CHAPTER ONE Surprise in the Air

It was a comment that wasnt supposed to be heard. The words were spoken by a nameless man to an audience of air. Yet somehow the remark drifted through the wind and into my ears. I will never forget that day. Those Christians all they do is talk about victory and peace. All they do is hoot and holler and preach about truth but I havent seen any real change. All this stuff is fake. Those are the words that penetrated my heart and have echoed in my mind ever since that bright sunny morning. You see, I had just given an encouraging sermon during a Sunday outreach to the homeless of Columbia, South Carolina. We had some great live music by a Gospel band called Yaacov and we had prayed for many of the needy who had come for worship and the hot breakfast that was served. I had felt satisfied with the service and was walking to my car. All was well until I felt like I was hit by my car through the observation of a homeless man that I have never seen again. Are we really considered fake? Is our talk of love, obedience to the Bible, and truth ignored because it doesnt bring real change for some? What is so wrong with us that even a homeless person will not respond to our message? To answer such an announcement I immediately thought of different passages of Scripture. Just think about it if you had to choose one verse that describes our faith and our message, which would you choose? John 3:16 is probably the most popular mantra for quick evangelism. The Great Commission in Matthew is powerful. 1 John 4:8 is another good passage that says whoever that does not love is not of God because God is Love. For those attempting to learn the Hebrew Roots of Christianity, Ezekiel 37 is a focal passage that is often spouted. These are all amazing verses and concepts but my heart could not settle upon any of them. Those Christians all they do is talk about victory and peace and the abundant life. All they do is hoot and holler and preach about truth but I havent seen any real change. All this stuff is fake.

It was an honest observation and probably something that needed to be stated, but ouch! Is this really what is thought of people of faith? Could this be why our friends and family do not share our love for the Savior or the nation of Israel? And more importantly why? Why does it seem that our faith has been hijacked by a powerless set of rules, conspiracy theories, orders of service, and traditions? Over the next few days I began to pray and seek the Almighty on these questions and that life altering statement. What I would get in return was a challenge to return to the simplicity of the Scriptures. The Messiah said in John 10:10 that He came so that we could have life and life more abundantly. The Savior didnt just come so that the world could be saved from hell and given eternal life in heaven. His quest was to give us life in abundance in the here and now. Such an abundant promise became the mission of my heart and the search of my soul. As I continued to pray about that morning and the mystery mans message, the Holy Spirit led me to 1 Corinthians 6:19. The more I began to think on this one single verse, the more I began to realize that this is the answer. Its the solution, the explanation, the basis, and the source. This one obscure verse holds the remedy to the soul thats sick of religion, rites, and quest to be right. Dont you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 1 Corinthians 6:19. No, it doesnt make the best bumper sticker and I doubt you would see anyone hold these words on a placard sign at Wrigley Field, but 1 Corinthians 6:19 is the key. This one passage opens up the Scriptural Pandoras box to describe our original intention at creation, our calling from Moses, and the purpose behind the Messiahs advent to Earth. Yep. 2 Corinthians 1:19 does all of that. And more. How? Well, this book is like a shovel to help you dig into this verse. Read the pages with an open mind, make notes, and pray the Scriptures. (Direct quotes from the Bible have been set in bold to aide your study.) As you flip through these pages, you will begin to see why being the temple of the Holy Spirit produces real change. You will learn how to go from talking about the abundant life to living the abundant life through the pattern of the temple. When you finish you may even be able to answer the question of those who challenge your own personal faith. Let the surprise in the air that shook me to the core work inside you through understanding what it means to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Back to the Basics

What does it really mean to be the "temple of the Holy Spirit?" Growing up in the Bible belt of South Carolina, I never saw a temple of anything. Sure, there is a church on every street corner and every Sunday the sounds of bells fill the air, but a temple? Hardly. I do remember as a child that my father would speak of going "to temple" before he and my mother were married. Dad was born Jewish and was raised to attend "temple" every Saturday. It surprised me that he never called his place of worship a church or even a synagogue. To him, and to many Jewish people, their place of worship is called a "temple." They do this in an effort to recall the glorious temple described in the Scriptures. The Temple (notice the capital T) was built by King Solomon and was modeled after the Tabernacle of Moses found in the Torah. Local "temples" are houses of worship that are made to remind the worshipper of the original Temple and Tabernacle of Israel. The Tabernacle, or "mishkan" in Hebrew, was the "tent of meeting" that the LORD/YHWH commanded the Israelites to build after they were rescued from the harsh slavery of Pharaoh in Egypt. (YHWH is the ancient Hebrew name of the Creator that was given to mankind in Exodus 3. The Scriptures declare that this is His name "forever, unto all generations." This name has been hidden in English Bibles behind the capitalized words "LORD" and "GOD." From this point forward this book will reference the Almighty as YHWH. For more on the name of YHWH visit www.emetministries.org.) YHWH used the nation of Israel through their enslavement and exodus to make His name known among the entire earth. When the Israelite people decided to accept the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 they capitalized upon the opportunity to reflect YHWH's glory. Through the various commandments given to the new nation, the Hebrew people could set themselves apart from the world and unto the glory of YHWH.

