Echad With God!

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brothers whatever is true, whatever honorable, whatever is righteous, whatever pure from carnality, whatever pleasing and acceptable, whatever sound and of good report, if anything virtuous and praiseworthy, take an inventory of these things learned and received and heard and seen in me. Regularly and consciously perform these and God’s peaceful rest will be present with you.

Here, Paul begins to finalize his letter to the Philippians, attempting to consolidate what he has said or implied in the letter, up to now. These two verses are a generalized statement on how a Messianic Centered life should be, which begs us to define a few terms. 

-True: in accordance with fact or reality, accurate or exact, no gray areas.
-Honorable: bringing or worthy of honor, to be morally correct, honest, moral, ethical, principled, righteous, right-minded, full of integrity
-Righteous:morally right or justifiable; virtuous
-Pure from Carnality: Free from the pleasures of the flesh. Those normally associated with addiction.
-Pleasing and Acceptable: satisfying or appealing, able to be agreed on
-Sound and of Good Report: based on reasonable, sensable, or judgment, high standing among others.
-Virtuous and praiseworthy: having or showing high moral standards, deserving approval and admiration.

At first, this appears to be a high standard, but in reality, it reflects the "Golden Rule", Y'shua gave us. 

In all things, therefore, be an innovator, start the spark, to bring about things to all humans, without distinction to race or order, after the same manner you desire others , to bring about things for yourself, for this is the Torah and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

Paul is reiterating what he said earlier in the text. Take an inventory of these values, within you life. Whatever you lack, step it up and fill that gap, because if we are truly God's People, the Remnant of God, we should exert a conscious daily effort towards these values. In the end, our lives should reflect that these values are not only 2nd nature, but indeed our primary nature. As a result, we will know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we are the children of God, having his peace and resting in him. Can I get an Big O' Amen?

Philippians 4:10

Now, I rejoice in the Lord greatly because now, as in the past, allowed to sprout again concern for me even before your mind possessed the opportunity.

Here Paul is rejoicing and thanking God, for the continuous level concern, that the Philippians possessed, from the beginning, even though most people would have not given his situation any additional thought. Isn't that how we are to treat each other.

Philippians 4:11-14

Not though I speak from my want, for I have an understanding of contentment in the circumstances I am. Knowing how to live humbly. Knowing how to live prosperously. In any and all, becoming intimately satisfied, acquainted with and seeking, with eager desire, both excellence and humbleness. Being strong in all things in what strengthens me. Anyway, making this known, speaks well of you to allow us to become partakers with our tribulation.

Paul goes on to say that he has no wants or needs that has not been satisfied, by the Lord and the Love of the Philippians. He is content and satisfied in all things, all the time. How? By being strong in the previous values, that he mentioned. You, too, can be content and satisfied, by living a life, that is humble, prosperous, with an longing desire for the same values, having the peaceful rest in the Lord, through our Messiah. Exhibiting these same values and their unwavering support and concern for Paul shows that we are or becoming Echad, One, which is the ultimate goal of the Remnant of God.

Philippians 4:15-17

You also know Philippians, where I preached first the proclamation of the grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ, when I came out of Macedonia, no church communicated in word, giving and receiving, but you alone, for even in Thessolonica you sent a gift more than once, for my needs. Not that I seek gifts, but I seek the increasing fruits of your words.

Even though Paul appreciated all the concern, love and gifts, the Philippians gave him, he seeks their continued living, in the Lord and ultimately, their presence, with him, at the Throne of God, above all earthly things. These verses shows how the Philippians are a model, of how to live Echad, One in the Messiah and One with each other.

