Walking in the Spirit
Getting out of Babylon
Romans 8:6
For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace.
There are many ministries in our world today vying for one’s attention and new ones rising up almost daily. Many of these ministries are showy in their appearance, appealing to the eye of the beholder. This eye-appeal becomes a deathtrap.
B’reshit (Genesis) 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
Please note one of the aspects of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is that its fruit is a delight to the eyes. In this age of the increase of knowledge, much of the knowledge available is a delight to the eyes. The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes are very closely related. Both lead a person away from walking in His Spirit. Such a path leads one away from life into death.
We raise both sheep and goats. Both animals are very smart, but there are some marked differences which can also be seen in people. The words of Yeshua as recorded in Matthew 25 indicate to us that there is a day coming in which the sheep and the goats are to be separated. The “sheep” shall have eternal life and the “goats” shall go away to destruction.
Of those reading this, it is safe to say that we all want to be sheep. In fact, almost universally, we all would claim to be sheep. In that teaching that Yeshua gave so long ago, He specified how to distinguish between a sheep-person and a goat-person. The difference is between what they did and did not do. It was not between what they believed and did not believe!
Underlying these actions are characteristics. Let us examine some of those characteristics in sheep and goats. Sheep are very smart animals. Sheep like to please their master, the shepherd. If they know what the shepherd desires, they will do it! They tend to be a little on the timid side, the ewes anyway. The rams can be quite aggressive, even protective of the ewes in the flock. Even ewes when they have babies can be protective of their babies, placing themselves between their babies and any perceived danger.
The one thing that sheep have trouble with is change. We milk our sheep (as well as our goats), which means that the ewes during milking season come into the milk room and get on the milk stand to be milked. They actually enjoy this routine. However, if something is changed, like if I dump a bag of feed into the feed-barrel and lay the empty sack off to the side, when the first sheep, Little Bit, comes into the milk room, as soon as she sees the empty sack, she will go no further until everything is back to the way it was the day before, and the day before that, and so on. Blackie, when she comes into the milk room, pokes her head in and looks around before she proceeds, making sure it is “safe,” that is, everything is the same. All the ewes are pretty much this way; they like sameness. This, to them, is equivalent to being safe.
Goats can be trained to do what the shepherd wants as well. However, if they see an opportunity to do something contrary, they will seize the opportunity. They are actually quite obstinate animals, even though they are equally as smart as sheep. They can be quite trying at times. They are curious animals and often get themselves in trouble. They continually get their heads stuck.
We used to have this one goat who, every time she walked by you, would intentionally step on your foot. Goats don’t care what is different or out of place. They only care about one thing, “feed me.” And the sooner the better!
Perhaps you are already beginning to see how these characteristics line up with human sheep and goats. Sheep can be trained to accept new things, but it takes time. Goats don’t care; as long as food is involved, they will accept it. Or, if it is something new, they likely will even go see what it is and taste it to see if it is good to eat. Sheep are not this way. They do not like new like goats do. Goats are easily distracted.
When a new ministry comes along, people will act towards it in one of two ways. They will flock right to it, hoping to be fed, looking for that new and exciting teaching. These are most likely goat-people. Sheep-people will stand back with a wait-and-see attitude, to make sure it is safe, before getting too close.
Ivrim (Hebrews) 5-12-14
12 For when by reason of the time you ought to be teachers, you have need again that someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of Elohim; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food.
13 For every one that partakes of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.
14 But solid food is for mature men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.
Goats act like little kids in a candy or toy store, running from one item to the next; whereas, a mature person tests the words of another with the good word of YHWH to make sure they are perfectly in line. If not, then he will not take it in. Furthermore, the mature one will open a dialog with the other party to see if a mutual understanding can be achieved concerning any point in question.
Brothers and sisters in Mashiach, be careful about running after flashy ministries that have a very high eye-appeal. Such ministries appeal to the flesh, and when a person allows the glitter to get into his eye, then his focus is no longer upon the Shepherd, but has moved into the flesh. Be wary of such men!
Yochanan (John) 6:63
“It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.”
Since I am already out on the proverbial limb, I might just as well go out a little further and express my full concern in this matter. These flashy ministries take from the sheep, but do little to build His kingdom. Many of them are building their own little kingdoms on the backs of His people. All the while, His true under-shepherds go hungry and struggle day to day. I know of a close friend who is a true man of Yah. Yet, he has people leave his assembly to go follow these flashy ministries. He has taken much time to disciple them, feed and nurture them, and they turn away from him as if he means nothing to them. This ought not to be so!
2nd Corinthians 3:6
who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
We need to learn to walk according to His Spirit. This means that each one of us needs to learn to hear and obey His Voice. This means that each one of us will walk by faith. We need to have the characteristics of a sheep, not a goat! In our seeking after the knowledge of YHWH, each person needs to make sure he is not chasing after baubles and glitter.
Honestly, if a ministry is asking for money, or charging for its teachings, is that walking by faith? Yeshua taught that one cannot serve Elohim and money. A person will serve one or the other, but not both. Do you want to follow after a ministry which is seeking your money? If you truly desire to walk by faith in the Spirit, then should you not expect those you allow to minister to you to do the same, that is, walk by faith? To be sure! Furthermore, how can a person learn to walk in the Spirit if those he is following are not walking by faith in the Spirit? Simply put, he cannot!
Romans 8:4
that the ordinance of the Torah might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Please allow me to be blunt here: asking for money, or charging money for teachings, is not walking by faith. Walking by faith in the Spirit means that one trusts in YHWH, in His sovereignty and provisions. I do not need to be concerned with where my next meal is coming from, YHWH Yireh-YHWH shall provide. But in order for this to be true, one must practice it! How can this be practiced if a ministry is asking for money?
Back in the seventies and eighties, there was a fairly well known ministry and its policy was never to ask for money. They walked by faith. And YHWH blessed this ministry. They produced good material, material worthy of sharing with others. However, one day I received a letter in the mail from this ministry. It was an appeal for money. My spirit was crushed and broken. I prayed and prayed on this and then wrote a letter to the person who had written the letter, begging him to reconsider. He wrote a nice put-me-off-letter in return. They had completely rejected my plea from His Spirit not to stop walking by faith. In less than a year, that ministry closed its doors due to financial difficulties. They had overextended themselves, because their focus was taken off of YHWH and placed on seeking after money.
No one is immune from this spiritual principle; no man can serve both Elohim and money![1]
Please, for your own sake, prayerfully consider this matter before YHWH our Elohim.
Zerubbabel Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com
torah@onetorahforall.com