Upon the mountain, Moshe received exact and precise instructions for the building of the tabernacle or "mishkan." This portable dwelling of YHWH was to be a place of worship and a house of prayer for all people. It was here that YHWH would dwell within the camp as the Shekinah glory appeared above the golden mercy seat. Special sacrifices were offered in the mishkan's outer court while highly trained priests, would minister daily within the holy place. Once a year the High Priest would go behind the veil and enter the holy of holies of the tabernacle. This tent of meeting was the key to Israel's success as a nation and their role as ambassadors of YHWH's power. The entire nation accepted the call to be a "royal priesthood" in Exodus 19 and would worship through the tabernacle. Sadly, the people's actions did not match their words. The nation was gripped by fear and sent Moses up the mountain as an intercessor. Then in the absence of Moses the Israelites traded the worship of YHWH for the adoration of a golden calf. Later, the tabernacle would be set up but the nation would fail to walk in holiness. The Bible records how the glory of Israel faded when the nation fell into sin and the tabernacle fell into the wrong hands. Sin separated man from YHWH. The Priests, Kings, and Prophets begged the Israelites to return to true worship but the stubborn nation continued to rebel. It wasn't until the Messiah came to "tabernacle with man" that the nation of Israel saw the full glory of Father YHWH. Jesus/Y'shua did the works of His Father and brought praise to YHWH in everything He said and did. Hundreds were healed and thousands were freed by His message of "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Y'shua is the Hebrew name of the Savior that was given to him by the angels in Luke 2. He was never called "Jesus." His Hebrew parents gave him a Hebrew name. His name literally means "YHWH is salvation." From this point forward in this book, the Messiah's name will be restored to the original name of Y'shua. For more information on the name of Y'shua go to www.emetministries.org.) Y'shua brought the glory of the Tabernacle with Him wherever He went as He had been "anointed with the Holy Spirit and healed all who were oppressed of the devil." After His death and resurrection He passed along His power and anointing to the believing assembly. He said that "the same works I have done and greater works than these shall you do." The very same works that Y'shua did we can do as we allow the Holy Spirit to tabernacle in us! The teacher Paul understood this principle as he often wrote about the types and shadows of the Temple. In two different places he reminded us that we are now the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The glory lost by sin has been restored by the habitation of the Spirit in you. "Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by YHWH? You do not belong to yourself," 1 Corinthians 6:19.

"Don't you know that you yourselves are YHWH's temple and that YHWH's Spirit lives in you?" 2 Corinthians 3:16. I believe that these two verses best describe our faith. We are now the dwelling place and Temple of YHWH. Before Y'shua the Temple was the place of worship and the Holy Spirit, or "Ruach Ha Kodesh" in Hebrew, would come for a visitation when the people walked in covenant with YHWH. Today, we ARE the temple of YHWH and His Spirit has come for habitation! "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Messiah in YHWH," Colossians 3:3. The life of Messiah that has been hidden in your born again spirit can be released through the Word. "Whereby have been given exceeding great and precious promises: that by these we could be partakers of the divine nature," 2 Peter 3:4. Sadly, religion has removed the focus on the Temple being inside of us and placed it on outward actions and outward buildings. Ministry after ministry promotes themselves through marketing and branding in order to declare their unique mission. Recently a friend of mine was telling me of his desire to work with what he called "church planting." I thought he was speaking of missionary work and I said that such an idea seemed needed. He then commented that he was working to plant a church in our hometown. "Do we really need another church?" I asked him. He said, "what our town needs is a good church." I left that conversation totally bewildered at such "kingdom" building of people's pet doctrines. The truth is that the world, and certainly my small town, doesn't need another single church or ministry. What is needed is for the people of faith to be the "temple" or the place of faith that we so often read of in the Bible. We were made for this purpose... to show forth YHWH's glory and live His very life. At creation we received the very breath of life from YHWH. Genesis 2:7 says, "YHWH formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person." YHWH breathed His life into us. This is what made us different than the animal and plant kingdoms. YHWH's breath is His life. In Hebrew this is the word "neshama," which means "wind, spirit, air, and breath." YHWH breathed upon man and imparted his "breath" or "spirit" to us. Understand that this doesn't mean that we are little "gods." When YHWH breathed upon man He connected with us in the most intimate way possible. You don't just let anyone breathe in your face, do you? Well, YHWH breathed upon man and gave us a part of His glory.

