This will be short and to the point, and I encourage you to research it for yourself.

Don’t let people tag you with the label of their choice…

I love Yahuah our Elohim (who people call god) through His Son and our eternal High Priest Yahusha HaMashiach/Messiah (who people call Jesus).

Those who believe in Yahusha were first called Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:26).

This was meant to be a derogatory insult of a sect of which they did not approve.

Those who called them ‘Christians’ DID NOT believe in or accept Yahusha as the Messiah. This is easily confirmed through simple research. And, it’s clear today many people claim the label Christian who in no way resemble The Messiah. Christianity is fragmented into countless identities and extremes.

The 1st Century believers never called themselves or identified by the term Christian. They identified by ‘The Way’. (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 24:14).

Think of how Yahusha referred to Himself. (John 14:6)

The term ‘Christian’ back then was an insulting label that is an apples-to-apples comparison to ‘The N-Word’ today.

When we identify with a label, we identify with the positive and negative aspects of that label. And, when that label evolves (and they all do) you become and accept the identity as it changes.

The ideologies of the labels Democrat and Republican shifted during the 20th Century. And, the label ‘Christian’ is being shifted today to conflate it with political identity.

Remember, the Pharisees and Sadducees began as political sects.

I don’t accept any labels because they put you ‘in a box’.

Christian…

Black…

White…

Baptist…

Catholic…

Conservative…

Liberal…

Protestant…

Hebrew Israelites…

Evangelicals…

People ask me, what do you call yourself if you aren’t a ‘Christian’? They want a label.

I say, “I’m a part of The Way, a disciple of Yahusha the Messiah. I’m a ‘Qodeshim’, the Hebrew term that means ‘set-apart ones’ that has been translated to holy or saint. Any time you see the word holy in scripture, it was originally written quodesh (set-apart).

Don’t let people tag you with the label of their choice.

Al not AI

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No matter how bad you have to use the bathroom…

How strong the urge to relieve yourself…

If you’re in a crowd of people outside, in a meeting, at a ball game, or in church YOU WON’T stop and use it right then and there.

Why?

Because you have RESTRAINT.

No matter HOW strong the urge, how painful, you would rather hold it in rather than disgrace and embarrass yourself.

Too many times those of us who claim to love Yahuah use the excuse, “I just couldn’t help myself!”

Too many people who call themselves ‘Christians’ are perfectly content using profanity…retaliating…and giving in to their flesh, and quickly use the excuse, “I just couldn’t hold it in”!

Peter is well known for his lack of restraint. On the Mount of Transfiguration he quickly blurted out, “Let us build three tabernacles, one for Yahusha , Moshe and Eliyahu!(Mattityahu 17:4).

After Yahusa was arrested, when accused of knowing Him, Peter cursed (Mattityahu 26:74, Mark 14:71). But, Yahusha knew of Peter’s spontaneity, and had already prayed for him and told him that when he is converted to strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32). One of the things Peter was going to have to do was learn RESTRAINT.

One of the fruit of the Spirit is TEMPERANCE or SELF-CONTROL (Galatians  5:22).

It’s true we can’t do anything without the help of Yahuah, but he has given us the power to restrain our flesh as well.

You don’t have to use profanity (cuss).

You don’t have to get even.

You don’t have to let everybody know EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL.

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Just the same as you can HOLD BACK when you have to use the bathroom (flesh), you can hold back when that person of the opposite sex is trying to tempt you.

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Let’s be just like our heavenly Father. Because when you think about it, that’s what MERCY is…Yahuah holding back the wrath and judgment we deserve.

Al not AI

How many times have you typed something on a device and decided that wasn’t what you wanted to say?

How many times have you done something on a device and decided it wasn’t an action that you wanted to do?

Did you throw away your device?

No.

You clicked UNDO.

Clicking UNDO allows you to totally wipe out what you didn’t want without affecting anything else you’re working on.

When you’ve typed or done something wrong, it allows you the opportunity to ‘change directions’ and do it right.

When you confess your sins to Yah, and commit to change directions, you’ve clicked Yahuah’s UNDO button.

When you repent, Yah wipes out what you’ve said, done or thought.

When you repent, Yah doesn’t hold what you said, did, or thought against you anymore…

When you repent, Yah allows you to continue with your life as if you’ve never did what you did…

When you repent, Yah allows you to start over and do it the right way…

As long as you don’t RETYPE the SAME thing again.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

⁹ Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For  sorrow towards Elohim produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

John 1:9

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Al not AI

What do people say when confronted with doing what Yahuah expects of them or has called them to do?

Why don’t you worship?

Let’s go feed the homeless.

Let’s go visit and minister people in prison and hospitals…

Why don’t you give the firstfruits of all your increase to Yah?

Usually before we make an excuse, we usually give a big BUT…

“I would, BUT I worship Him my own way…”

“I would, BUT those homeless people will just spend it on drugs, cigarettes and alcohol…”

“I would, BUT I can’t afford to…”

“I would, BUT I don’t have time to visit…”

“I would, BUT my kids have sports…”

Yahusha, gave us a parable to illustrate how much He hates our excuses. He let us know how much He hates our BIG BUTS…

Luke 14:18-24 (NKJV)

¹⁸ BUT they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ ²⁰ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the ^[a]maimed and the lame and the blind.’ ²² And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ ²³ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

Notice that each of these excuses addressed the same excuses we give today.

BUSINESS. WORK. CAREER

“I bought a piece of ground…”

“I bought a yoke of oxen…”

SPOUSE. CHILDREN. FAMILY

“I have married a wife…

These excuses made the master of the house (Yahusha) angry. So, He invited the very people who those who were initially invited were called to serve instead.

He then said those who makes excuses and rejected His invitation will not ‘taste His supper’ (will not enter His Kingdom).

Yahuah hates our excuses! However, the enemy loves our BIG BUTS! He loves our excuses.
 

Don’t let your BIG BUT keep you out of the Kingdom of Yah!

Al not AI!