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Sermons Series 3:78, 10 February 2007
Resisting the Devil
Part 3: Conquering Overeating and Pride
Main Themes:
Minor Themes:
Click here for Part 2
"Let those who are standing at the doors of the New Covenant who hesitate to choose, carefully weigh the Torah in the balance and choose. Great blessings await those who are pure and undivided, but those who are divided, who are unable to choose one way over the other, have chosen no way, and it is as though they were in the wilderness ... Grapes cannot be picked from briars nor the joy of Yahweh harvested from those who are bitter and rebellious. But the vine that is watered is plentiful, even that its branches bend with the burden of its joy. See that you also are as the grapevine, bearing many good and delightsome fruits because of your good works, that your burdens may be a joy to you like the mother who carries the child within her womb. To the faithful (ones) I say: Bless the Name of your Elohim and (continue to) be faithful, for He will supply you abundantly" (Olive Branch 182: 26-27,29-31).
It is very rarely that I cite the Olive Branch at the beginning of a sermon but this one seemed to be appropriate to the circumstances of so many who are standing at the door of decision today. Yahweh has pressed this revelation heavily upon my mind the last week, so I have no doubt that this word from Him back in 1989 is a suitable heading, as it were, for my continuing remarks to you today on resisting the devil and being an overcomer.
It frustrates and angers Satan and his minions when they cannot topple the Kingdom of Yahweh, against which their anger has been turned and which consumes them with passionate fury. Their darkened minds are turned only to destruction and whilst they pay lip-service to building up people, their hearts are actually concerned only with what they can rip down. They have their reward, as Yah'shua would say (Mt.6:2,5,16). As for us, we continue to bear our burdens cheerfully knowing what lies ahead. And about the only thing Satan knows is what lies ahead for him, for he knows he has been defeated and that his time is short. Though his servants don't know this, because he keeps them purposefully blinded, they do feel the Adversary's frustration and anger. They are addicted to, and prisoners of, the power-surges these negative feelings bring them. And even though they may have cast themselves over the abyss into darkness, and forsaken the Way of Peace, they still have the opportunity to cry out for deliverance. And if their cry is sincere, Yahweh will hear them and rescue them.
We have been looking at some of the symptoms of those whom Satan has overcome, or is in the process of overcoming, when they themselves should be overcoming the Adversary. One of those systems, we have noted, is persistent depression. Last week I suggested '10 commandments', as it were, in helping overcome depression, two of which included ceasing to blame-shift your faults onto others and being selective with those you share. A lot of people share their 'woes' with the wrong kinds of people, those who will, for various reasons (that usually serve only their own interests) give sympathy when what you need most of all is not sympathy but strength to fight the battle. Be careful to whom you go for counsel. Remember, Satan has many counsellors in his employment, all of whom will happily tickle your vanity and keep you 'comfortable' in your misery. Those who are not so foolish find other carnal 'solutions', and one of these is overeating. It's that I want to touch on today to begin with by first looking at Paul's counsel to the Philippians:
"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which Elohim has called me heavenward in Messiah Yah'shua. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too Elohim will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Messiah. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things" (Phil.3:13-20, NIV).
Here the apostle Paul is inviting believers, once again, to imitate him. What interested him was a very fine dividing line between truth and error, the Kingdom of Yahweh and the kingdom of Satan. We have a choice: we can either press on - and that implies action - heading toward the mark or goal in order to collect the prize, which is the high calling given us by Yahweh, or we can participate in the behaviour of His enemies who concern themselves with earthly things, excluding the spiritual to one degree or another, and making their bellies their god. Not that Paul is telling us to be other-wordly - he doesn't want us detached from the physical world - what He desires is that earthly things should not rule our passions. He said:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy (set-apart), acceptable to Elohim, which is your reasonable service" (Rom.12:1, NKJV).
Now these days resisting the desire to overeat is not a popular subject - and it's slowly becoming politically incorrect to suggest that people are overweight. The body has its own mind and appetite. The Bible calls this uncontrolled appetite 'lust'. Now I am not coming here today to give you a sermon about obesity or being overweight. People with eating problems don't need a lecture but help because most people who have a weight problem genuinely want help. Resisting food, saying 'no' to sweets or candy, is one of the hardest things for a contemporary Christian to do because they exist in such abundance and our culture encourages their consumption. Counting calories or joules is not, in my opinion, the best solution. The only way to successfully control weight is learning to rule your fleshy appetites instead of letting them rule you.
To do that, we need to understand just what the place of the physical body is in the system of our existence. Now there are many views about the body in Christendom from the outright hostile to total indifference. Yahweh made your body and even calls it a Temple of the Ruach haQodesh (1 Cor.6:19) but set alongside that truth is another truth: the body is fallen, carnal and devilish. It contains a nature, as we have seen, which is hostile to Yahweh, and is inherited generationally all the way back from Adam and Eve. In short, the physical body which we are commanded to view as a Temple, and to treat as such, has been corrupted by an alien nature. That nature is permitted for a purpose so that we learn to choose between good and evil. The body is not, as a whole, something evil to be shunned, tormented or punished, as the Gnostics and Catholics teach, and neither is it to be indulged as the hedonists teach. It has a dual nature. Paul said:
"The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body" (1 Cor.15:42-44, NKJV).
Now what Paul isn't talking about here - and a lot of Christian get the wrong end of the stick reading this passage - is two bodies - the visible physical body and the invisible spirit body. He's talking about the resurrection of the physical body. He's telling us that in its present state it is corrupt or unspiritual. At the resurrection, this physical body will become spiritual in nature, in other words, it will become like the redeemed, sanctified invisible spirit-man or -woman inside. This won't finally happen until the resurrection at the beginning of the Millennium (for the firstborn) or at the end of the Millennium (for all of the rest). The physical body as it is, is a temporary house. We're not going to keep it. Almost everyone witnesses death and the loss of the physical body - only a tiny few will witness the sudden transformation of their bodies when Yah'shua returns because they happen to be alive when He starts resurrecting the living and the dead. The rest of us have to 'deposit' it in death and await the better, incorrupt and immortal one. In the meantime we have to deal with what is 'here'. And our attitude, as I said, must be dual. On the one hand, we must hate the carnal nature which leads us into sin and makes us enemies of Yahweh, and offer it up for crucifixion, so that Yah'shua can live in us. We have to 'die' to its destructive impulses. And on the other hand, we must allow Him to transform it into an acceptable, and set-apart temple by treating it right. The body is not itself evil, even though it is only temporary and has corruption in it - it is the corrupt nature that is evil. When we allow our appetite to dominate us, we are turning our backs on the Ruach.