Psalm 8 states that were made "a little lower than the angels and crowned with glory." Adam was created without sin and in the exact image of YHWH. Originally mankind was given the glory of YHWH in the spirit or "neshama." In the paradise of Eden mankind was created to be a perfect representation of YHWH. The Hebrew states we were made "b'tzelem Elohim" or "in the image of God/Elohim." As a physical shadow of the Almighty we were originally crowned with glory and given authority and power over all creation. At creation man was made threefold - he had a physical body, an emotional mind, and a glorious eternal spirit. But, when the first couple chose to be selfish and disobey the instructions of YHWH they "fell short of the glory" and tainted their spirit. Genesis actually indicates that Adam and Eve's spirit died and their neshama separated from YHWH. They then passed along a genetic defect of sin to all mankind in the spirit realm. The curse of sin also affected the physical and emotional realms. Sin has caused mankind to "lose" or "fall short" of the glory. The fall of Adam affected the spiritual DNA of mankind as we who were meant to be eternal can now experience death. The original temptation was to question the Almighty's warning of death. "Ye shall not surely die" questioned the serpent. But die they did. Sin and the curses of sin entered humanity Adam so that he and his sons would no longer have eternal life. Their flesh would be inclined towards evil. Noah's generation experienced this so much that they had to be washed away from the face of the earth. Each person born after Adam and Eve enters the world with an innate desire to receive for self alone. Everyone in the world is not a "child of God." 1 John 3:10 states that the world is full of the "children of the devil." You and I were born into this world with a dead spirit thanks to our sinful ancestor Adam. That is why we must be "born again" in the spiritual realm unto YHWH. I remember the day that I was born into the family of YHWH. It was at a Baptist church service that I felt the conviction of the Spirit and I understood the heavy cost of my sinful deeds. Though I was just a boy I knew that my selfish actions and attitude destined me to a life separated from YHWH. I confessed my sins and accepted the Savior's free gift of eternal life. As I prayed at the altar my life was changed in the most amazing way. The Scriptures declare that "if any man is in Christ he is a new creation; all things have become new." Because of the free gift of salvation, those who call upon the name of Y'shua are transformed and taken from the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of light. At salvation the Holy Spirit, or "Ruach Ha Kodesh" in Hebrew, enters and empowers man. This one idea, of YHWH living in the midst of mankind is what makes our faith unique in the world's religions. We do not think we

are little gods like the New Age claims. Nor do we believe that god honors us with eternal life because of our good deeds or martyrdom as the Muslims teach. The Biblical faith proclaims that those who repent, turn from their wicked ways, and accept the blood of Y'shua as final and full payment of sin will be inhabited by the Spirit of YHWH. The Almighty, through His Spirit, actually enters each believer and life is instantly changed forever. Of course, this change happens on the inside of us and not in our body or even in our emotional realm. There is no physical sign at salvation. You don't get a halo or glow in the dark powers when your sins are forgiven. Because of this lack of salvation "evidence" the world scoffs that the Bible's plan of redemption doesn't work (like the homeless man did.) It is true that if you are physically fat or mentally slow before accepting the Messiah then you are probably not going to instantly look like a swim suit model or have the smarts of Einstein. When 2 Corinthians 5:17 says "all things have become new" and that "you are a new creation" the Bible is speaking specifically and solely about your born again spirit. When you were saved your spirit was totally changed from a sinful nature to a holy set apart spirit full of power and ability. According to Romans 10:9 and 10, a person is delivered from darkness (or "saved") when they "believe in their heart that Y'shua is their Master and confesses with their mouth that YHWH raised Him from the dead." A person who earnestly repents of their sins and turns from their wicked ways by calling upon the name of YHWH Y'shua is instantly born again in their spirit (and not their mind or body). What happens in the spiritual realm is that the evil inclination or sinful nature instantly and completely is crucified and resurrected with Y'shua. At this moment all of the Ruach Ha Kodesh or Holy Spirit comes into man. Salvation is when the glory of creation is restored because your spirit is joined to YHWH's Spirit. You are now sons and daughters of YHWH, joint heirs with Y'shua, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:17, "he who is joined to YHWH is one spirit with YHWH." Adam's sin created a rift of death in the spirit of man. No longer would mankind enter the world as perfect. Instead, we are each born with an inclination to sin because our spirit is first dead to YHWH and alive to sin. Genesis 8 and Jeremiah 18 suggest that at birth our heart is "evil" and inclined to sin. Judaism calls this desire to receive for self alone the "yetzer hara" or the "evil inclination." Judaism though only provides the Law of Moses or "Torah" as a remedy for the evil sinful nature. Torah does many things but it can't transform a person's spirit.