Philippians 4:18-19

Moreover, received everything, received and beyond measure from Epaphroditus, these in full what you sent, a fragrant aroma, acceptable sacrifice, pleasing and acceptable to God and our God will complete all your needs according to his riches, in glory in Messiah Y’shua.
Our edifying gifts towards each other, regardless of what they are, are a pleasing sacrifice to God and as a result, God will complete you by appointing us joint heirs with the Messiah Y'shua. Romans 8:17

Philippians 4:20-23

Moreover, towards our God and Father, Glory forever and ever, Amen! Salute every holy one in Messiah Y’shua. The brothers with me salute you. All holy ones salute you, especially those of Caesar’s household. Grace of Lord Y’shua Messiah with your Spirit. Amen!

Be friendly, Salute, say hi, greetings, to everyone, in the Messiah Y'shua. Having a family like love for all who are in the Messiah.

The rest of Verses 20-23 are self explanatory.

To God, our Father, be the Glory, through Messiah Y'shua, forever and ever, Amen! The Grace of God is in the Spirit, not the flesh.

Be Ready To Present Your Victors Wreath!!

Philippian 4:1

Finally, my loving and committed friends, whom I long to see gleefully in my victors wreath. Therefore, stand firm, in the Lord, friends.

As we can see here, Paul is addressing his friends and family in Messiah, in his final remarks. Most. English translations translate the word adelphos, as a brother and or brothers, but it means more specifically, friends and family, whom you love as family.

He goes on to say that he longs to see them in his victors wreath. Most English translations have this as a crown. Most people think of a kingly crown, on top of your head,. However, this wreath is not a crown but a wreath to go around your head or sometimes around your neck. The kind you get, when you have been victorious in the battle or the colosseum games. They would put emblems on these wreaths, in the same way as our military puts ribbons. So, in reality, Paul is hoping to see them as part of his final testimony before God. That’s why he tells them to stand firm in the Messiah.

Philippian 4:2-3

Admonish and encourage Euodia (Fragrent One) and Syntyche (Fate) to be of same mind, in the Lord. Be assured those who are genuinely yoked together, I beseech you indeed help them who strive together my struggle in the proclamation of the grace of God manifested and pledged in Christ, with Clement also, and the remaining of my fellow workers whose names in the scroll of life.

Notice the difference here between the English versions and the Word for Word translation. Most English versions has Paul pleading with Eurodia and Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Even though that is consistent with what the rest of his Philippian letter has said and there is nothing wrong with that translation, other than the Greek doesn’t say that. What it says is that the Philippian church needs to admonish and encourage them to be of the same mind in the Lord. 

The English translation tells the Philippians to plead rather than take an active and personal action to admonish both of them and then encourage them to be of the same mind in the Lord. Too many churches have shied away from correcting the flock and this is led to the many splintered factions within the church, which has overjoyed Satan, because it is exactly what he wants to happen to the church. So to be consistent, there is only one frame of minedand that is the one that is consistent with God’s Word.

How do we admonish and encourage the flock? By coming together as one and teach and groom each other with the Word of God alone. It can be hard at times, but it is what we are commanded to do. Edify and be edified according to God‘s word.

Paul encourages Clement, a predominate and proven leader who has shown that he is one with the Messiah, and the remainder of those of one mind, whose names are assuredly in the scroll of life, to come together and keep the body as Echad, one.

If they are not in one Mind in the Lord, they are to be pushed out. I know that’s harsh, but it is according to God‘s Word.

Finally, I must confess that during our small group, I made light of the meaning of Euodia’s name which means fragrant one. Unfortunately, with a name like Oder, the first thing I think of is a nickname of stinky. :-) LOL I can so relate with her if that was the case.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord at all times, again saying Rejoice. Let your gentleness become known to all men. Lord is at hand. Seek for your own interests no thing, but in everything by prayer and request with thanksgiving your petition made known to God and peace and harmony with God rising above all understanding , protect your hearts and your minds in Messiah Y’shua.

Over the next few verses, Paul reminds the Philippians with some bullet points.

