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MESSAGE MENU #2
- OVERLOOKING THE SOURCE OF OUR STRENGTH AND SALVATION
- FALSE PROPHETS OR SERVANTS OF YAHWEH?
- BOOK OF MATTHEW WRITTEN IN HEBREW OR IN GREEK?
- CONCERNING BABYLON AND CURRENT EVENTS
- THE FIRSTFRUITS OF YAHWEH/YAHWSHUA
- WHAT DID YAHWSHUA MEAN WHEN HE SAID "TOUCH ME NOT"?
- WHERE WAS YAHWEH'S SHEKINAH GLORY AT THE TIME OF YAWHSHUA?
- THE WAVE-SHEAF CEREMONY
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MESSAGE MENU #3
- THE FIRST VISIBLE LUNAR CRESCENT
- TITHING CHART BASED ON WEEKLY INCOME
- HOW TO TITHE BASED ON YOUR ANNUAL SALARY
- MAP OF ANCIENT KHAZARIA
- MAP OF EPHRAYIM AND MANNASAH, ACCORDING TO THE ANGLO-SAXONS
- THE NEW COVENANT IS CONDITIONAL
- BARACK OBAMA: A PROPHET OF ISLAM
- TIMELINE CHART OF YAHSHUA'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION
- THE SACRED NAMES IN ANCIENT PALEO-HEBREW
- ZECHARYAH 12:9
- THE 24 ELDERS ARE ALREADY IN THRONES IN HEAVEN
- THE INFAMOUS "AN EYE FOR AN EYE" LAW: ABOLISHED OR IN EFFECT?
- RE LOST TEN TRIBES
WHO
AND HOW MUCH
DOES YHWH ACTUALLY
FORGIVE?
Dear brethren and beloved brethren in Yahwshua,
given the fact that we are living in the end of Daniel's 69th week and that the return of our King of Kings is so close at hand, the time has come for all to seriously and thoroughly review what Yhwh requires of each of us individually as His people insofar as abstaining from sin is concerned. There is no way we can be kodesh and pure while continuing to be involved in sin. Scripture states that unless we are kodesh, we will not be able to see our Father. Especially during His appointed times we are to come to Him in a pure and repentant heart.
Repentance and forgiveness are the key and requisites for a true and correct relationship with our fellow men and with our Father Yhwh. A repentant heart is the key to becoming kodesh and receive the promises leading to our restoration, without it (teshuva) we cannot enter Yhwh's Kingdom where our restoration will occur.
The passage that the Ruah Ha Kodesh wants us to first examine in detail in this message is Ezekiel 18:19. In this passage, which by the way is full of promises and its attached conditions, we see who Yhwh holds responsible for sin but also we see Yhwh's recipe for forgiveness, the ingredients of His mercy, benevolence and compassion.
19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all My decrees, he will surely live. 20 The one who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the parent share the guilt of the son.
The righteousness of the righteous will be credited him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him."
So there in that passage Yhwh's Ruach Ha Kodesh reveals to us through our beloved brother Ezekiel the prophet that every person, man or woman, parent or sibling, bears his own iniquity, or his own sin. Yhwh says if we live in righteouseness we will have life. But if we live wickedly, sinfully, for lusts, He says we will find death. We cannot blame others for what sins we do. We cannot think we can justify our sin by blaming others and gain salvation by passing the burden of our iniquity to them---even less if they warned us against it.
By the way, dearest brethren and readers in general, let's make it perfectly clear that in the end it doesn't really concern Ezekiel--- nor anyone else who warns Yhwh's people for that matter--- who actually takes heed and faithfully attends to these warnings from Yhwh or who doesn't. His job in this regards has been done when he conveyed to us Yhwh's message faithfully with all its warning and conditions. He, or we who repeat these words, are not required to convince and convert each and every one listening if they do not agree with Yhwh and want to live a life of sin and try to "pass along" the burden of their iniquity to others. Regardless of our opinion, Yhwh's judgements will be executed as He states. But let's go to the Scriptures together and examine more on this topic.
Ezekiel 3: 18 "When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself."
Here again as I mentioned before quoting the Ruach Ha Kodesh, verse 18 makes it clear that when we warn someone who is sinning that Yhwh has said that "whoever sins will surely die," if he does not depart his evil ways and perishes as a consequence, Yhwh will not hold us accountable for that death.
20 “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin.
The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took the warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
We have studied this topic before and like I was saying, the one who warns against doing evil, or against remaining in it, saves his life...and naturally this refers not to our mere physical existence but to the spiritual everlating kind of life Yhwh has promised us. But He says if do not listen and we instead continue to live for lusts, sinfully, wickedly, and we listen to these warning and we do not turn away from sin, we will find eternal death!
Now brethren, in all honesty the vast majority of us can't say that we haven't listened to these warnings, therefore this is the reason why I started this message with the statement: " the time has come to seriously review what Yhwh requires of us individually as His people insofar as abstaining from sin is concerned." Let's continue with the following verses...
21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.