Altering behavior through obeying the Torah/Law does NOT change the spiritual DNA makeup of a person. Even the Pharisee Nichodemous was told that he "must be born again." Nick's obedience to the Torah couldn't bring him eternal life because it didn't change his spirit. Nichodemous, like all other Old Testament saints, didn't have the Holy Spirit inside of them and therefore did not experience the regeneration of YHWH. The Newer Testament says that at salvation a person is "translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light." This transformation turns us into the exact dwelling place and temple of YHWH by changing our spirit. Though this may seem elementary, many people have a gross misunderstanding of the basic principles laid out in this book about spirit, soul, and body. Sadly, most believers think they have a type of spiritual schizophrenia. How? Well, it's a popular belief that saints have the Holy Spirit, an evil fleshly spirit, a human spirit, a mind, and a natural fleshly tendency bent towards sin. No wonder we walk around confused and defeated! The Scriptures teach that if you are born again then you have a fleshly body, a mind of emotions, and a spirit that has been joined to YHWH. Don't get confused! You were meant for more than what you have experienced as "religion" in the past. YHWH wants to manifest His glorious power in you and through you by helping you understand the Temple inside of you. In the Tanakh (Older Testament) the tabernacle was called the "tent of meeting." This is the exact place where YHWH would come to meet with Israel. Today we are the "tent of meeting" where YHWH dwells daily. It was never YHWH's intention to meet with you for only one hour on Sunday morning. You were created for His glory and to manifest His presence every day of your life. The glory that was originally given to Adam, the very same glory that shown at the mishkan in the wilderness, is in each person who has repented of their sins and been born from above. Don't you know that you are the temple of the Ruach Ha Kodesh? It is the recognition of this amazing fact that can change lives and lead people to walk in righteousness and obedience. We are the Temple! YHWH isn't just for us or looking at us - YHWH is in us! "Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by YHWH? You do not belong to yourself," 1 Corinthians 6:19. The tabernacle/temple in the Older Testament is a perfect picture of our life today. How? The tabernacle had three distinct compartments which were the outer court, the inner court, and the holy of holies. You, as the temple of YHWH, have an outer court

body, an inner court mind, and a heart for your holy of holies. We may call these different terms, like spirit, soul, or body, but we are referencing the same things. The remainder of this book will help you understand mishkan organization and worship. Through learning these basic concepts you can mature in your faith walk in all that Y'shua has for you. The true faith is not about a building called the Temple or your neighborhood church, but about being the Temple. This simple revelation will free us from religious bondage and defeat so that we can know YHWH better and be the change that has been promised in the Bible. The world doesn't need any more churches, temples or synagogues. Buildings and organizations don't offer real solutions. What the world needs today is for believers to be the Temple of YHWH and reflect the glory of YHWH.

Will you accept this challenge?

FOLLOW IN FEAR
Lesson Three of Fully Trained: A Guide to Maturity in the Faith. By Daniel Rendelman www.emetministries.org The loving and sometimes tumultuous bond between a husband and wife is a perfect picture of our relationship with our Master Yshua. Over time, two polar opposites join together to become a union of love in order to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Thats you with your spouse and with your husband Yshua. You were meant to grow up into maturity to become a spiritual spouse of Yshua and parent to other believers. The Almighty doesnt save anyone just so they can trudge through life without hope, sit on a pew awaiting the rapture, or remain immature. You were rescued from an eternity of death so that you can know YHWH and make Him known. Like it or not, when you prayed to accept Yshua as your master and Savior you were actually speaking wedding vows. A little boy was attending his first wedding. After the service, his cousin asked him, "How many women can a man marry?" "Sixteen," the boy responded. His cousin was amazed that he had an answer so quickly. "How do you know that?" "Easy," the little boy said. "All you have to do is add it up, like the preacher said: 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer." Wedding vows are sacred words shared to express a covenant agreement to stick together through thick and thin or good days and bad. Of course these promises arent a magical spell that guarantees lifelong commitment or love. To have a lasting relationship takes work, work, and more work. This is true for our physical union and your spiritual union. We have learned spiritual maturity isnt measured by what you know, how long you

have been saved, what deeds you perform, or your righteous standing before YHWH. (Read parts 1 & 2 of this series if you havent yet.) Our measurement is defined by Messiah in Matthew 5:48 when He said to be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. To be perfect means to be complete and without blemish. You cant be sinless like Yshua but you can be perfect for moments and maybe even longer. Perfection comes as you strive towards maturity in the faith. The Scriptures are clear that each believer should progress from death to life and from an infant to a parent in order to reach spiritual maturity. The pattern for achieving the abundant life promised by Messiah Yshua is to first become a disciple and then make other disciples. You start your relationship, learn the truth, walk in the knowledge of what you know, and then share that with others. Growth takes place as we learn the Bible and apply its message to our life. It does not happen automatically over time. In Hebrew the word for disciple is the term talmid. A talmid is a student, apprentice, and follower of a Teacher that learns the teachers words and ways and then makes other followers. He is accountable to someone and holds others accountable. The pattern that Yshua used to define discipleship is easily found in Matthew 4:19 when He said, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. This is a key passage to dissect and understand if you want to know about discipleship. It is actually a type of wedding proposal. Yshua offers his lifes blood as a mark of engagement and begs you to accept His proposal. The phrase, follow me indicates the first step of discipleship. Following Y'shua is more than just believing Him or accepting Him. To follow Y'shua means you walk after Him until you die and are resurrected as a new creation. This is a duty of the mind that will affect your emotions, will, and thinking. To be like Yshua is the purpose of discipleship. And its the reason why you were saved from eternal damnation in the first place. Luke 6:40 says, "every disciple /

