Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, August 8, 2019
Shalom,This is the 4th installment of a teaching on “The Millennial Hope.” David Chansky taught it to me many years ago, and now I’m glad to share it with you. The study of who is saved, along with when and how they are saved is called soteriology. For the most part there are those who are saved and those who are lost. Yesterday there were people (written about) who were lost. Their hearts were hardened (in Romans 11:7) but in Romans 11:25 they are saved after the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Now let’s consider Sodom and Gomorrah and what the Bible says about them.
Both cities were destroyed on account of their evil ways. Did Sodom and Gomorrah ever hear (much less reject) the message of Yeshua? Yet we find it will be “more tolerable” for Sodom them than for Capernaum. (Matthew 11:24)
In what way “more tolerable?” Capernaum had the gospel message preached and by-in-large did not receive it. Sodom and Gomorrah never heard the good news of Yeshua, so how could they reject it? They had to be destroyed by God before they destroyed Abraham and his family. If Abraham were destroyed, there would be no Savior 1500 years later.
In several places the Bible prophesies a future for Sodom and Gomorrah that is not eternity in hell. Ezekiel 16:55 “Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, Samaria and her daughters, will return to their former state. You and your daughters will return to your former state.”
Must be that God has a future for Sodom, Samaria, and Israel. Let’s all praise His name. Sorry this has to be in small pieces. The answers will come. I’ll keep writing until we get some.
Week 32
Memory Verse: Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
156 8/05 Monday: Matthew 3-4
157 8/06 Tuesday: Matthew 5
158 8/07 Wednesday: Matthew 6
* 159 8/08 Thursday: Matthew 7
160 8/09 Friday: Matthew 8
The question of the day: May I comment on this verse? Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Answer: Why yes I can, and here it is. Don’t you suppose there are a lot of people who have been stuffing pews for years who are going to be amazed when they hear Yeshua speak to them… Matthew 7:23b ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”
“Get away from me!” What ever happened to grace? Me whispering so listen closely… Don’t believe those hyper-grace teachers. There is grace, and there is also a change necessary in the life of a follower of Yeshua. Grace should not be seen as a “get out of jail (hell) free card” but rather as an impartation from God to both desire and do His will.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore; if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may abound? 2 May it never be! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
When we receive Yeshua as our Lord (notwithstanding our Savior – which I will deal with another time) He begins to order (or reorder) our lives according to His will (so our lives will match up with His Word). Change is always present in the life of the believer. Most of us change over time. Just don’t run out of time.
We want to hear Yeshua say to us, Matthew 25:21b ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’ |
