Hate is Easy
Hate is easy, loving our enemies is hard. A short thought from Christy Jordan at Seeking Scripture.
119 Blog
Showing items filed under “Love”
What Do I Do?
For those new to trying to live out the Torah today, here are some thoughts on how to get started on your journey as we answer the question - what do I do?
Living A Life of Faith: L’Chaim Pura Vida Part 2
Part 2 from L'Chaim Pura Vida where they tell a bit more about the people the help, what they do, and what they hope to do some day.
Talking Torah Part 3: How Not To Bully Others By Your Actions
You know how your friends and family sometimes seem to get when you have tried to talk to them about the Torah? Some may be receptive while others may refuse to talk about the subject or even become hostile, showing a side you would never have thought existed. It doesn’t always have to be that way, if you’ve taken them into consideration and checked your attitude, then it may have something to do with actions. We do not recommend having deep discussions relating...
Testing and crowns
Why are there seemingly so many trials and tribulations throughout our lives that each of us must walk through? What possibly could the purpose be of a loving Father, if indeed it is 'he' who sends them? Or is it simply, as some say, 'from the devil' - the enemy of old? It sounds much 'holier' if we claim it's from the enemy and we are being persecuted for His sake, doesn't it? But is that really true all the time? There are many scriptures that encourage us, as those who love Him, that...
Is Your Free Will, Love or Bondage?
If choosing obedience to the Law of God putting yourself back into bondage? Some believe so.
Is Grace New?
It has been said that there was no grace in the Old Testament and grace did not come until Yeshua in the New Testament. Let’s test this belief using only the Torah. Genesis Genesis 6:5-8 5 Then YHWH saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And YHWH was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His...
Tribes and Troubles Part 1
Being part of the Hebrew Roots movement, or at least people who have some familiarity with the story of the Bible, most of us have heard of tribes, especially the 12 tribes of Israel. What is a tribe? According to marketing guru Seth Godin in his book, “Tribes”, a tribe is: “A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. … A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to...
God’s Authority vs the Husband’s Authority
As more and more people come to an understanding that the Torah still applies today, friction is not uncommon, even within the same household. A bigger question sometimes comes up, one about authority, headcoverings, etc. What happens if a husband and wife have different understandings regarding this topic? Should they get divorced? The short answer is “No”, they should not get a divorce. When it comes to authority, the Word of God is the ultimate...
Sabbath pleasure?
Does Isaiah 58:13-14 mean that we cannot have any pleasure on the Sabbath? Isaiah 58:13-14 “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you...
Forgive and Forget - Part 2
Last week we discussed what it means to forgive and why forgiveness is important for both the sinner and the one sinned against. We saw how sin is a burden when one forgives that burden is lifted, carried, or taken away. This week we are looking at the phrase forgive and forget or as Yeshua said for us to “turn the other cheek”. The phrase “forgive and forget” is not found the Scriptures. The closest we come is when we are told that the Father...
Forgive and Forget - Part 1
Many of us are familiar with the mantra “forgive and forget”, but what does this mean? In a fallen world full of people who live in the flesh, it’s easy for us to offend or take offense whenever sin is involved. Yet Yeshua tells us that we are to forgive those who sin against us. Does forgiving someone mean to forget or ignore what happened? As followers of Yeshua, how does this work? What does it mean to “turn the other cheek”? We...
The Heart of the Matter...Expanded
1 Samuel 16:7 …The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. Why does the Lord look at the heart? What should have been in the heart even here regarding King Saul? Deuteronomy 30:14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. From the very beginning, the Lord has desired obedience from the heart. This is why, in Mark 12:30, Christ quoted from Deuteronomy...
What is the "Fear of God"? Part 2
Exodus 15:11"Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? Psalm 65:8 They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. Psalm 111:9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may...
What is the "Fear of God"? Part 1
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; Proverbs 9:10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. These are not idle words, nor merely a good idea, but instead a promise. If we fear our Creator, we will begin to gain knowledge and wisdom, and then comes understanding of who He is and of His Word; but, what does it mean to “fear Yahweh”? What is the “fear of Yahweh”? Why...
Obedience: God's Love Language
A number of years ago Gary Chapman wrote a book with a lot of insights into men, women, and relationships. In his book, he describes 5 specific love languages of which every person functions in at least one of them. They are: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. What does it mean to have these love languages? It means that either through someone speaking words of affirmation to you, spending quality time with...
A New Command
A New Command? Many say that Christ was giving His disciples a new command instead of simply expounding on an existing command for the first time when He said, John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” This is where Christ expounds on His...
The Heart of Torah - Part 2
In part 1 of “The Heart of Torah” (CLICK HERE to go back and read it) we discussed where our focus should be, and what happens when we lose that focus. This time, in part 2, we are going to discuss what the “The Heart of Torah” is and what it means to walk in it, or follow it. What Is the “Heart of Torah”?Yeshua spoke about the importance of the heart of Torah with His statements to the Pharisees regarding helping a neighbor’s donkey out of...
The Heart of Torah - Part 1
I was once having a conversation with the pastor of a church from mainstream Christianity. In his attempt to understand where I was coming from, or my perspective, he posed several questions to me: “Where is the focus of the Torah Keepers? Is it on considering precious and personal the whole Torah, or just an emphasis on the commands that they say are being broken.” And “Isn't the point of keeping Torah, to treasure and walk after His and mankind's whole life...
Righteousness, The Pharisees, and You - Part 5
Part 5: Grace, Faith, & ...Righteousness? We know through faith we receive grace (Ephesians 2:8). We know righteousness is available to us through our belief in Christ because of His faith (Romans 3:22). We know when we sin, we are breaking the law of God and are not righteous (1 John 3:4, Deut. 6:25/Romans 2:13). We know when we sin we deserve death, but because of belief in who and what Christ is, we are saved from the penalty of eternal death (Romans...
No Law, No Love
As we near the end, false prophets are supposed to appear and take away God's law. Mat 24:11-12 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. The whole point of all of God's law is love, loving God, and loving others. When we abolish it (mostly because of Paul according to Peter - 2 Peter 3:15-17) it creates lawlessness. Even if we abolish just some of it, it creates problems. The less law there is, the less...
The Word is He, In a Doctrinal Pickle are We
John 5:46 For if you BELIEVED MOSES, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if YOU DO NOT BELIEVE HIS WRITINGS, how will you believe MY WORDS?” Moses wrote of Him? John 14:24 He who does not love Me does not keep MY WORDS; and THE WORD which you hear is NOT Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. Not His Words? John 1:14 And the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us, What Word? Mark 7 9 He said to them, “All too well you reject THE COMMANDMENT...
"Good Eye" vs. "Bad Eye"
The Jewish idiom of the "good eye" refers to loving and taking care of your neighbor, while the idiom of the "bad eye" refers to being selfish and not loving your neighbor. This can be seen in the words of Yeshua: MATTHEW 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 "For where...