RESPONSE TO AUTHORITY
CONT., page 3
There are many choices we make in life that we in no way realize how greatly significant they are. We are caught up in the moment by the things that are seen by our natural senses and processed by our natural mind, and we are totally blind to what is taking place at a higher level. The disciples could not have known the great significance that was taking place when Legion was cast, at his request, into the 2,000 swine. The apostles could not have known the great significance when Peter decided to go fishing and someone called from the bank and told them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat and 153 fish were caught. Most certainly they had no idea of the testimony and significance of their experience on the mount of transfiguration when they awoke and saw and heard Yahshua speaking to Moses and Elijah. All they wanted to do was to build three natural tabernacles, and there was no way they could have known even the relevance of their own blindness in that request – receiving 3,000 years of natural Christianity.
Moses simply knew that he was leading the sons of Israel out of Egypt and into the promised land; how could he have known that he and the people were a living preluding testimony of the church that would come some 1,500 years later? And how could Samson have known that his life was equally a testimony of the church that would fail in its role as Nazirites and be blinded? Or how could Job or Balaam have known that their lives too were living testimonies regarding the church?
The fact is, Yahweh is working at a level in our lives that we do not even see or recognize. Like the sleeping disciples or blinded Samson, we too are blind to all that is actually taking place around us. We react to what we see in the natural and have no idea what is really going on. We are natural men stuck in natural circumstances with natural senses, and we cannot see beyond them. We think that the world is what we see and discern with our natural senses, and that is the sum of all that life is. But we are actually blind. We are like Elisha’s servant who only saw the natural armies of their enemy, when in fact there were horses and chariots of fire all around them. We are like Daniel who was fasting and praying for twenty-one days, and had no idea that his prayers in physical weakness were causing an angelic battle to take place in heaven. Who would have known that while hanging on that cross, Yahshua had 72,000 angels at His disposal? We are like little mice running around in a maze, and Yahweh is the one with the maze in hand and is moving it wherever He wills. May our eyes be opened to see what is going on right now, to see the great significance of a very important choice that is before us today.
When Yahshua stood before Pilate, he was amazed that He would not answer his questions. Pilate thought he was in control, but he was actually carrying out something that even he could not alter, or understand. He made a ruling that he knew was not correct, concerning which his wife had warned him.
There were two men placed before the people that day from which they were to choose – Barabbas or Yahshua. It was Passover and Pilate would release any one prisoner for them. According to Matthew 27:16 Barabbas was a “notorious prisoner.” Mark 15:7 and Luke 23:19 say he was an insurrectionist and murderer. Interestingly, John 18:40 tells us that he was a “robber.” So who would they choose? Of course we know they chose Barabbas. Despite Pilate’s reluctance, Barabbas was released to the people and Yahshua was put to death.
Herein, you know at one level what was taking place – the Son of God was being crucified and a criminal was released. But let us look at this more carefully and see what was really going on in that fateful choice that was placed before them. Also, you will see that you too are standing in that crowd and having to make the same choice today.
What was taking place there at a higher level? The answer to this is found in the meaning of the name, “Barabbas.” “Bar” means “son of,” and “abba” means “father.” So, the man whom they chose was “son of father.” But the son of what father? Of course he was the son of a natural father, as are all men; but there was much more to this than the natural.
Barabbas is described as being a notorious prisoner, an insurrectionist, a murderer, and a robber. Some people want to say that this was a testimony of Yahshua dying in our place; but this was much more than that. We read in Matthew 27:20 that the people chose to release Barabbas because they listened to the counsel of the chief priests and the elders. These are the same men to whom Yahshua declared – “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
The choice that the people made at that fateful moment, the choice that you make today, is the choice between the son of your father, the devil, or the Son of the Father, Yahshua. You are either going to listen to the chief priests and elders of today in Christianity and chose those whose father is the devil and he speaks through them – “he speaks from his own,” which is Christianity – or you will choose the Son of the Father. The same choice that was presented then, is given today. It was a remarkable living testimony of the choice that exists in the church right now.
The masses in that day chose the son of their father, the devil, the murderer, and few, very few, undoubtedly cried out for Yahshua. Today is no different, for the masses still choose Christianity, whose legal covering, whose father figure of authority, is none other than the devil. Yahshua said that the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to death, the two-thirds part of the church, and many are those who enter by it; but few are those who enter by the gate that is small, where the way is narrow, that leads to life, the tree of life – the Remnant Bride (Matthew 7:13-14).
I received an e-mail from a brother who presented quite well the same truth, the same conflict. Jim Neumann, whom you will read about in the next section, wrote:
As far as the church being meant to fail - The only way the bride could come out was if Christianity was put to sleep. But much more concrete was the example of Israel. The church agrees that she follows the patterns of the Hebrew children, but she stops the comparison at the coming of Christ. To me, the comparison never stopped. The leaders of those days are the pastors and priests of these days and the events that occurred to Judah would continue to happen to the church. Of course, we know the result of that.
The result of that is exactly what you see here. When you choose broad Christianity and its broad ways and doctrines, you are making the same choice that the masses made when they chose between the son of their father and the Son of the Father. You are following the inherent problem with man – being natural minded and not spiritual minded, looking at things according to human sight, walking in the way of “your father.”
For the natural minded, you too think that you are doing right, just as they did. You are choosing that which those around you concur is right, just as they did. You are choosing that which the pastors and priests tell you is right, just as they did. You are condemning what others will tell you is a “false prophet,” just as they would have said of Yahshua. You are making the same error that was made by the concurring masses some 2,000 years ago. You, like them, are choosing the son of your father, the devil.
Yahweh placed before the people a choice, a choice regarding which they had no idea its great significance – the choice of the son of their father, the devil, or the Son of the Father. Because of their blindness they had no idea how significant that choice was. But today that choice is set before us once again. We will either follow the priests and elders of Christianity and choose the son of their father, Satan, or the Son of the Father. This is the choice we have right now. Yahweh has opened our eyes to see this truth, to see truth, and we must respond in truth.
Continue to page 4 of Response to Authority for GOOD AND EVIL