Have you ever bought something and when you got it home discovered it was a knockoff, a counterfeit? Have you ever received an expensive gift and found out it was a fake? How can we protect ourselves from counterfeits, fakes? When it comes to gifts, we cannot protect ourselves from fakes, it was a gift! However, for purchases we make we can protect ourselves by watching what we buy and where and who we buy it from. The old adage is always right; "Buyer Beware".
I have been told that when the FBI trains their agents to recognize counterfeit money, they have them study the real thing very intensely, so when a counterfeit crosses their path, they can recognize it immediately. The same principle applies to false, counterfeit religions. I have come across people who think that in order to witness to Mormons or someone who practices Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism etc., they need to read and study their holy books, but nothing can be farther from the truth. If we want to be good Messianic apologists, we need to study the real thing, the Bible, God's holy, true and only instruction book to the world. The more we know about God's truth the more we will be able to detect and reject counterfeits. But in order to know what is false we must know what is true!
John 14:6 Yeshua answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Buying, accepting, teaching or listening to counterfeits is sin, so do not be afraid to say NO when someone offers you a fake and always be ready to defend the real thing, the TRUTH!
Hi Ellen here…We write these short messages midweek so by Thursday we can send it all out, but please know all the words that are on your screen now have been prepared with prayer and supplication.
On Tuesday night following our Sukkot services Jack and I sat down to pray before we went to sleep. So many things are going on in all our lives, for sure, so prayer is the best outlet. As we prayed our petitions before the Lord most high, I spoke out and said; "Please Lord I need answers…why not leave me a note on the breakfast table – AMEN!" Well about 6:30ish A.M. I came into the kitchen and, no note. "It's OK Lord, we are still good," I said. As I settled into a new day, I pulled up the Scripture to send out to Congregation Etz Chaim, as I do every morning…lo and behold my Abba in heaven sent me a note. The passage I pulled up said; "Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, but the LORD rescues him from them all." (Psalms 34.19). Have you truly made GOD your hiding place (Psalms 91)? Have you truly and sincerely called out to GOD (Jeremiah 33)? Today is a good day to start refining your communication with our heavenly Father…who knows, He might leave you a note on the breakfast table tomorrow morning. Blessing to you all.
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Yours in Messiah Yeshua; our Lord, our God, our soon coming King;
Rabbi Jack & Ellen
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