Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrine of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commending to God. Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrine of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commending to marry. And commending to abstain from foods which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

For every creature of God is good, for every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. I'm going to stop here with verse 6. Beloved brothers and sisters, these 6 verses are plenty of food for us to try to grasp a little bit in this ministry meeting today. Let me just remind you that when the apostle Paul wrote to this younger brother by the name of Timothy this letter, this epistle, Timothy was left in the city of Ephesus, and there was a local assembly, local church, local congregation had been established, and yet they were right in the middle of a pagan city that was filled with idolatry, with all kinds of things that were against the will of God.

There was, of course, the worship of this Diana, this feminine goddess. There was a temple that was built there to Diana, and when the people of Ephesus, at the beginning, when the apostle Paul, Shaul, was there, they accused Paul by preaching the message of the gospel, and they shouted, And the apostle Paul, he said to Timothy, don't be occupied with this. Instead, I want you to understand that without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. Timothy, even though the Ephesians are singing or shouting great in the Diana of the Ephesians, we as believers in Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, we have understood this wonderful mystery that God became a man, entered into this world, and died for us.

He was justified in spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and now he is received up into glory. And now he is saying to Timothy in chapter 4, he is continuing to instruct him. And in chapter 4, by the way, the apostle points to three things that he is encouraging Timothy to be. In Ephesus, where there is so much influence of idolatry, and so much inclination of false teachings to be crept into the local assembly, he says you need to be a good servant, verses 1 to 6. You need to be a godly servant, verses 7 to 12. And you need to be a growing servant, in verses 13 to 16.

Three things he emphasizes in this fourth chapter of 1 Timothy. But today, I would like only to deal with the necessity to be a good servant in the midst of ungodliness. And you and I need that today as well. So notice how he began this fourth chapter. It is interesting because he gives him a warning. These warnings were not only applied to you and I today, it began 2,000 years ago when the assembly was formed. There was always a danger for the satanic influence to come upon the professing Christians, the professing believers. And so he began in this fourth chapter telling Timothy a warning about the approaching apostasy that is going to creep in very quickly into the local assemblies, into the body of Messiah.

And so in verses 1 and 2, Paul tells Timothy of the approaching apostasy. Verses 3 to 5, Paul describes to Timothy what the apostates will teach. And then verse 6, Paul encourages Timothy to be a good servant. And you and I will need that today as well, beloved brothers and sisters. Let's look over those verses just to see what he's emphasizing here in this fourth chapter in verses 1 to 6. You notice immediately in the first verse, he says, Now, after what I told you about the Messiah, that he finished the work on the cross and he was received up into glory, now, Timothy, I want you to know that the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter time, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrine of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

In these two verses, this volume of information for us to meditate upon, he's giving Timothy warning about the things that will happen. Notice he says that the Spirit speaking expressly. We say to Timothy, it is not my thinking, it's not my opinion, but the Holy Spirit of God speaks and gives warning to the people of God concerning things that will surely come to pass. Notice the word, the Spirit speaking expressly. The Holy Spirit of God, using the word of God, of course, he speaks concerning things that were going to come and he gives him this warning. Now, beloved brothers and sisters, we know very well that the Holy Spirit of God was given unto us in order that he will convict us, that he will warn us.

In fact, turn with me to John, to the 16th chapter. And the Apostle is really making a reference to what Yeshua, the Messiah, had said before he died on the tree, an instruction concerning the coming Comforter, the coming of the Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh. It says in chapter 16 of the Gospel of John, in verse 7, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter, this is the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit of God, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Now, notice what it says in verse 8.

What will the Holy Spirit of God do? And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, Yeshua the Messiah said to the disciples at the upper room in the city of Jerusalem. The Spirit of God's ministry is to speak and to convict the human race, and specifically to speak to us as believers. He is challenging the people of God. Look at Hebrews. There, the Apostle, who wrote to first century Hebrew believers, and you can see that the Holy Spirit of God, Ruach HaKodesh, always spoke throughout history. He spoke to our people Israel through the Word, through the prophet.

And he's speaking today through the apostles, of course, in the time of Yeshua, and then later on with the servant of the Lord. Look what it says in Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 7. Wherefore, as the Holy Spirit saith, today if ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts. The Holy Spirit of God is speaking. He is now speaking today, but he was now sharing this word 2,000 years ago, and he says, now the Spirit speaks expressly. The ministry of the Holy Spirit of God. He is a divine person. He is sharing with mankind. Give us warning. Give us instruction. You know, the warning from the Holy Spirit of God helps us to continue on, to walk with the Lord.

But what is the Spirit going to say? He is saying that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith. Notice what Paul is saying, that the Spirit of God does not say that all will depart from the faith, but there will be some. And notice the word here. It's not only some will depart from faith, but some will depart from the faith. What faith that he speaks about. It's the faith that was once and for all delivered unto the saints. The early apostles receive instruction from the glorified Messiah. The faith that was given to the believers in the first century after the Messiah came and died and was buried and was raised.

Now, I just want you to look with me at a couple of verses. If you turn to Acts chapter 6 and verse 7, we read these words. This is when the assembly, the church, the ecclesia was born. It says that the word of God increased and the numbers of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the priests were obedient unto the faith. Notice the word the faith. Not only faith. In the history of our people Israel, many believed in God. But he's speaking about specifically the truths that we receive today in this present day dispensation. Look at Acts chapter 14 and verse 21. We read, And when they had preached the gospel.

This is the city of Derbe. And they taught many. They returned again to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch. And then look at what it says in verse 22. Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith. Not only in faith. Yes, believing in God, believing in Yeshua the Messiah. It's very important. But it is the faith. Now, look at us, beloved brothers and sisters. When we have accepted Yeshua. When we have embraced Him. Whether we are Jewish or whether we are Gentile. Or we have accepted in this present day truths that we have that apply for us today. And it's called the faith in the scripture.

One more verse. I want you to turn to Jude now. Again, this is what the whole earlier Hebrew apostles receive instruction from the Lord. Notice it's Jude also says in verse 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation. It was needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith. Again, notice the word, the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. After Yeshua the Messiah came from heaven. And he died for us on the tree. Our nation as a nation, Israel, did not accept him yet as the Mashiach. In fact, he was rejected and despised as Isaiah in chapter 53 declared it.

So what happened, now God is collecting, you might say, people from among our nation, Israel. People from among the nations of the world. And unite us together into that one body that is called the faith which was once and forever had been delivered unto the saints. And for us today, as part of the body of Messiah, we have to hold on to these truths that are told to us in the scriptures. So Paul is saying, again, another expression, in the latter times, