Sabbath Thoughts & Reflections 3–Dealing with Naysayers

by | Feb 21, 2015 | Podcasts

  •  Calendar–February 21, 2015
The Renewed Moon signals the start of the 12th Biblical Month

This photo of the renewed moon was taken on 2/20/2015 in the land of Israel.

    • Renewed moon was sighted over Israel–New moon sighted from Jerusalem on Feb 20, 2015 by Gil Ashendorf at 5:54pm and Devorah Levine at 5:57pm. The photo at the top of this message was taken by Devorah Levine from Jerusalem.We will be carrying out this year’s Aviv Search on March 19-20, at the end of the 12th Hebrew month. The new moon should be visible (barring clouds) on Shabbat March 21, 2015. If the barley is Aviv, then Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) will begin on Saturday night, April 4 and Shavuot will fall out 50 days later onSunday May 24, 2015. This will result in a rare convergence in which the Biblical Shavuot will coincide with the Rabbinical Shavuot and the Christian Pentecost. Of course, if we don’t find the Aviv by March 21, the Biblical dates will all be a month later.
    • 1st Day of the 12th Biblical Month 6014 (aka: Shevat 5775)
    • Upcoming Feasts and Messianic Celebrations
      • Purim–Est. 03/06/2015 or 14th day of the 12th Biblical Month
      • Biblical Rosh HaShanah or Head of the Biblical Year–Est. 03/22/2015 or 1st Day of 1st Biblical Month of the Aviv 6015
      • Passover–Est. 04/04/2015 or 14th Day of the 1st Biblical Month
      • Feast of Unleavened Bread–Est. 04/05-21/2015, or 15th through 21st day of 1st Biblical Month
      • Firstfruits–Est. 04/12/2015, or 22nd Day of the 1st Biblical Month of Aviv
      • Astronomically & Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar–Michael Rood
    • Messianic Happenings
      • A Rood Awakening–Michael Rood
        • Michael requires bypass surgery. Surgery scheduled for Tuesday, 2/24/2015 in Charlotte
        • 4/3-5/15-Rood Awakening Passover celebration in Charlotte North Carolina
        • 4/19-5/1/15-Rood Tour of Israel
      • Arthur Bailey Ministries and House of Israel
        • Sabbath Services HOI (every Sabbath morning at 11 A.M. EST)
        • Discipleship Training 101
        • Arthur on Evangelistic Tour of Israel (2/26-3/11/2015)
      • WildBranch Ministry–Brad Scott
        • Fort Walton Beach, FL (March 7, 2015)
        • Amarillo, TX (March 14 & 15, 2015)
        • Abilene, TX (March 19, 2015)
        • Midland, TX (March 20-22, 2015)
        • Georgetown, TX (March 27, 2015)
        • Jerrell, TX (March 28, 2015)
        • League City, TX (March 29, 2015)
        • Hebraic Roots Network–each Friday 7-8 P.M. (CST)
      • Founded in Truth–Matthew Vander Els
        • New DVD teachings include “The Church’s Curse,” “Holy War,” “Being the Image of God,” “Way of the King”
        • Sabbath Services each Sabbath at Fort Mill Church of the Nazarene in Fort Mill S.C.
      • Bulldozer Faith–Kenny Russell
        • Speaking in California (February 21-23, 2015)

Dealing with Naysayers

Webster’s Dictionary:

one who denies, refuses, opposes, or is skeptical or cynical about something

 
  • These individuals can bring about frustration, doubt, anger, unwarranted arguments, chaos,…..
  • These individuals bring to our lives refinement whereby we learn patience, affirmation and understanding (i.e., why we believe the very thing we believe), the ability to love in the midst of adversity and opposition, reliance upon the Source of our being
  • 2 Cor. 6:14–NAS  2 Corinthians 6:14 ¶ aDo not be 1bound together with bunbelievers; for what cpartnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? (2Co 6:14 NAS)
  • What about those of us who are bound to naysayers: siblings, spouses, children and other relatives. Such dynamics can suck the wind out of one’s spiritual sails so to speak. How does on walk in accordance with his or her calling, yet deal with the distractions?
  • The Holy Writ gives us clues on how to live righteously in the midst of naysayers in our families.
  • Ephesians 4:25-6:9 seems to provide the believer in Yeshua Messiah with a prescription for righteous living, unparalleled in the rest of the Brit HaDashah
    • We are encouraged to avoid entering into discussions and debates that may foster lies, but always speak truth (4:25)
    • We will naturally be angry from time to time and that’s expected, but we must not sin. Shaul does not provide specifics on what he means, but directs that we do the right thing each and every time. Furthermore, we are to deal with the source of the anger promptly (4:26). Shaul specifically suggests taking care of the matter by sundown–in other words, don’t go into another day angry over the same lingering issue
    • The enemy is constantly looking for opportunities to get into our situations and wreak havoc. Thus Shaul warns that we must not provide the opportunity to the Adversary (4:27)
    • (4:29) This is probably the most compelling aspect of the whole “how to deal with naysayers” discussion: not allowing “unwholesome” (NAS/NIV), “harmful” (CJB), “corrupt” (DBY/KJV/YLT), “evil” (RSV), “foul” (NAB) language/or talk come from our mouths; only those words that “are helpful in meeting the need, words that will benefit those who hear them.” (CJB)
    • Shaul instructs that we must not “grieve” the Ruach Kodesh (4:30)
      • grieve=lupeo–meaning to pain, make sad; to cause someone to be sad, sorrowful or distressed; to make sad or sadden. As it relates to this passage, one is not to make Yehovah’s Ruach Kodesh sad; also means to irritate or offen, insult
      • There is a Hebrew parallel for the term grieve–“Piel” used in Isa. 63:10 where it reads–“But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy. He fought against them.
      • Psm 78:40–speaks of the Children of Promise provoking the Father in the wilderness and thus grieving Yehovah. Luke speaks of the Jews being a stiffnecked and uncircumcised of heart and ears people who resist the Ruach Kodesh, as did their fathers in the desert. The Ruach Kodesh is placed in our lives for a reason–to direct our steps. When we ignore the Spirit’s direction, it only frustrates the Father. How often have we wanted a certain thing be done a certain way in our day-to-day lives, only to observe or learn that it was done in opposition to the instructions that we provided. It serves only to cause us sadness, frustration and even anger. It’s a form of idolatry to turn away from the leading of the Ruach towards our own way of handling things. It can only turn out bad
      • Commentator Matthew Henry suggests that by our giving in to carnal behavior in response to such individuals who get our gourd, we stand the chance of that Spirit leaving us–not so much departing from our souls when we give in to the base, but the Spirit’s influence over our lives diminishing 
      • Shaul teaches these same Ephesian Saints that it is this same Ruach Kodesh that seals us and is the earnest or guarantee of our inheritance until we come into possession of it (Eph. 1:13, 14)
      • It comes down to us simply giving in to the leading of the Ruach Kodesh in every aspect of our lives. Things are not always going to go our way and frankly, things shouldn’t necessarily always go our way. Our way is often self-serving and ill-advised. The Ruach’s influence in our lives will always lead us in the proper direction. When we ignore that direction, we frustrate that Spirit and after a time, we degrade that influence in our lives simply because we have taken control or taken over the driver’s seat and are now steering the bus. Isaiah recorded the fact that our example, the nation of Israel, vexed Yehovah’s Spirit on one too many occasions and it reached to such extents that Yehovah fought against them (Isaiah 63:10). I don’t interpret that Yehovah physically fought against His children, but fought against them in the sense that Yehovah lifted His eternal protection from them and withdrew the blessings that were inherent to Israel’s obedience of Torah (Deut. 28). What makes us think that we are any different? When we find ourselves in frustrating situations and we choose to handle them our own way, failing in the process to following the direction and leading of Ruach Hakodesh, we stand to lose the Ruach’s precious influence over our lives and the inherent blessings that come with having the Father’s Spirit in our lives. Oh how often I default to my own carnal nature to address the issues that crop up in my life, only to come to the end of the day realizing that I’ve frustrated the Spirit. I feel a let-down within my own spirit to such a degree that I’m embarrassed to acknowledge my stupidity before the Father. But our Father is long-suffering and our Mediator continues to advocate on our behalf. Thus, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start this walk all over again. But this time, a bit more wiser and hopefully a bit more cognizant that it’s His Ruach that must steer our life’s bus
    • Shaul instructs that bitterness, bad tempers, angry dispositions, the propensity to shout and the tendency to use injurious language and spite be removed from our social make-up (4:31) as these appear to be common dispositions that we employ in response to those who frustrate and hinder us in our walk. For me, I struggle with anger and bitterness when it comes to those individuals in my life that seem to consistently cause me grief. These characteristics and behaviors are certainly not trademarks of the Ruach Kodesh and defaulting to these would clearly frustrate the working of the Ruach in our individual lives. We can not expect the Ruach to co-exist with elements that are contrary to its nature. It’s like oil and water–one must displace the other and vie for existence over the other. I struggle with individuals in my life who have history of Yehovah in their lives, yet they always default to these sorts of behavior whenever an issue erupts, especially when there is a disagreement over elements of our Faith. I’m not sure why we get