talmid fully trained will be like his teacher." This one verse encompasses this entire subject. The Messiah often presented do or die scenarios to those who came to him. You cant have a girlfriend and a wife at the same time, nor can you follow Yshua and be selfish. Once he told a person to sell all of their belongings and give up the good life to follow his dusty sandals across the land of Israel. Priorities can easily get out of whack as we learn the tenets of the Bible and relearn the various issues that have been manipulated. Many of these areas are good to consider and are noteworthy for learning, yet there are some things that should take precedence and need attention first. There are weightier matters of the Torah that we should consider. We must be careful not to get the proverbial cart before the horse if we want to go anywhere in our own personal spiritual life. In Matthew 4 Yshua approached a few guys that were out fishing on a boat. The Messiah worked a miracle before their very eyes and then challenged them to come and follow me. The first step of maturity in the faith is making the choice to leave the world and follow Messiah. When Y'shua called the disciples he said "come and follow me." To follow someone you must first leave. Separating yourself from the world means that you leave "normal" routines and habits to "come" to Messiah. As you walk with YHWH you will become holy or kadosh. The ancient word kadosh literally means set apart. When you are kadosh you are set apart from this world and the things of this world. There are many distractions or better yet, distractSINS that stop us from focusing on our spiritual maturity. Remember the words of Yshua every disciple fully trained will be like his teacher." Are you fully trained and fully like your Messiah Yshua in thought and deed? If you are not fully trained then do you really have time to entertain yourself, jump into learning the Hebrew language, take a trip to Israel, or tell everyone you meet about your faith? If you are not fully trained

should you live as if you are fully trained? The original talmidim were with Messiah for about 12 hours every day for three and a half years. Following Yshua takes total commitment and total abandonment. In the book of John we see three distinct duties of a disciple. These describe our ideal life as follower of Messiah. First, we must be abiding in YHWHs word. So Yshua was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free," John 8:31-32. To abide in YHWH's word is to remain or to hold fast the teachings of His word. Discipleship is not a simply a decision of belief at some point in time but an ongoing process of thinking on the word and obeying the word. The result of abiding in Messiah's word is freedom ... spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin until we are dead to sin and alive to Yshua. Victory over sin comes as our heart and emotions are totally set unto YHWH. Abiding is the first duty of a disciple. Then as we are walking in the Word and leaving our life of sin behind we will bear fruit. And finally, a disciple turns his affection and devotion for YHWH towards other people. Loving one another is a duty of a disciple. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another," John 13:34-35. Love should be what really sets us apart from the world as kadosh. When you are fully trained you will be like Yshua. Thats your goal as a follower. You are to walk in His ways and reflect his life in this dark world. All of this will lead you to love one another with selfless devotion. Selfless devotion. Think about those two words for just a minute. What relationship should be characterized by selfless devotion? Our bond with YHWH and our marriage to our spouse should embody this concept.

A good spiritual relationship with your husband Yshua and a good marriage relationship doesnt happen by accident. You must be intentional with your spiritual growth. Abiding in the Word requires intentionally seeking YHWH when it is convenient and when it is not. Being a good husband requires loving when its easy and when its not. You cant abide in YHWH if you allow the weekly worship service define your spiritual life. Imagine that you lived for yourself six days a week and then on the seventh day you simply spent an hour with your spouse and spoke sweet words of love to her. Would that last for long? No, a lasting relationship requires time and effort. Once a week worship doesnt cut it for those who are to be fully trained. The Scriptures must be in our mind and on our mind every single day. This starts with a quiet time to listen and learn from YHWH in the morning. When was the last time you took a few minutes to sit and soak up YHWHs goodness before the day got a hold of you? Dedicating some time each day to begin in YHWHs Word with prayer sets the tone for the remainder of the day. To be fully trained you must be fully committed to YHWH. Being committed to any relationship requires time and effort. If you are dedicated to your relationship with your spouse then you will meet their needs and persevere through the thick and thin. When things are good with your wife you will enjoy the closeness. As things get tough you will dig in and endure. Your partners needs and desires will be on your concern. Loyalty and allegiance turns a selfish life into one of love and service. Marriage is a solemn covenant between a man and woman. Its a decision to love that shouldnt be entered into easily and certainly shouldnt be ended easily. Today, over 50% of marriages end in messy divorces that damage children and rip apart families. Most of these marriages occur because someone stops being devoted to their lover and finds attention somewhere else. To be married is a decision that is

made over and over again. Spiritually, we must choose to build our relationship by deciding to walk in covenant with YHWH every single day. Indeed, something you need to decide each morning before you get out of bed is if you will be faithful to YHWH. No wonder believers are called the bride of Messiah. As followers, as the spouse of Yshua we choose to be faithful and to keep YHWH in mind. Psalm 16:8 tells us to continually set YHWH before you. Life is different when you are ever mindful of Yshuas presence in you and with you. Dont you behave differently when you know that someone is watching and could be influenced by your behavior? Setting YHWH before you is a natural by product of abiding in the Word. The more you read, study, think on, and share the Scriptures you will notice that you mind will be renewed and your life transformed before your very eyes. The first step of this process is to choose to come after YHWH to follow Him. As you choose to seek Him you must leave your life of convenience and comfort to be united to YHWH. Like marriage, the two shall become one through willfully abiding in the Word. In marriage respect must be given and received. The mans position as the head of the household should be respected. The woman as the emotional caregiver needs to be honored for her delicate qualities. The Hebrew concept of respect is woven throughout the Scriptures. Instead of translating the ancient term yirah as respect or reverence the Bible uses the English word fear. Throughout the Bible idea of the fear of YHWH is really the respect of YHWH. To fear YHWH is to esteem and hold Him in deep regard. The yisar of YHWH comes as you abide in the Word and write His commandments upon your heart. Proverbs 2 explains, My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,

