TK Torah Keepers

2/9/2010

“The preparation of the heart in a man, and the answer of the tongue, is from YHWH.  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but YHWH weigheth the spirits.  Commit thy works unto YHWH and thy thoughts shall be established.” (Proverbs 16:1-3)

It is typical for us to imagine, to see, to desire, and to will for ourselves.  It is most common for us to form a thought, an idea, and a desire within us, and then to pray that the Sovereign Creator of the Universe will hear or discern our thoughts, imagining, and desires and grant us our wish.  Such prayer is not dissimilar to a child reporting to Santa Claus the hope of her heart, or a child making a wish while blowing out his birthday cake candles. To pray in such a way is to turn prayer into magic.  While it is indeed acceptable to make requests from the Father in intercession and supplication, we must recognize that when the prayer originates with us we are standing apart from, and in some instances, over and against, the Father.  When the prayer originates from our own thoughts, hearts, and experience, then we are like the child who makes his desires and hopes known but remains uncertain that the request will be granted.  I am not sure that this type of prayer is the most effective form of prayer.  Nor do I believe that this is what the Father is asking of us in prayer.

In the verses above we see a different form of prayer.  This form of prayer originates with the Father.  To pray in this way is to allow the Spirit of the Holy One to prepare our heart and grant our tongue utterance. When prayer originates with us, it is limited prayer.  We cannot see what the Father sees.  Our knowledge and experience is finite and very limited.  While we may think we see the whole picture, there is no way of knowing what lies beyond what we can see.  The Eternal One can see the past, the present, and the future all at once.  Because of what may yet be in the future, the Father may will some event or experience for a person’s life that will prepare them for what is yet to come.  In our near-sightedness we may see only the immediate challenge and begin to pray that the Father will deliver from the preparatory challenge.  If the Father granted our will, the person would be ill-prepared to face the events of their future.  In essence we would be praying contrary to the will of the Father.  And though our prayer may have been offered most sincerely, and with the person’s best interest at heart, we none the less would have been praying something that would ultimately prove harmful for the person.  This cannot be an affective prayer.  If, however, we are truly crucified in Messiah, then we are completely surrendered to being used of YHWH. 

When we are completely surrendered to the Father, then we allow the Spirit of the Holy One to prepare our heart and mind to receive his will.  In other words, we submit our heart and mind to the Father that he may put his thoughts, will and desires in us.  In this regard, it is the Father that directs even our prayers. The Apostle Shaul alluded to this form of prayer in his letter to the Romans.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26 KJV)  

Even in our prayer life we must remember that we are submitted disciples who do everything, including prayer, in the name of our Master Yeshua the Messiah.  When we do anything “in the name of” another, it means that what we do is done by their authority and is representative of their will.  We cannot originate a prayer in our own heart, mind and will, and simply slap the magic formula “in Yeshua’s name” on the end of it and consider it a done deal.  Prayer is not magic it is inspired.  True prayer “in the name of Yeshua” must originate within Yeshua.  In other words, it must be what he is telling us to pray. If we have embraced the cross then it is not we who live and pray but Messiah who lives and prayers within us.

I am crucified with Messiah: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Messiah liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 KJV)

The Spirit that filled Yeshua is the Spirit of YHWH.  Yeshua did all that he did in his Father’s name.  This same Spirit of Messiah has been poured out upon the disciples of Yeshua who are the body of Messiah.  When we pray, we must wait upon the Spirit of Messiah (our head) to inform our hearts, minds, and will what they are to ask for, who we are to pray for, and what we are to pray.  The Spirit that guided our Master in prayer must now guide us. 

When we pray in such a manner we may be assured that our prayers will not only be heard but that they will be answered, for we are praying consistent with the Father’s will.  We should also recognize that when we pray in this manner we are no longer praying separate from the Father, but the Father is, praying (expressing his will) through us.  By using us in such a fashion the will of the Father becomes known in an edifying fashion, and others are likewise encouraged to pray.  When we commit our prayer life to YHWH we may be assured that he will establish our works.

2/8/2010

The two primary motivations for nearly every human being are life and love.  From the first gasp of breath immediately after our birth, much of our behavior is driven by these two desires.  As infants we desperately cry out for others to help us survive. We demand that others meet the needs, that as infants, we cannot meet for ourselves.  As we grow and gain control of our faculties and the world around us we do all within our power to assure that we will live.  Even in our adulthood, we continue to labor for life.  We do not feel genuine peace until we have secured for ourselves the basics of shelter and food.  With these basics attained we do not stop laboring.  We continue to look for safer places to live, safer cars to drive, and healthier ways of living our life.  Millions are spent each year on medicine, medical care, weight loss products and exercise equipment to defy the aging process.  Even religion can be a symbol of our desire and will to live.  But merely being alive is clearly not enough.  No one wants to merely survive.  If we are honest with ourselves, and evaluate carefully, most of us will acknowledge that our desire to be loved, liked, and appreciated is the driving force behind most of our decisions and actions.  Again even from infancy we desired to be held, cuddled, and loved.  It is this love, in fact, that motivates the will to live.  In our youth this desire to be loved, or to be popular is the greatest temptation to give in to peer pressure.  As employees or employers our desire to be liked and accepted may cause us to make poor business choices or walk contrary to our values.  Politicians often find themselves compromising their core principles for the sake of being liked (and elected) by the majority.  Clearly these to forces, the will to live and the desire to be loved are an intricate part of our human nature.  It may strike us strange then, that the calling of Yeshua to be his disciples calls us to walk contrary to both of these strong forces within us.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. (Mark 8:35 KJV)

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 10:22 KJV)

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (John 15:18 KJV)

To be a disciple of Yeshua, we are called to lay down our lives.  We must overcome the fallen human nature that puts self-preservation over everything else.  The calling of Yeshua to live life not for the sake of self but for the sake of our Master, Yeshua and the completion of his word and ministry on behalf of the Father.  The calling of discipleship is to put aside our natural desire for self-security, pleasure, comfort, and preservation and to live for the life of the whole world.  Likewise, we are called not to live for the love and approval of our fellow human beings, but to give love to our fellow human beings.  To accomplish this ominous calling we must be willing to give our lives for our Master’s sake, and the sake of the Gospel. We must be willing to spend our energy being a light to the world.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4 KJV)

Then spake Yeshua again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12 KJV)

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5 KJV)

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 KJV)

We must also realize however that not everyone loves the light.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:19-20 KJV)

This is what makes fulfilling the calling so much of a challenge.  Being a disciple of Yeshua means that we must walk contrary to everything that would, otherwise, comes naturally to us, especially, self-preservation and self-love.  For this to happen, we must truly be crucified in Messiah and raised with him to a new life.  We must be raised with a new heart and a new mind.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1-2 KJV)

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Messiah Yeshua: ⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (Philippians 2:5-9 KJV)

To have the mind of Messiah Yeshua is to take our carnal, natural, fallen mind to the cross and allow Messiah to live within us. 

I am crucified with Messiah: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Messiah liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 KJV)