Dr. Roy Hicks, whom I mentioned to you last week, and who is the inspiration for this set of sermons on resisting the devil, related this interesting experience:
"I was driving along (in my car) one afternoon and, a little sleepy, needed a break. Knowing of an ice cream parlour a short distance up the road, I began to think about a milk shake. The more I thought about it, the more my body began to plead for it.
"Suddenly I realised my body was about to dominate me! I resisted by driving past the ice cream stand and saying, 'No, body, you're not going to get that milk shake!' My body reacted by pleading so hard I almost turned the car around and went back" (The Power of Positive Thinking, Harrison House, 1964, p.44).
Now Dr. Hicks did not have an overweight problem - he could have enjoyed that milk shake without endangering his health. Yahweh was not forbidding him from having that milk shake. Rather, Yahweh was showing him an important spiritual battle taking place - a battle which we ignore at our spiritual peril. Yah'shua said:
"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of Elohim'" (Matt.4:4, NIV).
And though this isn't about health, it can have health consequences if we go beyond a certain point of self-indulgence. What the battle is about is a choice of allegiance - it's about choosing who or what we submit to. Now Dr. Hicks could have said: "I love Yah'shua and I belong to Yah'shua - it's OK to have that milk shake. It won't damage my health.' And all of those statements might be correct. He loves Yah'shua. One milk shake won't damage his health. But does He belong to Yah'shua in that situation? Now I am sure if I asked this congregation this question, you'd probably be split over the issue. Some would say: 'Of course he belongs to Yah'shua! He's a minister. He's given his life to Him!' Others might say: 'Yes, he belongs to Yah'shua, but who would have owned his allegiance if he had listened to the demands of his body over something he didn't need?'
The question I'd be asking would be this: what actually is going on in the spiritual here? How come Dr. Hicks had two voices and apparently two wills? You see, he realised that his body was about to dominate him - his real self. Something resident in his physicality was ready to dictate to his spirit.
Now when Yah'shua said: "Man does not live on bread alone" He was not forbidding us from eating bread, cake, ice cream or anything else that is kosher for that matter. He was simply warning that bread - or food - was not all that man should eat. The mouth was made for more than food or drink.
Being a little overweight won't kill you and it won't keep you out of heaven. The reason that Dr. Hicks resisted the urge to buy a milk shake was not weight control. Paul said that we should present our bodies "a living sacrifice" - our bodies are not supposed to present us. This is not about food but about spiritual authorities - it's about what rules your life, and to whom your life belongs.
Now anyone can say, 'I belong to Yah'shua (or Jesus)' but does that agree with our actions in the outer world? We can say we're 'saved' but does our obedience or disobedience support that claim? Because if we are deliberately rebelling against Yahweh, is that proof of our salvation? And remember, the words 'salvation' and 'deliverance' are interchangeable. Is our outer behaviour testifying that we are delivered or that we are still in bondage?
I remember a time in Oxford when I was allowing my body to dominate me by the consumption of Coca Cola and chocolate. I had some every day. Not a lot - one can of Coke a day and one small chocolate biscuit but after a while I began to get heart palpitations caused by the caffeine in both. It had become a health issue. But even after I quit, I noticed the cravings of the flesh - I was under pressure to go and buy more. A battle of authorities was going on - a battle between the spirit and the flesh as to which would dominate. The very fact that I was craving was testimony that a war was going on between irreconcilable opposites.
Yahweh is telling us: 'Control your body!' He is saying: 'Resist that which is unholy and not set-apart to Him'. Now we can rationalise - and believe me, the fleshy nature is expert at rationalisation! We can argue that we're making a fuss about nothing, being petty, pedantic, fanatical, or whatever. And you can choose to believe that if you want to. And I have no doubt that some of you hearing me today are either fidgeting nervously inside or are thinking that I am sounding off-the-line. The thing is - is it true? You see, if the corrupted body, with its fleshy appetites, is not resisted, it will have its way! I guarantee it! I shared the illustration of sweets or candy, something that barely existed until recently. Listen to what Scripture says:
"When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive" (Prov.23:1-3, NIV).
The KJV calls delicacies 'dainties' which translates a Hebrew word (mat'am) meaning 'savoury meat'. In other words, this is the fancy food which only rulers and rich people could afford which was beyond the means of your average person anciently. Your simple person are simply in those days. In today's world, what was considered a 'delicacy' or 'dainty' is available to everyone, rich and poor because it's mass produced. And look at the health of the world as a result. Junk food is killing us. The rich diet of millions is leading to heart attacks and shorter lives. We are one of the most unhealthy cultures ever. The bodily appetites rule as in no other time - it's not just the rich who are prisoners of their appetites nowadays.
Yahweh calls 'delicacies' or 'dainties' "deceitful meat" (KJV) or "deceptive food" (NIV). Now let me ask you a question: do you think that Yahweh wants to take away the pleasure and fun out of eating? I can think of a lot of Christians, and plenty of unbelievers, who have precisely that viewpoint. No, Yahweh is not a killjoy - He is exactly the opposite! His desire is that you be happy! And He knows - because He designed your body - that as a human being you'll be a lot happier when you deny the fleshy nature. His desire is that we should "come (and) share your master's happiness!" (Mt.25:23, NIV). The uncontrolled body becomes pampered, spoiled, lazy and rebellious. When it eats all it wants, especially delicacies, it is unhappy.
There is an inner glow inside the person who denies lustful appetite and exercises control. One who surrenders that control reflects frustration, depression and guilt. He loses self-esteem because he knows he has surrendered to something that is both hostile to Yahweh and is not Him!
