One God

In keeping with the theme, I shall present this subject in three parts. God is one. No one has come before Him and no one will come after Him. In the beginning God created the heaven and earth. Genesis describes God, as Spirit, hovering above a void and formless earth. In the English translation the name "God" is used. But in the Hebrew the plural name of Eloheem is used. (A Hebrew word ending in the letter Mem signifies plural) God contemplated a plan that would involve creation and redemption of man. The Spirit of God saw in advance how man would be separated from Him by sin. (disobedience) So He created everything and by that act of creation He became Father to His creation. In His redemptive plan to save mankind, He implemented a sacrifice of Himself. This is witnessed in the Temple sacrifices established by God and every sacrifice that has ever been offered to God by our patriarchs. God therefore became the Redeemer, the Holy One, who is also called Son of God. Yet He remained only one. He did not break off into three sections that day. He remained one, only with three very distinctive natures about Himself. He forever remains, Spirit, Father to creation and Son for redemption of mankind, yet He is and always will be one. Because God's plan for creation involved three aspects of His nature, He identified Himself with a pluralistic name.

This concept of the Father and Son being One may be fully comprehended in the following passage. "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) When we break this passage down we see that God indeed devised a plan upon which He would be miraculously born into the world. This Son which is born is also described as God and Father. This dismisses the idea that the Son is not God. Now we don't have more than one God. How can we?

Throughout the first part of creation the book of Genesis refers to God with plural grammar. With the creation of man He says, "Let us make man in our image, according to our image." "So God created man in His own image." This negates any commentary that would infer that God used the image of angels or the earth in the creation of man. In referring to the Tower of Babel He says, "Let us go down and confuse their speech." When God says He is one He uses the word Echad, which is a plural word, like an Echad of grapes or a dozen eggs is an Echad of eggs. The singular word for one is Yachad. So how can God be one and refer to Himself in the plural? God didn't create three persons of Himself, separate yet agreeing with Himself. He remains one, yet He has chosen that three very distinct natures of His oneness would be involved in creation.

We may infer a distinct nature in man's creation that can help us understand this complex paradigm. God is not man, nor a person, nor three persons, nor three Gods. Adam was created as one. When he married Eve he became a husband. And when Eve gave birth to their first child he became a father. Now Adam had three distinct natures about himself but that didn't make him three persons. He was a son to his Creator, a husband to his wife and a father to his child, yet he was only one. Though God is not a person, man has been created in God's image. In this same principle, God, always existing but never having parents, created man and became a father, redeemed mankind and became a Son, or redeemer, or even a Husband. But He didn't become three Gods, but remained One with a pluralistic nature.

Rabbinical commentators, such as Rashi and Rabam, have dismissed the pluralistic nature of the one God by suggesting God is referring to creation or the angels when He makes statements like "Our Image. They also contend God is speaking of Himself in the plural sense of royalty. This idea is nonsense, as the speech of the English royalty didn't exist at creation. However, they were not able to explain away references to the Holy One, Redeemer and Son as easily.

"Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." (Psalms 2:12) Two things we must look at here in this passage. First God acknowledges that we must have an intimate relationship with the Son in order to live. Second, God requires that we put our trust in the Son. Now we know that God is one, and to put our trust in anyone other than God is idolatry. God would never tell us to commit idolatry, for He has established to His people that we are to only love God as one. We must therefore conclude that the Son is God, and that He has established Himself as redeemer, or Holy One, for the plan of redemption. This complex nature of God was appreciated by those who wrote the Scriptures. (Old Testament) They were always looking into and wondering about God's character as it pertained to the Son. "Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if you know?" (Proverbs 30:4b) Until next time, Shalom.

Got God?

Apostate religion, like the gods they worship, have more than one definitive purpose for their existence. Mainly, however, what distinguishes their "doctrines of death" from life-giving-grace is their insistence upon another source other than the Bible as established truth, and the big one--that man is not saved by faith alone.