22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?, declares the Sovereign Yhwh. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?"
This we just read here is the epitomy of Yhwh's love, dear brethren. "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?," He ponders to us. "Am I not pleased when you turn from your (sinful) ways and live?" So He wants us to choose life over death. He is willing to forget all offenses made if we turn away from sin and keep all His decrees and does what is right in His view. He forgets all and will remember nothing. This is proof of how marvelous and encompassing and perfect Yhwh's love for humanity really is.
24 “But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die."
Essentially we are seeing the same concept, which is that when the righteous turns from his righteousness to sin he will die, and when the wicked return to Him he will forgive. Does this mean that when a righteous person sins he will regardless and inevitably die? Naturally not, but he will live only if He repents and turns away from that sin. Otherwise that person will die.
If he remains in iniquity he will certainly not have his sins forgotten. The point is that some brethren and other called-out of Israel who have been given the law and have heard these warnings and thus have no excuse are continuing to live in sin, despite all the studying and the knowledege they have acquired. And as we just read, if they do not turn away from their mixture of living a kodesh and wicked life they will certainly and inevitably die as Yhwh has stated.
And this passage shows that Yhwh doesnt have pleasure in the destruction of mankind. It gives us instruction as to how to proceed if we are in sin and we want to the gift of life. Yhwh gives us the option to turn away from our wickedness. He'd rather see mankind live.
It seems as though our ancient Israelite ancestors were never very happy obeying for a long time, or they did so very reluctanctly. Verse 25 shows Israel questioning Yhwh's ways and judgments. All this questioning let to their disobedience and Yhwh's anger.
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’
I dont believe we should be questioning Yhwh's righteousness, like they are doing here. But let's continue with what they were saying and how Our Almighty Abba responded:
"Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of Yhwh Elohim is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Yhwh. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Yhwh. Repent and live!"
Yhwh responds by telling Israel to depart their own ways and really listen to Him and do what He commands to live, because He has chosen them as His "chosen people" and He takes no pleasure in the death of anyone. He made a covenant with them and they agreed to follow it. They have broken it and want to walk in their own ways, just like the other un-chosen nations. But Our loving and merciful Father Yhwh asks them to repent so they do not die! And of course of all of this applies to us who today are the modern descendants of Israel (Judah and Efrayim). "Return and turn from your transgressions...get a new heart"...is what Yhwh tells them, and we read about these things in Jeremiah 31. Here the faithful from Ephrayim return and Yhwh listens to their pleads as He promised.
18 "‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are Yhwh my Elohim. 19 After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
Here follows our Abba Yhwh's answer to his beloved "son" Ephrayim.
20 "Is not Ephrayim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares Yhwh Elohim."
"Though I often speak against Him," says Yhwh.... His heart yearns for Ephrayim, because his son came back in sincere repentance. He is no longer questioning Yhwh's righteousness. He is not complaining and saying "The way of Yhwh Elohim is not just." He has a new heart. This is the heart He wants us to have. A heart turned away from wickedness, from the disgrace of his youth. Putting a new heart within us...and a new spirit is what this is all about, and we can read about it in the Letter (to the Messianic) Hebrews chapter 8,
"I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their Elohim, and they will be my people.
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know Yhwh Elohim,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
When we truly repent and seek a new heart, our Father remembers our sins no more. This again shows how loving and compassionate our marvelous Almighty Father is. Back to Ezekiel 18,
32 "For I take no pleasure in the death of him that dies...anyone, declares the Sovereign Yhwh. Turn yourselves around and live!"
Why choose death?, is what He ponders here. Or why should we want to die? He tells us once again, turn yourselves and live...LIVE! He does not want us to die!
How could anyone ever accuse Yhwh the maker of the universe of being unfair or unloving? But this is excatly what Israel was doing here. We have testimony in the Scriptures that He and His word and His ways are perfect, and we can see it also through creation. This alone shows the perfection of Yhwh. Our brother the apostle Shaul/Paul talks about this in Romans 1. There he states that Yhwh's perfection is revealed to us through his perfect creation.
To say that Yhwh is not perfect is not only ridiculous, it's simply heretic. We can see his acts and work through nature itself. Yhwh's aspiration is that all mankind repents...turns from their sins... Brethren, that was precisely what Yahwshua's will also was! The Father and the Son have but one and the same mind and purpose. That we all convert from sin and be born again and live righteously for all eternity. He came to save us from sin and showed us how to have a new heart: by writing Torah in our softened hearts and putting it in practice.
Yhwh is willing to soften our hardened hearts because Abba Yhwh says that he doesnt have pleasure in seeing any of the wicked die in their sins... We see this same concept, same definition of sin and remedy for it all throughout the Scriptures. In James 4:4 we read basically the same. Yahwshua repeats Yhwh's words once again ordering us to depart our own ways using different language (the way of the world), and He terms compliance or conformity to the world as enmity against Him:
"You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against Yhwh? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of Yhwh. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“Yhwh opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to Yhwh. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to Yhwh and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before Him, and He will lift you up."