When you begin saying 'no' to your appetite for food or any other desire of the flesh, you begin gaining mastery over your body. Not only will your body become healthier and more beautiful, but you will have discovered the secret to happy, successful living! The key to happiness is discipline. So the next time you are offered a calorie-loaded delicacy, say, 'No thank you,' even if your hand is reaching out to take it. Remember what the apostle John said:
"For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of Elohim abides forever" (1 John 2:16-17, NKJV).
Now you don't have to do this if you don't want to - the 'MLT police' (if such existed) won't be coming over to check up on your eating habits - but you'd be a fool to ignore the Word of Yahweh. Here John highlights another one of those 'triangles' I have been speaking to you about - only this one is a negative one: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life. We'll be coming back to them presently.
Do you still think this is a minor matter? Perhaps a closer look at what Torah says will change your mind:
"If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. And they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.' Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear" (Deut.21:18-21, NKJV).
There is a link here between rebellion, gluttony and drunkenness. Here is another of those triangles that leads to spiritual death. Of course, Yah'shua is today our 'stoning' and we are not put to death for these things under the New Covenant, but when we, as believers give assent to rebellion, gluttony or drunkenness, we are stoning Yah'shua and putting Him to death on the cross again. 'Where does it say that this is comparable to crucifying Yah'shua again!', you might protest. Read on to the next verse:
"If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree..." (Deut.21:22, NKJV).
Does that ring any bells? The apostle Peter said:
"He (Yah'shua) himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24, NIV).
The 'tree' is the cross. These may be unpleasant truths for some of you to face but I did warn you I would be stirring up some things in this series of sermons. More importantly, realise that Yahweh expects you to control your appetites in the same way you resist Satan. Resist the appetite with inner spiritual resolve: make a covenant with Yahweh to resist and watch Him empower you as you are true to that covenant! Show yourself and Satan that you are in control of your body.
This is no different from getting your tongue and your hands to co-operate in worship. A lot of spiritually lazy people don't bother to sing, lift their hands in praise or clap in worship because they are just plain indifferent. They're surrendering to their bodies. Take authority and dominion over your body in Yah'shua's Name and make it conform to your will. Because this is Yahweh's will, and the Ruach haQodesh will confirm it. Present your body as a living sacrifice in worship and in eating. When you keep your body under control you will find it easier to cut down on your food consumption.
The same principles hold for those who don't eat enough. The same truths apply to those who have psychological eating disorders like Bulimia. This is not the sin of gluttony but belongs to another class of sin in that negative triangle called the pride of life. It comes from body worship. But it may also stem from depression and stress - people binge-eat and then bring it all up again to cope with these instead of overcoming and resisting the devil. This is Satan's way or tormenting people by playing on their pride which is what I want to end with today.
Now there are hundreds of scriptures on pride which I could cite. Yahweh rebukes the proud saying they are cursed; pride brings shame and goes before destruction; a proud heart is sin; a man wise in his own eyes is full of pride; a proud heart stirs up strife; and pride will bring a man low, and so forth (Ps.10:2; 119:21; Prov.11:2; 16:18; 21:4; 26:12; 28:25; 29:23). I will quote one scripture, though, spoken by the Master - looks what He associates pride with:
"What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man" (Mark 7:20-23, NKJV).
Pride caused King Nebuchadnezzar to fall (Dan.4:30-31). What was Yahweh's punishment for this ruler's conceit? He was driven out of his royal palace and was made to live in the forest and eat grass like an ox (v.33). People live in their own 'royal palaces' in their hearts and exalt themselves as kings and queens, thinking they are wonderful and worthy of adoration. Yahweh does to such what He did to that proud king who boasted in his own achievements.
Now this story reveals not only the cause of pride but also its punishment and remedy. It wasn't until Nebuchadnezzar got off the throne of his own heart and started genuinely praising Yahweh did Yahweh return his sanity to him. Because his punishment was insanity, loss of health and the loss of his kingdom.
When King David remained humble, Yahweh blessed him. When he remained humble, Yahweh gave him victory after victory. But because of Yahweh's blessings, David began thinking he could do no wrong. Pride crept in unawares. And you know what that led to - adultery and murder, the two greatest sins against man that can be committed.
Now don't go and think that because you haven't slept with another man's wife and then murdered her husband that you are somehow superior to David morally. Having evil, immoral thoughts, character-assassinating righteous people by waging warfare against Yahweh's Bride, is no less evil. Yah'shua Himself says so (Mt.5:27-30). Pride is a many-faceted thing, it has many forms and manifestations, and all of them are deadly to the soul. It's caused pastors and evangelists to fall. It can come from overspending and overbuilding in order to make a name for themselves. And not just fancy buildings - people are just as sinfully adept at building themselves up by presenting an image of righteousness to the world when they are filthy within and are themselves perishing from sin. They puff themselves up and go through the motions of righteousness to be seen and admired by men. And they are more than willing to claim the credit for righteousness from true men of Yahweh by blame-shifting their own wickedness to the righteous. Solomon said there were four unbearable things in this world:
"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food, an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress" (Prov.30:21-23, NIV)
A glutton is one of the 'unbearables' but notice two of the others - a servant who becomes a ruler (whether for real or in his own fantasy) and a maidservant who displaces her mistress (whether for real or in her own fantasy). In other words, when people sit in places of authority when they have not been called there by Yahweh, the earth trembles. Remember the Austrian Corporal who created death and destruction throughout Europe in the 20th century? Remember Absalom, the son of David, who thought he could usurp his father's place, started a civil war, and abused some of his father's wives? It doesn't matter that the servant or maidservant is clever or not - what matters is the spiritual maturity to rule or not. Nations have been governed by many fools. One only has to think of Solomon's son, Rehoboam, who succeeded him as King of Judah. He was an immature hothead who preferred the counsel of the young and immature rather than that of the older and wiser.
Pride causes a person to become unteachable. Because he feels he no longer needs advice, he stops listening to all voices but his own and the demons whispering within ... or just those people who will always agree with him. Pride closes the ears of fools to the wise. Pride is seduced by his own eloquence just as Solomon was. Pride listens to the propaganda of his own flesh, just as Hitler believed the lies of the newspapers which his propagandists wrote to deceive the people. Pride is a giant balloon without substance, bombastic yet empty. It takes only a pin to pop it. Pride causes people to commit the sin of presumption. As King David warned:
"Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression" (Ps.19:13, NKJV).
