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Looking for Hope
   
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Hope is the only good that is common to all men; those who have nothing else possess hope still
- Thales
 
     We know that the apostle Paul suffered much during his tenure on earth. Once, when he was imprisoned at Rome, he wrote to Timothy telling him of such a life. In II Timothy 3:10-12 Paul writes:
     But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Messiah delivered me. Yea, and all that will live righteously in the Messiah Yahshua shall suffer persecution.
     When the end of this age draws nearer and nearer, we can expect that there will be a great persecution in the world directed towards Yahweh’s people in an attempt to dissuade them from following the truth.
     However, we receive consolation from the Scriptures, knowing that if we remain steadfast until the end, the blessings promised to the overcomers far exceed the materialistic benefits of this world in both quality and quantity. But, first we must prove ourselves worthy to receive these future blessings.
 
The World in Tribulation
     One can easily equate this future time of trouble, the Great Tribulation, to the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt, and since Egypt typifies sin, Heb. 11:25, 26, the world in tribulation can be viewed as Egypt. We read of this enslavement in Ex. 1:8-14:
     Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.” Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
     One would not need to have a very extensive imagination to believe that this was instigated by Satan himself, in an attempt to break the spirit of the Israelites and make them forget their Creator. Certainly, similar times are ahead for us during the time of Great Tribulation under the cruel beast system. Rev. 13:13-17 tells us of this:
     And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
     In these crisis times we will certainly have to “keep our cool.” We will have to be discreet, have good judgment and be on a continuous lookout for Satan’s influence because no one will be totally free of his coercion during this futuristic period of time. 1 Pet. 5:8 speaks of this:
     Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
     We must not lose faith but keep our minds alert to the danger. We must never lose hold of our convictions; we must be determined to remain true to Yahweh and His Word to the very end. I Pet. 5:9 and 10 help us out there:
     Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the Elohim of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by the Messiah Yahshua, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
     When bondage became so great, the Israelites cried because of their distress and Yahweh heard them, Ex. 2:23-25:
     And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto Elohim by reason of the bondage. And Elohim heard their groaning, and Elohim remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And Elohim looked upon the children of Israel, and Elohim had respect unto them.
     Moses was sent to the Pharaoh to bring Yahweh’s people out of Egypt, Ex. 3:8-10. Certainly, Yahweh will not forget us today, but He will hear our cries when we become depressed and oppressed because of the wickedness of the world.
     During this time we must not lose our grip on reality; that reality being that there is always hope in everything, in every trying situation. The disheartening fact is that, for the most part, man looks to man for deliverance. This we cannot afford to do, otherwise our cry of hope will not be heard on high by Yahweh but will fall on deaf ears.
 
Being Rescued
     If you were ever literally lost, whether in a big city or out in no-man’s land, then you know that the feeling of anxiety increases with each passing moment. Did this ever happen to you? You may even become somewhat hysterical until you finally see a familiar landmark or encounter another person who
knows the way home. In a sense we read of this in Prov. 13:12, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
     A feeling of great relief overwhelms a person when he finds his way back home, as if the burden of the whole world is lifted from his shoulders. See also Prov. 13:19.
     Even during time of tribulation one can obtain hope through faith as Paul writes in Rom. 5:1-5:
     Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with Yahweh through our Master Yahshua Messiah: by Whom also we have access by faith into this grace where-in we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of Yahweh. And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of Yahweh is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.
     The hope of being rescued is freely given us as 2 Thess. 2:14-17 says:
     Whereunto He called you by our good news, to the obtaining of the glory of our Master Yahshua Messiah. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Master Yahshua Messiah Himself, and Yahweh, even our Father, Who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
     If we believe in what Yahweh tells us in the Scriptures, then the message of Yahweh’s Word can give us a living, dynamic hope. Rom. 15:4 says:
     For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
     What great joy and peace of mind the Scriptures will give us in the troubled times which lie ahead for us! All we must do is remain true and steadfast as we read of in Col. 1:5, 23:
     For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the good news; ...If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the good news, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.
 
