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Mark Huey delivers the November 2021 Outreach Israel News update.
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!” (John 8:32, TLV).
In this season of confusion in the world, when misinformation and disinformation are rampant on almost every communication platform, many people of almost every persuasion are baffled to the point of disbelief, despair, or even depression. While it is understandable that those battling the world, the flesh, and the Devil—without the benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit to discern what is valid or not—the spirit of fear is having a heyday with the unsuspecting masses of humanity. Whether it is the immediate premature death from a virus, or the longer-term “end of humankind” from climatic changes, those understandably anxious for their lives have become easily manipulated to the point of compliance to procedures, edicts, and mandates proclaimed by various governmental entities. Of course, in many countries which have historically had authoritarian rule, absolute submission to dictates may occur by the majority. However, in societies which believe in God-given human rights that protect individual liberty, the response has been varied depending on the length of time personal freedom has been ingrained into the culture.
For example, in the United States of America when independence was declared from the tyrannical rule of Great Britain, the patriotic fervor was fueled by unfailing beliefs in the unalienable rights endowed to man by the Creator God, in Thomas Jefferson’s affirmed Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
These strong Biblically-derived convictions held by most of the colonial populace, led a smaller percentage of the people to wager their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor in autographed pledges upon signing that providential document. Hence, with that dramatic announcement, the DNA of liberty or death was imbued into the American character, and the descendants of those patriotic forefathers and mothers.
For over 245 years, affecting eight or nine generations of their offspring, there remains a remnant of freedom loving souls comprised of a significant number of American citizens. In addition, with the continual immigration flow since the birth of America, the existing number of fearless compatriots has been enhanced by countless others, who came to the “beacon of freedom” for similar reasons. After all, the predisposition of tyrannical rule has predominated most people groups for millennia. Whether it was political, economic, social, ethnic, or religious persecutions—the lure of the freedom and ability to do what a person wants to do in a civil society respecting their God-given rights—has challenged millions to leave the relative comfort of home and family and venture to the “land of liberty.” Obviously, these original colonists and later immigrants were not propelled by a spirit of fear! In many cases fleeing political and religious persecutions, these emigres relied upon their faith in God and relied upon other attributes, as noted by the Apostle Paul to his young disciple Timothy, who was charged with carrying on the work of God’s Kingdom:
“For God hath not given us the spirit [pneuma] of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, KJV).
This exhortation reminds all today, whether they are Believers in the Holy Bible or not, that the Creator God is not the instigator of a spirit of fear. Instead, He has endowed people with power, love, and a sound mind to overcome any fear or anxiety that is floating in the atmosphere from the prince of the power of air, that impacts, also according to Paul, “the passions of our flesh, to carry out the desires of the body and the mind”:
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit [pneuma] that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1-3, KJV).
In other words, the Greek word pneuma or “spirit” refers to created things unseen by natural eyes, but exists in the world in various forms in this reference, under the tutelage of the “prince of the power of air” who is the Evil One (Satan/the Devil). However, notice in Paul’s advice to Timothy that the ability to overcome and dispel the “spirit of fear” are (1) power (Grk. dunamis), (2) love (Grk. agape), and (3) a sound mind (Grk. sophonismos). Therefore, when the spirit of fear approaches or even attacks the senses or enters the mind, remember that the Creator has given His people the innate ability through power, love, and a sound mind to reject it. But one must employ God’s Word to combat the assault to the mind and resulting emotions! By thoughtfully rehearsing or even voicing the truth that “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind,” when fearful thoughts erupt, this will overcome the spirit of fear. This pattern of fighting lies with God’s truth, exemplified by Yeshua when tempted by the Devil, worked then, and still works now for His followers. Thus, the spirit of fear and untrue thoughts will be cast away and replaced by power, love, and a sound mind. The challenge is to discipline the mind and thwart the bombardment with the spiritual armor referenced in Ephesians 6:11-18:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist when the times are evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm then! Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. Strap up your feet in readiness with the Good News of shalom. Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Ruach (Spirit) on every occasion, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, keep alert with perseverance and supplication for all the kedoshim [holy ones]” (Ephesians 6:11-18, TLV).
