TSIYON NEWS

From Eliyahu

Consider this:

 

Do you ever feel like all the requirements in the modern world are on you? That's because they are. All of the big players, whether governments, corporations, professionals of all kinds, and even doctors - all of them - want to offload all of their responsibility onto the individual. They do this by putting requirements on you. Taxes? You are required to make out complicated forms based on even more complicated laws, basically doing the government's work for them, then if something doesn't add up right whose fault is it? That's right - it's your fault, and that can be a disaster for you.

 

Corporations? Something as simple as visiting a website on the internet involves "terms of service" that go into effect the moment you load the page! Most of us never read the terms of service because if we did we would be so busy just doing that, we would never have time for actually USING the internet. How about when you have technical problems with some web service? Usually when you contact tech support that's when those terms of service come back to bite you. Its pretty much the same with any sort of tech support - its a nightmare, and somehow its all your fault.

 

What about health care? If the promises of a certain surgery or treatment are not met, whose fault is it? Yours of course. You lifted something heavier than a feather, so you are at fault. You failed to take your medication one time, you didn't exercise enough, or too much, or in the wrong way, you didn't eat the right food, whatever went wrong - the failed treatment is your fault because you didn't meet the requirements.

 

Requirements on the average person today are so ubiquitous that most of us just accept them as a matter of course, feeling powerless to do anything about them. Its just how the system works. Yet, all of the requirements from every direction in our lives form a web of control on us that limit our freedom and potential, while also putting us under constant stress. Then add covid, vaxx mandates, inflation and all the other stressors coming our way, and it is no wonder people are getting stressed out!

 

Realizing as I do, that everyone is already overburdened with a hopeless mountain of requirements, you might wonder how I dare to raise the issue of requirements from God? Understandably, what people want from God is relief from the requirements they already have - not more requirements from Him. I get that, and so does everybody else who does Bible teaching or preaching. That's why you seldom hear of God having requirements. People don't want to hear that, so preachers could never build a following talking about God's requirements. Actually, by bringing this to your attention I am meeting one of His requirements for Bible teachers - the requirement to tell the truth. If the truth matters, read the next three points....

1. The first point is very simple, no one has a greater right to put requirements on us than our Creator. Everything we have every day, starting with life itself, comes from Him. Surely that gives Him the right to require something of us.

 

2. Unlike all the requirements of the world that are mostly for the purpose of ripping us off, His requirements are for the purpose of benefiting ourselves. That's right, all of His requirements make our lives BETTER, so are not a burden or an imposition. On the contrary, His requirements, called "commandments" are designed to bless us if we will only observe them. His commandments are a way in which He expresses His love for us, as our Father in Heaven.

 

3. His commandments are an amazing source of personal strength.

 

Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?

 

Actually, when we push through any aversion we may feel against our Heavenly Father's requirements, and instead focus on them to learn what they are and how they work in our lives, we discover a precious treasure. King David explains this:

"I rejoice at your Word, as one who finds great spoil. I hate and abhor falsehood. I love your commandments. Seven times a day, I praise you, because of your righteous ordinances. Those who love your commandments have great peace. Nothing causes them to stumble." Psalms 119:162-165

Yes, there is something to love here, in His commandments - something that can bring you "great peace" and the power to meet every challenge. Do not undervalue the empowerment that comes to all those who love His commandments!

 

David was an extraordinary person who accomplished amazing things. Throughout the Psalms he credits the commandments as his secret weapon, the source of his 'super powers' that enabled his unending victories and blessings. This has been my own experience as well. That's why I am so happy to share the heart of this message with you tonight, as we uncover the empowering requirements of YHWH. Join us at Tsiyon.Net at 8 PM, CST, and get empowered by His Word!

 

Blessings and good health to you,

 

Eliyahu
Tsiyon.Org

 

PS - a new episode of Hebraic Insights In The Gospels podcast is posted.
 

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