Well, this preposterous second conceptual idea can have no basis without having established the first one. Therefore they must, in order to reform God's plan of redemption, eradicate the source of their contention. A new constitution takes the place of God's forever covenants without so much as batting an eye.

It's always the same old, boring story. I can do better than God. He is not sufficient for me, and could not possibly have the power to put all of His thoughts together in one book. I mean, okay, create the world in six days, but come on, create one source of truth for all mankind to rely upon for salvation. Do you think I'm an idiot? Yes!

Religion is created in order to manifest one's self as a god. Sorry, there is no other explanation. It's been going on since and before the tower of Babel was constructed. I think Lucifer had the idea first, then whispered it into the ears of anyone who would listen. The little snake-in-the-grass started with Eve, who whispered it to Adam; then the whole idea caught on rather rapidly.


Man cannot possibly be saved by faith alone. That is what all religion tries to sell the general public. There are of course a lot of buyers. How? They establish that the word of God is not the sole source of knowledge. They say that there is not one scripture reference to support salvation by faith alone. Yes, they are right. There is not one, but about twelve and all predicated upon truth from the Old Testament--the book they hate the most--Abraham being the example of salvation based on faith alone. Even this concept is lost on Protestants who think Old Testament saints were saved by the works of the law, and all New Testament saints by grace. The main thrust of Paul's gospel message is faith without works for salvation. The book of Romans and Galatians take up most of the passages, with Ephesians 2:8,9 being the coup de gras. Funny isn't it, that the city that perpetuated the concept of faith on works has a complete book devoted to them that states the opposite? Oh well, I guess reading isn't one of the favorite past times for citizens of Rome.

The truth is found in Scripture. Where else would it be found? Can man apart from God create truth? According to apostate religions it can because salvation apart from faith alone is necessary for their system to function. Religion is all centered around the individual. That is how you can tell if they are apostate. God is not sufficient for them. Listen to their rhetoric. It is a process of lifting one's self up, like Lucifer, putting themselves in control, elevating their own works above God's redemptive work on the cross, always adding and subtracting from the Bible. Their religion is the true and only way to salvation. Where God fits into their scheme of salvation is not fully understood, because all they talk about is everything but Him. Anytime someone says their religion is the only way, my advice is to get out of their way.

Yeshua is the way, the truth and the life. We can do nothing apart from Him. Those who try to justify themselves by works for salvation have not received the grace of God necessary for salvation. Any religion that elevates themselves above the truth of God by dismissing the word of God will fall like Lucifer, forever condemned, and put in a place where they won't have to be around the God they seem to hate so much. Want salvation? Get God! Want death? Get religion! Shalom.

Ephesus (part two)

"Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent." (Rev. 2:5) Though the engine that drives the religious body--the church or synagogue you attend--would strongly disagree, I contend that maintaining individuality while remaining God dependent is the pathway to wisdom and knowledge of God. There is no such thing as corporate salvation, only fellowship with believers of the same mind. The body of believers is not a building that collects bodies and money once a week for the express purpose of giving one person a platform for generating his ideology. The body is one person gathered together with another person. Where two or more are gathered together there will God be with them.

God should be sufficient. However, religion of today supports a paradigm quite in opposition to the doctrines of Yeshua, who emphasized a quality relationship with God found outside of the synagogue. Works are generated in these environments because the payoff is self gratification. But works apart from God is not equal to faith apart from works. So called leaders in these environments get together behind closed doors to figure out what will work, what will grow their organization. Instead it should be how can we inspire people to love God? There are too many ideas and concepts, too many denominations; all of it inspired by pride and prejudice. Loving God is as natural as breathing and eating, not as complex as religion makes it out to be.