But Yhwh has given mankind a free will, dear brethren, so we have the choice to obey or disobey. What we do in this life is up to us. He doesnt want us to die, but if we choose death over life He will judge us according to what we choose as Ezekiel stated earlier in verse 30 (He will "judge us according to our ways").
To obey He requires we do all that He mentions in verses 7 to 10. It says to turn our laughter and joy into gloom and mourning. Many brethren in the end-time Ekklesia or Assembly have this problem, they are too proud and too sure of themselves even they are double minded and constantly living in a mixture of the profane and the kodesh (a lukewarm faith) and are satisfied and happy remaining like so. They detest to be corrected. Certainly each of us has free moral agency to live the way we want, but we will be accountable to Yhwh in the judgement.
As we saw before, "the righteousness of the righteous will be credited him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him." Sin is not simply doing evil, it is also abstaining from doing what is good.
"If anyone knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them." (James 4:17)
Now this last passage is very important. This illustrates the point that there are sins of "commission" and sins or "omission." We are required to do good (works), and this is an area where we have to simply "go out" and do it. Even quenching a man's thirst is important to Him, and Torah teaches that all good that we do is as if we did it to Yahwshua himself. There is no way to learn this other than by simply putting it in practice. What we do in this life is up to us, but Yhwh wants us to foresake sin, be it from the sin of abstaining from evil, or from refusal to do what is good. This is why presently there are small groups of brethren everywhere undergoing a revival of the faith by putting it in action, and the Ruach Ha Kodesh urges all of us to "do the good that we know we ought to do."
Here is our Father Yhwh again showing his compassion in Isaiah 55:
6 "Seek Yhwh while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to Yhwh, and He will have mercy on them, and to our Elohim, for He will abundantly pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares Yhwh. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
We see here again that Yhwh's will, desire and aspiration is to see all mankind repent. He wants repentance from His people, to seek Him while he "can still be found".... There is a time when He will not be found. This is why the time for repentance is today. The time of repentance is when we read these words and allow Him to write them in our hearts. This is the message we need to focus on. Repentance. Sincerity of heart. And diligence in obeying. He will pardon us abundantly if we do this. "Let the wicked forsake their ways...and He will have mercy...and abudantly pardon..." He demands repentance for salvation, my dear brethren and friends.
If we would only turn to Yhwh, He says He will pardon us abundantly. Other translations have this as fully, or totally....in an absolute sense.
A good analogy as to how in reality our Abba Yhwh is, is a human father. Most fathers will do anything from their sons or daughters...their are willing to die for them, to protect them and advise them of the perils they foresee ahead of them...in the same way Yhwh is willing to do the same for us...
Yahwhsua ...the name of His ONLY begotten son. And He gave His only begotten son to die for us...think about the ramifications of this statement. And Scripture says "It pleased Him to see His Son die on the stake" on our behalf.
Think about the implications of that astatement, my beloved, that "He so loved the world that He gave His only son" and that it pleased Him to see his son die just so that we may have a chance to enter His kingdom. Because otherwise without Him we would have been forever lost. And spiritually dead.
Yhwh's love for us is far more than we can express or comprehend here now. Yhwh will forever love mankind , but that doesnt remove mankind's responsility from His Word. We are all each responible for our own actions like we read at the start in Ezekiel.
Makind is responsible for his own actions... How we choose to live now, we will have to pay the consequences for later in the judgment. Therefore we should choose to live righteous lives and if we are already living a kodesh life, Yhwh wants us to BECOME EVEN MORE KODESH.
Let's bring 2 Chronicles 7 to mind for a brief moment. There we see King Solomon dedicating the Temple of Yhwh, and Yhwh telling him if he ever goes astray or has a problem to repent. Yhwh appeared to Solomon at night.
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices."
13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there."
Read again verse 13, it's assuming or rather, PROPHECYING, that Israel will go astray MANY MANY YEARS BEFORE IT HAPPENED. They did go astray many times as we well know, and this is the reason why we have been dispersed. Due to their unrepentant iniquity. First the ten Northern Tribes, and then the Southern Kingdom of Yahudah. All Twelve Tribes disobeyed and were uprooted from their land.
And Yhwh says here "if my people who are called by my name"...focus on this for a moment, brethren. Yhwh's name identifies His people. In Revelation we see it's Yhwh's name that seals His people---or one of the four things that seals. The others are the shabbat, Yahwshua and Torah obedience (which is to say the Ruach Ha Kodesh).
Yhwh's name identifies His people...but not all people that say His name are saved. Yhwh seals His name on the foreheads...of those who turn away from their iniquity, on those who HUMBLE THEMSELVES. Before we can repent we must humble ourselves. He seals those who are of pure, white-as-snow humbled hearts. Therefore we could safely conclude that the five virgins who were left out of the Lamb's Wedding were not "sealed" even though they knew His name and said it. As we know, they also did not have enough Ruach Ha Kodesh (oil in their lamps), and Revelation talks about they being lukewarm as to say "sluggish" in practicing what they learned. They did not walk faithfully with Yahwshua. They did nothing of what was required from them. Yhwh wants us to walk hand-in-hand with our Saviour.
