FEELINGS OF HATRED
Is it wrong to hate? That depends on the object of our hate. We should never hate another person, because every person is a unique creation of Elohim, an eternal soul that can be redeemed. But we should certainly hate the sinful things that even our most cherished loved ones do. We are to love the sinner but hate the sin. Foul language, perversion, crime, waywardness, even gossip are things to hate. Hatred is an intense feeling of aversion or enmity, which could prompt a person to loathe someone or something or even to seek revenge for having been wronged. The Bible forbids people to hate others -- Leviticus 19:17-18, because it leads to sin. Indeed, hatred itself is considered murder -- 1 John 3:15. We are called upon to let YHVH, the Holy One, avenge all wrongs -- Proverbs 20:22) and we are Commanded by Yeshua to love our enemies -- Matthew 5:43-44. Not all aspects of hatred are sinful. The Bible tells us that YHVH hates evil -- Proverbs 6:16-19 and evil people -- Psalm 5:5. The Bible also has expressions such as Jacob have I loved; Esau I have hated -- Malachi 1:2-3. This means that YHVH elected Jacob and not Esau to be the father of the chosen Jewish race. In similar fashion, Yeshua challenged the people who wanted to follow Him to hate their lives and earthly relationships if they want to be His followers -- Luke 14:26. This means that they must choose Yeshua above all else.
UNRESOLVED HATRED CAN BECOME AN ALL-CONSUMING OBSESSION.
What a happy man Haman was as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, he was furious. -- Esther 5:9. Hatred and bitterness are like weeds with long roots that grow in the heart and corrupt all of life. Haman was so consumed with hatred toward Mordecai that he could not even enjoy the honour of being invited to Esther’s party. Hebrews 12:15 warns us to watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison. Don’t let hatred and its resulting bitterness builds in your heart. Like Haman, you will find it backfiring against you -- see Esther 6:13; 7:9-10. If the mere mention of someone’s name provokes you to anger, confess your bitterness as sin. Ignoring bitterness, hiding it from others or making superficial changes in behaviour is not enough. If bitterness isn’t completely removed, it will grow back, making matters worse.
HATRED MAY LED US TO DISOBEY YHVH.
Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction in order to get away from Adonai. He went down to the seacoast, to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping that by going away to the west he could escape from Adonai. -- Jonah 1:3. Nineveh was a powerful and wicked city. Jonah had grown up hating the Assyrians and fearing their atrocities. His hatred was so strong that he didn’t want them to receive YHVH’s mercy. Jonah was actually afraid the people would repent -- Jonah 4:2-3. Jonah’s attitude is representative of Israel’s reluctance to share YHVH’s love and mercy with others, even though this was their YHVH-given mission -- Genesis 12:3. They, like Jonah, did not want non-Jews [Gentiles] to obtain YHVH’s favour. When hatred is shifted from the evil that people do onto the people themselves, even more evil has been generated.
THERE IS A TIME TO HATE.
There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Timing is important. All the experiences listed in these verses are appropriate at certain times. The secret to peace with YHVH is to discover, accept and appreciate YHVH’s perfect timing. The danger is to doubt or resent YHVH’s timing. This can lead to despair, rebellion or moving ahead without His advice.
THE CAPACITY TO HATE CAN BE A POWERFUL MOTIVATION TOWARD JUSTICE.
When is there a time for hating? We shouldn’t hate evil people, but we should hate what they do. We should also hate it when people are mistreated, when children are starving and when YHVH is being dishonoured. In addition, we must hate sin in our life; this is YHVH’s attitude -- see Psalm 5:5.
IS IT EVER APPROPRIATE TO HATE ANYONE OR ANYTHING?
Leviticus 19:17: -- Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Ecclesiastes 3:8: -- A time to love and a time to hate. Psalm 97:10: -- You who love Adonai, hate evil! 1 John 3:15: -- Anyone who hates another believer is really a murderer at heart. Matthew 5:43-44: -- You have heard that the Law of Moses says, love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! We are to love all people and hate all sin. When we truly love YHVH we will hate sin. Are you drifting into a love for sinful things? This may be an indicator of a declining love for YHVH.
