Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Double-mindedness.

 

Are you one hundred percent convinced of your faith in Yahshua our Messiah? Do you doubt certain of the beliefs that we hold? Are you ever uncertain about the calendar that we follow, or about questions such as what happens to us when we die?  Faith is a very personal thing and once you found truth, you should never let go of it.  It is like Yahshua explained in the parable of the pearl of great price In Matthew 13: 45 & 46, saying: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, (46) and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” In ancient times pearls were considered the most precious of gems and were highly valued ornaments, and it is for this reason that the word is used symbolically for things of great value, such as for example wise sayings or teachings.

 

Those of us who write sermons and teach believers, are referred to in the Scriptures as dealers who  ‘sells’ spiritual truths about the kingdom of Elohim, as explained by Yahshua in Matthew 25: 5 – 9, in this way: “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. (6) But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ (7) Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. (8) And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ (9) But the prudent answered, saying, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’” Even though we are referred to as dealers, we should never sell the truths that we learnt about the kingdom of Elohim, as we have received it freely ourselves. Even so, the point is that we should never be doubtful or double-minded about the truths that come from the Scriptures, confirmed by two or three witnesses. We should also not obtain teachings from teachers who are double-minded; else we will be influenced to imitate their double-mindedness. I know some teachers, who think and even said to me; ‘You might be right, or we might be right.’ This tells me that such teachers are doubtful about what they teach. We should only teach truths that come from Scriptures and about which we are absolutely sure. We should never add to, or take away from what is written in the Scriptures, as we are suitably warned in Deuteronomy 4: 2, as follows: “you shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of YHVH your Elohim which I command you.”  Rav Yaa’cov also warns teachers in this regard in James 3: 1, saying: ‘Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.’ At this point I am confident to say that I have found that pearl of great price, mentioned by Yahshua our Messiah in Matthew 13, and I believe in it with my heart (believe system) and soul (the way I live).  Rav Yaa’cov used the phrase ‘double-minded’ twice in his epistle to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad.  Double-mindedness is a major character flaw in the life of any believer, and it can show itself in a number of areas in our lives.  It makes us doubt ourselves, our faith and affects everything else we do in our lives. It makes us hesitant to make those quick decisions so necessary in our everyday lives; it is literally as the saying goes: ‘He who hesitates is lost.’  Rav Yaa’cov used the phrase to portray an individual who is unsure, wavering, two-faced, half-hearted and hesitant regarding most of his/her beliefs and actions in life.

 

Before going any further with the topic at hand, let me clear up another misconception: There are teachers who teach that Yochanan the Immerser was having a double-minded moment when he was in prison, before being killed by King Herod upon a request of Herod’s daughter. But the truth is often the opposite of what we think it is, as Yahshua informed us about Yochanan the Immerser. We start reading the account in Matthew 11: 2 & 3, in this way: ‘Now when John in prison heard of the works of Messiah, he sent word by his disciples, (3) and said to Him (Yahshua), “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” This sounds like Yochanan was indeed having a moment of doubt, doesn’t it? Is it possible that he actually had second thoughts about the identity of Yahshua? Could Yochanan still have doubts – even after he had heard a voice from heaven after immersing Yahshua, as we read from Luke 3: 21 & 22, as follows: ‘Now it came about when all the people were immersed, that Yahshua also was immersed, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, (22) and the Set-apart Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.”’ Could Yochanan really have second thoughts? – Even after testifying himself in John 1: 32 – 34, saying: “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. (33) And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to immerse in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who immerses in the Set-apart Spirit.’ (34) And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of Elohim.”

 

But, if Yochanan was not doubting that Yahshua was the Messiah, then what was the meaning of his question “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” Let me explain - there could be two reasons for Yochanan’s question. In the Dead Sea scrolls, in the writings of the Qumran community, they mention two Messiah’s; the first being a Priestly Messiah and the second being a Teacher of Righteousness. Many scholars agree that the Qumran community had a great influence on what Yochanan the Immerser believed, but this is not the answer.  The answer is to be found in Rabbinic Literature, where there is also the belief that there would be two Messiah’s: The first Messiah will be the suffering Messiah – He would suffer for the sins of His people Israel, and is the fulfillment of prophecies such as Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 9: 9. He is known in their literature as Messiah the son of Joseph, since his suffering is compared to that of Jacob’s son, Joseph, who suffered at the hands of his brothers, but afterwards forgave them. The second Messiah will be called, Messiah son of David: He is the Messiah who will fulfill all the prophecies of the kingly Messiah and bring victory over all the oppressors of Israel, when He comes to rule the world from Jerusalem, after bringing the lost sheep of the house of Israel back to the covenant relationship they had with Elohim, as part of the commonwealth of Israel.

