it because they had no bread. Aware of their discussion, Yeshua asked them: "Why are you talking with each other about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" "Twelve," they answered him. "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" "Seven," they answered. He said to them, "And you still don't understand?"
Can't you almost hear the frustration in Yeshua's voice? How could they not understand? The talmidim had received authority and power over evil and unclean spirits and all manner of sickness. They had testimonies of going throughout the region driving out demons and anointing sick people with oil and healing them. They had directly participated in the feeding of over 5000 with just five loaves and two fishes. They had seen Rabbi and Peter walking on water. They witnessed nature submit to Yeshua's authority. They had received insight into the falsehood of traditional doctrines. An evil spirit would leave a Greek child without Yeshua's need to even be present. They would hear of their role of seniority as Jews over gentiles when it came to the things of Abba. A deaf and mute man would be healed by Yeshua, emphasizing the model even more. And to make matters worst, they would seemingly be "set up" in the feeding of another throng of over 4000 with seven loaves and a few small fish. Yet, Yeshua would still have to chastise them for their inability to see, hear or understand.
What challenges keep you from seeing? Why, having ears, can you not hear? After all that the Father has revealed to you, do you still not understand?
What's In a Name?
We started this "Day in the Life" of the disciples so that you could see the many examples of convergence of dimensional planes they had experienced leading up to the blind man in Beit-Tzaidah... After asking rhetorically "And you still don't understand?", they came to Beit-Tzaidah and some people brought him a blind man and begged Yeshua to touch him. Taking the blind man's hand, he led him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him and asked him, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see men, as trees, walking." Once more Yeshua put his hands on the blind man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Yeshua sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."
I contemplated ending with that last line but since this isn't a foreign film and we expect resolve... The text continues:
Yeshua and his talmidim went on to the towns of Caesarea Philippi. On the way, he asked his talmidim, "Who do people say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah." Then Yeshua warned them not to tell anyone about him. He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and the Torah-teachers, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke very plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But, turning around and looking at his talmidim, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said, "For your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God's perspective!"
There it is. The dimensional plane of practicality and it's root: "Your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God's perspective!"
Then Yeshua called the crowd and his talmidim to him and told them, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him say 'No' to himself, take up his execution stake, and keep following me. For whoever wants to save his own life will destroy it, but whoever destroys his life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will save it. Indeed, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? What could a person give in exchange for his life? For if someone is ashamed of me and of what I say in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.
That's what Men As Trees Walking means. The convergence of heaven on earth. The paradigm shift between the dimensional plane of practicality and the higher dimensional plane of the Father's heart for His people. That's what we desire.
Men As Trees Walking means equipping others into the same testimony as the blind man of Beit-Tzaidah: "Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly." (Mark 8:25)
What to do... what to do...
So the topic of me writing a book has come up again.
I like the idea and I would definitely go the self publishing route and maybe it would open the doors for more speaking engagements.
I guess the real question would be, what to write about?
Do I write about a certain topic like a "Christian Self Help" book? (the thought "physician heal thyself" comes to mind) lol or make it more of a teaching book? Do I write about my life (that seems so presumptuous)? I would have to figure that out first obviously.
What do you think? What would interest you?
I think being more active on here (blogging) would be smart in building a foundation for the process of writing and releasing a book. I think I would also consider another Kickstarter Campaign to raise the funds for the actual printing of the book (being a "poor" musicianary and all...).
Really. What do you think?
I like the idea and I would definitely go the self publishing route and maybe it would open the doors for more speaking engagements.
I guess the real question would be, what to write about?
Do I write about a certain topic like a "Christian Self Help" book? (the thought "physician heal thyself" comes to mind) lol or make it more of a teaching book? Do I write about my life (that seems so presumptuous)? I would have to figure that out first obviously.
What do you think? What would interest you?
I think being more active on here (blogging) would be smart in building a foundation for the process of writing and releasing a book. I think I would also consider another Kickstarter Campaign to raise the funds for the actual printing of the book (being a "poor" musicianary and all...).
Really. What do you think?
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