And you know, this particular sin is seldom understood. Sometimes people pray for things far beyond their faith and what they are doing is merely feeding their egos. The whole 'health and wealth' movement is founded in the pride of presumption. Likewise, the 'name it, and claim it' movement is rooted in presumption. You see, sometimes Yahweh gives us what we presumptuously ask of Him to show us the pride behind such an act. A few successes based in presumption can stir a Christian up to pride where before he was humble and satisfied with his material possessions. The thought of having instant riches had never before crossed his mind. And then, suddenly, things become a substitute for relationship. And not just 'things', but crusades against people, who come to be viewed, not as human beings, but as sub-humans or not as human at all. Such feeds pride - the glee experienced watching someone crumble before one's supposed 'power'.
Yahweh is good and He does want to bless and prosper His people but He will do it in His own time and in His own way. So don't be presumptuous! Yes, hold fast to what He has promised but be careful about 'claiming' what He hasn't promised to give you. I've heard of charismatic women who go around stores 'naming and claiming' items of clothing they want, or 'naming and claiming' a parking space. Do you want to know the biblical approach to such things? The apostle James tells us:
"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is Yahweh's will, we will live and do this or that'" (James 4:13-15, NIV).
Remember what James said a few verses earlier?
"Submit yourselves, then, to Elohim. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to Elohim and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before Yahweh, and he will lift you up" (James 4:7-10, NIV).
This verse provides the answer to most of the backlash caused by people listening to great Bible teaching and hearing only what they want to hear! Prefacing every prayer with, 'if it be Your will' is wrong if we already know His will! Yahweh always has a higher will for us - a revelation beyond what He has hitherto revealed to us but He won't reveal that to us until we obey what He has already instructed. It then becomes our responsibility if life is standing still. He reveals His will to us in proportion to our willingness to listen and receive it. If our heart and mind are closed, He is unlikely to reveal what we don't want to hear unless our stubbornness is taking us to the edge of the precipice and our very lives are at stake.
It can easily be His will for us to have a better paying job, a new house or a better car so that we can serve Him better. However, it is never His will for us to become proud or feel superior to others who do not have the good things we have received from Him. And His highest will and Torah for us is to have humble hearts and to have every need - though not necessarily every want - supplied. When Yahweh supplies more than what you need it is because He knows you will remain humble. If having more than your need will turn your heart and make you proud and boastful, the chances are He will not supply that extra, for the sake of your own spiritual welfare. There may be other reasons to be sure but that certainly ranks as one of the main ones.
Remember that James was not against the men who wanted to go to a city to make some money so long as it was in His will. The apostle's emphasis is on having Yahweh's perfect will in our lives in everything we say and do. He makes his point very clear when he says:
"You do not have because you do not ask, [or] you do ask [Yahweh for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is, [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures" (Jas.4:2b-3, Amp.Ver.).
This apostolic counsel could in practice apply to anything that is lawful. What's important always is your motive. Yahweh wants us blessed in every way possible but He also wants us to resist Satan and all evil, including and especially pride. James also said:
"As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what Yahweh finally brought about. Yahweh is full of compassion and mercy" (James 5:11, NIV).
Job lost practically everything but Yahweh restored twice what he had before. Pride will bring you low, rob you of eternal values, and even kill you. Yahweh hates pride with a perfect vengeance because pride is the spirit of murder. How can you best deal with pride? Be continually praising Yahweh for what He has given you even when you don't feel like it. And whilst it is true that we are the children of a King, and are entitled to the blessings of the Kingdom whose King we are submitted to, we must never forget that Yah'shua was a humble Servant-King, not a self-serving autocrat; if we become self-serving it only confirms that we are submitted to the wrong king. Someone once said that a proud Christian is more valuable to Satan than an atheist, and I believe that!
It is our responsibility to teach the whole counsel of Yahweh (Ac.20:27) - the whole Bible - and not just the parts that our carnal nature can comfortably assimilate. As a minister, I dare not withhold those parts which the carnal man hates in order to preserve an artificial peace because I have to give an account one day for what I teach. And you would not thank me for watering down the Gospel, leaving unresolved issues which might, in the future, jeapordise your salvation. I dare not suffer the message of Yahweh to be abused and neither should you. People may hate us for doing it but at least we will have clear consciences before the Throne of Yah. We may be "hard pressed on every side ... perplexed ..., persecuted ..., and struck down ..." but at least we are not "... crushed, ... in despair, ... abandoned or ... destroyed" (2 Cor.4:8-9, NIV). I am reminded of the Clint Eastwood Western in which the hero had a huge slab of iron under his coat. The bad guy discharges his six-shooter into him. He falls down to the ground but keeps getting up again and again, much to the bad guy's amazement and horror. Once he has discharged his six shots and has an empty pistol, it's the end for him. Eastwood simply finishes him off. We have the armour of Messiah on and though our enemies keep knocking us down in their unsatiable appetite for revenge for telling them, the truth about themselves, we get up again and again, offering the other cheek. Finally, Yahweh will strike them down.
We remain where we are - alive and thriving spiritually - because we abide in the truth, and Yahweh justifies that truth. As for our enemies, and those who hate the Word, Yahweh has already spoken - and His Word will not return to Him void. He says: "Your enemies will perish and those who love you will be like the sun when it rises in its strength" (cp. Judg.5:31). So I can confidently say to you in Yah'shua's Name that they will perish in His own time and way when they have let off their last salvo's and He has disarmed them. Then it's execution time.
There are many of you today being put through the fire of adversity as Yahweh tests you to see whether you will stand in the truth or not. Some who were our friends have become our foes. Yah'shua warned:
"Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offence comes!" (Matt.18:7-8, NKJV).