17 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.’
Here Yhwh requires something more. He describes in greater detail what we need to receive a new heart. And He adds, "if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did," and we shall soon see how David our forefather "walked" with Yhwh. But let's finish the rest of the passage in 2 Chronicles.
19 “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 21 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has Yhwh Elohim done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken Yhwh, the Elohim of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—--that is why He brought all this disaster upon them.’”
All of this came to be, sadly. Israel turned to other 'gods" and failed to repent and were uprooted from their land and ridiculed and shamed by the rest of the world. Then after the efrayimites sinned, the jews followed them in sin and even did worse than his brother. All this happened because of their transgressions, and happened so that a repentant remnant of Israel would turn from their evil ways and get a new heart.
Dear brethren, if you want to identify yourself as a true and faithful believer...then you and I and all of us have to do what is required of a faithful follower of Yhwh. We must humble purselves like He states and seek His face while there is time.
What does it mean to seek Yhwh's face? To seek his face, means to seek His law, His Word, His will and His divine forgiveness. And for this we must have a contrite heart, we must walk before Yhwh faithfully as David our father did. We just read about this a minute ago in verse 17. And we know today this can only be done through Yahwshua Ha Mashiach.
Through these pages we know Yhwh, through Yahwshua His Son we know our Father, through His instructions and examples. Because this is Torah. And the living Torah is Yahwshua. Yahwshua exemplified and gave us greater details on how to live righteously. So this is why through Yahwshua we know Yhwh and He said "Nobody can come to the Father except through me" and "those who have seen me have seen the Father."
We see in this account in 2 Chronicles Yhwh promising Solomon and Israel that if they ever depart from the faith, the way to fix that problem is to "HUMBLE YOURSELVES BEFORE ME AND I WILL FORGIVE YOU...and I will HEAL YOUR LAND..."
This applies to us today as much as it did Solomon and ancient Israel. Yhwh promises to Solomon and Israel (and their descendants who are us) that if they ever went astray they should return to Him and He would forgive and heal their land. This is a promise He carried out once.
Yhwh does indeed promise that He will forgive each and everyone. And this also would apply to our entire nation. But for that to happen, all of us would have to turn from our sin. Look at Nineveh, the ancient capital of Assyria. The whole city repented, and was forgiven. But that assyrian city is the only recorded case ever of a whole city having repented truthfully! If we did that as a nation, and followed Ninveh's example, Yhwh would forgive us and heal this land....but before that could happen, first we would have to remove the fornication, the adultery, the abortions, the murders, the homosexuality, bisexuality, the idolatry and materialism, and all the sins from this land... and it's not going to happen. Only a few will repent according to Scripture, a relatively small remnant.
This is critical information for Passover, and not just for Passover but for year-round...
Psalms 51 shows us how David walked with Yhwh, and this is the same way we are commanded to act when we disobey and want to seek Yhwh's face. Consider carefully King Dawid's words below and how he approached Yhwh after he had sinned:
1 "Have mercy on me, O Yhwh, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean, wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O Yhwh, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O Yhwh, you who are Elohim my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Yhwh, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O Yhwh, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, Yhwh, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole then bulls will be offered on your altar."
Yhwh will not take delight in the sacrificies of the unrighteous. He wants repentance first, not sacrifice. He prefers obedience over sacrifices. In the Berit Hadasha we know this refers to our prayers, "Yhwh does not hear the prayers of the sinner" but He is willing to forgive us, just like He forgave King Dawid. Dawid humbled himself and asked for a new heart and Yhwh gave it to him....and said he walked with Him.
"Say to them, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but TURN FORM YOUR EVIL WAYS..." As we see from Ezekiel 33:10, Yhwh repeats Himself twice.
“Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of[a] them. How then can we live?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Yhwh, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
Their sins were so perverse that they were rotting in their sins and they knew it! And Yhwh told them to "turn from your evils ways, why will you die?"
“Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right,
If they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—--that person will surely live; they will not die. 16 None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live. "
We see Yhwh again petitioning His people's repentance, in verse 15 He specifies repaying the debt...we have to un-do what we did wrong. There is some burden and suffering placed on the sinner before his sins are blotted out. Sometimes our finances go wrong, we lose control of the home or a loved one, we become sick, or we succomb to sin in one of various ways. But when we have repaid our sin, then He does as He promised us: "I say to the righteous He will live, none of his iniquities shall be remembered." He erases our debts. He forgets everything. The same thing we read in Chapter 18 earlier.
Yhw would really like to have all mankind saved if this was possible, but we must understand that this is not entirely up to Yhwh...we work out "our own salvation in fear and trembling." So it's entirely up to us, we can make the decision, and what we do now, determines our fate for the future. But He wants us all to live. Yhwh is truly a mighty one of love, of benevolence, compassion and mercy when we repent and seek Him.
