I wrote the following paper back in 2014 and the Father has taken me back to it just a few days ago. We need to learn that each of us has a role in this End Time Great Commission and we need to get focused so that the true message of Yeshua can go out. Many of us have given all we have to have Torah teachers come to speak at our meetings, yet we left empty. Its time that we understand the message and learn where we are to be putting our efforts in and our helps and finances. Let us become the Army that Abba wants us to be.
1 Corinthians 9:14 – Even so hath YHVH ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
Romans 13:7 – Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Love is one of the most important aspects to keeping the Torah of Yahweh. Throughout the Torah and the New Testament it’s evident that we are to obey our creator out of a heart of love. When we learn to love Him we will learn to obey Him, as we will no longer seek out our own heart’s desire but His. If we are to truly love Yeshua in the manner he desires and thereby grow up to be a spiritually mature bride, then we need to keep all the commandments not just some of them. We need to re-evaluate some misconceptions that have been taught to us. Many of you reading this have come from places of worship where there was plenty Spirit but not enough correct scriptural doctrine. You came from places where power was abused and scripture twisted to suit the denomination’s interpretation. Because of these leaders who at times did what they did out of ignorance and at other times out of willful and deliberate rebellion to the truth, we have much of the issues we have today within the body of Yeshua. Confusion, mistrust and downright lack of wanting to organize under a central leadership structure are all issues plaguing the Messianic movement. Because of these hurts and pains in the lives of believers the messianic movement is failing to do much of what Yeshua desired it to do.
It has grown in the teachings but has become lacking in both structure, spirit and correct doctrine. There is a lack of rebuke, lack of prophetic word and a lack of the great commission. I also know that many of you reading this will take offence. My aim is not to offend anyone but to give the truth as it is at present. Yeshua is wanting to awaken those who are asleep and to rouse the warriors that have become complacent and apathetic. Unfortunately many after reading this paper, will do nothing about its words. They will scorn, ridicule and say things like “you are angry,” or “what right do you have to say this to me.” The truth is we need to learn to evaluate the fruit of the lives of the people around us and those the Father sends us before it’s too late. If something is said and it does not come to pass the message was brought by a false witness. But when it does we better take note and repent and begin to do the works we were called to do. I pray that you will not just read the words of this paper but that you will prayerfully meditate on it and pray about all it says. Be a Berean and not just a pew warmer who takes everything in and does not search it out for him or herself. The book of Malachi talks about the days before the coming Messiah. It speaks specifically about John the Baptist, we also know that it speaks specifically about the spirit of Elijah that was in John and that this same spirit will be upon the earth in the lives of those who will be paving the way for the coming King.
The message of Elijah is a call to right living and holiness. It’s a call to do the works of Yeshua and to be a light to the nations. It’s a call to rid ourselves of all that hinders us and cripples us. These days of the end time Elijah brother and sister, are upon us. The days where those who thought they were in right standing will find themselves being rebuked by those who carry this spirit of Elijah. They will be calling people to evaluate their hearts and intentions. To seek why they are serving Yeshua. They will be the ones whom YHVH will use to refine His people like gold and silver. Many will hate them, denying they are children of light and desire even to kill them.
Mal 3:1 “See, I am sending My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Master you are seeking comes to His Hĕḵal, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. See, He is coming,” said הוהי of hosts. Mal 3:2 “And who is able to bear the day of His coming, and who is able to stand when He appears? For He is like the fire of a refiner, and like the soap of a launderer. Mal 3:3 “And He shall sit as a refiner and a cleanser of silver. And He shall cleanse the sons of Lĕwi, and refine them as gold and silver, and they shall belong to הוהי , bringing near an offering in righteousness. Mal 3:4 “Then shall the offering of Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim be pleasant to הוהי , as in the days of old, as in former years. Mal 3:5 “And I shall draw near to you for right-ruling. And I shall be a swift witness against the practisers of witchcraft, and against adulterers, and against them that swear to falsehood, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages and widows and the fatherless, and those who turn away a sojourner and do not fear Me,” said הוהי of hosts.