angry when someone opposes us on issues of our Faith. We take things very personal and I certainly understand that our Faith is a very personal thing. But at the end of the day, it’s not about us individually is it? It’s about Him and how we can glorify Him in our lives, especially how we can glorify Him before others. When these negative emotional displays manifest, the witness we are supposed to have must vanish and we become no different than the world. These negative emotional displays are common traits of the world. Clearly these are issues that Shaul was being forced to deal with related to the Assembly in Ephesus. Theologians contend that Shaul spent a great deal of time in Ephesus, upwards of 3-years on his second visit (reference JFB–Acts 19:10; 20:31). Thus, Shaul was quite familiar with the make-up of the Ephesian Assembly to say the least. Thus Shaul’s admonishments here are pretty explicit and leave little room for conjecture. As with other regional assemblies, the Ephesus assembly was of heterogeneous make-up–Jew and Gentile (Acts 19:8-10). Ephesus was famed for being the primary locale for the temple of Artemis (aka: Diana). Thus there were idolatrous elements in the adherents’ lives that Shaul clearly realized must be purged if the Ephesian Church were to flourish and compete with the pagan-based make up of the region’s citizenry. This epistle was written to Ephesian adherents, addressing specific Ephesian assembly issues. It wasn’t written to us here in “Every Place” USA. Yet, the principles provided to the Ephesians are absolutely applicable to us today. These same issues are issues that I, in part, struggle with controlling, when dealing with the naysayers in my life. And I know there are others of you out there that struggle with the same Ephesian issues. It is so easy to default to these carnal behaviors when challenged and frustrated. It is indeed a challenge to override these default behaviors and employ the behaviors that Shaul suggests in the next verse (32): kindness, compassion, forgiveness–adopting the nature of Yehovah (5:1) and His Son Yeshua Hamaschiach (5:2). This will become my goal for today and the rest of my natural life. It won’t be easy. I’ll certainly have that tug within me to default to my old ways when challenged and frustrated by the naysayers in my life. But operating in the true Faith once delivered requires one to maintain at the forefront of their minds and heart that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). We can do this and do it well. It will only require that we surrender our spirit to the leading of His Ruach Kodesh. This is certainly something to strive for at all times and this is accomplished by taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Messiah (2 Corinthians 10:5). Thus, it may require us to simply shut the heck up and not respond or wait for the Ruach to direct our responses. Then and only then will we have accomplished the grand goal of being under the leading and direction of the Rauch Kodesh.
    • Thus we must avoid giving in to the works of the flesh when dealing with naysayers (reference Galatians 5:19-21). The works of the flesh are manifested as:
      • adultery
      • fornication
      • uncleanness
      • lasciviousness
      • idolatry
      • witchcraft
      • hatred
      • variance (strife; contention)
      • emulations (jealousy)
      • wrath
      • strife
      • seditions (dissensions, division)
      • heresies (sects, factions)
      • envyings
      • murders
      • drunkeness
      • revellings (orgies)
        • These will not inherit the Kingdom of Yehovah (vs. 21)
        • We must realize that giving in to these works of the flesh lead to a price that must be paid and that price is being denied admission into the Kingdom
        • Unfortunately many erroneously believe that a loving God will accept them regardless of their shortcomings (Stern)
        • Cf. 3:29-4:7
    • The prescription for dealing with naysayers and the like:
      • put away lying, but speak only truth (4:25)
      • speak only those things that edify (4:29)
      • listen to and follow the Ruach Kodesh (4:30)
      • don’t give into bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour (aka-violent assertiveness), evil speaking or malice (4:31)
      • be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving (4:32)
      • walk in love using Yeshua as our example (5:2)
      • be alight to the naysayers of this world (5:8)
    • Shaul instructs that we not be pulled down into the “unfruitful works of darkness, but reprove them” (5:11)–Stern
      • it’s so easy to simply give into the naysayer after a while or worse, sink down to their level
      • we have been elevated to the status of light-bearers before the naysayers of this world (5:13, 14)
    • Shaul instructs that we always walk circumspectly, always cognizant of the limited time we have in this life to make an impact on the naysayers of this world (5:15)
    • 5:21-6:4 Shaul discusses the responsibilities of the family unit members. Individual family members can present for us the greatest bastion of naysayers on the planet
      • wives are advised to submit themselves to their husbands; to reverence them
      • husbands are instructed to love their wives
      • children are instructed to obey their parents as well as honor them (cf. Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 27:16)
      • parents are warned not to provoke their children to wrath, but instead to nurture and raise them in the admonition of the Lord
    • Lastly, Shaul encourages us to put on the amour of God in order that we may endure the world (6:10-20)
    • In 2 Corinthians 6:14, Shaul instructs us to not be unequally yoked with other believers
      • Christianity has applied this instruction to marriages. There is certainly merit in this such that marriages that exists in the midst of variances in Faith amongst the couple can create tremendous upheaval. Certainly, when only one of the two in the marriage comes to the true Faith once delivered (i.e., Hebraic Roots/Messianic Faith), there emerges a strain in the relationship that can often lead to irreparable damage to the marriage. Stern in his commentary asserts that Shaul was not speaking to marriage when he instructs believers to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. But I believe we should keep in mind that in Shaul’s day, which ever way the head of the household goes regarding a religion or faith, it is that direction in which the whole family goes without question. It is only in our western culture that families go separate ways depending upon individual preferences and convictions. So Shaul’s admonishment that individuals not be unequally yoked with unbelievers certainly applied more so to potential relationships outside the realm of marriage. However, Shaul did enjoin widows not to marry an unbeliever (I Corinthians 7:39)–Stern
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