 

While rabbinic tradition was not recorded until the second century CE, we may still assume that it reflects Jewish thought of the first century CE, during which Yahshua lived. Could this have been Yochanan’s question in wanting to know: ‘Are you Messiah, son of Joseph as well as Messiah, son of David? Or, should we expect another one to come and rule?  This seems to be the most likely answer, since Yochanan already identified Yahshua in John 1: 29, in this way: “Behold, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!”  It also seems probable if we consider the way in which Yahshua answered Yochanan’s question in Matthew 11: 4 - 5, where Yahshua said to them: “Go and report to John what you hear and see: (5) the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.”  We read Yahshua’s words, yet, somehow we fail to fully understand their intended meaning. Yahshua’s reply to Yochanan was in fact quotes from prophecies by Isaiah about Him as we read from Isaiah 61: 1, as follows: ‘The Spirit of YHVH Elohim is upon me, because YHVH has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.’  Yahshua was actually speaking of the passages in Isaiah concerning the coming of the Kingdom of Elohim and Yochanan was quite familiar with these prophecies; the second part of what He said came from Isaiah 35: 3, 5 & 6, in this way: ‘Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. (5) Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. (6) Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness and streams in the Arabah.’’

 

This would certainly have been very welcome and comforting news to Yochanan, as he sat in the darkness of his prison cell, and these would certainly have been the things that Yochanan would have expected the Messiah, son of David to do.  So we see that the answer that Yahshua send Yochanan confirmed His dual roles.  Yahshua’s final words to Yochanan, knowing that he would not be released from prison and would meet his end there, encourage him to hold on to his faith by adding the words in Matthew 11: 6, saying:  “And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me.” Yahshua, sensing that the crowd and future pastors, might think that Yochanan was in doubt about Him, speaks of His confidence in Yochanan as He continues in Matthew 11: 7, saying: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?  Even though many false teachers assume that Yochanan was in two minds about who Messiah is, Yahshua assured the crowd that Yochanan’s faith will not fail and that he will not succumb to Herod’s pressure, because Yochanan was indeed the one chosen by Elohim to prepare the way for Messiah, as witnessed in verses 8 – 10 of Matthew 11, in this way: “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces. (9) But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. (10) This is the one about whom it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE YOUR FACE, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’”

 

Yahshua continued in verse 11 of Matthew 11, saying: ‘Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than Yochanan the Immerser; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.’  Even though Yahshua said that there is no human being greater than Yochanan, He turned His statement around by adding the words: ‘yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.’  Does this mean that Yochanan will really be least in the kingdom of heaven? I do not believe so, as Yahshua’s words simply reflect the nature of the coming Kingdom of Elohim. Yahshua’s concern was always with the least, the poor in spirit, the broken hearted, and the meek – for they will be great in the Kingdom of Elohim. The first will be last and the last will be first, and even though Yochanan is the greatest of all human beings, Yahshua simply said that greatness in the Kingdom of Elohim will not be measured by human standards. It is as we read about our calling from first Corinthians 1: 26 – 29 in this way: ‘For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; (27) but Elohim has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and Elohim has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, (28) and the base things of the world and the despised, Elohim has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, (29) that no man should boast before Elohim.’  We see here that Yochanan had his question answered, but we have also been given an example of the recurring theme taught by Yahshua, namely: ‘To be great in the kingdom of Elohim, we must humble ourselves in this life, even to becoming like little children in obedience to their parents.’ We have a further example of Thomas, one of Messiah’s disciples who were doubtful about who or what Yahshua was as witnessed in John 20: 25 – 29, as follows: ‘The other disciples therefore were saying to him, “We have seen the Master!” But he said to them, “Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (26) And after eight days again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with them. Yahshua came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst, and said, “Peace be with you.” (27) Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.” (28) Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Master and my Elohim!” (29) Yahshua said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” Instead of rebuking Thomas for calling Him Elohim, Yahshua was calling those of us who believe that He is Elohim in the flesh ‘blessed’.

 

Like little children, we should not be double-minded. Yaa’cov‘s first concern about double-mindedness was in the area of prayer, as we read from James 1: 5 - 8, in this way: ‘But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of Elohim, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him, (6) But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from YHVH, (8) being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.’  If we pray asking YHVH to heal us with doubt in our minds, we will definitely not be healed!  But if we ask knowing that He will heal us, healing will start immediately. What Yaa’cov is teaching here is in agreement with what we read from Hebrews 11: 6, as follows: ‘And without faith it is impossible to please Him (Elohim), for he who comes to Elohim must believe that He is (or exists), and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.’  Even so, we also need to be ever mindful what we ask of Elohim, as Yaa’cov warned in James 4: 3, saying: ‘You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.’  Yaa’cov’s second concern about double-mindedness entails what we do with the information that we read and hear from the Scriptures, as he wrote in James 1: 22 – 25, saying: ‘But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; (24) for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. (25) But one who looks intently at the perfect law (Torah), the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.’  How do you react to the things you read in the Scriptures?  Do you try and find ways to avoid areas that you consider difficult to accept, or do you study the Scriptures with the view to get to know Elohim and to become more obedient. Other than with Christianity, we should go beyond feeling good, we should actually strive to do good, as Yaa’cov wrote in James 1: 26 & 27, saying: ‘If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. (27) This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our Elohim and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.’