Where to Place Your Hope
     Should one place his hope in worldly possessions? The thought of doing so is alluded to in Job 31: 24-28:
     If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, “Thou art my confidence”; if I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; if I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the El Who is above.
     Have you denied your loving Mighty One through concentrating your life on material things, rather than on the Spiritual? Therefore the answer to the question asked above is a definite NO, for we read what will happen to those who are materialistic in the last part of Prov. 10:28:
     The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
     The wicked place their hope and trust in themselves, in man and his shortcomings, and in the wealth they might accumulate on this earth. But we should set our eyes a great deal higher - we should do as David did:
     And now, Yahweh, what wait I for? My hope is in Thee, Psalm 39:7.
     We also read in 1 Peter 1:17-21 that we should place our hope in Yahweh:
     And if ye call on the Father, Who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Messiah, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by Him do believe in Yahweh, Who raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in Yahweh.
     In 1 Tim. 1:1 Paul also tells us that our hope, our expectation, our confidence lies in the Heavenly Family:
     Paul, an apostle of Yahshua Messiah, by the commandment of Yahweh our Savior, and the Master Yahshua Messiah, Who is our hope.
     Yes, there are many things which are better than what this present world can offer. There is a better covenant, Heb. 7:22; better promises, Heb. 8:6; better sacrifices, Heb. 9:19-23; a better substance, Heb. 10:32-34; a better resurrection, Heb. 11:35. Surely, all of these better things emanate from Yahweh, our Heavenly Father, and will be given to those whom Yahweh chooses - His righteous ones, the True Worshipers.
     We should place our hope and confidence in heavenly things. Why?
     For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto Yahweh, Heb. 7:19.
     With Yahshua’s appearance and sealing of the New Covenant with His blood we do have a better hope for a more intimate relationship with Yahweh. This we may read about in 1 Peter 1:3-5:
     Blessed be the Mighty One and Father of our Master Yahshua Messiah, Who, according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Yahshua Messiah from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of Yahweh through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
     Our future salvation lies in the hope and confidence we place in Yahshua’s life and death and resurrection, as Paul tells the Thessalonians in 1 Thess. 5:8-10:
     But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For Yahweh hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Master Yahshua Messiah, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
 
Benefits Of Hope
     With Yahshua’s second coming at the end of this present age, we shall witness the fulfillment of the present hope we now hold as Paul tells us in Titus 2:13-14:
     Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great Mighty One and our Saviour Yahshua Messiah; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
     Certainly this shall be a time of great joy because His return will initiate our resurrection to everlasting life. If we believe in what we read then this is our hope.
     That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of everlasting life,
Titus 3:7.
     In hope of everlasting life, which Yahweh, Who cannot lie, promised before the world began, Titus 1:2.
     By placing our hope in Yahshua we know that this is a living hope,
     Blessed be the Elohim and Father of our Master Yahshua Messiah, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Yahshua Messiah from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3.
     That by two immutable (unchangeable) things, in which it was impossible for Elohim to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope (expectation) set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, Heb. 6:18-19.
     The scriptures tell us in no uncertain terms that this hope will lead us to purity (And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure, 1 John 3:3), to patience (But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it, Rom 8:25 and Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Master Yahshua Messiah, in the sight of Elohim and our Father, 1 Thess 1:3) and to happiness (Happy is he that hath the Elohim of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Yahweh his Elohim, Ps. 146:5 and The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish, Prov. 10:28).
     Just as Moses forsook the physical treasures of Egypt and the pleasures of sin and chose to suffer affliction because he knew the greater treasures of Yahweh’s Kingdom were better, should we do any less? NO. We must also forsake this present world. We must come out of Babylon if we would draw nigh to Yahweh, Rev. 18:4.
     We must sigh and cry out against sin when we see it, Ezekiel 9:4.
     Webster defines hope as the desire accompanied by expectation of, or belief in, fulfillment. If we should lose hope... what is left? Despair is the result of the utter loss of hope. Despondency is dangerous because it leads to continuation of sin. See Jer. 2:4, 20-25; 18:1,5,11-12.
     If a situation seems insoluble, then that feeling of hopelessness can be conquered by the power from on High. We read in 2 Cor. 4:7-10:
     But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of Yahweh, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of Yahshua, that the life also of Yahshua might be made manifest in our body.
     Yes, knowing that Yahweh’s Holy Spirit is our preservative agent against despair, Ps. 42:5-11 and Prov. 2:1-11, we should let our hope and confidence rest in Him, not in man, or in any worldly possessions we may have, for they shall certainly slip from our grasp at the moment of death. But, rather, we should let our hope be the expectation of living again, guaranteed to Yahweh’s people through Yahshua’s acceptable sacrifice and resurrection from the dead to everlasting life.
     Our hope should be Yahweh’s Kingdom, that restored Eden, the brilliant future in which we shall see Him, and His Name shall be forever in our foreheads because we are His children.
     And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Yahweh Elohim giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever, Rev. 22:4-5.
 