WHAT CAUSES HATRED?
Galatians 5:19-23: -- When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results… But when Ruach HaKodesh controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us. Hatred comes from following our own sinful desires. Instead, we must allow Ruach HaKodesh to fill our lives, leaving no room for hatred. Esther 5:9: -- What a happy man Haman was as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, he was furious. Haman hated Mordecai because he refused to bow down before him. This petty jealousy, a hunger for recognition, drove Haman to insane hatred that would not be satisfied until Mordecai was killed. Be careful! Petty jealousy can lead to hatred, which can lead to violent thoughts or actions.
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE BEGIN TO HATE OTHERS WHOM THEY THOUGHT THEY LOVED?
Judges 15:2: I really thought you hated her, her father explained, so I gave her in marriage to your best man. But look, her sister is more beautiful than she is. Marry her instead. Did Samson hate his wife? He certainly gave that impression to her father. In his fury at his wife -- Judges 14:19, he went home to his parents, giving the impression that he had abandoned her. This led to bigamy, destruction and ultimately murder. Anger and hatred bear bitter fruits with seeds of destruction.
HOW DO WE LET GO OF HATRED?
Proverbs 15:1: A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger. Get rid of anger. Anger leads to bitterness, which leads to hatred. Micah 6:8: This is what He requires: to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your YHVH. Mercy and humility are powerful weapons against hatred. Ephesians 4:31-32: Get rid of all bitterness… Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another. Forgiveness stops hatred. Colossians 3:18-19: You wives must submit to your husbands… And you husbands must love your wives. Humble submission and love cast out hatred.
WE CANNOT LOVE YHVH AND HATE YHVH’S PEOPLE.
1 John 4:20: If someone says, I love YHVH, but hates another believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love YHVH, whom we have not seen?
FOLLOWING YESHUA MAY CAUSE SOME TO HATE YOU.
John 17:14: The world hates them because they do not belong to the world. 1 Peter 4:14-19: It is no shame to suffer for being a believer. Those who love sin hate those who are against sin. If you take a stand against sin, expect opposition.
#actsoftheapostles #wordofyah #everlasting
Thought for Today: Sunday June 15
When a person come in contact with the Everlasting Elohiym, they will never be the same again. This Divine “Fire” either draws in or drives away, saves or destroy, helps or hinders. Accepted and utilized, it becomes a boon and a blessing. Rejected, it becomes a bane and a curse. One dying thief was drawn to the warmth of the Moshiach; he responded in faith and was saved. The other thief turned away and rejected YHVH’s compassion; he was lost forever. NO! You will never be the same once you know the Moshiach. Just think what a difference He can make in your life today!
The vendor I bought the software from for my video site cheated me unfortunately. I was under the impression the software was good forever. However, there was a bug in it and they expected me to pay for a patch to fix their negligence. They lost my trust at that point. I'm building a new site. I have to log into my server as root and change the configuration file but the script I found is free and open source. I'm hoping it will end up working. The installation is not so easy since I have to edit the server configuration file using vim. Hopefully I'll get it working soon.
Any day dawners with the more sure word of prophecy?
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8858....934548?omn=850245828 (Passcode: 144)
A new song, some may like :)
Fear and Love the Holy One
by Dr Garth and his Uncanny Valley Orchestra
2025:6:15
[Verse 1]
He feeds the just with morning bread,
And lifts the lowly from the bed;
His mercy flows, serene and deep,
To shepherd souls He longs to keep.
[Verse 1 continued...]
But firm His hand, like flint it stands,
He breaks the proud with weighty bands;
His voice is storm, His gaze is flame,
The nations tremble at His Name.
[Chorus]
O fear and love the Holy One,
Who seals the night and wakes the sun;
A sword, a balm, His ways are true—
Both wrath and grace belong to You.
[Verse 2]
He tends the lamb, He binds the torn,
He crowns the meek and guards the worn;
His covenant is strong and sure,
To every heart that shall endure.
