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Vayikra - Leviticus
Started by LovingNeighbor at 04-11-2006 10:30 AM. Topic has 1 replies.
  
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 04-11-2006, 10:30 AM
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LovingNeighbor
 
Joined on 02-10-2006
Washington
Posts 397
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Kedoshim Parasha Thougths, Studies, and Comments
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The goal of this section is to get everybody's studies, thoughts, and opinions on anything in the weeks parasha. This includes, word studies, thoughts on verses, history, related subjects, and anything that may help us to understand this Torah Portion. Even if it's just an observation on the smallest part, it can help others who may not have seen it that way. The goal is then as we visit the parasha (Torah Portion) each year we will create a collection of studies and thoughts on this portion and everyone will benefit by having a broader view of the portion. Shalom!
A disciple should diligently search for the truth and humbly deny and reconsider it's possession.
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04-27-2008, 6:26 PM
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LovingNeighbor
Joined on 02-10-2006
Washington
Posts 397
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Kedoshim Parasha 2007-8 Message - Who are You Like?
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Who Are You Like
For Kedoshim
By Lovingneighbor 4-26-2008
In this weeks parasha we see two or three concepts that all flow into one. This weeks parasha is called holy ones and has a lot of wonderful teachings. One thing that stands out is YHWH says be holy as I am holy. Holy means set apart. He is set apart and different and uncommon, and clean, and we are to be like Him. I have 4 simple questions for you and maybe you will be surprised at your answers or at the fact that you hadn't thought to ask yourself these questions. Here are the 4 questions we are going to answer. Who do you want to be like? Who do you hang around? Who do you learn from? and Who are you like?
The first question seems simple enough but I fear many people haven't really addressed it's significance in their own faith. I hear a lot of people who feel they have things figured out, they are living out the will of Elohim so they think in their lives and have figured out what is important and what is not so important to them. The question is Who do you want to be like? This whole thing is about a family. A father and His sons. A son and his wife. Some discribe the Hebrew culture and language to be centered around the family, and the land. I agree, we can make this very complicated, but the question is who do you want to be like. When we grow as humans we are becoming a product of our environment and the direction in life we either choose or fail to choose to go. We can mold ourselves into whatever type of people we want to be and this is the first and most powerful question. Who do we want to be? Humans copy and mimic, this is how we learn. In business and personal development they teach you to model the people you want to be like. We have this built in with the basic desire of children to be like their parents. You can't pick your parents but as you mature you can choose who you model. Every great musician, writer, artist, or master usually learned from people before them.
So my choice would be we want to be like Elohim. This is a very big statement. Do you really want to be like Elohim. Do you want to think like Him, Talk like Him, and make choices like Him? Many people kind of want to be like Elohim but they end up getting lost on the way. Many people are copying people who they may think are Godly. We see this with Christians following old doctrines that lingered from centuries ago or listening to every word that comes out of the mouth of their pastor or youth leader. The bread they may be getting is full of the leaven of the pharisees. Have you realy made up your mind and got clear on who you are trying to be like? Ladies this goes for you to. Are you trying to be like your husband?
This takes us to the second question. Who do you hang around. We all know children pick up all kinds of habits depending on who they hang around. They are little learners and copiers. Peer pressure and cultural ways are powerful and have a big impact on you. As they say you are who you hang around. So do you hang around Elohim? If He is who you want to be like do you study His word and hang on every sentence to see what He is like or are you looking like the other members of your church. Are you looking more Jewish? Are you looking more worldly? If you fit in, where? Do you fit in with serious Bible students? These are people drawing near to Elohim to learn how He is. Spot a Christian in a crowd, Spot a Messianic, Spot a Jew, Spot a worldy person, and Spot an Athiest. What do they look like? You may not be able to spot everyone. But if you do, I ask you what they look like and how you would spot them. Does a Christian wear a cross? Where was that commanded, and where is that in the scriptures, and did God wear one? How about a Messianic? How would you spot one? C'mon you know the answer, they look Jewish. It isn't that you see the signs of the Torah. Much of what you see is Jewish Tradition. They have copied cultural things. How about a Jew, Are they wearing a Kippa, Tallit, Tzi tzi? Some of the things they do can be traced to Elohim and others are not. If you copy them you are like a distant cousin to Torah once removed. The worldly person dresses and looks many times like TV, they are copying what they watch others doing. The athiest We don't know where to put them and neither do they.
My point is that if you want to be like Elohim you need to know what that really looks like. As Mashiach said, you will know my disciples by the love they have for one another. He didn't say they will wear purple kippas, or check for the cross neclace, or they will have tzi tzi. He described them as the ones who love one another. How do we define love? That is defined in all the Torah. My point is that the unseen Elohim can also be defined by His love and Character, His word, and deed are true and just and righteous. So how will you know what that looks like if you don't study. Not to find the hot new theory, and not to justify your statement of faith, but to learn who Elohim is so you can be like Him.
The third question is who do you learn from. Each previous question when not asked or answered wrong leads to more problems and they spill into the next question. Who do you learn from? Tradition, Pastors, Preachers, a handful of verses in the new testament, the Jews, History books, or your parents? In these answers we can find most peoples answer. Jews learn for the most part from their parents, tradition, and rabbis who all teach them how they should be and they usually become like them. Notice it has nothing to do with Elohim and the Torah because many times if they go to torah it is to justify what they have already been told. They read the Torah with their eyes closed. I say this with respect and no statements are all encompassing, but my point is that if you aren't going to the Torah to open your eyes and see what the Torah says Elohim is, independant from what your parents, pastors, rabbis, and religions are saying, then you are not able to open your own eyes and see Elohim in my opinion. You may be looking at the Torah with someone elses glasses on. If you were asked the hard question of can you show me your faith and can you show me Elohim and His traits and how you are learning and doing and being like Him from your own studies. Take away the cliches and one liner verses, tradition, culture, cut and paste theologies and guesses about what you are supposed to be doing. Take away what your parents told you about what it means to have your faith and what everyone else is doing. Recreate your faith from the Bible alone and your study. If this isn't most of your understanding you may be learning and copying the wrong people.
Fourth question, Who are you like? If you made it ths far, surprise if I look at you who do I see. Do I see a Jew, A kind of Jew, A Christian, A Athiest, or do I see the traits of Elohim. Stop playing dress up and copying others. Copy Elohim. Study your Bible, not to look for what others told you, but look for the true traits of Elohim, look for truth and then become it. Mashiach states this clearly, you are either of your Father in Heaven or your father the Devil. Stop being like your religion and start to learn the unseen Elohim and His traits of Love, Justice, and Mercy. This in my opinion will weed out most people and all that is left is a few humble Bible students (disciples) who are studying the Bible to know Elohim and His son who is like His Father so that they too can be like them. As Mashiach said I would that you were one with me as I am one with the Father. And as this weeks parasha says Be holy FOR I am holy. Be like Me! Your tradition, your religion, you pastor, your study group, your parents, your congregation, none of them are as holy as YHWH. Stop copying a dirty imitation and go straight to the source and be like Him and along the way you may find others who happen to share simlar traits. Not because they belong to the same religion, or same Church or synagogue, but becuase they the love they have is the love of Elohim and not men. Shalom!
A disciple should diligently search for the truth and humbly deny and reconsider it's possession.
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LoveOfTorah.com... » Weekly Torah Po... » Vayikra - Levit... » Kedoshim Parasha Thougths, Studies, and Comments
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