Living Hope
     At the beginning of the first letter which Peter wrote, he wrote to the people of the dispersion about a living hope made available to us because of the resurrection of Yahshua. We read of this in 1 Peter 1:1-3:
     Peter, an apostle of Yahshua Mesiah, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of Yahweh the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Yahshua Messiah: grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be Yahweh and Father of our Master Yahshua Messiah, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Yahshua Messiah from the dead.
     The word “lively” is translated as “living” in the majority of translations and is the translation of the Greek zao, meaning “to live.”
     Dr. Bullinger, in the Companion Bible, speaks of this hope as the “hope of living again” which is made available to us through the resurrection of Yahshua from the dead. This thought is in agreement with what Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 15:12-22:
     Now if Messiah be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Messiah not risen: and if Messiah be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of Yahweh; because we have testified of Yahweh that He raised up Messiah: Whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Messiah raised: and if Messiah be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Messiah are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Messiah, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Messiah risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah shall all be made alive.
     1 Pet. 1:4 tells us what we are to be hoping for:
     To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.
     This inheritance will surely be incorruptible because those who inherit it shall be incorruptible and immortal themselves.
     Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of Yahweh; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality, 1 Cor. 15:50-53.
     If one wants to be an occupant in the kingdom of Yahweh through inheritance, one’s body must be made immortal. This, indeed, reflects the concept of being able to “live again.”
 
The Starting Point
     The believers' living hope based on their new birth should lead to a lifestyle of holiness.
     The starting point in our preparation of entering into Yahweh’s kingdom begins with one’s decision to be immersed into Yahshua’s name. 1 Pet. 1:13-16 tells us what must be done, and what must be done continually.
     Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Yahshua Messiah; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (behavior); because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
     Peter wants his readers to prepare to meet the challenge of obedience by adopting a somewhat foreign but completely new mind-set. As Nicodemus said in John 3:4:
     How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
     In verse 5 NIV, Yahshua gives him the answer:
     I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of Elohim unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
     In these verses Peter is speaking of 6 distinct characteristics: 1) Prepare your mind for action, 2) Be aware of temptations, 3) Be selfcontrolled, 4) Set your hope fully, 5) Be not conformed to evil desires, and 6) Mold your character.
 
Prepare Your Mind For Action
     Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Yahshua Messiah; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (behavior); because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy, 1 Peter 1:13-16.
     1 Peter 1:13 says we are to: “gird up the loins of our mind.” Just as the Israelites were told to “gird up their loins” to be prepared to exit Egypt in a hurry, we are, likewise, to be prepared to live a life in preparation for the coming kingdom. This is done through obedience, which is a conscious act of the will. Knowing that the road ahead to the kingdom will be a rough road, we need a tough-minded holiness that is ready for action.
     To gird up our minds, basically, is telling us to focus our minds on Yahweh’s work. We initiate this focus by willingly submitting ourselves to follow in Yahshua’s steps. This initial step is to be baptized into the name of Yahshua and setting our goals and responsibility to seeking to do Yahweh’s will by turning our back on our past life so as not to repeat those wrongdoings we did before.
 
Be Aware of Manifold Temptations
     Once one makes their intentions known, through baptism, to follow that new path which leads to life everlasting, one should also be aware that Satan will be firing those fiery darts to dissuade your continuance in that path. Peter and James, both, tell us that these trials can be grievous and burdensome.
     My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (trials), James 1:2.
     Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations (trials), 1 Peter 1:6.
     In 1 Peter 1:7, Peter tells us of the purpose of such trials:
     That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Yahshua Messiah.
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry,
2 Tim. 4:5.
     Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews tells us of many instances where people withstood the test of their faith.
     These examples, most assuredly, show us that we must have self-control.
 