Rejoice in the Lord at all times. Notice that he emphasizes rejoice at the end of the verse. It doesn’t matter what you are going through, you are to rejoice and praise God, because he is in control of the final outcome of your lives. Be assured that he has your well-being at heart and all things will bring you to God's ultimate goal for your life.

At all times, let your gentleness be the first thing everyone sees. If you need it, the Lord is there to help you.

In prayer don’t ask for things according to your own interests. I know that goes against what most churches preach. However, if we are Echad, One with each other, then others will be praying for you in the same way you are praying for them. We are to rely on others, as we would rely on ourselves. That’s God’s plan, To Be Echad, One.

Always Live in peace and harmony with God, allowing God to give you understanding above what is normally humanly possible. With God, you are capable of doing so much more. Rely on him. Keep him alone in your heart and protect it from anything else and have the mind of Christ, the Messiah. Above all, God will lead you into all truth and be ready to present your Victors Wreath.

Was The Law First Given To Moses Or To Adam In The Garden Of Eden?

Most everyone believes that God gave the Law to Moses, at Mt. Sinai. However, this is not true. The Mt. Sinai incident was a reissuing of the Law, that was given in the Garden of Eden, to Adam and Eve. Is the Law plainly spelled out in the Book of Genesis, as it is in the rest of the Torah? No, but sometimes we need to open our eyes to what is happening and see what is implied. Over the next few posts, we will look at the Law and how it originally was intended.

First Mitzvah

Take Care Of The Earth

The First Mitzvah or Commandment, given to Adam, was to tend the garden. Genesis 2:15

"Yahweh, Elohim, took and placed Adam in an enclosed garden, Eden, to work to watch over."

Extraneously, this includes the commandment to man, to take care of the rest of the world. Even though mankind has done a poor to mediocre job at doing this, unknowingly, man has tended to God's creation, since the Garden.

Second and Third Mitzvah's

Remain Innocent / Perceive Disobedience and You Will Die

In Genesis 2:17, God tells Adam, to remain innocent. Don't even think about disobeying the simplest of commandments. Here, the Word for Word translation spells out an interesting tidbit, most don't get to see, in most English versions.

"Good/Evil Perception Tree, consume not. The day consumed, die, die."

What a lot of people don't know, that, in the beginning, Adam was given eternal life, for his soul and body. Man lost that due to his disobedience. Now, notice, that in the Hebrew, it says, Muth, Muth, translated here as Die, Die. Two deaths. This is an indication that Adam's body will begin to die, but his soul will die, also.

How does your soul, the eternal part of you, die? The way the Hebrew and Greek reads, in the Bible, absence from the presence of God will result in a slow deterioration of your eternal existence. That's what happens in sheol. But due to sheol being out of degradation of time/space, you will feel the effects of your soul dying, but it never will die, in the same way as your body does.

So, basically, Adam was told to remain innocent and enjoy the Garden of Eden, which means Pleasure, or his body will eventually die and his soul will feel the effects of sheol. Also notice, as you read Genesis, the further man got away from the time of Eden, his lifespans began to decrease. That's because of Adam and Eve's disobedience, by perceiving the difference between Good and Evil, they were not allowed access to the Tree of Life, the presence of God.

How do we get out of this predicament? Well, in the same way, death entered through one Adam, another type of Adam, our Messiah will bring us back to the Tree of Life. It's a free gift of Salvation. All we have to believe that God will redeem us, through the Messiah's sacrifice for our disobedience. Therefore, In the end, our Messiah will have fulfilled the first three Mitzvah for us and bring the earth back to it's original purpose, a place for us to dwell, maintain and commune with God, the purpose of the original Law.

The World Transformed And Subjected To Lord Messiah

Philippians 3:12

Not because having obtained it or being made complete, moreover pursuing that obtainable, upon which indeed is with Messiah Y’shua.

