Holy Scriptures and Israel

Gideon Levytam: The study of Ephesians chapter 6 that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 6. If we want to please the Lord and be able to withstand the wiles of the devil who shoot those darts against us, we need to believe and trust God. Now it’s easy to say, it’s easy to challenge, it’s another thing. Every one of us have things in our lives that we somehow don’t trust God for.

There was one man who said many years ago, he says we trust God for our soul, our eternal soul, but we don’t trust God for a piece of bread. Isn’t it amazing? We all can say it. Lord, you know, we are like the man who came to Yeshua says, "Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief."

And you remember what the Proverbs, King Solomon, Shlomo HaMelech, said to our people of old Israel: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path." Proverbs chapter 3. Trust in the Lord, believe on the Lord. We believed on him for salvation, but we also now we are to have faith on him in our day-by-day life.

It’s not easy, brothers and sisters. Again, as I mentioned, the Lord deals with each one of us. But what I am saying, what Paul is saying, what the Spirit of God is saying to us, he says if you want to be able to stand, you have to believe. If you want to be able to stand in an evil day, you will have to trust God. He knows better than you and I know. He knows why he allows us to be where we are today.

We are going and you and I might go through problems right now in your own life, in my life, and we don’t understand. "Lord, why is it that you allow me to go through this problem?" He knows, but he says trust me. Believe that I will carry you through. For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. He has a purpose in our lives and he wants us to trust him. He wants us to believe on him.

And that’s like a shield. You notice it says in verse 16, "Above all, taking the shield of faith." Why? Because with the shield of faith, you shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. Here is another name for Satan. Not only accuser, Satan, the devil, not only Satan, not only the serpent, the lion, he is called "the wicked." He is a wicked one and he is shooting those darts.

And every time he is pointing to an area where we are not covered, whether it is with truth, whether it is with righteousness, whether it is the feet of a gospel of peace, or whether it is lack of trust in God, lack of faith. And that’s why we need to pray, "Lord, we believe but help our unbelief."

Then fifthly, you notice the fifth part of this armor is the helmet of salvation. And it is amazing what you cover. Notice I am reading verse 17a: "And take the helmet of salvation." Now what does he mean? You know, the helmet, I know that as a soldier that I used to have this helmet. It was too heavy and to put it on, you have to tie it hard. And the helmet is very hard. Why? Because if a bullet comes or a portion of a bomb fall on you, if you fall on the ground, you don't hurt your head.

And if you hurt your head, it affects your whole body. And for us spiritually speaking, it speaks about the mind. We are to have the helmet of salvation to realize that our mind has to be protected by the assurance of the salvation that we have through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. And we are to have our mind filled with that which is good and healthy.

You remember what Paul said elsewhere in the book of Philippians, Philippians chapter 2, where it says in verse 5, "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus" or the Messiah Yeshua. In other words, our mind, you know how Satan is playing with our mind. Just like I mentioned earlier in the garden of Eden to Chavah, to Eve, "Has God said?" He causes us to doubt. He causes our mind to be filled with all that which is not good for us.

It is amazing how the television world, the movie world, the signs outside the world, they know very well if we will fill their mind, we will influence them and we will get them. That’s what Satan does to us. He fills our mind with evil thoughts, with evil desires, and that’s why we pray to him. We allow him to influence us and therefore it is so important to put upon our head the helmet of salvation.

Just a verse here I am going to read in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. It says in verse 1, "Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly and indeed bear with me." Verse 2, "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to the Messiah." "But I fear by any means as the serpent have beguiled Eve through the subtlety, so your mind," listen to this, "should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, in the Messiah."

You see what he is saying to the brothers and sisters in the local assembly at Corinth? Just the same like Satan beguiled Eve, I’m concerned about you, Corinthians, because Satan is capable to beguile you or corrupt your mind from the simplicity which is in the Messiah. 2 Corinthians 11 verses 1, 2, and 3. Paul, Shaul, challenged the Corinthians and he is saying to the Ephesians and to you and I, "Put upon you also," verse 17a, "the helmet of salvation."

And finally in verse 17b, in connection with those sixfold portions of the armor of God, he is talking about the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And notice what he says verse 17, "And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." Now you notice that the previous five seem to be for protection: belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet. And then finally, he is talking about a sword.

But what does he mean when he talks about the sword? He doesn’t intend for us to go and start to cut people and to use the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God in order to cut people. The opposite. The Word of God, and let me read you a verse quickly here in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12. This is a very important verse. He said, "For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intent of the heart."

The Word of God, the sword of the Spirit, has two-edged sword. It’s a sword that is enabled not only necessarily to attack someone but to deal with our own self. The two-edged sword that speaks about a discerner of the truth, a discerner of that which is right and that which is wrong. And so we are to have this sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and to use the Word of God to apply it not only to someone else but to ourselves.

To have that knife, that sword not only cuts someone else but also deals with our self-judgment, speak to our heart. You know, it’s very quickly we can use the Word of God to apply to someone else while we neglect to apply it to our own self. The Word of God was given for me, for you, for us. We can share it, but we are to apply it to ourselves. You look at the history of our people. David says, "Oh, how I love thy law! It is my meditation the whole day long." David says in Psalm 119.

