Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, August 31, 2023
Shalom,
Rabbi Trail: We’ve got several announcements to make over the next several days. We are about to enter the busy season of the Fall Feasts. Leviticus 23 breaks the feasts down into two group, the Spring Feasts and the Fall Feasts. However; in every case they are called in Hebrew the “Moadei Yehovah” meaning “Feasts of the Lord.” We are celebrating God’s appointed convocations, and I have good news, you don’t have to be Jewish to participate. No tickets are required and all are welcome.
A N N O U N C E M E N T: September 9th, Dr. Michael Brown will be ministering during our regular Shabbat morning worship service. It will be his first visit to Shomair. Dr. Brown is the author of many books including the five volume set “Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus,” and the daily syndicated radio show, “Line of Fire.”
He was an elder at Beth Messiah Gaitherburg, MD, serving alongside our friends and mentors Dan Juster, Eitan Shishkoff, Asher Intrater, Jerry Miller and Paul Wilbur. And he was one of the leaders of the Pensacola Outpouring (Brownsville Revival). It is a huge blessing for us to welcome him to Shomair. Please make plans join us on September 9th for this special service.
One In Messiah part 50 – Romans, part 161
Romans 11:19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough. They were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear— 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
“Hey Paul! That sounds like a threat. Haven’t you heard of ‘Once Saved, Always Saved?’” I believe Paul had heard of “Once Saved Always Saved,” he just didn’t believe it. John, Jacob (aka James), Peter and even Paul, himself, all agree that a believer can fall away from the faith. Paul is saying, “… If God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.”
Paul is writing to the believers in Rome… Romans 1:7a To all those in Rome, loved by God, called to be kedoshim. So, what did all these pillars of the faith have to say about losing your salvation? John wrote this… “But if we walk in the light…” (1 John 1:7a) That’s a conditional statement. (I hate to quote myself, but I must.) You can’t live like hell and expect to get to heaven.
Peter also wrote about salvation conditionally… 2 Peter 2:20 For if—after escaping the world’s pollutions through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua the Messiah—they again become entangled in these things and are overcome, the end for them has become worse than the beginning.
Do you need another scriptural proof text? Jacob had this to say about those who “stray from the truth.” He actually calls such a person “a sinner.” Jacob 5:19 My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that the one who turns a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
The conclusion with which we are left is that disobedience puts both natural branches and grafted in branches at risk of being removed. Yeshua, in His own words, says as much. John 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He trims so that it may bear more fruit.
Each of us, who follow Yeshua, have an assignment to bring forth a harvest of the fruit of the spirit. Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Ruach is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control—against such things there is no law.
Such sweet fruit. Bless the Lord. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu 31 Aug 2023 14th of Elul, 5783
De 27:11-28:6 Amos 6-7 2 Ch 11 Heb 11:1-19 (Ac 6)