Now that these basic truths found in the Scriptures are recalled for edification, there is an incredible scene recorded in the Gospel of John, where the governmental power held by Pontius Pilate confronts the spiritual authority embodied in the Messiah Yeshua. It is here where the ultimate question of “What is truth?” is asked of the Lord. Are there perhaps any lessons to be learned from the Messiah about how one should react to governmental entities, when threatened with impositions on the unalienable human rights endowed by the Creator and incorporated into the American culture and legal system? Following is the dialogue between the ruling power (Pilate) and the subject (Yeshua) being accused of high crimes by the Jewish religious leaders (high priest) because He threatened their positions of power among the people:
“So, Pilate went back into the Praetorium, called for Yeshua, and asked Him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ ‘Are you saying this on your own,’ Yeshua answered, ‘or did others tell you about Me?’ Pilate answered, ‘I’m not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and ruling kohanim handed You over to me! What have You done?’ Yeshua answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Judean leaders. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here.’ So Pilate said to Him, ‘Are you a king, then?’ Yeshua answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, so that I might testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’ After he said this, he went out again to the Judean leaders. He said to them, ‘I find no case against Him. But it’s your custom that I release someone for you at Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ They shouted back, ‘Not this One, but Bar-Abba!’ Now Bar-Abba was a revolutionary” (John 18 33-40, TLV).
Notice that Yeshua simply stood His ground throughout this interrogation. He did not get into an argument or try to defend Himself with clever legal arguments, and certainly did not succumb to the “spirit of fear,” despite the understanding that His Roman detractors were wanting to eliminate Him from influencing those who they were overlording in the province of Judea. Instead, Yeshua employed the classic rebuttal to questions with another question to ascertain what Pilate was accusing Him of. Yeshua, in essence, utilized the tactic of expressing the “truth in love” because of the power He had as the Son of God. He maintained a “sound mind” by simply stating what had to be confounding and confusing statements of truth to Pilate, His inquisitor.
When one analyses this encounter, it is abundantly clear that Pilate was basically attempting to ascertain the truth about what was transpiring in Judea, where he had governmental rule. Pilate obviously knew that the religious elite were beside themselves about Yeshua’s ability to influence the masses. It had to be extremely confusing for a pagan Roman ruler, who represented Caesar, a false godlike figure, with political and military power attempting to understand a people which worshipped an unseen God. Apparently, part of the accusation by the Jewish religious leaders was that Yeshua was claiming to be “the king of the Jews,” which elicited the first question from Pilate. But notice that Yeshua did not make that claim, but simply asked where this question originated. Pilate retorted with a statement that he was not a Jew, referenced the source of the accusation, and asked again what Yeshua had done. At this point, Yeshua brought into the dialogue a spiritual statement that a natural man like Pilate could not comprehend. By stating the truth that His kingdom was not of this world twice, Pilate was further confused.
One can only imagine what was going on in Pilate’s mind. Here was Yeshua, a humble, soft-spoken individual, accused by the religious power elite, who just moments earlier wanted Him killed. But Yeshua was not defending His actions, but instead, alluding to a kingdom not of this world:
“Then they led Yeshua from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was early. They themselves did not enter the Praetorium, so they would not become unclean but might eat the Passover. Therefore Pilate came out to them and said, ‘What charge do you bring against this man?’ They answered, ‘If He weren’t an evildoer, we wouldn’t have handed Him over to you.’ Then Pilate said to them, ‘Take Him yourselves, and judge Him by your Torah!’ The Judean leaders responded, ‘We are not authorized to put anyone to death.’ This happened so that the word Yeshua spoke would be fulfilled, signifying what kind of death He was about to die” (John 18:28-32, TLV).