Yet woe to them who scorn His law,
Whose lips deceive, whose hands are raw;
He lifts His rod, He strikes with fire,
And casts the haughty in the mire.
[Chorus]
O fear and love the Holy One,
Who seals the night and wakes the sun;
A sword, a balm, His ways are true—
Both wrath and grace belong to You.
[Bridge]
Sing not of love divorced from awe,
Nor dread apart from holy Law;
In Yah alone these twins reside—
The fierce rebuke, the faithful Guide.
[Chorus]
O fear and love the Holy One,
Who seals the night and wakes the sun;
A sword, a balm, His ways are true—
Both wrath and grace belong to You.
FEELINGS OF GUILT
Have you ever had a guilty feeling about something? Perhaps you did something wrong and you felt guilty about it. Perhaps you have magnified the feeling of guilt beyond the [wrongness] of the act that precipitated the guilty feeling. Or perhaps you feel justly guilty for a sin and you don’t know what to do about it. The best way to relieve justifiable guilt is to confess the sin to YHVH and ask Him to forgive you. If the sin is against another person, confess the sin to that person and ask that person to forgive you. Forgiveness is the only cleansing agent that can remove both guilt and a guilty feeling about a sin.
THE SOURCE OF GUILT
GUILT COMES FROM GIVING IN TO TEMPTATION.
“The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious and it would make her so wise! So, she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. At that moment, their eyes were opened and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So, they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves.” (Genesis 3:6-7). Notice what Eve did: She looked, she took, she ate and she gave. The battle is often lost at the first look. Temptation often begins by simply seeing something you want. Are you struggling with temptation because you have not learned that looking is the first step toward sin? You would win over temptation more often if you followed Paul’s advice to run from those things that produce evil thoughts (2 Timothy 2:22).
INVOLVING OTHERS IN SIN COMPOUNDS GUILT.
One of the realities of sin is that its effects spread. After Eve sinned, she involved Adam in her wrongdoing. When we do something wrong, often we try to relieve our guilt by involving someone else. Like toxic waste spilled in a river, sin swiftly spreads. Recognize and confess your sin to YHVH before you are tempted to pollute those around you.
SIN MAKES US FEEL GUILTY.
After sinning, Adam and Eve felt guilt and embarrassment over their nakedness. Their guilty feelings made them try to hide from YHVH. A guilty conscience is a warning signal YHVH placed inside you that goes off when you have done wrong. The worst step you could take is to eliminate the guilty feelings without eliminating the cause. That would be like using a painkiller but not treating the disease. Be glad those guilty feelings are there. They make you aware of your sin so you can ask YHVH’s forgiveness and then correct your wrongdoing.
THE ABSENCE OF GUILTY FEELINGS DOES NOT MEAN A LACK OF GUILT.
“Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. And all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold.” (Jonah 1:5). While the storm raged, Jonah was sound asleep below deck. Even as he ran from YHVH, Jonah’s actions apparently didn’t bother his conscience. But the absence of guilty feelings isn’t always a barometer of whether we are doing right. Because we can deny reality, we cannot measure obedience by our feelings. Instead, we must compare what we do with YHVH’s standards for living.
GUILT COMES FROM FAILING TO DO WHAT YHVH EXPECTS.
“You are so proud of knowing the Law, but you dishonour YHVH by breaking it.” (Romans 2:23). Paul continues to argue that all stand guilty before YHVH. After describing the fate of the unbelieving, pagan gentiles, he moves to that of the religiously privileged. Despite their knowledge of YHVH’s Will, they are guilty because they too have refused to live by their beliefs. Those of us who have grown up in faith believing families are the religiously privileged of today. Paul’s condemnation applies to us if we do not live up to what we know.
THE SOLUTION FOR GUILT
GUILT CAN BE REMOVED THROUGH MOSHIACH.