Paul goes on to admit that he hasn't got it all down pat yet, but through the Messiah, the resurrection of our spiritual and physical bodies is obtainable. I find it cool that Paul deliberately shows that the resurrection is two-fold. Whether or not you are a true believer, in the Messiah, your soul will be resurrected, either to spend with the Lord or in Sheol, away from God.

Philippians 3:13-14

Brethern, I do not count myself as possessing it moreover not forgetting one thing that’s behind me and stretching out towards that which is ahead of me, to pursue daily the goal, towards the heavenly reward up to the calling of God, in Messiah Y’shua.

After driving the point home that salvation is in God alone, through the Messiah, Paul goes on to say that salvation is not to be believed as a physical possession or a goal achieved, but a life lived as an effort to pursue that goal, as a reward. Salvation is a Calling of God, therefore a gift, not a right.

Philippians 3:15-17

These things being so, as much as been perfected, possess this like-mindedness and if anyone possess’ different opinion, God will indeed reveal it to you. Moreover, live up to those standards which have been reached. Brethern, become imitators. Imitate my example and observe those walking according to the example you have in me.

I really love verse 15. This thing called salvation, has been perfected and if anyone tells you differently, God will reveal it to you and others, if you pursue this life of salvation.

Reminds me of Acts 17:11 and my recent encounters with my Jewish brothers. Many are bent on mislabeling God's children and his Word, to the point of attempting to rewrite the scriptures to match their beliefs. Here, God tells us that, it's alright, let my Word be the standard and I will reveal it to you. Bottom line: If you are one that doesn't follow God's Word and puts man's word ahead of God's, then I ask you...

When you are before the judgement throne of God, who will testify in your behalf, God's Word or your opinion or man's word?

Let God teach you and live up to those standards. I have ask many people, that claim to be God's children, Why do you need man's input?" and "Don't you trust God, to lead you into all truth?"

Be imitators of God and those who follow the Godly people, who walk with and have gone before on.

Sure, listen and converse with all people, but check the scriptures daily, whether they are true."

Philippians 3:18-19

… for many walk about regulating their life, of who I frequently tell you and at this time point out by name, crying silently, as enemies of the cross of the Messiah, whose end is destruction., whose God is their heart and whose glory is their dishonesty, whose mind on earthly things.

Paul goes on to remind the Philippians and us, that there are many who attempt to live their own lives. Some are among us. Some have souls, that are actually mourning themselves. They covertly live among us, as enemies of the Messiah. Their destinies are written in stone and will result in the destruction of their bodies and the imprisonment of their souls. He goes on to ask,

"Who's god is in their heart?"

Clearly, that is the god of this world, Satan.

Even though Satan boasts that,

“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”

Satan's only glory and those who entreat them as their god will be their dishonesty, which will perish with this world and that's where their minds are, their kingdom, this world.

Philippians 3:20-21

For our community in heaven, from which also we patiently wait with great care and perseverance for the deliverer and savior Lord Messiah Y’shua, who transforms the body, our low estate, to be conformed to the body, his glory by the exertion of supernatural power, he exerted , even to subject everything to himself.

I love how Paul, no matter how far off the topic he goes, he always brings it back to the Messiah. The evil doers among us may have their stake in this world, but we are citizens of the community, which based in God's reality, heaven. That's where the Lord Messiah, Y'shua is waiting for the Father to say, "Go and get your Bride, the Remnant of God."

At that moment, Y'shua will come and transform our body, nature, in as twinkling of an eye, to the same body and nature that he possesses. Given to him, by God, he will wield a supernatural power, that the world and the worldly has never seen and he will subject the world and those in it to himself. His enemies will be his footstool and all will worship him and proclaim that Y'shua is Lord. Amen!

Walk With God. Be Conformed To His Word, Not This World.

Philippians 3:1

Furthermore, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write again repeatedly, is not irksome to me and is suited to confirm things to you.