and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of YHWH and find the knowledge of Elohim. The fear of YHWH is similar to the natural fears you may have in life. If youre afraid of spiders, clowns, or heights then you are paralyzed by just the sight of such. Instantly you think, what will happen to me if That should be the same response we have as we walk in the fear/respect of YHWH. The fear of YHWH understands that for every action there is a reaction and for every cause there is an effect. Having the yisar YHWH means that you realize that these effects arent usually instant. With a snake its easy to see the instant ramifications of getting too close. But with the sin areas in our life we dont normally experience sudden punishment. There are curses associated with disobedience and defiance. There are blessings that come with devotion and observance. It is by abiding in the Word and then allowing the fear of YHWH to be in our mind that we set out on our journey to be made into Yshuas image and are fully trained. The fear of YHWH is a concept that stretches the text of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This is a subject that must be studied and understood before a meaningful relationship with the Creator can develop. Fear is a scary concept. It can paralyze or it can inspire. Everyone is afraid of something. There is a difference though, in fearing stuff or fearing man and fearing the Almighty.To fear YHWH is a direct command of the Scriptures, it is one of the 613 mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah, yet it is forgotten. You shall fear YHWH your Elohim, and serve Him, and shall swear by His Name. You shall not go after other Elohim, Deuteronomy 6: 13, 14. We know a lot about many of the commandments in the Torah, now it is time to learn about fearing YHWH! While making a toast during a wedding reception the master of ceremonies raised his voice and called a wedding ring the smallest set of handcuffs in the world, then he

said, there are three rings to a healthy marriagethe engagement ring, the wedding ring, and the suffering. To fear YHWH is to possess an emotional trait equal to a set of handcuffs. The fear of YHWH allows us to go and do as our Master allows. Then, our hands will be tugged if we go a little too far on our own. Our handcuff is pulled back when we dont see the impending danger of our actions or if we cross a dangerous line. This is the idea of yirah YHWH. Scary Hebrew terminology? Not really. The phrase yirah YHWH is pretty simple to grasp. It literally means to be, terrified, exceedingly dreadful, morally reverent, terribly frightened. We need the restraint that the yirah YHWH provides. And now, O Israel, what does YHWH ask of you but to fear YHWH, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve YHWH with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe YHWH's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?, Deuteronomy 10:12-13. In this passage from Deuteronomy we see that the commands and decrees were given for our own good. As we learn of His ways we will fear Him for our own good! We need to understand that to yirah YHWH is to respect the results of lifes decisions. It is directly connected to our acts of service, to the devotion of our heart, and to our love of the Saint. When we yirah YHWH we are, in essence, acknowledging the laws that He has set in place to govern the universe. We are seeing Him as the Melek, the king of the universe. We are seeing the power of sin to displease Him, to warrant His punishment upon us. In understanding exactly what yirah YHWH means, lets consider a few verses on the subject:

Job 28:28

(way to walk) a, and the perverted mouth, Proverbs 8:13

HWH men depart from evil, Proverbs 16:6 from evil, Proverbs 3:8It is easy to see that the function of the fear of YHWH is to actually bring wisdom. The yisar of YHWH is the means by which we turn away from evil. As we turn to YHWH and from evil we are made wise. The more we abide in the word as talmidim the more we should fear YHWH. Why? Well, the more of the Torah we learn the more we more we realize we dont know. As we discover the various commandments about life we soon grasp that we cant keep the commandments properly or in totality. The Newer Testament says that to know to do right and not do it is sin. Having our eyes opened to YHWHs purpose for us to walk in His Word should make us tremble with fear and respect for His ways. Its not easy to follow our Master Yshua and observe the Torah of YHWH. The disciples struggled as we do today. The answer to their issues was yirah YHWH. Remember how they were once on a boat that was quickly sinking. A storm had come up and was causing their afternoon on the lake to become a nightmare. The winds beat the sail, the waves pounded the hull, and the water poured into the ship. Fear gripped them as they witnessed their craft transform into a coffin. They cried out to Yshua to help and the storm was calmed. With just a few words from the Masters mouth the situation went from sudden death to suddenly sunny. The response of the disciples is worth our attention. Luke 8:22-25 says they were amazed and awestruck at the power of Yshua. Being a talmid, or a fisher of men, requires the fear of YHWH while you are on the waters of life. The day Yshua told these same fishermen to come and follow me he was giving them a mental choice. To decide to follow Him is a choice of will. As the mind is renewed by the Word of YHWH then His fear should fill us. Following is a duty of the mind that will eventually affect your heart and your hands. When you fear YHWH you