These days are truly upon us. Days where those who are willing to re-evaluate their walk with Yeshua and desire to be drawn into a deeper intimate place of dying to self and living for him, will shine like the stars. The refining has begun a long time ago but many are still happy to only do what is foundational to their faith. I have been writing on the subject of the heart for many months now and I shall continue to do so. It is the heart that will be searched out by the spirit and when the Day of Judgment comes all that was done within our hearts will be brought to the light. If we sow to the flesh then to the flesh we shall reap. But if we sow to the spirit we shall reap everlasting fruit. The title of this paper is “learning to obey all the commandments, “something many of us find very hard to do. It takes dedication and commitment. It takes a dying to our wants and living to His eternal truth. It takes learning the Torah and applying it through the spirit of YHVH.
For some this has become a lifestyle and they do it with true zeal. For others they are still walking, learning and trying as best they can. Each one of us is at a different station in our lives and therefore need to evaluate our spiritual walk accordingly. However, no matter where you are in your walk there is one commandment that we need to take seriously. One command that has been abused by the church and neglected by the Messianic Torah community due to ignorance as well as willful disobedience. If we are willing to allow the Ruach to speak to us then this paper will both change and challenge you to do more with what you have than ever before.
It will also help you to see the importance of spiritual authority and leadership. It will help you to understand that you play a big part in the return of your Messiah. The commandment that has been over looked and misinterpreted by the Messianic Torah community is that of the TITHE!
For too long we have tried to hide behind the false understanding that because there is no temple we the dispersed Israel no longer have to tithe. Instead we are to keep our money so that we can travel to Jerusalem and partake of the feast there. This is a lie and a false understanding of what was and still is a command to give. Because of the lack of the fivefold ministry within the Messianic faith and the lack of unity on foundational issues, people have continued to do as they please and they have done exactly as the places of worship that they have left did before.
They have decided what commands to follow and what not to follow. My aim will be to show you the reader how important the tithe still is for today. That by you giving to a place of your choice you are in violation of the Torah of YHVH. That YHVH was very specific as to where to tithe had to go and is even more specific today that we tithe in the correct manner. We are not allowed to choose who or where we give our money which in essence is not even ours. If we are to see the message of Elijah go forth, and repentance proclaimed as well as the true Gospel message we better understand the need for us to tithe to the right place as prescribed in the word of YHVH.
Not only are we to tithe but we are to organize ourselves under the leadership that has been ordained by Yeshua and not by our needs and wants. We in our flesh have elevated men and women to positions that they are not supposed to occupy. They have become Torah celebrities because of our own fleshly craving for THE NEXT BIG THING.
By tithing to institutions such as the temple institute and other places where there is no desire to see the true house of Israel arise and go forth like a mighty army we are hindering the true work of YHVH that still needs to take place so that the earth is ready for the return of Yeshua. We have a lack of spiritual discernment when it comes to identifying the priests that have been chosen by God, because often times they the ones telling us what we do not want to hear. They are the ones who are chosen by YHVH to prepare a people for His return. Today everyone wants to teach and no one wants to listen. The time for this is over. If we are not willing to lay our lives down and keep the full commandments of YHVH with a heart that loves Him and understands that our tithe is important for the final ingathering of people, we will find ourselves in a bitter and desperate place.
You cannot choose where you are to give this money. It is Him who has set out in His Torah the manner in which we are to Tithe and give our free will offerings. Let’s take a look at what YHVH set out regarding His priesthood. In the book of Leviticus we read that Yahweh separated the Levitical priesthood from the rest of the tribes. It continues to state that He did not give them an inheritance in the land, because He did not want them working the land—He wanted them to focus on serving Him and His people full time. Therefore, He gave them the tithes and offerings of the people, instead of an inheritance in the land.
(Numbers) 18:20-24 20 Then Yahweh said to Aaron: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. 21 “Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.”