And what about Nehemiah? What about Ezra? What about all the men and women of God historically among the people of Israel as well as the believers in the church age? They apply the Word of God to themselves. Therefore, that is an important part of the armor of God which every one of us need in our life. And brothers and sisters, really, all this sixfold is really speaking to us of Yeshua the Messiah. He is the belt. He is the breastplate. He is the shoes. He is the shield. He is the helmet. He is the Word of God. He is the one that we can place upon ourselves to make ourselves living a life of victory here in this world.

Romans chapter 13, Paul says in verse 12, 13, and 14: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light." He continued in verse 13 and he says, "Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and in drunkenness, not in chambering and in wantonness, not in strife and envy." But listen to verse 14: "But put ye on the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof."

What he is really saying, the armor of God is the person of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah as he mentioned it in Romans 13 and verse 14: "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and do not make provision for the flesh or for the devil." And that is so important for us to remember. And may the Lord help us with this because it’s easily spoken about. It’s another thing to be able to do so. And may the Lord help us to do so.

Now quickly, the last verses, verse 18 on. In verse 18 to 20, the importance of prayer. Before he conclude with an encouraging remarks at the end of the book, verses 21 to 24, Paul first in verse 18 to 20 emphasize the important of prayer. And I would suggest that you and I, if we are honest, can say, "Lord, I know if there is anything that I am weak in is the time of prayer with you. If there is anything that I fail in is to take the time to pray."

It says in verse 18, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." Again, just the same like he mentioned four times the word "stand" in the previous verses 11 on, he mentioned in verse 18 four times the word "all." And I want you to notice that. Prayer has to be done as it’s mentioned first in verse 18, "pray always." First Thessalonians 5:17.

When should I pray? Always. You pray when you get up. You pray when you drive. Just don't close your eyes. You pray when you are going to school. You pray when you are going to work. "Pray without ceasing." First Thessalonians 5:17. Daniel of old opened the windows in his own house, pray toward the city of Jerusalem three times a day, publicly you might say with an open window toward the city of Jerusalem. If he prayed like this three times, I can assure you he prayed so much more throughout the day: when he got up and when he went to sleep, when he was eating, when he was speaking with his friend, when he was concerned for our people Israel.

He prayed always. And notice, the first time he’s saying pray always. First Thessalonians 5:17. Praying all the time, always. Our father is ready to listen to the prayers of the saints. Other passages like Romans 12:12, Colossians 4:2 always tells us again and again, always to pray, constantly to speak to God because prayer is speaking with God. Telling him what we need and giving thanks to God, glorifying the name of Yeshua the Messiah. Giving thanks.

Secondly, to pray with all prayers. Notice, and I am reading, "praying always with all prayers." What does that mean with all prayer? We can pray for our children. We can pray for the bread, for the food. We can pray for the job we need. All types of prayers. We can give thanks. We can supplicate prayer on behalf of somebody else. We can beseech God. We can give thanks. All kinds of prayers that one can pray. There is a verse that I want to read, First Timothy 2 and verse 1: "I exhort," Paul said to Timothy, "that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men." Notice the four types of prayers: supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks. First Timothy 2 and verse 1.

We have to pray all the time, but not only all the time, to pray with all types of prayers: giving thanks, supplications, intercessions, whatever is needed to simply talk with God and share with him the things that we have concern about. And I can tell you, you and I, I’m sure, have so many things that we can share with God. You know, unfortunately, instead of lifting up the phone and talking to Yakov or to Hertzel or to Binyamin on the other side, it’s better to pick up your heart, you might say, and talk to God. Let him know your problem. It’s better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to share with him our own problem.

Look at the third thing that he mentioned here in verse 18. Not only praying always, not praying with all prayers and supplication, but praying in the Spirit. Look at this. That means that when we pray, we are to pray in light of the Spirit of God guiding us. Do you know one time a man by the name of Elijah, Eliyahu, prayed against Israel? Made intercession against Israel, says, "God, look at what they’ve done this. They have killed the prophets. They have done this, but only I am left alone." He is actually interceding against God’s people. Instead of for them, against them.

And God told Elijah, "Eliyahu, listen. There are 7,000 men that did not bow their knees to Baal. You are not the only one." And this is a great reminder for us that we are not to pray against people to harm them, but we are to pray for them that the Lord will change their hearts. We are to pray, as it’s mentioned, in the power of the Spirit of God, guided by the Spirit of God, that the Spirit of God will lead us. Romans 8 tells us that the whole creation groans. But not only they, even we ourselves groaning within ourselves, not knowing what to pray. So the Spirit of God interceding.

The Spirit groans on our behalf, telling God the needs that we have. So to pray always, to pray with all prayers and supplication, but to pray in light and the guidance of the Spirit of God. In the Spirit, not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. Also notice that in the next thing, praying with all perseverance. Again, you notice in verse 18, he is saying praying with perseverance, continually watching and observing. As he says here, pray with all perseverance. Don't quit. In other words, persevere, continue on, be patient. Continue on praying because it is important. God delights to hear the prayers of his saints. We are to knock on God’s door all the time.