Woe indeed. And like Job's 'friends', people will be telling you that this adversity is a sign of Yahweh's disfavour. In the end his 'friends' begged Job to pray for them because Yahweh said He would not forgive them until Job agreed to intercede for them. So what will you do? Will you be courageous or cowardly? Which side of the line will you decide to stand on? It's your free choice but Yahweh will hold you accountable for the choice you make. Some are already on their way to destruction whilst others are headed for glory. But a few are still choosing - they could go either way. They need to be very careful. Who will you believe? To whom will you go for counsel? James warned:
"So be subject to Elohim. - Stand firm against the devil; resist him and he will flee from you. Come close to Elohim and He will come close to you. [Recognise that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realise that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]. Humble yourselves - feeling very insignificant - in the presence of Yahweh, and He will exalt you. - He will lift you up and make your lives significant.
"[My] brethren, do not speak evil about or accuse one another. He that maligns a brother or judges his brother is maligning and criticising the Torah and judging the Torah. But if you judge the Torah, you are not a practitioner of the Torah but a censor and a judge [of it]. One only is the Torah-giver and Judge - [the One] Who has absolute power of life and death - Who is able to save and destroy. [But you], who are you that [you presume to] pass judgement on your neighbour?" (Jas.4:7-12, Amp.Ver.).
Over the last 20 years there are many who have predicted that this ministry would fall and perish. There have been many who have arrogantly believed that they have dealt the 'fatal blow' but Yahweh has blown every one of them away and will do so again. Solomon warns:
"Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house, do not raid his dwelling place; for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity" (Prov.24:15-16, NIV).
Furthermore, they are "gossips, slanderers, Yahweh-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil" (Rom.1:29-30, NIV). Their fate, unless they repent, is destruction.
Paul said to Timothy: "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Tim.6:6, NIV). Since motives are so obviously important in determining whether we end up happy or miserable, we do need to ask ourselves what it is we are after in life. What's our driving force? What's our goal? And to whom can we look as a striking example of how to live? Godliness with contentment do seem to me to be worth gaining.
Last Yom Rishon (Saturday evening) some of my family were having a debate with an Ebionite - that's a person who rejects the apostle Paul. This Paul-hater was doing everything he could to tear this apostle down as a true follower of Yahweh. Yet Paul was perhaps the most faithful and fruitful Christian who ever lived. And he died penniless in a Roman dungeon. His own testimony concerning material possessions and standards of living was striking:
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Phil.4:11-13, NIV).
I had my struggles over Paul some years ago and I remember how some of the Ebionite arguments confused me and started leading me to doubt for a while. But when I started looking at the fruits of this man's life, instead of trying to intellectually analyse his teachings, I was silenced. Yahweh subsequently spoke to me many times about this great and wonderful man of Elohim:
"It is said by some that the Gospel of Paul is not the Gospel of Messiah but is some other gospel ... Behold, there was none more valiant in his testimony of Me than My apostle Paul ... (who) counted himself the greatest sinner and became a servant to all men for My sake" (Olive Branch 67:1,4,6).
Yahweh told me that he had made his calling and election sure and exhorted us to "likewise fight the good fight, enduring to the end" (OB 176:1,3). Paul had been warning Timothy against the influence of those who suppose, among other things, that 'gain is godliness' and who think their material prosperity is proof of their spiritual prosperity. "From such," Paul said, "withdraw yourself" (1 Tim.6:5, NKJV). Material gain in no way either produces or denotes godliness; rather, godliness itself is the gain, if accompanied by contentment in Messiah - otherwise it is not true godliness. Even the most impoverished believer can acquire riches in heaven where it really counts. In the meantime, as the writer of Hebrews, which was almost certainly Paul, said:
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have" (Heb.13:5, NIV).
May I end today with a word of counsel given 15 years, for those who are in the midst of struggles? It's taken from the Olive Branch and serves as a reminder of the continuing struggle between light and darkness in our midst today. It's principles remain eternally true:
"Beloved ones, do not be surprised at the trial of your faith for this must needs be that all evil may be exposed and rooted out of Israel. Anyone who does that which is good, is of Me, building up and edifying the Body and those seeking after it. And behold, anyone who does anything that is evil has never seen nor known Me (3 Jn.11), for he would not do these things otherwise, save he commit the unpardonable sin and deny the Ruach haQodesh (OB 14). Therefore he was never a part of the Body but has returned to the body of unbelievers in the world from whence he came outwardly, but never left inwardly.
"Behold, the man of sin ever makes a show of himself that he may justify himself and not repent, and will gladly persuade others to enter into his sin with him that he may build up a wall against repentance. And he will do so proclaiming his righteousness, calling good, evil, and evil, good. And this has ever been the way of sin, even from the beginning.
"Thus says Yahweh: the greatest enemies of My people have always been those who were once a part of it outwardly but not inwardly, and they have ever lifted up their heels against the set-apart ones. For they have become the children of condemnation, turning the spirit of repentance into the demon of anger. And, being restless because of sin, and knowing their aloneness, they must either repent or strike out, for there is no middle course [for them].
"Greatly blessed is he who becomes the enemy of the set-apart ones, comes to an awful realisation of his sin, repents with sincerity of heart, and returns to the Body. Such a one shall be filled with a zeal for righteousness and will not be able to withhold his testimony of the Messiah, but will preach boldly and with an overflowing love. By this key you will know if a former enemy of the Kingdom has fully repented. Such a one shall shine like My apostle Paul ...
"The Torah of the Gospel is harsh to the wicked but joyous to the righteous, says Yahweh. They who find My Way hard are they who have not repented and who love the world more than the Kingdom. For I have not purposed to raise up a Kingdom of weakness but a Kingdom of strength, even the strength of Yahweh.
"They who love not the Word know not the Word, and it becomes as a sword that slays them. But they who love the Word know and comprehend the Word; And it becomes as a mighty tower of strength for them, shielding them before the noonday sun, protecting them from the storms, and acting as a sure defence against their enemies.
"Behold, this is the hour when the wheat must be separated from the tares and be gathered in. And it shall be even as it is written, for the tares are gathered together in the world and burned in the fire, says Yahweh-Elohim of Hosts, even He who exacts judgement (Mt.3:25ff.). This is My Gospel, and these are the words that My Father has commanded Me to speak, therefore they are true, and I excuse not Myself.