In Deuteronomy chapter 4 beginning in verse 25 we see another similar message of repentance.
"After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—--if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Yhwh your Elohim and arousing his anger, 26 I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. 27
Yhwh will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Yhwh Elohim will drive you. 28 There you will worship man-made elohim/gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. 29 But if from there you seek Yhwh your Elohim, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul."
This isn't only for Israel as a nation but also for us. Here we see that Yhwh restores those who have fallen away after knowing Yhwh. He is talking to His people, and telling them that if they fall prey to evil, they would be destroyed UNLESS they repent and seek Him with all their hearts and souls.
What does it mean to search for Yhwh with all our hearts and souls? We must search Yhwh with our entire being. When we must have this same conviction and return to Yhwh it must come from our entire heart and soul. The nation that did this was Yahudah, or Judah and Benjamin. When they were in Babylon they cried out and we know Yhwh delivered them through the persians.
The persians conquered Babylon and consequently they released the judeans. Yhwh's promise was fulfilled in that example, although many jews remained in Babylon and did not want to return. They were happy and satisfied in Babylon. Some of them had acquired wealth.
"When you are in tribulation and all these things have happened to you in the latter days you will return to Yhwh your Elohim and obey him."
Dear brethren, this passage is significant in that it is not only applicable to ancient Israel but is also a reference to our "latter days." Yhwh doesnt change. He requires the same from us today as yesterday. There is really nothing new in what He requires from us today to turn to Him. Let's continue reading where we left off.
31 "For the Yhwh your Elohim is a merciful Elohim; He will not abandon nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your ancestors, which He confirmed to them by oath."
Money, wealth, overabundance tends to affect people. This is the reason why Yhwh is giving this passage here. When man accumulates an overabundance of wealth, what happens? typically man loses sight of Yhwh's word and ways. We are blinded by our material riches. Hezekiah was guilty of this. He allowed his pride to puff-up through his wealth and through his riches but he prayed and humbled himself to Yhwh and Yhwh forgave him.
We can see throughout Scripture how people tend to waver from Yhwh's word when this happens. An example is the laodicean assembly. Think about what they were chastised for. They are chastised for being rich---or at least they thought they were. They had material riches and wealth, and had once of the fanciest fabrics of that time from which clothes were made. They were proud and didn't want any help from anyone. One time their city was hit by a very powerful earthquake and even though much of it was destroyed, they refused any aid from the Roman government. They rebuilt the city by themselves, because they were so rich. They had ample material riches but yet they had so few spiritual riches that Yhwh considered them poor, blind and naked. Why did Yahwshua said that of them? Because they were missing Yhwh's wealth.
We need to focus on the kingdom and that is the wealth we should be seeking. This is what our Abba Yhwh is telling Israel. They had accumulated wealth and now they were going astray. And Yhwh said when you do this, when this happens and you fall astray, SEEK ME. Yhwh has to have to have patience to tolerate us. Let's go to Isaiah Chapter 1:10 to see Yhwh's patience:
"Hear the word of Yhwh, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our Elohim, you people of Gomorrah!"
Yhwh is speaking to Israel here but is comparing them to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of course this is NOT a good comparison. These 2 cities were judged and destroyed for their sins of homosexuality and promiscuity and worse sexal sins...and destroyed them with fire and brimstone.
Israel is in an abominable situation doing things similar or worse to Sodom and Gomorrah, doing abominable acts before Yhwh and He is still seeking and asking for their repentance. He holds them more accountable because to Israel He has given the law. Sodom and Gomorrah did not have the law. They were not Yhwh's chosen people, yet Yhwh destroyed them for doing such terrible evil. And Yhwh wants true repentance from His people.
We have no excuse today not to repent. Let's not forget that Yhwh's Word says that if Sodom and Gomorrah had seen just a small fraction of Yahwshua's miracles they would have repented, but they did't repent because they knew not our Savior. But we know him. There is a big difference. We know Him and have "seen" His testimony without having seen and "heard" without having heard and thus we have no excuse. Therefore it is of paramount importance that we repent and seek Yhwh with all our hearts or else we would be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah were. They were sinning, and Yhwh said "enough is enough" and He judged and destroyed both cities for doing what Yhwh considers abominable. And here Yhwh is referring to Israel in the same sense, with the same terminology. And it says that Israel was doing worse than its heathen neighbors, Israel was at this point in an abominable situation doing everything that was against Yhwh's word.
Just as we saw in Exodus with the Golden Calf, they made it and said this is going to represent Yhwh. Same thing they are doing again here. They are polluting Yhwh's word and doing abominable acts before Yhwh and He still asks for their repentance. This is very significant because Israel was in a horrible state at this point. This is what Yhwh wants from all mankind. To repent and seek His Word, exemplified and magnified in Yahwshua. And then He will pardon us abundantly as promised.
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—--what are they to me?” says Yhwh. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals. I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—--I cannot bear your worthless kodesh convocations!"
