Tag: are you pleasing God

Torah Is Practicable

Published on by PaulBassLeave a comment

Why should we not care?

If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

I John 2:29 ESV

We will know them by their fruit.

If we know a person who claims to be a follower of Jesus, you expect them to act differently – different from the world, the pagan.

Ask any atheist if we should follow God’s laws, he will say, “H#@* no!”

Then why spend our energy defending the idea that God’s laws were abolished or that they should be ignored? We can do His will. We can serve Him in this way. Here it is called practicing righteousness.

I used to think if I followed the laws (His Torah) that I was being like a pharisee. Since the Pharisees (many of them) were evil, I don’t want anything to do with that.

Listen, God is Not the author of evil. He is not the author of lies. He asks us to follow Jesus’ example, to follow His word. His Torah can transform out thoughts. But we have to relax our hard line against it as a body of Messiah.

We must know and make known that Messiah is our sacrifice. However, we must acknowledge His gift of Torah and Holy Ruach (breath) to guide our actions. This is our reasonable service. Our righteous deeds are evidence of our righteous new birth.

The one who does what is right (righteousness) is born of Him. The ones who seem to do otherwise, we can’t be so sure. We cannot bet our PBJ sandwich on the man who shuns God’s laws.

Clean your Temple.

Yes, as sinners, we can repent and be saved. But we must cleanse our Temple. Our bodies are that special place of God’s presence. Use the water of His word to wash and purify. Yes, it takes effort. It takes some work. We can’t save ourselves with works, but we can use real endeavors to do His will.

Speak it and live it at the same time.

The concept of literally making our disobedience an actual method of serving God sounds ludicrous. However, we often obey with our actions, yet speak against God’s holy Torah. I simply say, let’s be consistent and read further than our misrepresented scripture support for lawlessness.

In every role, we are expected to do the work.

As many of us are employed, we submit to our boss’s authority. Think of our Christian (Christ-like) life as our job, I’d you will. Think of our role as followers as one that has built in responsibilities. At work, as I am offered a duty such as the production of a short video, I wouldn’t look at my boss and say “nope.” I wouldn’t explain that it would be legalism to comply and it is best to reject the request. From cover to cover, God asks for us to do our duties and make the world a better place.

Prayer:

Father, your awesome will be done. May my life align with your will and your Kingdom. May I not bring shame to your throne. I thank you for your special grace to learn as I live. Thank you for your patience with me. Help me to understand the hard sayings of your scripture. If there are personal constructs that are getting in my way, please sanctify my mind to the mind of Messiah. May I live your Torah for my life. May I work to cleanse my way more each day. Amen.

And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

I John 3:3

Torah Is a Testimony

Published on by PaulBassLeave a comment

According to the apostle John, obeying the commandments of God is proof that we know Him.

Do you know God?

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

I John 2:3 ESV

Today, I start our journey down the road with our tour guide, John, The Beloved Disciple. He has been considered by theologians as a close friend of Jesus as well as a disciple. He was given watch over Miriam, Jesus’ mother, by the Savior as He was on the cross.

The NASB states it in this way, “This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him…” So, seeking to follow Torah is actually a confirmation or an outward sign that we know the Messiah.

Think About It

whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

I John 2:6 ESV

This is how He walked. He followed Torah perfectly. It only makes sense that a disciple at least tries to be like his teacher, his rabbi. Put your earthly relationship in an illustration of how to behave with God. I know dads are not perfect (see a picture of me in the dictionary next to the word “flawed.”) but ideally we seek obedience from our children. We don’t preach to them that they are going to mess up so I want them to stop listening to our instructions. Can you imagine, “Don’t worry about walking across the street. Looking both ways is legalism?”

Who benefits from the testimony of our Torah Testimony?

  • Others
  • Ourselves

John (through the breath of God) says that we are liars if we say that we know God without keeping His commandments. Wow. “Them’s strong words.”

Very simply, we will know them by their fruit.

that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

Matt. 5:16 ABIPE

The love of God is perfected in us if…

We KEEP His Word.

Prayer:

Father in Heaven. Your name is Holy. Your Word is holy and true. I want to know you more. Let me not fall away into lawlessness. Let me not lean on grace without leaning into your commands. I want to testify to the world and I want my prayers to be heard. Bless my brothers and sisters with the knowledge of your Word and the knowledge of You. May your Ruach bear fruit in us and may we not bring your name low.

In the mighty Name of Yeshua, Amen.

Thank you for reading. Come back tomorrow for another word from God.

If you can help this ministry by sponsoring through “Buy Me A Coffee” we would be honored. If you choose to support us by buying a few stickers from our sticker store, I think you would benefit as well. Who doesn’t like stickers (besides my wife)?

Torah Is Favorable

Published on by PaulBassLeave a comment

Do you like it when people do good things? Do you like to do good things for people? In some ways, Torah is that simple.

We can be favored by God. This is the opposite of many ill-advised instructions to “stop trying to please God.” It’s not futile. You CAN please God, and you should please God.

Inclining our ears

I have really thought about the Biblical concept of inclining the ears. We are told to incline our ears toward God.

Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Isaiah 55:3

I see this as a way to tune our ears into the voice of the Master. His sheep know His voice but people are not always like sheep and we can purposely tune out our Master’s words.

So it takes an act of will. A tilt in the right direction of sorts.

He intends for us to obey.

When we do so, His purpose can be fulfilled. His purpose of blessings follows willful obedience. It’s as natural as rain and sunshine.

so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do.

Isaiah 55:11

He doesn’t always hear our prayer.

Why do we say that God always answers prayer? To be honest, we have to hear the Word of God about that.

And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you: yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Isaiah 1:15 – Cepher

Walking in lawless disobedience brings crickets… Literally in the case of a plague, and figuratively when we try to pray and hear from God.

The Word goes further in that same chapter to give the basic outline for favor with God.

From bookend to bookend, from open to close, disobedience brings consequences. And when we disobey, yes, we should feel some remorse. We should even weep, if we have hurt people with our strong-neck lawlessness.

The good news is always Good.

We can be forgiven and atoned for. We can be blessed. We can please our Heavenly Father. If for no other reason, an argument for keeping biblical Torah is out of sheer thankfulness for what He did for us in providing the sacrifice of His son in our place. But He gives more. He gives riches and honor to His beloved.

If, as many songs claim, we cannot “win” His favor, then we can’t “win” His disfavor by disobedience. While it sounds re-assuring in a song… Maybe reassurance is not what we need. Maybe we need Holy Spirit conviction when we sin. Maybe we need our own conscience to be tuned to the Torah (instructions) of our King.

Trouble awaits

Like David, we have trouble. Sometimes it is from outside, like an earthly king throwing a spear at his face. Sometimes it is from within, like the agony from knowing he committed hurtful sins, and people died.

When we incline our ear to God’s will, to His Torah for our lives, He inclines His ear to us. He hears us in our time of trial. He overturns even earthly decrees against us.

Draw near to your King. Yes, He loves you more than you know. He wants the very best for you. Do not forget that. But seek to walk in obedience. The blessings are worth more than any earthly coin by more than a bit.

Prayer

Father, I love you and I know you love me. Help me to hear your voice through the noise. Help me to hunger for the bread of life and the living water that lasts forever. Forgive me, I ask, for straying from your path. Thank you for welcoming me back when I have come home. Let my obedience with you be about me and you and not a part of a public display of piety. Keep me. Do not let the evil overtake me. Halleluyah. Bless your name. Amen.