"The righteous I am gathering into My Kingdom and purging them by fire; But the wicked I am casting out of My Kingdom that they might not pollute it and that per chance they might repent and return thereto. This is the Torah and not one jot {yud} or tittle {stroke} [thereof] shall pass away, in order to preserve true judgement and mercy (Mt.5:18).
"They who speak evil of the Kingdom, weakening the faith of those who are a part of it, or who are seeking its righteousness [as investigators], shall be utterly cut off, for they are of their father the devil. Therefore they shall be disfellowshipped, even as I have told you before.
"Think Me not harsh, beloved, for all that I, Yahweh, do is rooted in pure love which you do not always see. Therefore trust and be obedient, and you will surely flourish. Even so. Amen" (Olive Branch 315:1-14,20-35).
Next week we shall be discussing how we can resist the sin of gossip and have a proper attitude toward sickness. In the meantime, in addition to the questions I have posed to you today, I would like you to ask yourselves another question, and it's this: Am I content with myself and life? If the answer is 'no' then you need to do some honest self-examination and ask yourself, Why not? And if you are in the middle of discovering you are not content, what have you observed in your spiritual walk that increases your contentment? What can you learn from that? What practical steps can you do to increase your contentment in a godly way? For no matter what your circumstances, however distressing the world may be around you, you can have contentment and peace within. But first you must know the truth and resist everything that contradicts that truth. Then the reward of contentment comes. Amen.
Acknowledgements
- Dr. Roy Hicks, The Power of Positive Thinking, Harrison House, 1964
Click here for Part 4
Author: Lev-Tsiyon
Glossary of MLT Hebraic, Greek and English Terms For other terms and full details please see the Micropedia
A
Adon(ai) = Master, a pagan fertility god, Adonis; used by many Messianics but not MLT
(a)eon(ian) = 7 dispensation- or age-long time periods, not forever (see le-olam-va-ed)
Alef-Tav = Alpha-Omega, A-Z, first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet = Yah'shua
Amen = truly, let it be so, written Amein by some Messianics
Apocrypha = Hebraic Scriptures not a part of the Protestant canon (e.g. Baruch)
Anti-Messiah = Hebraic term for the end-time Antichrist or anyone opposed to the Messiah
antinomian = lawless Christian who disregards all or part of Torah/commandments
Ashkenazi Jew = East European Jew descended from the Turkic-Japhethite Khazars
Assembly = church, congregation, ekklesia, community, fellowship, koinonia, gathering
Azazel = the Yom Kippur scapegoat
B
Baal, Ba'al = any other master than Yahweh, usually demonic in MLT terminology
Bachor(im) = firstborn son(s)
Bar/Bat Mitzvah = Son/Daughter of Commandment, covenant to obey Torah at age 12
being = soul, the whole person (spirit and body), e.g. "my whole being"
Beit, bet, beth = house, e.g. Beit Yisrael (House of Israel), Beth Lechem (House of Bread)
Beit haMikdash = Yahweh's Temple in Yerushalayim
B'rit Chadashah = the New Covenant; B'rit Chadashah Scriptures = New Testament
B'rit Milah = circumcision - abolished in the B'rit Chadashah, replaced by Mikvah
C
canon = authoritative Scripture (Heb. qaneh, Gk. kanôn = measuring instrument)
Catechumen = a serious, covenanted investigator seeking Mikvah or Baptism in MLT
Chag haMatzah = Feast of Unleavened Bread, second of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Chavurat Bekorot = MLT's Priesthood Order, Holy Order and Assembly of the Firstborn
Cohen = priest; Cohen Gadol = High Priest (also spelled Kohen)
Council of Yah's elohim = the heavenly Assembly of the Firstborn or Chavurat Bekorot
D
demon = fallen malek or angel in rebellion against Yahweh (Heb. shad; see Êl-Shaddai)
derech = the Way, Path or Road - Yah'shua and the Gospel are the Way
Drash = moral or homiletic interpretation of Scripture - see PaRDeS
E
Echad = One, Union of two or more in one (as opposed to Yachid) - see Elohim
Echad Godhead Doctrine = Father Yahweh, Son Yah'shua and Sevenfold Ruach (Mother)
Êl, Eloah, Elah = God the Father, Yahweh
Êl-Elyon = Most High God, Yahweh
Êl-Shaddai = Master/Lord over all shads or demons
Elohim = God, the Godhead (Father, Son & Holy Spirit), lit. 'Mighty One(s)', 'Ruler(s)'
elohim = Israelite judges, rulers, angels or gods (false deities, idols, demons)
emunah = faith, actively trusting, clinging or adhering to (especially Yahweh or Yah'shua)
emet = truth, Yah'shua is the Emet
Ephraimite = descendant of the patriarch Ephraim and head of Messsianic Israel
F
Feasts of Yahweh = the 7 annual Moedim (Pesach, Chag haMatzah, Yom haBikkurim, Shavu'ot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot)
G
Gan-Eden = Garden of Eden, Paradise and state of the purified heart in Messiah
goy(im) = nation(s), Israelites or gentiles not born in or converted to the Covenant
H
hallelu-Yah = praise Yah(weh)!