Here is proof that they were polluting and synchronizing Yhwh's feasts and true worship with pagan worship, and He is telling them I WANT NO MORE OF THIS. He is sick of this detestable practice. Now notice in the next text how Yhwh calls the new months and appointed feast days "YOUR" new months and appointed feasts. He doesnt say "MY new moons and appointed feasts"...He says they are OURS and that we can have them. He doesn't want them. He feels insulted.
14 "Your New Moon feasts and your appointed feast days I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
He is in fact telling Israel, "I dont want those feasts, you can have them, THEY ARE NOT MY KODESH FEAST DAYS...you perverted them...you changed them!" Same thing has happened today, beloved brethren, both Efrayim and Judah have perverted his Days of Kodesh Convocation, changing them to Easter, to the Lent of Tammuz, to Christmas and other "holidays", we have perverted them by mixing them and adding to them...yet many messianics continue to observe those polluted days...most forsake the Last Great Day...most only keep one or two days of Unleavened Bread or Sukkot---not all commanded days...and this is why Yhwh doesnt hear them...this is why there is so much confusion among messianics. But this is the reason for their troubles and Yhwh gives the solution. Messianics need to truly humble themselves and seek Yhwh's face, because most of them are unruly and have perverted Yhwh's Kodesh ways with christian and judaic fables and many resist and rebel against Yhwh even though they think they are honoring Him!
15 "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening."
You see what happens when we sin. This message is as much for us today as it was for ancient israelites. Yhwh says He no longer hears us when we make prayers while in sin, He closes his ears to us and hides His face from us when we sin because Yhwh cannot have any contact with sin. Yhwh is kodesh---the exact opposite of what sin is! So if we are going to continue to sin and refuse to repent, Yhwh is not going to listen to our prayers. He can turn His back on us like He did to Judah several times, and until Judah cried out then through His mercy and compassion He brought them back---or at least those who repented....because they sought His face again...they humbled themselves.
"Your hands are full of blood! 16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."
"MAKE YOURSELVES CLEAN!" Note these words. THIS MEANS TO BE KODESH AGAIN. Yahwshua healed the sick, the demon possessed, and this is what Yhwh is telling Israel to do....not just go back to the law but apply what you learn and do good. PUT IN PRACTICE ALL THAT YOU KNOW!
18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Yhwh. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of Yhwh has spoken."
Reason together? Yhwh has no need to "reason" with us, my beloved brethren, our righteousness itself is like filthy rags to Him yet He is willing to reason (plead) with us. "Yakaj" is the hebrew word for "reason" and means to decide , to justify, to dispute or to plead for. Even though Yhwh is perfect, He is still willing to reason and plead for mankind's repentance. It is hard for some of us to grasp the significance of Yhwh compared to our beings, but for all that He is still willing to plead for our repentance.
Who said that Yhwh in the Tanak isn't a mighty one of love and compassion and mercy? Yhwh is certainly all these things and more.
In Lukke 15:11 we learn about the parable of Yhwh representing the father and his people representing the sons. Here we see again the Father's love for his repentant son.
“There was a certain man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and earth and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
Think carefully about this, especially ver 19. It is a very good example amd ilustration of the humility our Father wants when we seek Him. First we need to recognize our sin. He went back to his father not asking to be taken back as a son, because he recognized his lower and needy status and humbled himself and went back as a servant. He knew his sin. Yahwshua did the same when he came to this Earth, He humbled himself to be born of a woman and die for our sins.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
But what did the Father do? The Father represents Yhwh, and was moved in compassion toward His repentant son. This illustrates His relation with us, His sons.
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate."
Here comes the righteous son in jealous reaction to his father's welcoming, and inquired of him what these things might be from a servant and was angry.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is now found.’”
We see here that if a person repents and humbles himself to servant status Yhwh will forgive that person for whatever sin he has commited. Fornication was involved. This is what separated David from others, he had a such a very humble heart.
Yhwh has pleasure in life and in seeking people repent and seeing us follow His word and come to His truth. This is what Yhwh's aspiration is, this is what Yhwh's will and aspiration is.
Even though the son came back and was forgiven, my beloved brethren, he didnt lose His inheritance, and for two reasons. I want to stress this point because some leaders are erroneously assuming and teaching that the son lost his inheritance.
In the first place, the passage is clear in that he was forgiven and taken back not as a servant who dont inherit. He was taken back as a son. He lost his original inheritance but His father welcomed and restored him with a huge celebration and put a ring around his finger as a sign of his compromise. He was taken back by his father as a son. Like he was before. His father had the character of Yhwh, who says: "None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them" as we read before. The father pardoned his son abundantly. This is what Yahwshua wants to illustrate to us. This is how our Abba Yhwh really us. He is a real loving and forgiving father!
The inheritance that the son lost was the one he took and squandered. He paid for his sin when he lost everything and fell in the disgrace of having nowhere to live and nothing to eat. That was quite a punishment and quite a suffering to endure for his sin, and it lasted until repentace came to him and overwhelmed him. And Yhwh does not enjoy punishing his sons eternally and unconditionally like those who teach that the rich man's son never regained his inheritance purportedly claim!