Before we continue for those who will argue yes but there is no longer a priesthood or a temple. I submit to you that you are correct in stating there is no Temple but you are wrong in saying the priesthood ended. It ended the Levitical priesthood and with the death of Yeshua, the Melchezedikian priesthood was initiated and this is what we still have today, within the fivefold ministry.
Let us take a deeper look at the three different tithes YHVH gave to His people: The first 10% the people received was to go to Yahweh’s priesthood, for their support. In addition, they were to give gifts, offerings, and first fruit offerings, to show their thankfulness unto Yahweh. The purpose of this was to help them develop a heart of love for Him, and those who would dedicate their lives to serve Him. In addition, Yahweh told us to set apart a second tithe, to cover pay our way during the festivals. The idea behind setting apart an entire second tithe is so the feast will be a joyous, happy time for the whole family. Even if we do not need to go up to Jerusalem, Yahweh wants us to set aside a second tithe, to make the feast season joyful for our families. That way, our children will grow up with fond memories of the feasts, and will want their children to grow up keeping the feasts also. Even if there is not presently any temple, do we not need to make the feasts a joyful time for ourselves, and our families? Yahweh also says to set aside a third tithe, two years in seven, for the poor, the widow, and the orphan. This is because being Yeshua’s bride isn’t just about taking care of ourselves (and our families)—it is about taking care of all of Israel’s family. Thus, in the third and the sixth years of the seven year Shemitta cycle we should give another ten percent tithe.
What needs to be understood is that in the days before Yeshua’s resurrection the idea was for the people to gather and fellowship around the temple. This brought unity. But after Yeshua ascended he gave us a new command in Matthew 28. His command was that we go out and make taught ones of all nations. That we now take Him to the world. Over the past few months Yeshua has been laying on my heart the need for us to be doing the great commission and that we are to make disciples that understand the importance of the Torah of Elohim. That have a solid foundation and character. Men and woman who have counted the cost to follow Yeshua and nothing else.
In order for us to do this we need to have the tithe working as a means of both helping the widows and the orphans but most of all the fivefold ministry so that we can fulfill this end time commission.
Every one of us has to be true to this and re-evaluate if the places you give to are in essence fulfilling the call of the bride in these last days. If they bear the fruit of this end time mission and if they are truly teaching what has been prophesied in these last days? If YHVH did not tell you to give to a place you are disobeying.
If He told you and you have chosen not to, you are also disobeying Him. We need to remember it’s not our choice but His. If we have a lack of relationship with Him we will give because we feel it’s the right thing to do but in truth we could be giving to the wrong place all together. If we are willing to receive it, this was a system of reciprocal relational fellowship, in which part of the body gave of what it had. The priesthood gave of their spiritual things, and the people supported them with their material things.
1 Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? { Norm Willis – Nazareene Israel. For more on this please read : http://www.seekingtruthintorah.com/2014/08/i-am-with-you-always.html
Yeshua, established an organized priesthood made up of men who had laid down their lives in the world, so they could serve Him full time. They were to raise up elders in each city. This is what we are still to be doing. Nowhere in the command does it only say teach. It says we are to raise up leaders. Today the problem is that there is fear and doubt and pride that causes people not to want to become the people they are called to be.
We must make sure we are in a place where we are been challenged to be all we can be. Not only taught the deeper secrets of the word. This is profitable but will not give you eternal rewards. Yeshua raised up a priesthood that in turn would seek to make disciples of all men. They laid their lives down so that those in the world could hear the truth and be saved. They taught the people and many times rebuked them. They gave of what they had been given at the cost of their lives. Today we the body still need to be taught. This needs to be done through the leaders YHVH has given to us. Ones who bear the fruit and are willing to lay it down to see the best explode out of us.