admire, esteem, value, regard, and hold his Word in high opinion. A person who has the yirah YHWH acts differently than one without it. It should cause us to shudder at the idea of our actions and thoughts grieving the Holy Spirit and dulling our hearts to holiness. Now, you might not think you should fear your spouse but Biblically fear in marriage is a good thing. Husbands and wives should respect and appreciate each other. You shouldnt shake at the sound of your husband walking in the room but its perfectly okay to give him honor. And husbands definitely shouldnt be afraid of their wife yet men should regard her opinion and value her actions. It has been noted that the longer a couple stays together the more they begin to think like each other. Through time and attention, wives can finish their husbands sentences and men can finally figure out what their bride is thinking. As you walk with YHWH and persist in the Word your mind will be in tune with the Spirit and your thoughts will become His thoughts. YHWH hates evil and you as well will begin to hate evil. This implies that your decisions will be different as a talmidim who seeks to be fully trained. As you get closer to Yshua you will begin to despise and be repelled by evil, murder, death, violence, sin, perversion, jealousy, and envy. "The fear of YHWH is to hate evil" Proverbs 8:13. Do you hate evil or do you tolerate it? Is evil allowed to enter into your home or mind from the Internet, television, or movie theatre? King David teaches the fear of YHWH in Psalm 34. Here he says to "Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile. Turn away from evil, and do good, seek peace and pursue it." Turning from evil should lead to doing good. It is possible, and indeed it should be normal, for a believer to walk in step with the Spirit so much and so long that people cant tell you apart from your Messiah. Is that you today? Are you a good representation of Yshua on this earth? What if everyone in your congregation or family had the same spiritual life as you do? Would they be

better off or would the world be a worse place? These are tough questions to consider but they need our attention and consideration. By simply thinking like this we can empower the fear/respect of YHWH in our lives. As you abide in the Word and fear YHWH you will indeed seek to obey the commandments. That he may learn to fear YHWH by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes," Deuteronomy 17:19. Abraham, Moses and others proved their fear of YHWH by walking in His commandments. The Prophet Samuel counseled the Israelites to "fear YHWH and serve Him in truth with all your heart." Children obey because they do not want to be punished for their rebellion. As you mature in your spiritual walk, you shouldnt obey just because you fear the punishment of our sins. Instead, we should fear walking out of the will of YHWH by disobedience and allowing our hearts to be hardened. Sin does this. It cuts off our fellowship with YHWH and puts up a wall between us and our Savior. Think of it this way, maybe the fear of YHWH is actually that YHWHs fear. If YHWH could fear anything, what would the Creator fear? What would make the Almighty El Shaddai shudder? Surely being separated from your children makes you fear and the same makes YHWH fear. YHWH fears and hates the distance placed between us and Him when we walk away from His goodness. That chasm is covered when we abide in YHWHs word and set His presence always before us. Yshua said, "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments," John 14:15. Obedience should spring from our love for YHWH. That is a much better motive than fear of punishment. Maturity then sets in as you remain in YHWHs word and keep the fear of YHWH in mind throughout your day. A disciple is committed to the yisah YHWH because it produces the fruit of maturity. By keeping His Word constantly before you your spiritual life and your married life will prosper. As you abide in the Word and walk in the fear of YHWH you will abide the

fruit of the Spirit. Becoming one flesh with Yshua is what the faith is all about. The Christian movie Fireproof tells the story of a marriage between Caleb and Catherine Holt that is in crisis. The two finally decide to divorce. However, Caleb's father, proposes that his son delays their separation process for forty days and follow a procedure called "The Love Dare" to make them love each other again. Its a daily plan of love and devotion that Calebs parents used to save their own marriage. Yes, daily and intentional actions can rescue any relationship from the pits of despair. Thats just another reason YHWH gave us His Word to read and apply daily. Instead of reading the Fireproof book, perhaps you should take a reading and action challenge unique to the Scriptures. To help progress on to maturity take the 31 Day Proverbs Challenge. For the next 31 days read and meditate on the Proverb for the day. The details of the challenge are below. As you do this you will abide in the Word and learn to fear YHWH, then you can produce His fruit in your life. This Scripture based experiment will indeed help you to walk in the fear and respect of YHWH so that your relationship with the Savior and others improves. Starting today, read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to today's date. For example, if today is May 17th read Proverbs 17. If today is May 20th read Proverbs 20. If today is May 1st read Proverbs 1. After reading the chapter, choose one verse from the chapter that you want to share with someone. From our earlier example, if today you read Proverbs 17 then you might choose Proverbs 17:10 "A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool." Or you may choose Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity." You may find it hard to choose just one. Then go public with it! Post it on your Facebook status or twitter account. Add it to the auto signature on your emails. Make a point of working it into a conversation throughout the day. Sit down as a