Now let's make something very clear in the teaching of this parable and fairly speak of Yhwh's marvelous and righteous character with true righteousness: HAD THE SON NOT REPENTED AND HUMBLY GONE BACK TO HIS FATHER, his condition would have continued to deteriorate. His punishment would not have ended like it did when he asked for his father's forgiveness, you see? His inheritance would have been lost and would have remained "lost" indefinitely and as long as he refused to repent. But I cannot over-emphazise that this is absolutely not the case as when a son repents as we see perfectly illustrated in this parable story. True repentance blots out ALL SIN and begins a process of restoration. When we sincerely repent and humble and seek Yhwh's face, He forgives and FORGETS all our past sins. He pardons abundantly and totally, and remembers those sins no more!---contrary to what He does when we do not repent. In that case sin remains and will be used to judge us and condemn us, dear and beloved brethren!
Again, I stress that there is no indication in the story-flow that the father was reminding the son of his past sins or that he had lost his inheritance to support this false teaching. The father remembered it no more! Why? Because his son's repentance was total and sincere. Our father has the same character because it was Him who inspired Ezekiel to write: "None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them" and we can count on Him keeping His promise, IF and as long as we meet His conditions.
As we well know in Yahwshua's Kehilah (and which most lukewarm brethren deny), Our Abba's promises are ALL conditional, and they are conditional to obedience.
Then, in second place, we know from other passages in scripture that later the older brother LIKEWISE SINNED AND SQUANDERED HIS INHERITANCE! So it turned out that both "brothers" sinned and spent their inheritance. If the Father, as some mistaken teachers suggest, had disowned both sons and retained their inheritance even after they had come back to him repentant, HE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY INHERITORS. Indeed nobody would inherit his wealth. But this is not what happened. The father restored both sons if and when they repented, first the younger one described in the parable, and then later the older one.
Let's take Kind Dawid's story again to illustrate the same point as to Yhwh's complete and absolute forgiveness. Yhwh forgave Dawid and restored him, to the point of making Yahwshua his direct descendant and making Dawid next in power to Yawhshua in the kingdom. Dawid "lost" here on earth when he paid for his sins. He paid for his sins during his life. I do not know of anyone who could say that Dawid had an easy life on this earth. He had to deal with a lot of affliction and strife during most of his lifespan. When he passed on to the higher life all his sins had been blotted out---cancelled! He did not lose any of his inherited promises later on because he truly repented of his most hideous sins while he was still alive and paid for them! He did what Yhwh required, he repented! When he died, he "owed" nothing to Yhwh. He was made "white as snow" and his record was cleared. He was pardoned abundantly. And I hope you can all see the correlation between suffering afflictions and being made kodesh. Those more forgiven are more beloved, because their repentance, faith and trust in Yhwh is greater. Yhwh will forgive us and accept our repentance if we are sincere.
If we do not obey, we become slaves of sin. Let's read in Romans 6:15:
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to Elohim that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance."
Basically what Shaul is saying is that we are servants to something. We are either servants to sin or servants to righteousness, which boils down to this: We are servants to Satan or servants to Yhwh. Because who is the author of sin? Satan. And who is the author and epitomy of righteousness? Yhwh. So either we serve one or the other.
So those people who think they are serving themselves and only themselves, are wrong! Because if we are sinning and if we are living a destitute life, in rejection of Yhwh's word, WE ARE SERVING SATAN AND NOT YHWH. So we are always serving somebody, keep that in mind...we are serving somebody!
18 "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness."
So we see here again that we have to repent from sin and then Yhwh justifies us because we repented before Him and through that justification we are set apart or sanctified.
20 "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become servants of Yhwh, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Yhwh is eternal life in Yahwshua Ha Mashiach our Master.
We see the same formula for repentance and forgiveness throughout all these passages, my beloved brethren in Yahwshua. It always starts with a complete denial of ourselves and recognition of our own (sinful) ways, and coming back to Him in teshuva/repentance to accept His righteous ways. We see the same message over and over, that sins leads to eternal death and righteousness leads to eternal life, now in the era of the Kehilah through Yahwshua Ha Mashiach. When we are immersed we free ourselves from our sin and fromm evil ways to pursue a better life.
We must reject the carnal human nature, and repent to be able to live by Yhwh's higher standards.
And we must humbly repent first, for it is a direct pre-requisite for inmersion. We see this in Chapter 38 of the Book of Acts, where it says "Repent and be inmersed/baptised." First comes repentance, then comes immersion. Before burying the "old-man" we need to know why we are burying him for. Repentance lets us know this. If we cannot repent, we need to ask Our loving Abba Yhwh to grant us repentance. We can also do as Dawid did, and ask our beloved Father to reveal to us our "hidden" or yet-undiscovered sins. Never forget that it is Yhwh who defines, NOT MEN, AND YHWH IS VERY STRICT WHEN IT COMES TO SIN:
Back to Ezekiel 18... and these are all examples for us today. Yhwh is speaking to us through Ezekiel:
10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things 11 (though the father has done none of them): “He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
12 He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.
He looks to the idols. He does detestable things.