Be Self-Controlled
     1 Peter 1:13 tells us to “be sober.” In worldly vernacular, sober means not to be physically drunk and unable to control one’s movements and even one’s speech. Let us take a look at how it is used in the New Testament Scriptures.
     But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer, 1 Peter 4:7.
     Does this verse speak of being physically drunk? NO.
     Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober... But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation, 1 Thess. 5:6, 8.
     Do these verses speak of being physically drunk? NO.
     For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as Yahweh hath dealt to every man the measure of faith, Rom. 12:3.
     Does this verse speak of being physically drunk? NO.
     The Greek words translated as “sober” in these verses, and in some nine other verses in the King James Version, are translated only once as “sober” in the New International Version. That is found in Romans 12:3.
     In the other verses (1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:7; 1 Thess. 5:6, 8; 1 Peter 5:8; Titus 1:8; Titus 2:*2, 4; 1 Tim. 3:2, *11 and 2 Cor. 5:*13), in the NIV, the Greek words are translated as “self-controlled,” except those which have an asterisks, which are, in the order of the Scriptures referenced: “love,” “temperate,” and “in our right minds.”
     Webster defines self-confidence as “realistic confidence in one’s own judgment.”
 
Set Your Hope Fully
     Most assuredly, the single most important goal in our lives should be that of being a firstfruit when Yahshua returns - that of obtaining everlasting life and reigning in the coming kingdom with Yahshua, the first of the firstfruits.
     Our hope is in Yahweh, Psalm 39:7.
     In John 5:19 NIV, Yahshua is telling the Jews, who were trying to get Him killed, some truth when He said,
     I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
     Yahshua again states this truth in John 8:28 NIV:
     When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the One I claim to be] and that I do nothing on My own but speak just what the Father has taught Me.
     Similarly, in John 15:5, where Yahshua says that He is the Vine and we are His branches, we are reminded that in order for us to do anything meaningful, we must abide with Yahshua and bear much fruit:
     I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.
     In order to bear fruit we are cautioned about our actions in 1 Peter 1:17,
     And if ye call on the Father, Who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.
     Yes, we must fully set our goal, our hope, of living again when Yahshua returns. To do this one must abide in Yahshua and have Him abide in us. By not doing so, our branch will be cut from the vine, cast into the fire and be burned.
 
Be Not Conformed To Evil Desires
     As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance, 1 Peter 1:14 NIV.
     Obedience involves purifying oneself and practicing holy living, while offering spiritual sacrifices as a royal priest,
     You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Yahweh through Yahshua Messiah, 1 Peter 2:5 NIV.
 
Mold Your Character
     As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He Who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy," 1 Peter 1:14-16 NIV.
     The Hebrew word translated as “Be” is Strong’s #2071, esomai (es'-om-ahee), meaning will be – in the future. “Holy” is translated from Strong’s #40, hagios (hag'-ee-os), meaning, for us, from Strong’s #53, hagnos (hag-nos'), meaning properly, clean, i.e. (figuratively) innocent, modest, perfect.
     For us to “Be holy” means that, in the future, we will be clean, innocent, modest, perfect. Our lifestyle will reflect not our former ignorance but will reflect our newness in our new birth called to be His own, Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of Yahweh, and of Yahshua our Master, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and righteousness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue, 2 Peter 1:2-3.
     In Old Testament times, Yahweh, even then, wanted His People to be holy.
     Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I Yahweh your Elohim am holy, Lev. 19:2.
     Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am Yahweh your Elohim, Lev. 20:7.
     Even though absolute holiness can never be achieved in this life, all areas of life should be in the process of becoming completely conformed to Yahweh's perfect and holy will.
 
Do Yahweh’s Will
     If one wishes to feel like belonging to an important group, Yahshua tells us what we must do:
     For whosoever shall do the will of Yahweh, the same is My brother, and My sister, and Mother, Mark 3:35.
     This verse definitely says that by doing Yahweh’s will, one feels like being a part of Yahshua’a family.
     Not every one that saith unto me Master, Master, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven, Matt. 7:21.
     Here, Matthew writes we are to do Yahweh’s will, if we want to enter Yahweh’s kingdom.
     In his commentary, Matthew Henry says this on what is Yahweh’s will:
     “Now this is His will, that we believe in the Messiah, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another. This is His will, even our sanctification.” Many translators say that Yahweh’s will is want He “wants,” ”desires,” “wishes,” “would have,” etc.
     1 Tim. 2:4 KJV says that Yahweh would have “all men be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth,” but man is still presented with a choice:
     I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live, Deut. 30:19.
     Yes, choose life by doing Yahweh’s will.
                       
             
-Elder Roger G. Meyer
                   
                   

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