Love The Lord, With All Your Heart, Soul, Mind And Spirit, Likewise, Love Each Other.

Philippians 2:1

These things being so, for whoever is encouraged in Messiah, whoever is comforted by total commitment, whoever communes in the Spirit having an inward affection and compassion and mercy.

As we roll out of the first chapter of Philippians, Paul transitions from what Messiah Y’shua has done for us, to what the natural Messianic outpouring of the Spirit and our outwardly commitment to God, through the Messiah, should look like.

He also gives us an internal litmus test, as to what our Spiritual Self should reflect. Our Spirit should

- be encouraged in the Messiah.
- be comforted by his Agape, his Total Comittment
- have communion with the Spirit of God
- have an inward affection for God, ourselves and others, reflected in compassion and mercy.

These are things that we need to ask ourselves on a daily basis. Otherwise, let’s take a Spiritual inventory every day, before we start our day and end our day.

Philippians 2:2

Fill up my joy completely by thinking the same of yourself, commit yourselves in love of one mind and spirit. Spirit, Mind, One Purpose.

Unfortunately, this is one aspect at which the modern church has failed miserably. We are far from one mind and spirit, little alone, one purpose. We are so fractured from years of Biblical and Spiritual disagreement, that the church no longer reflects the true body of Christ, the Messianic Remnant. We have so many denominations, in which resides so many different doctrines. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the church is sitting exactly where Satan has planned, far from One Spirit, One Mind, One Purpose.

We need to get back to what the Word of God says, not what the traditions and doctrines of man say. It’s so easy, especially in today’s world, to explore the original Word of God. There are so many resources to explore the ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and Languages and the culture, in which they were written. This generation will have absolutely no excuse not to know what the One Mind, One Spirit should be. Again, as the Bible tells us, so many will perish because they know of Messiah Y’shua (The Word of God), they don’t know Messiah Y’shua personally.

Keep in mind, not only does it fill Paul's Joy to the upmost, when the Remnant of God is of One Mind, One Spirit, One Purpose, we also complete God's Joy.

Philippians 2:3-4

not according to electioneering (a partisan and fractious spirit), nor by groundless, self esteem, empty pride but lead one another with modesty, humility and lowliness of mind holding each other in higher than yourselves, not taking heed to you ownself but after each other.

It’s amazing that Paul, through the eyes of God, saw and forewarned us about people, who would attempt to solicit each other, with their own non-biblical perceptions, based on grounds not supported by the Scriptures. They would do this, based on empty pride and self esteem.

I wonder if Paul knew that empty and self serving pride would result in versions of the Bible, which would skew the original meaning. No doubt that God knew. That’s why he put these two verses in the Bible.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.     Revelation 22:18-19

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.     Proverbs 30:5-6


Paul goes on to tell us that we need to lead each other with modesty and humility, while considering the needs of others, before our own. If we do what is commanded here, then our needs will be taken care of, automatically. It reflects the greatest commandment, which encompasses all the commandments.

Love the Lord, with all your heart, soul, mind and spirit and likewise Love each other.

Think about it. We Love God and God takes care of us. Likewise, If We Love each other, we are taken care of.

Amazing, How that works. Shalom!

I chose Jerusalem. My Name is there.

Within the Judaic and the Messianic Jewish community, there is a statement, a pledge of allegiance recited at the beginning of every day and before bedtime. It is also said before daily prayers and when praising God and beseeching Him. It is called the Sh'ma. It goes like this:

Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad.

Hear, O Israel, the Eternal is our God, the Eternal is One.

In Devarim, Deuteronomy 6, we are commanded to write this upon our doorstep and gates. Since the beginning, the Jewish people have made small containers, called a Mezuzah, and attached them to their doors and gates. The Sh'ma is written on a parchment and inserted into the Mezuzah. On these Mezuzah, the Hebrew letter Shin is inscribed. Shin is the first letter of Shaddai, the Almighty. Within the Jewish community, the pronunciation of the name of God is prohibited. Therefore, the name, El Shaddai, is held up in great reverence. The letter shin looks like this:

An interesting alternate ancient rendering of Shin is:

Another interesting piece of information is that in 2 Divrei ha-Yamim, 2 Chronicles 6:6, God says, 

"I chose Jerusalem. My Name is there."

God stated this, before Israel was in the land. Yahweh is saying that his name is already there.

Another amazing fact, is that, in a literal reading of Deuteronomy 12:11, God states that he is in that place. Then he states his name, as to stamp his claim, upon the place. Then goes on to say that Elohim chose his name to dwell there, signifying that his name has been there, from the beginning. 

"I am (I exist) in that place. Yahweh. Elohim chose his name to dwell there." 

Now, I am a firm literalist. I believe that God says what he means and means what he says. In his Word, all things are to be taken literally, first, as our anchor to reality. 

So, with all that said, it begs the questions, "Is God literally there?" or "Is God's Name literally there?". I will not go into the first question, within this post, but the answer is "Yes", to both questions.

As mentioned earlier, the Jews, out of extreme reverence, towards God's Name, use the name, Shaddai, instead of Yahweh. They use the Hebrew letter "Shin", as an abbreviation. Is God's Name really in Jerusalem, upon Mt. Zion? I'll let you decide while looking at the following topographical picture of Mt. Zion. I think you know what I think.

Some will say that it's a coincidence. However, after a while, coincidences are evidence of design.