Book Excerpt about preparing a prophet

The next series of questions came and went at a lunch table over tacos with the two “Assistant Pastors” of the church. These two young men were dressed very trendy and spoke as one would expect a college educated thirty something would speak. They started off asking me about my journey of faith and then to present them with my questions. The glazed over expressions and empty eyes told me they had no idea of the answers to my questions and that this was not going to satisfy my curiosity.

            After what felt like an empty edification for my questions they both agreed they could not answer them right away and one of them blurted out “if ever”. The expression on my face had to been one of disgust. Mr. “if ever” then asked me point blank “if you don’t get these answers what are you going to do? You gonna quit God?”

            My immediate reaction was stunned silence which led to a very stern look upon my face and my reply. “No sir, but I will quit you.” It was at this point I chastised them with Scripture in 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” For the person seeking a deeper walk of faith, or as Paul writes, for those moving from the milk to the meat of the Word, we need these pastors to be equipped for service.

“That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:17

            After leaving the “if ever” church we began a journey with a new church plant where an Assistant Pastor broke away from a Non-Denominational Church because they hired a new Lead Pastor with strong Pentecostal beliefs that he opposed. Having the same disagreements with Pentecostalism we became closer friends and eventually he started a home church that we attended until the numbers outgrew the residence. We volunteered time and watched as this grew into a two hundred plus sized congregation. It must have been the “busy” work that kept us distracted from the content of the messages.

            Much of what was being preached was “encouraging and uplifting” according to the Pastor of this fledgling group. As our “busy” work slowed with the addition of members it was easier to start focusing on the teaching and that is where the questions came to light. The truth would come out that Pastor was more like pretender as we discovered he had zero seminary training, no formal collegiate instruction or post high school certifications. He was simply a guy that had a position and a title.

            Is this the plan of Salvation and Evangelism that God has ordained? Is this the pattern that Yeshua established? We can only look to the Scriptures to answer this and all the questions that were presented to these so-called leaders. We can start in the Garden of Eden….  Genesis 4:6-7 “And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his [Satan’s] desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

            Why was Cain mad? We have to understand the phrase “If thou does well” in context. The prior verse tell us that it a time of sacrificial offering unto YHVH when we read “in process of time”, or in the Hebrew, moedim. Moedim is a Hebrew term that means “appointed times” or “feasts,” referring to specific days of significance in the Hebrew calendar, particularly those outlined in the Bible, such as Passover and Yom Kippur. God is telling Cain he has brought the incorrect sacrifice for this appointed time and Cain wants this on his terms and not YHVH’s terms.

            This appears to me to be the classic example of “you should have known better”. God exampled the proper behavior directly to Adam & Eve after their sin, teaching them the Torah. This is evident in their restoration as read in Genesis 3:21 “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” There is a vast amount of symbolism and foreshadowing in this statement when considered within its context. The innocent blood of the animal was exchanged for theirs as an act of mercy by God’s grace because of their faith and earnest repentance. Sound familiar?

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

            This concept of propitiate sacrifice was supposed to be a last-ditch effort and our real goal was to live in obedience to our King. It is amazing to me how men can think that they can solve all the problems through “inspiring and uplifting sermons” never solving the problems they themselves manage to create by ignoring the original instructions. Even after a stern warning about the blessing and curses that accompany the behavior we choose to display. This is the disease of self-sufficiency created by “inspiring and uplifting sermons,” no need for YHVH’s instructions presented as freeing, this is the Way of Cain that the Adversary wants you and the religious system to own.

            Each Generation from Adam to Noah taught the Torah and it was taught until total corruption was at hand. After the flood this same concept returns as Noah teaches Shem and so on util we see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob carry the teaching Torah to Egypt where total corruption was close at hand. The Passover of Adam and Eve occurred on the 14^th of Nissan, as did, the Passing over of Noah and the Arc, and the same day as the Passover in Egypt and when the Ultimate Lamb was sacrificed for our personal Passover.

            When Moses received the written Torah from the Hand of YHVH it was tangible evidence for disbelieving and stubborn humans. This was the reason for Paul’s comment in Galatians 3:19 “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” God had to give them a visible standard in which to follow and ultimately that would come in the tangible Messiah Yeshua.

            Next we can look to the prophets to the people with men like Amos, Nehemiah, Daniel and Ezekiel all of whom were well disciplined in the Torah. A young Ezekiel aspired to be a Temple Priest and because of the sins of Israel he did not get that opportunity. Instead, Ezekiel not only prophesied to the demised of the nation, but there too, having his own experience as a captive of the defeat. Ezekiel’s warning, according to YHVH, is a warning to that generation and a generation yet to come.

            Ezekiel 3:1-5 “Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this scroll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that scroll. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this scroll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;”

            The phrase “to eat the scroll” literally means to devour the volumes. This was Ezekiel’s mission prior to his ministry, he was to consume the knowledge of the Torah completely and with fierceness then he would have a message to deliver. As with the example I shared form my own life, this is not the case today as anyone with “the calling on their heart” can start a tax-free corporate church right in their own living room.

            Our Messiah Yeshua modeled mentorship and discipleship when he trained the disciples during his ministry. We see Paul going off to Arabia for three years to learn at the feet of Messiah. And we see Paul instruct Timothy in his second letter to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” This is the proper foundation for the role of a leader: One who has fully devoured the Scriptures!