This is a principle in life.

Yeshua said, “but seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Anything we put first before these is in direct disobedience to his commandment.

In context, this is in regards to eating food, clothing, and even a place to live. “Do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow has enough worries of its own.”

What does it mean to “seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”?

First I think to recognize what you are seeking first, and turn (repent) from that as a priority.

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV).

When Yeshua called Peter to come to him on the water, with eyes fixed on Jesus, Peter “got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” But when he looked at the waves, he began to sink.

If we are fixed on Yeshua, on His kingdom, on His righteousness, we rely on His power, His authority, and His grace to uphold us. But when we look to our own strength, wisdom and logic, we reattach ourselves to this world, and sink into the filthy, slimy, mucky water that would tear us away from our Yeshua, our freedom. He is THE door. But it is not a logical door. He is freedom, and it’s not by our understanding. It’s by faith that we seek him.

When will I stand up for my generation? And tell them the truth of the Gospel.

Truth is love. Not one love or truth. They go together or not at all.

Love isn’t the answer it’s the motivation. Truth in love. Discipline in love. Hope in love. Faith in love.

Jesus, real name: Yeshua, was a man born to a Jewish mother and father, was raised as a Jew, had a bar mitzvah around 12 years old (coming of age, becoming a “son of the commandments”). He was trained by Joseph as a carpenter, but become a Rabbi, or a teacher of the Torah (Hebrew Scriptures) – what Christians irreverently refer to as the “old” testament. He chose 12 disciples, as was the custom of Rabbis in those days.

So quick recap of my recap: Yeshua was a teacher of the “Old” testament. That was what he came from heaven to earth to do. He could have done or been anyone. And he chose to be a teacher of the Torah.

Maybe this would be a good time to think about why Christians don’t study the “old” testament very much. Ok.. enough – moving on…

Yeshua not only taught the Torah, he kept it. Perfectly. He was often questioned about his practices in keeping of Torah.. why was he questioned so hard on this? Because he was a rabbi. And as a Rabbi, he was a teacher of Torah, and thus an authority, and other sects of Judaism had a problem with how he kept Shabbat while healing people, and allowing his disciples to rub wheat chaff and eat it on Shabbat (both of these acts were considered work by them, although neither is forbidden by the Torah).

The thing which they wanted to stone him for, however, was when he claimed to be the son of man.

He taught his disciples how to keep Torah. That is literally what his sermons were about. And when His disciples became “apostles”, they were too busy studying the Torah to feed the widows, so they appointed a group of 7 men to do that so they could focus on studying the “Old” Testament. (Acts 6:2-7 (this is only in part – please read in con “It is not pleasing for us to leave the word of God to attend tables… therefore pick out 7 men of good repute… But we will devote ourselves to the ministry of the word.”

NKJV – Acts 6:2-7 (full quote)

² Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. ³ Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; ⁴ but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

⁵ And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, ⁶ whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

⁷ Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

But they refuse to believe that he is a God of judgment. a God of war. A God of discernment, or discrimination. A God who rejects evil – who hates darkness and will not tolerate it. He will shine and expose all works of darkness. He will not tolerate dissension, or disputes, much less will he allow sexual sin or lying.

“Those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of heaven.”

If you believe 50% of the truth, you believe 100% of a lie.

We don’t get to choose who Yeshua is. We must simply follow Him.

God gave us a gift. Once a week, he told us to rest, as he rested. A reminder, a connection, a holy day, a delight. This day is not meant as a religious observance, but as a joyful day to separate from the mundane, and connect with the Holy one who created the heavens and the earth in 6 days.

God made us as a mirror reflection of himself. We need to stop and reflect every week on shabbat (pun intended).

It’s a need. We need it. We forget we are made in His image so easily. We love to create, and build and we deceive ourselves so quickly into thinking we have created something better.. but everything we do is copywork. We reflect what He has already done. Or we reflect someone else, or something else. And any of those other reflections is idolotry. So we must return to our mirror and re-calibrate!

It should be a joy and a delight, not a difficult, demanding yoke.

– Genesis 1:3-5

God called the light good. but he didn’t call the dark good. The dark is not good. The dark can have no place with the light. Light casts out the dark, by nature.

Yet God made the light to shine during the day, but not at night. So a system which cycles and reveals good and evil. Yet Adam and Eve did not know the darkness until after they ate of the fruit of the tree, saw the darkness within themselves, and hid from the presence of God when he came, knowing that their darkness would be exposed by his light. And the LORD gave them leaves to hide their nakedness (darkness?).

Light will dispel darkness.

God sent The Light into the world to come into us and give us light.

But I need to seek the knowledge of God.

There are two trees in the garden. One is forbidden, and that is the very same tree that I’m hungering for. I am desperate for more knowledge. Yet that tree always brings death. The serpent WAS lying.

How do I seek the knowledge of God? How do I feed from the tree of life?

God, help me discern when I stray from seeking You. Help me to remain single minded on your Kingdom. On YOUR will. Teach me your ways.

Prayer is truly about communing with God. “Prayer” to me doesn’t seem like the best word to describe the act. “Pray” – meaning to request, to plead, to beg, etc.. seems to imply a nagging relationship where God looks down upon us from above sometimes saying “yes” and sometimes “no” to our requests, and when he says “no”, if we pray harder, plead harder, beg more, he may change his answer to “yes”. This may be true sometimes and there is a time to plead, and to intercede, and not give up. There are a multiple instances about this in the Bible, which having their own distinction and importance, however, I want to talk about prayer as a constant and consistent practice.

Practicing the presence of God, is how Brother Lawrence explained his prayer life. He meant that he was constantly aware of God all around himself, and in this world. While working, or playing, while in pain or in joy, to practice always recognizing God’s presence. He would look for and see God in everything. Praying not to get something from God, but rather to give yourself, and to join with Him in what he is doing. Prayer is to recognize and partner with what He is already doing. We are the ones blind walking in a world in which God is already at work.

Jesus taught us to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. Matthew 6:10 This is everything. It’s gospel – the good news is that His kingdom is coming soon. His will being done is the fulfillment of His Kingdom coming. He also says, “I only do what I see my Father doing.” These are principles which should guide our lives every day. We should be like our teacher. He is the way, and he is showing the way. The door. The truth. “if you love me, you will obey my commandments.” That means to do as he did and as he said. Pretty simple (not easy, but simple).