family or with a group of friends and share which verse you chose. Make a T-Shirt. The possibilities are endless... Then, tomorrow, do it all over again...for the next 31 days. FOLLOW IN FEAR Lesson Three of Fully Trained: A Guide to Maturity in the Faith. www.emetministries.com RELATE . . . Begin your group time by engaging in relational conversations and prayer that may include the following elements: Welcomea simple, brief time to greet one another (especially new friends), enjoy refreshments, and make announcements. Reviewa time to review the truths discussed last week and report on how members have had success or frustrations in applying those truths during the week. (The leader will want to provide encouragement and shepherding during this time.) Occasionally, the leader will want to review the vision for the group and discuss ways to accomplish that vision better. Prayera time of general prayer with the whole group praying for struggles regarding the application of truths, for those with whom the group is sharing the Scriptures, and for understanding of todays truths. REFLECT . . . Use the following summary and questions to review this weeks message and reflect on its implications for our lives. (As a training tool, leaders might want to have various members summarize the teachings in their own words each week sharing how they think the Scripture applied to the original hearers and how the principles apply to us today.) Group Discussion and Message Review Use the following questions to discuss the teaching and help review the application of YHWHs Word to our Head (What does YHWH want me to know?), to our Heart (What does YHWH want me

to desire?), and to our Hands (What does YHWH want me to do?). s to mature as they come after Messiah. Describe how following first starts with leaving.

Yshua. Discuss how we are the bride of Messiah and how we must love Him above all else? What is spiritual infidelity? -32 and then Proverbs 2:1-6 and discuss what it means to abiding in YHWHs word will teach us to fear and respect YHWH. you know? Why is a study of this important?

What place does the fear of YHWH have in our spiritual transformation? s Word. When you have His fear you are concerned of grieving the Holy Spirit. How can people grieve the Holy Spirit today? How have you allowed sin to harden your heart in the past? What are you doing today to show that you indeed hate sin? s how the fear of YHWH affects your daily walk. Review Job 28:28, Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 16:6 and Proverbs 3:8. -25. Why did they fear Yshua? How does the reverence of Yshua inspire worship and adoration? A once a week worship service will not meet all of your spiritual needs. How can spending time in the Scriptures each day change your life? Do you set aside time for worship and prayer each day? the Word of YHWH daily and share what you learn with others. Will you accept this challenge starting today? How can you hold yourself accountable for reading one Proverb a day? ou comfortable

with your current pace of spiritual growth?

what it means to you? Why is it important to memorize YHWHs word? salm 16:8. Memorize this verse in the first person I have set YHWH always before. Because He holds my right hand, I shall not move. RESPOND . . . Encourage your group to break out into smaller, same-gender groups where they will respond to the truths of todays study. These groups will share with one another based on the following questions and then close in prayer: o know from this study? do your thoughts need to adjust to align with these truths?

YHWH want you to take according to the truths of this study?

Close this time by praying for each other, specifically for strength to apply these truths, for personal needs, for the lost people with whom you are seeking to share the truth with.FOLLOW IN FEAR Lesson Three of Fully Trained: A Guide to Maturity in the Faith. www.emetministries.com In Hebrew the word for disciple is the term ____________________. To be like Yshua is the purpose of discipleship. "Every disciple / talmid fully ____________________ will be like his ____________________." When Y'shua called the disciples he said "____________________ and ____________________ me." The Hebrew word for holy is ____________________ .

The book of John gives three distinct duties of a disciple. These describe our ideal life as follower of Messiah. First, we must be ____________________ in YHWHs word according to John 8:31-32. Then we will bear fruit and ____________________ one another. ____________________ should be what really sets us apart from the world as kadosh. To be fully trained you must be fully ____________________ to YHWH. Being committed to any relationship requires time and effort. How much time and effort goes into your daily faith? Psalm 16:8 tells us to continually ____________________ YHWH before you. Setting YHWH before you is a natural by product of abiding in the Word. The more you read, study, think on, and share the Scriptures you will notice that your mind will be renewed and your life transformed before your very eyes. The first step of this process is to choose to come after YHWH to follow Him. The Hebrew concept of respect is woven throughout the Scriptures. Instead of translating the term yirah as respect or reverence the Bible uses the English word ____________________. We need to understand that to yirah YHWH is to respect the ____________________ of lifes decisions. When we yirah YHWH we are, in essence, acknowledging the laws that He has set in place to govern the universe. We are seeing Him as the Melek, the king of the universe. We are seeing the power of sin to displease Him, to warrant His punishment upon us. The yisar of YHWH is the means by which we turn away from ____________________. As we turn to YHWH and from evil we are made wise. The more of the Torah we learn the more we more we realize we dont know. A person who has the yirah YHWH acts differently than one without it. It should cause us to ____________________ at the idea of our actions and thoughts grieving the Holy Spirit and dulling our hearts to holiness. "The fear of YHWH is to ____________________ evil" Proverbs 8:13. To help progress on to maturity take the 31 Day Challenge. For the next 31 days read and meditate on the ____________________ for the day. As you do this you will abide in the Word and

learn to fear YHWH, then you can produce His fruit in your life and progress towards maturity.FULLY TRAINED