Because the supposed, Torah keeping religious leaders, were not permitted by their interpretation of their laws to execute someone that had not warranted death, they simply handed the dirty work over to the civil authorities. Obviously, the threat of a “truth teller” to their positions controlling the Judean masses, had them to the point where they wanted Yeshua removed from influencing the population. Recall that, Yeshua Himself had previously told the Disciples these circumstances were going to take place earlier in His ministry:
“Now as Yeshua was going up to Jerusalem, He took the Twelve aside privately; and on the way he told them, ‘Look, we’re going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the ruling kohanim and Torah scholars. They will condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify. Yet on the third day, He will be raised up” (Matthew 20:17-19, TLV).
So Yeshua knew in advance that He was going to be crucified after the mock trial before the chief priests and scribes. He understood that the Roman authorities were going to execute Him, but also knew that after three days He would be resurrected from the dead. Did the foreknowledge of this truth about His destiny allow Him to be totally compliant when confronted by Pilate? Did His faith in His Father’s will compel Him to be humiliated, scourged, beaten, and eventually slaughtered like a sacrificial lamb? It certainly did, and for those who follow and worship Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, over the ages, there is a profound gratitude that there is a Divine solution for their lost condition.
However, does that reality answer Pilate’s gnawing question, “What is truth?” For most assuredly, that question has been in the hearts and minds of humanity for the past two thousand or so years. But notice that Yeshua does not directly answer the question. Instead, Yeshua had already declared and defined the “truth” when he previously was asked by Pilate if He was a king. At that point, Yeshua states affirmatively the following:
“So, Pilate said to Him, ‘Are you a king, then?’ Yeshua answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, so that I might testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice’” (John 18:37, TLV).
Yeshua not only testified of the truth, but reminds everyone reading or hearing this statement that anyone who is “of the truth” hears His voice. In other words, it is critically necessary for followers of the King of Kings to know His voice, and by extension, obey the commands of the King. Now this is where the rub begins. After all, the recorded words of Yeshua are at times very difficult to comprehend because they require a willingness to subordinate one’s human will to the will of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This means disciplining the mind to pause and ask the Holy One how to react to the circumstances of life. As most will attest, this ability to hear His voice, be led by the Holy Spirit, and walk in the Spirit does not commence the moment one receives the grace of salvation. Instead, it is a process that requires considerable time in the Word, in meditation, and in prayer, as the sanctification of the soul progresses. To put it in understandable vernacular, saints are in a perpetual “work in progress” and constantly “under construction.” Paul expressed these basic truths to the Believers in Rome:
“For if we have become joined together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also will be joined together in His resurrection—knowing our old man was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be done away with, so we no longer serve sin. For he who has died is set free from sin. Now if we have died with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with Him. We know that Messiah, having been raised from the dead, no longer dies; death no longer is master over Him. For the death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. So also continually count yourselves both dead to sin and alive to God in Messiah Yeshua. Therefore do not let sin rule in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. And do not keep yielding your body parts to sin as tools of wickedness; but yield yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your body parts as tools of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:5-14, TLV).
Obviously, if Believers more fully embraced these truths about their victory over sin, and the yielding of body parts as tools of righteousness to God, the Kingdom would advance exponentially beyond the greatest expectations. However as stated earlier, the diabolical weapons of warfare against the saints are formidable, but able to be overcome. The key is to daily prepare oneself for the fray because the incessant attacks from the world, the flesh, and the Devil will persist until the end of time.
Therefore, in the quietness of your prayer and meditation it is important to ask these questions. Do I know what is truth? Do I hear His voice? Do I obey His commands? Do I believe what He has said through His Word? Am I yielding my body to His service? Am I submitting my will to His will? How will I handle the accusations of the enemy when they come? And they will (Luke 12:11-12.
We all have but one life to live. Who are we living it for? May it be the truth! For He (alone) is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).
In conclusion, we are extremely grateful for your prayers and support of Outreach Israel Ministries and Messianic Apologetics. These are curious times, and because of the current challenges facing humanity, we are mindful that solid teaching and instruction centered on the Messiah Yeshua is critically needed. We serve an awesome God and continue to offer ourselves up as “living sacrifices” to perform our spiritual service of worship unto Him (Romans 12:1-2).
May the Lord bless you, and keep you, the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace!
Until the restoration of all things…
Mark Huey
