The moment we think we do, we are guilty of pride and arrogance. Pride is sin.
The Lord made it clear:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Is. 55:8-9.
It is impossible for us to understand the thoughts and ways of the Lord.
Yet we fight and argue over what we think our limited understanding of the Bible says God is going to do and how it all plays out. We must continually ask for revelation from the Holy Spirit as we study God’s Word for ourselves.
How often do we ask the Lord to correct any of our bad theology and the lies we have believed?
As humans, we all have some flawed theology, and are even deceived in some areas. There are things we know, things we are completely wrong about, and things we know nothing about. Only God knows it all. It’s not what we think is true; it’s what He says is truth.
The Gospel of Yeshua
They say you can’t take it with you…but there is something we can take with us.
People.
We can take our spouses, kids, sisters, brothers, neighbors, friends, co-workers, and people we don’t know yet to Heaven with us.
Instead, we fight and argue over:
The shape of the Earth,
The true name of the Messiah and the Father and how to spell it and say it
Whether annihilation awaits the non-believers or eternal punishment,
End-time doctrine—pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, or no rapture…
The timing of the resurrection,
KJV vs. ESV, NIV, NASB….
None of those things are the Gospel of Christ. But we argue over them like they save us.
Restitution of All Things
We are called to share and teach the Gospel by first introducing them to Jesus so they can have eternal life through His death and resurrection. Jesus shed His blood so we can have abundant life. He died because the blood of perfect animals wasn’t enough to restore all of humanity and the universe. The Blood is why God will make a New Heaven and a New Earth. That is part of the Gospel and our goal as believers is to live with the Father forever on His New Earth, which is Heaven. God will restore all things to their original state before sin.
The Gospel is the restitution of ALL things. That’s the Good News—the news we should flood social media with and talk about.
When my son was seven or eight, he asked if a particular family member loved Jesus. We said, “No, he doesn’t believe in Jesus.” He burst into tears. He wept over this family member possibly not going to Heaven one day.
It convicted me. How often we weep and pray over those who may not go to Heaven with us?
Which is better, everlasting punishment in the Lake of Fire or an actual second death that removes them from the universe forever? Are we really arguing over which way is best for God to punish the ones we love and will never see again unless their hearts change?
Does He Know You?
Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23 ESV.
These verses should concern us all. Are we doing the will of the Father? It is not enough to say, “I know Jesus.” He. Must. Know. Us.
Are we walking so close to Him that we turn right or left when He does? Or stop and rest when He does? Is His Word something we study and love? Do we obey Him? Do we hear His voice?
The prince of this world wants us to think way too highly of ourselves. He wants us to be unteachable, rude, and full of head knowledge instead of heart knowledge. His goal is to divide us by pitting us against one another. We can have different opinions about scripture; let’s not make it an argument, especially if it is not a topic that does not affect our salvation.
The older I get, the more I realize how brief life is. The Lord has humbled me in more ways than I care to share. Don’t make Him humble you; there’s a lot less grief if we humble ourselves before Him and let Him correct us.
Today, Rachel and I discuss worship, the Psalms, and Hope Acres–Matt and Rachel’s campground in Utah.
Welcome to Grafted: Jewish Roots of Christianity. This week my guest Rachel Lish talks about walking away from the Mormon church and being healed from depression.
Rachel and Matt are worship leaders who lead a traveling ministry and own a campground called Hope Acres, where visitors can vacation and celebrate the Lord’s Feasts. A gifted psalmist, Rachel began writing music at just five years old. Although she was raised in the LDS church, she left it in her teens to follow Jesus.
Rachel loves to share her story of incredible healing from depression, offering hope and encouragement to others through her testimony.
Welcome to Grafted: Jewish Roots of Christianity. My guest is Dejah Phillips.
We are discussing misunderstandings of Scripture from the Nephilim to Shabbat. We take a look at scripture through the lens of Hebrew culture, history, and language.
Dejah is a digital creator with a strong presence on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, amassing a following of over 80,000. As a Messianic Jew, Dejah views social media as her mission field, where she passionately shares her insights on a range of biblical topics. Her content delves into subjects such as the sons of God, demons, and the Nephilim, with a focus on addressing cultural misunderstandings of Scripture. Through her engaging and thought-provoking posts, Dejah aims to educate and inspire her audience, shedding light on often overlooked aspects of biblical teachings. She has a bachelor’s in education and a master’s in reading. She studied Jewish and Christian theology, world religions/history, and had missions training.
Welcome to Grafted: Jewish Roots of Christianity! My guest today is Simonette Cherepanov.
Have you seen Disney’s Inside Out 2? Simi talks about that movie as it relates to our emotions and thoughts. We also discuss how Yahweh described Himself in Exodus 34 and why this should give us peace.
Simonette is a pastoral counselor who emigrated from Venezuela to the United States with her husband and children when she was thirty. With a diverse professional background, she has worked as an EMT, an EKG tech, and a phlebotomist. She is also a dedicated teacher of the Creation Gospel by Dr. Hollisa Alewine.
In her forties, Simonette returned to school to earn a Bachelor of Science in Ministry Leadership and became an ordained minister. In her sixties, she pursued further education to become a Brain Health Professional and is currently working toward a doctorate in Creation Therapy. Additionally, Simonette is the Founder and CEO of Seven Lamp Wellness dot com where she continues to integrate her passion for spiritual and physical well-being.
Welcome to Grafted: Jewish Roots of Christianity! My guest is Rachel Links Kushner.
Today, Rachel and I are discussing Hanukkah and how Messiah is the Light of the world.
Rachel Kushner is the Chief Enthusiasm Officer of Links to Messiah, where she brings a unique blend of passion, faith, and experience to her role. Raised in a Messianic Jewish home, Rachel has the special perspective of celebrating both Jewish and Christian holidays, shaping her deep understanding of diverse religious traditions.
A certified and experienced educator, Rachel is dedicated to teaching families and nurturing a love for learning. Her heart for service extends to her active involvement in a Bible-teaching church, where she contributes her time and expertise.
Affectionately known by some as the “Child Whisperer,” Rachel has an exceptional ability to engage and captivate the attention of young children, making learning fun and meaningful. Her work reflects her commitment to both faith and education, as she inspires those around her with enthusiasm and warmth.