And finally in verse 18, Paul is saying to pray for all saints. Notice at the end: "with all perseverance and supplication," but he end this verse 18 "praying for all saints." Now there are some saints that you would like to call them "aints," right? You don't necessarily walk with them and they are not likable to you and you don't likable to them and you will say, "I will not gonna pray for them." But the Bible said to pray for all saints. Even the saints that don't agree with you or don't agree with me, we are to pray for them. In fact, Yeshua said to pray for our enemies. Bless them that persecute. Now this is difficult. But at least to pray for the saints that you don't agree with yet, but still to pray for them.

That the Lord will touch them, that the Lord will speak to them, just the same like they are to pray for us that the Lord will touch us and speak to us and help us in our walk with the Lord. So beautiful, brothers and sisters. And look at this here, we are towards the end here of this book. In verse 19 and 20, Paul is saying, "Listen, now you are praying always, pray with all prayer, pray in the power of the Spirit of God, pray as you watching with perseverance, pray for all the saints, but don't forget to pray for me," Paul is saying in verse 19 and 20. And notice he add the word "and for me."

"What, Paul, do you want us to pray for you?" the Ephesians might ask Paul. And he says, "Listen, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak." You know, you would think, you and I, if we look at Paul, we would think this man is a bold man. He has boldness. But you see, apparently there is no natural boldness that God needs. He needs divine boldness. Boldness that come from the Lord because we don't have it on our own. We have fears often.

The opposition is so great, the enemies are so many, the opposition against the things of the Lord is so great. No one humanly speaking can have enough boldness and that’s why Paul’s saying pray for me. Years ago, one brother told me, "Brother Gideon," says, "don't be ashamed to ask the believers to pray for you. Don't be afraid to ask for people to pray for you because you need prayers. We need prayers. Every one of us." Pray for me. Pray for the work of the Lord among our own Jewish people. Pray for our people Israel. Pray because there are opposition so much and we have weaknesses in us. We have no power. Paul is saying, "Listen, pray for me." Why, Paul? "That I will be able to speak boldly, that I may speak, may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel."

He already talked about this mystery in chapter 3: Jew and Gentile united together in the body of Messiah, composition of Jew and Gentile in the church age, the mystery of this present day dispensation of the church age, the ecclesia, the heavenly company, the body of Messiah. Paul wanted to be bold to share, simply share, not by force, but just to share it the mystery of the gospel. In verse 20 he says, "for which I am an ambassador, I am in bond, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak." Listen, I am an ambassador. Ambassador is one that have been sent by the king or the prince to be a representative.

You and I are ambassadors in this world. Heaven is our home. We are messengers here and we are to present the message to the world around us and to speak boldly with the grace of God who gonna give us the boldness to speak. And so, brothers and sisters, the book of Ephesians is concluded by those remarks of encouragement that Paul is giving to the Ephesians. And he says in verse 21 to verse 24: "But that ye also may know my affairs and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things. Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs and that he might comfort your hearts."

"Peace be unto the brethren and love with faith from God our Father and our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Yeshua, our Lord Jesus the Messiah in sincerity." And he closed the book with the word "Amen." And so Paul is saying, "Listen, I want you to know how I am doing. So I sent to you Tychicus. He is a faithful minister. He is a beloved brother. I am sending him to you and he will give you comfort by knowing how I am doing." Notice he said at the end of verse 22 "that he might comfort your hearts."

You know how we need people like Tychicus? So I hope all of us can be a little bit like Tychicus that will comfort the hearts of the brothers and sisters. Not criticizing them, not judging them all the time, not always against them, but comforting them and encouraging them and giving them support and keeping them continuing on by following the things of the Lord. That’s what Tychicus was, a beloved brother but also a faithful servant. Is that a challenge for us, are we faithful servants like Tychicus? Well, the closing remark is use the word "peace," Shalom, "peace be to the brethren." He wanted that the brother will have Shalom among themselves.

He wanted them to enjoy that. And then secondly, "love with faith." He wanted them to have love among each other. Not hatred, not friction, but love of the brethren. Thirdly, he is saying to them that it will be from God the Father and our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. What do you think God will do? He want to send peace. He want to send love among the people of God. Those divisions and friction and all what happen among us is our own fault. God will send our way Shalom and love and not the opposite. And he conclude and he says, "grace." If we are going to have love and if we are going to have Shalom and peace, we need the grace of God.

The conclusion in verse 24: "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Yeshua the Messiah in sincerity." And he says "Amen." We are to love our Lord Yeshua the Messiah sincerely, in sincerity. We are to love him, and if we love him, we will submit to him. And if we will submit to him, there will be blessing among the people of God and we will be able to be a testimony to our Lord Yeshua the Messiah in this sad, sad world, in evil days. So until he come, may he help us to love him and to follow after him.