Heylel = proper name of Satan or haSatan = the Adversary, the devil
Sabbath = Yom Shabbat (Friday to Saturday sunset, add 1 day in IDL Zone)
Hochmah = Wisdom, title of the 7-fold Ruach haQodesh
I
IDL = International Date Line, false man-made time division in Pacific Ocean
IDL Zone = Area between the true Divine Date Line (Lake Van/Eden) and the false one
Israeli = citizen of the modern Edomite-Khazar Republic of Israel (not Biblical Israel)
Israelite = citizen of biblical state of Israel or a modern follower of the Messiah
J
Jew = post-biblical term describing descendants of Edomite and Khazar converts to Judaism
Johannine = pertaining to the Apostle Yochanan (e.g. Gospel of John)
Josephite = descendant of the patriarch Joseph, the head of Messianic Israel
Judahite = a person in direct descent from the patriarch Judah, forefather of the Messiah
Judaism = a Talmudic-based religion rejecting Yah'shua the Messiah
Judean = a citizen of the Kingdom or Province of Judah until the 2nd Century diaspora
K
Kadosh la Yahweh = set-apart or dedicated to Yahweh, 'Holiness to the Lord', MLT motto
Karaites = Jews (from 700 AD) who reject the Talmud and accept only the Tanakh
kashrut = keeping kosher, food laws of Yahweh and correspinding lifestyle
Ketuvim = Writings or Hagiographa of the Tanakh
Khazar = a Turkic convert to Judaism ~700 AD forming the Ashkenazi Jewish community
kosher = clean foods authorised by Yahweh for human consumption
L
Lashon Hara = evil-speaking, gossip or slander
legalism = false route to salvation through works (self-salvation)
le-olam-va-ed = dispensation- or age-long, aeonian, not eternal, forever or for eternity
Lev = heart, as in Lev-Tsiyon = heart of Zion
Lev-Tsiyon = Heart of the Fortress [of Yahweh], Hebrew name of MLT's founder
M
Master = Lord, Sir, Adon(ai) - (one in authority, a ruler - a king, husband, prophet, judge)
Malak(im) = Angel(s), heavenly supernatural messenger(s)
manna = wafers of honey, bread from heaven (lit. 'what is this?')
matzah = unleavened bread, see Chag haMatzah
Menorah = 7-armed candlearbra = the 7 annual Moedim and 7-fold Ruach haQodesh
Messiah = Christ; Anti-Messiah = Antichrist
Messianic Community = Body of Christ, sum total of all true believers; all true fellowships
Messianic Israel = all who worship Yahweh, trust in Yah'shua, obey Torah and overcome
Messianic Jew = Messianic convert from Judaism still clinging to Talmudic traditions
Midrash = aggadic interpretation of scripture viâ Drash, a scriptural discussion
Mikvah = baptism by immersion of convert into Yah'shua or of wife into husband
Mishpachah = family: nuclear, congregational, tribal or the whole of Messianic Israel
MLT = Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon = family of the heart of the fortress [of Yahweh]
Mishpat = right-ruling or judgement
mitzvah/mitzvot = commandment(s)
moed(im) = appointment(s) of Yahweh, 7 Annual Feasts, Sabbath and Rosh Chodesh
N
Nefilim, Nephilim = giant offspring of materialised demons and human women
Nevi'im = prophetic writings of the Old Testament or Tanakh
New Birth = spiritual conversion in the Ruach haRishon, being 'born again' with new heart
Nidah = a woman's menstruation period during which no intercourse is permitted
O
Olive Branch = collection of revelations, prophecies and visions published by MLT
P
Paraclete = Comforter, Advocate (NEB), Counsellor, Ruach haQodesh (Gk. paraklêtos)
PaRDeS = method of textual interpretation (homiletics) - see P'shat, Remez, Drash, Sod
Patriarch = a father who is head of his family, clan or tribe (lit. 'father-ruler')
Pentateuch = first five books of the Tanakh (Genesis-Deuteronomy), also called Torah
peribolaion = headcovering worn by daughters/wives in submission to fathers/husbands
Pesach = Passover, first of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Peshitta = an Aramaic version of the Bible
Prototrinitarianism = early, simplified MLT formulation of the Echad Godhead Doctrine
Prush(im) = Pharisee(s)
Pseudepigrapha = Non-canonical Hebrew writings additional to the Apocrypha
P'shat = literal, contextual, philological, exoteric, outer meaning of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Q
Qadosh Qadoshim = Holy of Holies, most sacred set-apart room of the Beit haMikdash
Qodesh, Kodesh = set-apart, holy (see Ruach haQodesh)
R
Rabbi = Teacher, term used by Messianic Jews and some Messianic Israelites = Pastor
Refuge, the 12 Cities of = divinely protected MLT fortresses during the 7-year Tribulation
Remez = hint or allegorical level of Hebraic understanding of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Rosh Chodesh = monthly New Moon appointment of Yahweh
ruach = spirit of a person (lit.'breath')
Ruach Elohim = Spirit of God (the Spirit of the collective Godhead or Elohim)
Ruach haChamashee = 5th Ruach presides over Yom Teruah and Yom Chamashee
Ruach haQodesh = the Sevenfold Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost (lit. 'Set-Apart Breath')
Ruach haRevee = 4th Ruach presides over Shavu'ot, Yom Revee and Bar Mitzvah
Ruach haRishon = 1st Ruach presides over Pesach, Yom Rishon and the New Birth
Ruach haShanee = 2nd Ruach presides over Chag haMatzah and Yom Shanee
Ruach haSheshi = 6th Ruach presides over Yom Kippur and Yom Sheshi
Ruach haShleshi = 3rd Ruach presides over Yom haBikkurim, Yom Shleshi and Mikvah
S
Sabbath = Yom Shabbat (Friday to Saturday sunset, add 1 day in IDL Zone)
Satan = rebel archangel Heylel, father of lies, devil, chief demon (lit.'Adversary')
Sephardic Jew = West European Jew of mixed blood containing many Judahites
Septuagint = Greek translation of the Tanakh, LXX
Shegal haShabbat = 7th Ruach (Sabbath Queen) presides over Sukkot and Yom Shabbat
Shekinah = Divine Presence and Glory of Yahweh-Elohim
Set-apart = holy, sanctified, consecrated, dedicated, separated (to and by Yahweh)
Shabbat-Shabbaton = High Sabbath (e.g. Yom Kippur)
Shalom = heavenly peace, standard Hebraic greeting invoking Yahweh's peace
Shamash(im) = servant(s), deacon(s), attendant(s)
Shavu'ot = Pentecost or Weeks, fourth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Sheol = grave or pit, euphamism for Hades or hell - also see Tartarus