Unfortunately today people seek out leaders and teachers that tickle their ears. They hop from one site to another looking for spiritual food when in reality the leaders they were given they discarded because of the truth they told them. If you have moved from a place where you heard truth and you never changed after the warnings you shall be judged as will all of us who try to walk this road in our own way and not follow Yeshua. He has leaders and he has prepared them for this final task to go out and call all men back to Him. The question is will you the body support and keep the command to tithe to where Yeshua says so that the work may continue? Yeshua said more about money than He said about love. Perhaps this is because Yeshua knew that the heart of man is deceitful above all things—and that Satan would try to deceive us, saying that we can love Elohim, even while withholding Yahweh’s tithe from His priesthood.
(Jeremiah) 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; who can know it? Yeshua, however, was clear. If we love Elohim, we need to keep His commandments. He has millions of potential brides–so if we want to be chosen, shouldn’t we obey Him eagerly, and with a heart joyful to serve Him?
Brother and sister. I urge you to take stock of your life and begin to really ask Yeshua where you are to give his tithe and to do it. Time is short and the harvest is ready. Without the tithe supporting the priesthood, they will not be able to fulfil this end time mission of Yeshua. It’s time that we begin to see that this life is fading and the eternal life Yeshua spoke of is awaiting. You can choose if you are going to give that which is required only of you or if you are going to trust Him by laying your wants in this world down and giving of that to Him. You can give the minimum or you can ask Him what you need to give.
Only Yeshua can direct to where you need to give. But if you are giving to a place or person that is not fulfilling all that is required of them you will be held accountable. My prayer for each of you is that you will re-evaluate your walk with Yeshua and ask Him if you are doing all you are capable of doing in order for His great commission to be fulfilled and so that the true gospel message with a display of His glory can go forth in the time of great distress and turmoil. To lay down one’s life is not an easy thing. It’s easier to be killed. Few will willfully lay down their wants desires and needs to give that away for the work of the ministry. 1 Corinthians 9:14 – Even so hath the YHVH ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
The following is taken from one of the students I mentor, in his readings on the Bible he made the following comments. LEV 1 – 3 LEV 1:1 – 3 1And הוהי called to Mosheh, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, 2“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When anyone of you brings an offering to הוהי , you bring your offering of the livestock, of the herd or of the flock. 3‘If his offering is a burnt offering of the herd, let him bring a male, a perfect one. Let him bring it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, for his acceptance before .הוהי
[I know that Yeshua was the ultimate sacrifice and that His blood was shed so that He might make atonement for our sins. As the animals that were being offered up as atonement so too Yeshua was perfect and blemish free. But when I read this passage I can’t but help feel that this is the way that YHVH desires us to be perfect before Him. We are meant to be a sacrifice unto YHVH. YHVH only accepted blemish free perfect sacrifices. Therefore we should strive to become perfect before YHVH and live as a sacrifice to Him. I was listening to a clip today of Leonard Ravenhill, and what he said fits in so perfectly with this. YHVH doesn’t only want us to bring our sins to Him and lay them down before Him, but also our talents and our good aspects. He requires us to lay down everything before Him. It’s easy to lay your sins down before YHVH, but it’s not as easy to give up your talents and your possessions (not even money), the things that carry significant value to us.
To give up your friends, your family all the things that you think make you who you are. But it’s only then that you realize that all you are is defined by YHVH. Not by what He has blessed you with. This is where we start to really connect with YHVH and only then can we start to walk out in His desires for us.]
I pray you will see that YHVH delights in us when we do what He commands and from a heart that loves Him. YHVH alone will hold each one of us accountable to the things we have promised to do and not done. If we made vows to Him and did not follow through we shall be held accountable. Make sure you do all He asks of you and not because you want to be right but because you love Him. Tithing because it’s a command defeats the purpose of what He is trying to work in you. May YHVH bless you as you seek His will for where you are to give His Tithe.
Haggai 2:8 – The silver [is] mine, and the gold [is] mine, saith YHVH of hosts.
James 1:27 – Pure religion and undefiled before Elohim and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
With Shalom to you all in Messiah – Yosef ben Avraham
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