Do you ever sit in your small group, synagogue, church, etc. and think, "Wow, how many times is he going to preach the same thing?" I have, especially in my youth. But, here, it shows that repeating the same things are important to concretely set God's precepts and teaching within our mind. Sin has caused our minds to degrade, over time. Re-emphasizing is necessary to maintain things.

Philippians 3:2

Discern for yourselves and look out for the men of impure minds. Discern for yourselves and look out for the evil men for hire. Discern for yourselves and look out for the false circumcised.

Here Paul is reminding us Y'shua's teachings, that Satan and his followers will infiltrate the assembly of Believers, the Remnant. Use the Word of God to discern for yourselves whether they are children of God or Satan. Keep in mind that Satan will infiltrate up to the highest positions, within the church. This includes the possibility of your Bible Teacher, Minister or even the Pope. They will project themselves as the True Circumcised, True Believers, The Remnant, but they are not. Let the Word of God be the litmus test.

Philippians 3:3 

For we are the true circumcised, serving the Spirit of God and glory in the Messiah Y’shua, trustingly, with no confidence in the flesh.

Those who consume and live the Word of God are the True Remnant, The True Circumcised. Again, the True Remant of God will serve the Spirit of God and relish and trust in Salvation, supplied by God, through his sacrifice, Y'shua/Jesus, not trusting in your own works.

Philippians 3:4-7

Although I possess a reliance (in terms of works towards salvation) in the flesh, if anyone else has an opinion to persuade reliance in the flesh, I have more...Circumcision of the Jews, on the eighth day after birth, of the nation of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, established by Mosaic Law, a Pharisee. Along the lines of zeal, a molestor of the assembly (Church) along the lines of righteousness, being acceptable to God, according to the Law, to become free from fault, defect or blame, but whatever was gained to me, those things are considered damaged goods, in the Messiah. Moreover, rather I deem all to be damaged goods in light of the supremacy of understanding the Messiah, my Lord, through whom I suffer loss of all goods and deem them worthless and detestable in order to gain favour and fellowship of the Messiah
Paul continues with the fallacy of trusting in the flesh. He shows here that if anyone boasts in their fleshly accomplishments, Paul can show them that, if you could boast or rely on your fleshly accomplishments, according to the Law, for salvation, he has a far better resume. However, whatever you deeds are, they are nothing but garbage in God's eyes. They have no salvational validity in the light of our saviors sacrifice. They also have no validity in gaining a relationship with God, through the Messiah, Y'shua/Jesus.

With that said, we have to bring up what your deeds are. If you are in the Messiah, your deeds are visible fruit, that reveals you relationship with God and His Word. That's it. Anything, outside the Messiah, is dead. James 2:14-26 tells us that Works without Faith are dead. Paul nails it perfectly in the follow verses.

Philippians 3:9-11

….and to find oneself in him, not possessing righteousness of my own with the Law, but that through faith in the Messiah, righteousness by way of God, on behalf of loyalty, allegiance and obedience, becoming one with him and the strength and power of his resurrection and fellowship, his confliction with his inner self made to conform until his death, in order to obtain the raising of the spiritually and physically dead.

I love these verses. If we live according to God's Word, not thinking we have our own salvation through the works of the Torah, the Law, we become Echad, one with God, through faith in the God supplied sacrificial offering of the Messiah. Becoming Ecad, one with God, will reveal itself in our works, in our loyalty, allegiance and obedience. Becoming Echad with God, we become one in his Strength and Fellowship.

We get a gem of information here. If we think we are alone in our temptations and struggle against Satan and Disobedience, Sin, then look where it says that Y'shua went through the same thing. 

"...his confliction with his inner self made to conform until his death"

You see Y'shua had the same battles within him, when he was here on earth. However, with the power of God's Spirit, he made his inner self conform, to God's Will, until the day he died. Can I get a Big Amen, on that. 

As Paul says here, Let's walk with God, through the Messiah, in order to receive the gift of Eternal Life, the raising of our Spirit and our Bodies, in the Day of the Lord.