 

In James 2: 1 – 7, Yaa’cov deals with double-mindedness in the treatment we meet out to fellow believers. He asks if we treat all our brethren the same; or do we treat those with an abundance of wealth and goods better than those who are poor.  In verses 8 - 10 of James 2, Yaa’cov wrote: ‘If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. (9) But if you show partiality you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (10) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”’ This is totally contrary to what Churchianity would like us to believe, as we read from verses 14 & 20 - 26, as follows: ‘What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? (20) But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? (21) Was not Abraham our Father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (22) You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; (23) and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED ELOHIM, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of Elohim. (24) You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. (25) And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? (26) For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.’  As much as we show our faith by our works, those who do not have the Set-apart Spirit of Elohim indwelling them, is as good as dead. But, if you are from the house of Israel and have been immersed correctly, meaning in the saving name of Yahshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your past commandment breaking (such as keeping Sunday worship services instead of Sabbath services, eating unclean foods instead of the clean foods ordained by Elohim in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 , keeping Xmas and Easter and not the Set-apart Days Elohim ordained through those who sit in Moses’ seat in Leviticus 23, not believing in the Oneness of Elohim, but in a trinity or two (YHVH)s, committing fornication, adultery or homosexual deeds, stealing, coveting, drinking too much {alcoholic beverages}, or misusing Elohim’s Set-apart name) and the laying on of hands of a teaching elder, you are as good as being alive, even after you died one day, as you have been given a pledge of your inheritance, as Rav Shaul wrote in Ephesians 1: 13 & 14 and Romans 8: 11 respectively, saying: ‘In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Set-apart Spirit of promise, (14) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of Elohim’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.’ (Romans 8: 11) ‘But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah Yahshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.’  

 

Presently the Christian Churches are running empty – so much so that their ministers are sending out pamphlets inviting people to attend their services. They also send out young ministers and students to visit Seventh Day Adventist and similar other groups, to try and get them to stop keeping the Sabbath and join their Sunday fellowship.  It seems that they go specifically for religious groups that are more devoted or ‘religious’ – as they believe that such people will make more dedicated church attendees than those ‘Christians’ who rarely attend services.  Every Sabbath after services, my wife and I used to go for a short walk to take a breather before lunch.  On one occasion, we no sooner left the gate of the complex where we live, when we were accosted by a young Christian minister looking for a Seventh Day Adventist in our area.  Somehow he started questioning us to try and determine what we believe. We told him that we are Nazarene Jews; meaning we are Jewish in our faith, but also believe in Yahshua the Messiah. With Bible in hand, he immediately went to battle, telling us that if we believe in Messiah, we should let go of our Jewish ideas of Law keeping. For one thing we should not follow the Jewish Sabbath any longer, as Rav Shaul (or Paul as this man called him) taught against all things Jewish. This fellow also mentioned that our father in the faith, Abraham could not keep the commandments, since it was only given to the united nation of Israel in Genesis 20, long after he died, which shows how little these people know about the Scriptures, since we are told that YHVH spoke to Isaac in Genesis 26: 4 & 5, saying: “ And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; (5) because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.’ For those who wonder how Abraham got to know about Elohim’s commandments, we see from Genesis 15, 17, 18 and 22 that YHVH appeared to Abraham and spoke to him on a regular basis, and must therefore have taught Abraham to keep His commandments, statutes and laws. My wife and I listened to this fellow for a few five minutes, and left him standing on the sidewalk with his anti-Jewish viewpoint.  The reason for mentioning this incident is that these people are going all out to get devoted new members, to grow their ever shrinking membership and keep their church coffers full – so we need to be prepared for such encounters.  It is as Yahshua warned in Matthew 10: 17 & 18, saying: “But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; (18) and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as  a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.” 

 

Yahshua prophesied about His return in Matthew 7: 21 – 23, when many of those who say they believe in Him, will be disqualified because of lawlessness, saying: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. (22) Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Master, Master, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ (23) And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” The point is that if we serve YHVH, He wants us to do what is pleasing to Him, not what seems right to us. With the Scriptures as our navigation system, we should know exactly where we are going. We may say that we believe in Yahshua, but need to remember that YHVH only listens to those who obey Him fully, as recorded in 1 John 3: 22, like this: ‘And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.’  It is as we read from Proverbs 28: 9, ’He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.’  Let’s therefore determine to serve YHVH our Elohim whole heartedly, without any doubt in our minds. Amein!