“Now YHVH has shown us a different way of being right in His sight; not by obeying the Law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in YHVH’s sight when we trust in Yeshua Moshiach to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.” (Romans 3:21-22). After all this bad news about our sinfulness and YHVH’s condemnation, Paul gives the wonderful news. There is a way to be declared [not guilty]; by trusting Yeshua Moshiach to take away our sins. Trusting means putting our confidence in Moshiach to forgive our sins, to make us right with YHVH and to empower us to live the way He taught us. YHVH’s solution is available to all of us regardless of our background or past behaviour.
WE ARE DECLARED “NOT GUILTY” BECAUSE OF MOSHIACH.
When a judge in a court of law declares the defendant [not guilty,] all the charges are removed from his record. Legally, it is as if the person had never been accused. When YHVH forgives our sins, our record is wiped clean. From His perspective, it is as though we had never sinned.
MOSHIACH FREES US FROM THE CONDEMNATION OF SIN.
“Now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Moshiach Yeshua.” (Romans 8:1). [Not guilty; let him go free]; what would those words mean to you if you were on death row? The fact is that the whole human race is on death row, justly condemned for repeatedly breaking YHVH’s Holy Law. Without Yeshua we would have no hope at all. But thank YHVH! He has declared us [not guilty] and has offered us freedom from sin and power to do His will.
MOSHIACH CAN RELIEVE OUR GUILTY CONSCIENCE.
“It is by our actions that we know we are living in the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before Adonai, even if our hearts condemn us. For YHVH is greater than our hearts and He knows everything.” (1 John 3:19-20). Many are afraid that they don’t love others as they should. They feel guilty because they think they are not doing enough to show proper love to Moshiach. Their consciences bother them. John has these people in mind in this letter. How do we escape the gnawing accusations of our conscience? Not by ignoring them or rationalizing our behaviour, but by setting our heart on YHVH’s love. When we feel guilty, we should remind ourselves that YHVH knows our motives as well as our actions. His voice of assurance is stronger than the accusing voice of our conscience. If we are in Moshiach, He will not condemn us (Romans 8:1; Hebrews 9:14-15). So, if you are living for Adonai but feeling that you are not good enough, remind yourself that YHVH is greater than your conscience.
IN WHAT WAYS ARE WE GUILTY
Romans 3:23: “All have sinned; all fall short of YHVH’s glorious ideal. James 2:10: “The person who keeps all of the Laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of YHVH’s Laws”. The magnitude of guilt may change with the magnitude of sin, but the presence of guilt is as sure with a little sin as with a big sin.
James 4:17: “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. Sin is not only doing wrong things, but not doing right things”. Jonah 1:4-5: “All this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold”. The absence of a guilty conscience doesn’t always mean you are doing right.
HOW CAN I BE FREED FROM GUILT?
Psalm 19:12-13: “Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt.” By avoiding sin as much as possible and confessing any sin to YHVH. Guilt is the consequence of wrongdoing.
Acts 13:39: “Everyone who believes in Him is freed from all guilt and declared right with YHVH. This is a wonderful example of the grace of YHVH. All we have to do is accept YHVH’s free gift of salvation.” This means believing that YHVH sent His Son Yeshua, to die for our sins so that we are no longer guilty for them.
Numbers 14:39-45: “We realize that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land Adonai has promised us. But Moses said…: It won’t work. We must be sincere in admitting guilt”. Jeremiah 3:13: “Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against Adonai your YHVH”. There is a high cost to acknowledging guilt and admitting sin, but an even higher cost if we don’t.
Job 6:29: “Stop assuming my guilt. Job’s friends kept assuming he was guilty for some sin that caused his trouble.” There are two lessons here: 1 -- Sometimes we are not guilty of wrongdoing, but we feel guilty. We must learn to discern between true and false guilt. 2 -- We can better deal with our own guilt if we develop an attitude of not assuming everyone else is guilty.
1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” Prayer and confession free us from guilt. Don’t let guilty feelings over sin keep you from prayer, your only means of confessing to YHVH and restoring your relationship with Him.
Lastly but most important --- If you love YHVH your Elohim, you will keep ALL of His Commandments.