shofar = ram's horn, blown during Yahweh's Moedim
simcha = joy, keynote of Sukkot
Sod = mystical, anagogic, inner or esoteric understanding of Scripture - see PaRDeS
Sukkot = Tabernacles or Booths, seventh of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Synagogue = Greek word used by Jews and Messianics (but not MLT) for a meeting house
T
talmid(a) = male/female disciple or student
Talmud = scriptures, teachings and commentaries belonging to non-Messianic Judaism
Tanakh = acronym for Old Testament Scriptures - Torah, Nevi'im & Ketuvim
Tartarus = place of imprisonment under the earth for rebellious angels and Nephilim
teshuvah = repentance, remorse and contrition leading back to Torah obedience
Torah = Yahweh's teachings or Law; New Covenant Torah includes Yah'shua's teachings
Tribulation, the Great = the final 7 years of the present aeon when Anti-Messiah rules
Trinity = Catholic Godhead formula - see Echad Godhead Doctrine and Prototrinitarianism
Tsiyon = Zion, a fortress, a name of Jerusalem and a prominent hill
Tzitzit/Tizitziyot = tassel(s) worn by men in remembrance of Torah
U
Universalism = salvation of all at the cosmic Yovel, with different rewards and punishments
Y
Yachid = one, single person or item, as opposed to Echad (many in one, unity)
Yah'shua the Messiah = Jesus Christ (the Son)
Yahudah = Judah - see Judahite
Yahweh, Yah, YHWH = the true Name of our Heavenly Father, also carried by Yah'shua
Yahweh-Elohim = LORD God (the Father, Yahweh as Head of the Godhead or Elohim)
Yahweh haQatan = the sent Yahweh = Yah(weh)'shua, Malak of Yahweh's Presence
Yam Suf = Sea of Reeds, the true Israelite Exodus water crossing, not the Red Sea
Yarden = Jordan River (lit. 'meanderer')
Yerushalayim = Jerusalem
Yisrael = Israel (lit. 'ruling with Êl') = true believers under the New Covenant
Yom Chamashee = 5th day of the week (Thursday, Friday in IDL Zone)
Yom Din, Yom haDin = (the) Day of Judgement
Yom haBikkurim = Feast of Firstfruits, third of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yom Revee = 4th day of the week (Wednesday, Thursday in IDL Zone)
Yom Rishon = 1st day of the week (Sunday, Monday in IDL Zone)
Yom Kippur = Day of Atonement, sixth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yom Shabbat = 7th day of the week and Sabbath Rest (Saturday, Sunday in IDL Zone)
Yom Shanee = 2nd day of the week (Monday, Tuesday in IDL Zone)
Yom Sheshi = 6th day of the week (Friday, Saturday in IDL Zone)
Yom Shleshi = 3rd day of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday in IDL Zone)
Yom Teruah = Day of Trumpets, fifth of the annual feasts of Yahweh
Yosef = Joseph - see Josephite
Yovel = Jubilee or Year of Jubilee
Z
Zaqen(im) = elder(s) of an assembly or congregation, or senior members of a community
Zoë Life = Greek term for spiritual life in the Messiah
Commonly Used MLT Abbreviations
For additional abbreviations and explanations, please see the Micropedia
A
Amp.V(er). = Amplified Version of the Bible
Aram. = Aramaic
AV = Authorised Version of the Bible - see KJV
B
BCAY = B'rit Chadashah Assembly of Yahweh - see NCCG
BoA = Books of Abraham (e.g. 1Abr., 2Abr., etc.)
C
cp, cf = compare with
CB(Q) = Chavurat Bekorot
CEV = Contemporary English Version of the Bible
ch. = chapter
CJB = Complete Jewish Bible
CLNT = Concordant Literal New Testament
CYe = Council of Yah's elohim
E
Eng. = English
F
ff. = and onwards/forwards
fn = footnote
G
Gk. = Greek
GNB = Good News Bible - see TEV
H
Heb. = Hebrew, Hebraic
HEM = Holy Echad Marriage, eternal marriage
HO = Holy Order - see Chavurat Bekorot
HOC = Holy Order Collection of revelations - see OB
HRV = Hebraic-Roots Version of the Bible
I
ibid. = ibidem (lit. 'in the same place'), referring to a book previously cited
ICJC = Independent Church of Jesus Christ, earlier name of NCCF
ISRV = Institute for Scripture Research Version of the Bible
J
JB = Jerusalem Bible
JBP/Phillips = J.B.Phillips translation of the New Testament
JNT = Jewish New Testament
K
KJV = King James Version of the Bible - see AV
L
LB = Living Bible
lit. = literally or literature
LXX = Septuagint, Greek translation of the OT
M
MLT = Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon
Moff. = Moffatt translation of the Bible
MRC = Messianic Renewed Covenant Version of the NT
MS(S) = Manuscript(s)
N
NASB, NASV = New American Standard Bible/Version
NC&C = New Covenants & Commandments - see OB
NCCF = New Covenant Christian Fellowship, earlier name of NCCG
NCCG = New Covenant Church of God, earlier name of MLT - see BCAY
NCP = New Covenant Press, publishing arm of MLT
NCW = New Covenant Witness, MLT magazine
NEB = New English Bible
NIV = New International Version of the Bible
NKJV = New King James Version of the Bible
Nor. = Norwegian
NT = New Testament, B'rit Chadashah
NWT = New World Translation of the Bible, unreliable Jehovah's Witness version
O
OB = Olive Branch - see NC&C
op.cit. = opere citato (lit. in the work cited)
OT = Old Testament, Tanakh
P
p(p). = page(s)
pl. = plural - see s.
PWNC = Prophetic Words of the New Covenant, revelation cataloging system - see OB
Q
QED = quod erat demonstrandum (lit. which was shown to be proved)
R
RCF = Restoration Christian Fellowship, earlier name of ICJC
RhQ = Ruach haQodesh, Holy Spirit
RSTNE = Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition of the Bible
RSV = Revised Standard Version of the Bible
RV = Revised Version of the Bible
S
s. = singular - see pl.
S&G = Smith & Goodspeed Version of the Bible
T
TEV = Today's English Version of the Bible - see GNB
V
Vulg. = Biblia Vulgata, Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible
W
WEB = World English Bible
Glossary Copyright ©2007 Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon (MLT) - All Rights Reserved
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This page was first created on 20 March 2007
Last updated on 20 March 2007
Copyright ©2007 Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon (MLT) - All Rights Reserved
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