Jerusalem of Gold

The Hebrew for Holiness

Learn what it means to live holy from a Messianic Jewish perspective in this AUDIO TEACHING on The Hebrew for Holiness for non Hebrew speakers. 

Why is understanding Holiness so incredibly important in this age? Because it's presence is the fruit that keeps us from being deceived. Deception is becoming ever more prevalent, and therefore subtle because we get used to it as a new normal. In this age, I see many, many lovely people who would identify as Christian following a theology of signs and wonders, for example, making important decisions every day on receiving a sign or a word. But the Word of God clearly tells me that there are two kinds of signs and wonders, the real thing and "lying signs and wonders." (2 Thessalonians 2:8-11). I would like to stress how important it is not to underestimate the subtly of these lying signs and wonders and not to overestimate our human ability to spot them; especially early on in their development into our lives.  "For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." (Matthew 24:24)  The elect here were Jewish believers, most of whom would have been trained in knowing the Torah off by heart!  How much more vulnerable is an increasingly Bible illiterate modern churchanity!

Yeshua says we will recognise a false messiah trying to influence our life by their fruit. "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you dressed like sheep, but inside they are vicious wolves. You will know them by their fruit. Do people get bunches of grapes from thorny weeds, or do they get figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and every rotten tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit. And a rotten tree can't produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore, you will now them by their fruit." (Matthew 7:15-20)

But, the trouble is, fruit can take up to a year to ripen and sometimes we cannot fully spot the damage sown into our lives until a rotten harvest, by which time it will have cost a great deal of loss, distraction, spiritual damage and pain. So, I asked the LORD this last year the question: "How can I tell the difference between Your signs and wonders and lying signs and wonders?" I'll never forget His answer because it was one word long:  "Holiness." The devil knows us very well. He studies us. He knows our weaknesses, desires and legitimate needs. We tend to think, particularly if we are British, that somehow the devil will play fair. He won't. He will use people to exploit the very pain he has already inflicted. I call it the one-two punch. First, he will inflict unearned suffering into our lives through the evil and sin in others. Then, sometimes days, weeks, or even years later, he will slide alongside us and offer us his solution to that pain. The more we are followers of God's Biblical teaching, the more the enemy of our souls will need to heavily disguise his so-called solution as a 'solution from God' to that pain. Enter the 'lying sign and wonder'. We need to live in the Truth and Power of His Word like never before. Then, we can spot a false 'solution' over the answer that leads to holiness defined by His Word alone: "Your instructions are very sure; Holiness befits your house, ADONAI, for all time to come." Psalm 93:5

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