13 He lends at interest and takes a profit.
Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head."
This is the opposite to the prodigal son. He does not repent from sin, he does not return, he perishes! We see the same message over and over again, that sin leads to death and righteousness to life and eternal blessing.
Now Shaul throughout His life helped many many people recognize their sinful nature. One such example of Shauls success is illustrated 1 Tess 1:8 In this passage we see how Yhwh's people turn from idols to serve the true and living Elohim
" For from you has sounded forth the message of Yhwh's which has spread everywhere in those regions, not only in Macedonia and Achaia. Now the news of your faith in Elohim is known all over the world, and we don't have to say a thing about it for everyone is talking about how you welcomed us and how you turned away from idols to serve the true and living Elohim. 10 They also tell how you are waiting for his Son Yahwshua to come from heaven. Yhwh raised him from death, and on the day of judgment Yahwshua will save us from Yhwh's anger.
The Tessalonians here turned to Yhwh from being heathen and having pagan idols to adopting Yhwh's truth. We should be dedicated to Yhwh's truth in the same way. Shaul through His strength was able to convince these peoples and show them Yhwh's truth to receive the repentance through baptism. This is what we do at immersion, we reject our false worship and commit our lives to Yhwh. Whatever it is that goes against Yhwh's kodesh word is sin and we are to remove it and stop doing it. So we need repentance and we need to be immersed.
Let's take a look at the Assembly of Laodicea which we briefly talked about earlier, this is found in Rev 3:14.
"“To the angel of the ekklesia/kehilah in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of Yhwh’s creation. 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would prefer you were either one or the other!
16 But, because you are lukewarm—---and neither hot nor cold—--I am about to vomit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’
This is a common attitude throughout humans today, and even among many of Yhwh's called-out. This is why this letter has been written. It's to address Yhwh's people, not the unconverted, un-called heathen world. The laodiceans seem to say "I do not need anyone, I can take care of myself, I am fine as I am, I do not need disciplie or correction, I do not need Yhwh to help me, I know what I have to do" and many similarly arrogant-sounding things. The see themselves as needing nothing, being rich and self-sufficient. But read on and listen to what Yahwshua thinks of them:
"But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."
In this analogy Yhwh is saying "buy some truth", "buy some purity" from me. Buy some of the truth from Yawhshua. Get the Ruach from Him by obeing Him. Verse 15 tells us that the problem is with their "works." Their actions are not right. Do what you need to do, what Yahwshua orders! He who overcomes He says: "will sit with Him on His throne."
19 "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on His throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the ekklesias/kehilot.”
He loves His Kehilah. It is Yahwshua's wife and this is why He rebukes her. Being lukewarm is not acceptable. What does this mean? It means to be just half-hot and half-cold. When Yhwh's people are hot they are zealous and obedient. It's the opposite when they are cold. So you can imagine how terrible it is to be lukewarm. It translates to being only "half-faithful" or partially prepared. Yet we have no excuse for not being fully prepared, and to stress how important it is for Yhwh for us to be prepared, He states here that He will spew Laodicea out of His mouth for being lukewarm.
Lukewarm means when Yhwh says something we can't stall or disobey or partially-obey: we have to do it as He orders! If He says keep a feast of Tabernacles or Unleavened Bread for 7 days, its 7 days not 4 nor 2. Its not an option, its a necessity, and if we don't fully obey what He says we ARE LUKEWARM. We may think we are fine simply because we listened and partially-obeyed, but this attitude nauseates our Master. Being lukewarm is unacceptable and requires full and prompt repentance, if we desire to enter Yhwh's kingdom. The person who overcomes this dangerous attitude will sit with Him at His throne. By default, those who do not overcome, will not!
This is the reason for repentance, to fully live for Yhwh, dear brethren. To repent and dedicate our lives to Yhwh and make Him our #1 focus. To make Him our main interest in our lives, and not have any other "gods" or things of interest before Him. Again, if we are to enter into Yhwh's kingdom we must truly seek Him, repent and obey Him. Not to live a life for us, not to pursue a life of riches.... repentance begins when we admit our sins before Him and we change our lives.
Yhwh's people's goal should be to follow Yahwshua's example. Yahwshua lived an exemplary life for us. He not only kept the law perfectly. He also showed mercy to the sick, compassion to the demon possessed, he showed humility through His life. Not only keeping the Shabbat, feasts day and dietary laws. But also having compassion on those who are around us and dont have many of these truths and ignore them. We are to do the same today.
All that Yahwshua did, we are to imitate, copy and follow. We are not to focus on what we can accumulate now, but by what we accumulate in the kingdom.
And how do we do this? We do that by doing what he says to do, focusing our lives on Him now and repenting and humbling ourselves before Yhwh, and He will forgive us abundantly and may Yhwh bless you all...
Your brother and servant in Yahwshua Ha Mashiach,
Rafael