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And They Will Be One in MY Hand
The book of Jude speaks of the faith given "once for all" to the saints.
1 Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
It would seem that a great deal of confusion now exists as to just what this faith "given once for all" means in light of the many denominations of those who say they believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Even in his time, Jude knew that the confusion was beginning.
4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude identifies himself as a bond servant to Yahshua/Jesus which means one who has given himself completely and for all of his life to one master, in this case, our Messiah. Another bond servant we may be more familiar with is Sha'ul/Paul, the chief apostle to the goyim/nations or gentiles. Sha'ul also gave warning about Yahshua's teachings being twisted, through the words of Simon Peter, another identified bond servant of Messiah Yahshua:
II Peter
13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Sha'ul/Paul expressed his own love for Messiah and His Word, the Torah, making it clear that he valued his heritage of being a Pharisee AND that he considered keeping these righteous teachings his expression of love and obedience to Messiah. He gave warning that later followers of this same Messiah, whom we came to know in English as Jesus, should be alert:
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
At one time, I thought that the people referred to by Sha'ul/Paul were not in any way relevant to me today. As I studied the history of the church, the "church fathers" and the various practices that came to be associated with the practice of Christianity, I began to see that these verses are EXCEEDINGLY relevant to all of us today! In the following paragraphs, I will declare our beliefs, representing Set Apart Ministries, as it pertains to this clearer understanding of the "faith given once for all to the saints."
We believe that the foundations of our faith go back to Creation, when Yahshua/Jesus, the Living Word, the Alef and Tav/Alpha and Omega was present. We believe that the Torah is best understood as YHWH/I AM's righteous teachings -- what is commonly translated as Law -- and that Yahshua/Jesus is the Living Torah. We believe that the Torah has given us the criteria by which to determine that Yahshua/ Jesus is indeed our Messiah. Without these prophecies and righteous teachings as our guidelines, we are adrift and cannot stand for Truth, and therefore are more susceptible to assimilation. He would not be our Messiah if He had broken even one aspect of YHWH's righteous teachings. He confirmed that although He spoke to correct distortions that had come into the expression of faith already given, He did NOT come to do away with the righteous teachings of YHWH/I AM, nor did He give permission or direction to anyone else to change anything that He Himself did not change.
Matthew 5 17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 7 12 "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 28 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
We believe that Yahshua upheld the Torah and that we need to be faithful to what was given by Him, the Living Word, Who was present at Creation and at Sinai just as He was present in the flesh in Jerusalem. We believe that He will return for us and that He is working now to bring us back to a full understanding of ALL Scripture and what expressions of faith please Him. Since He and the Father are One, we believe the Torah written on our hearts is indeed the same teaching that is presented from Genesis to Malachi. Gratefully, we also understand that our Messiah is the Living Word Who is able to give us a heart of flesh, like His, and no longer a heart of stone; meaning that we look to Him to perfect us, what we cannot do in our flesh. We obey His commands out of love and obedience after we already have the gift of salvation He so dearly bought for us. We believe that He is concerned about only two "categories" of people -- those who are His and those who are not His. We believe that although He knew, and even directed the division of people groups, His purpose in His time is to make us all one people, one flock with one Shepherd. He spoke this through a number of prophets and He will see it come to pass.
Ezekiel 37 15 The word of the LORD came again to me saying,
16 "And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, 'For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.'
17 "Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. 18 "When the sons of your people speak to you saying, 'Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?'
19 say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand."'
20 "The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.
21 "Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms.
23 "They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.
We take seriously the "grafting in" spoken of in Romans and here in Ezekiel, so that we gratefully acknowledge that we are adopted members of His chosen people, no longer seeing a necessary split between those of Hebrew or Jewish heritage and those of Gentile heritage. If we have accepted Yahshua as Messiah, then we may be either of Hebrew heritage or among those companions mentioned here or even as the mixed multitude who stood with the Hebrew nation at the foot of Sinai and who said, along with the Hebrew children, that they would obey all that He commanded forever.
We believe that denominational splits have resulted from the lack of clear understanding we have had during the time of the Gentiles, though do not doubt that there are many men and women of sincere faith who have, in faith, worshiped Him to the best of their understanding, as we ourselves did before we began to more fully understand our heritage.
Leviticus 26
40 'If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me-- 41 I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies--or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. 43 'For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes.
44 'Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. 45 'But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD.'"
Romans 11
1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 "Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE."
4 But what is the divine response to him? "I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL." 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. 7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;
8 just as it is written,
"GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,
EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT,
DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."
9 And David says,
"LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP,
AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.
10 "LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT,
AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER."
11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
We believe that the Father, YHWH/I AM, has allowed this for His purposes but that that time of misunderstanding is coming to an end. We believe that as we approach the time of His return, the "called ones", the set apart Believers will have been restored to a full understanding of the Torah/Righteous Teachings of our Echad/plural unity YHWH/IAM who is Father, Son and Spirit as we have known Him.
Romans 11
16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in
As we approach the Restoration of All things and our Soon Coming King, may we be found in Him. We want to be as the set apart ones of Philadelphia, who are kept from the hour of testing, BECAUSE we have kept His Word and not denied His Name:
Revelation 3
7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 8 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
9 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
12 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'
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