“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says Yahweh Sabaoth. (Zechariah 4: 6)
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What can we say about narrow-minded Christians?
I’ll admit at the outset that this editorial is going to be critical as in biting. We are living during a time when narrow-mindedness can be costly. It’s time for Yahweh’s people to get serious.
Awhile back, I was following an exchange on Facebook between two Christians. One of them said something critical of Christian behavior in general, and the other one responded with this: “Jesus never would have embarrassed anyone!”
Oh, really? I suppose he never read Matthew chapter 23. I’ve included it below. Read it and ask yourself if the Messiah intended to embarrass anyone:
1 Then the Messiah spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8 But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, the Messiah. 11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]”
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ 17 You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ 19 You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of Elohim and by Him who sits upon it.”
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.”
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?”
34 “Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39 For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of Yahweh!’”
It’s impossible to read Matthew chapter 23 and not realize that the Messiah’s purpose was to mock, ridicule, and embarrass the religious leaders in front of a crowd. Yes, the Messiah would embarrass people purposely if it was called for.
Take a look at this excerpt from Mark chapter 2:
14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
15 And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with the Messiah and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And hearing this, the Messiah said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
It may not be apparent at first blush, but the Messiah was actually mocking and ridiculing the scribes and Pharisees. This was His point: the tax collectors and other sinners were sick and they knew it. They followed Him because they realized that He could heal them. The scribes and Pharisees were sinners, too, but they thought they didn’t need any help. They were dead wrong, literally. Refer to Matthew 23.
Watch the video below. I took it in the Wohl Museum in the Old City of Jerusalem. It’s the remains of a priestly dwelling that was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. The person who lived there may have been a member of the Sanhedrin when it condemned the Messiah to death. He may have been in the crowd in front of Pontius Pilate screaming, “Nail Him to the stake!”
Interestingly, when the New Testament refers to “Scripture”, it is not referring to the New Testament. That’s a simple fact, but many Christians balk at the thought. Why? It’s because their Bibles include the Old and New Testaments in one book.
Paul in particular would have cringed at the thought of his letters becoming “Scripture” in the minds of believers. He was simply pointing out that Y’shua is the One referred to in the Old Testament as the Savior of His people (i.e., the Messiah/Yahweh). Even so, his letters have been used to produce some Christian doctrines that are antithetical to Yahweh’s word.
Narrow-minded Christians are doing themselves a disservice when they reject things with which they are unfamiliar simply because they are not familiar with them. The last verse in John’s gospel is evidence that I am correct:
“And there are also many other things which the Messiah did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21: 25)
This is the point: there is much more to know than the things that most Christians are familiar with. That’s not a heretical statement. It’s a factual statement.
We don’t serve a small Elohim. Yahweh is bigger than we can imagine. Let’s stop putting Him in a tiny box and pretending that it contains the whole of Him because He can’t be contained.
Switching Gears
I doubt that European leaders will connect the dots and understand what is taking place. Instinctively in knee-jerk fashion, they demonize Israel and trumpet Palestinian talking points. Look what it got them.
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“If My people who are called by My Name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7: 14)
Change that Yahweh calls “good” begins in the hearts of believers—people who are recognizable because they are different.
We are different because we belong to Him and are called by His Name. We are Yahweh’s people, His followers.
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His Name is Yahweh, the website, is a companion of the book His Name is Yahweh.
To download His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition for free in PDF format, click on the title below:
- His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition in PDF format
His Name is Yahweh has been downloaded and shared in congregations all over the world. Please take advantage of this opportunity to read and share essential information about Yahweh.
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To purchase His Name is Yahweh: Revised Edition in paperback or in eBook, click here.
To see videos that explain the importance of Yahweh’s Name, click here.
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“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17: 22-24)
See “His Name is Yahweh”.