God will never leave us nor forsake us. We are betrothed to Him. That is a binding contract that can only be broken by the Groom. Are works the basis of our marriage, or is love the impetus for our relationships. I would hope you believe the latter. Why does our relationship with God differ then? It shouldn't! "For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one's garments with violence." (Malachi 2:16) That only can mean that it is within our power and choice to leave God, and that is exactly what we do when we act independently from God by imposing works over a relationship of love. A true and effective marriage is two becoming one, with the wife in submission to the husband, and the husband loving the wife the way God loves the body of believers as His Bride. Like any relationship, we become estranged from that person when we make works equivalent to love.

No matter if we try and work for salvation or work because we love God, it is no good if it isn't God, our Husband, who is directing our steps. If we choose to leave the marriage because we want to be in charge, then God has no alternative but to remove the source of our light. When this happens we fall from God's grace and separate ourselves from His presence. This needs correcting and God is telling the Ephesians they are dangerously close to losing their source of light if they continue placing works over love.

There is no room for compromise in our relationship with God. He is the Husband and we, as the Bride, are to be in submission to Him. He is a Jealous Husband who won't put up with spiritual adultery--serving ourselves or any god before Him. "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper." (Psalm 1:3) This is predicated upon our delight in God's instruction (Torah). God only leads those in the way they should go who obey Him. God compared John the Baptizer to a tree planted by the water when He said, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?" (Matt.11:7) A reed will not be uprooted, it compromises with the wind and lives. A tree stands firm, rooted and fed by the source, but falls against a greater force placed upon it. John was firmly planted in God's word, never compromised, and eventually was felled by Herod. Spiritual strength trumps physical strength in the economy of God. Our "work outs" should be implemented by internal love that promotes a large heart, and not external iron pumping that promotes a large head. Shalom.

Ephesus

To the messianic congregation at Ephesus: "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil... Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love." (Rev. 2:2,4) Obviously the congregation of believers were on fire for the Lord during the writing of this letter. They had been evangelized and led by both Sha'ul (Paul) and the apostle John, who was a leader in the assembly prior to being taken to Patmos. They started well, but then veered off course. So what first love did they leave and why were they being rebuked for all of their good works? Shouldn't God be pleased with results like this? Evidently something was amiss and needed correcting or else God would remove the lampstand that provided illumination for them.

The key words that will help us unravel who or what the first love was--and is today--can be found in the opening sentence. "I know YOUR works." Work-oriented people must be constantly reminded that we are not saved by, nor are we maintained by OUR works. Paul made it very adamantly clear to the Ephesians in his letter to them when he defined salvation and what proceeds from it. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it (faith) is a gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest anyone should boast. FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Ephesus was a den of iniquity, comprised of paganism, idolatry and wickedness. The body of believers were well established by strong apostolic teaching. We who have experienced the "New Birth" know that it was not of our works but of God's that saved us. Eventually, we may--as I did--have placed too much emphasis on works than on walking with the Lord in faith. It happens to the best of us. Before long we place so much emphasis on the works that we forget that it is God who is supposed to be working through us as we surrender to Him completely as servant to His will. It is not that we loose love for God, but that we loose sight of God working through us. We begin producing works from our own strength, independent from the God we love.

The works are not being criticized here in this letter; the people who forgot that they were God's workmanship are being chastised. God is strongly urging them to repent from doing the works themselves and get back to walking with Him in faith so He can produce the works through them. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.' (John 15:4)

Today we are living in our own Ephesus. Our first love is walking with God in faith apart from any works we produce by ourselves. We are like branches that are deeply rooted in God and watered by His Word. When the branches are no longer nourished by the root they die and don't produce fruit. The Ephesian believers had become disconnected branches from the root which had given them supernatural life. They pursued righteousness with a passion but lacked the source of life from which they had been illuminated with truth. Their works only produced sweat, but no fruit. God, who is no respecter of persons, promises to remove that which doesn't produce fruit from His root.

The Lampstand represents the source of light, which is God Himself. The Ephesians were working independently of the source and God wasn't going to stay where He wasn't welcomed. "Remember therefore from where you were fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent." (Rev. 2:5) Shalom.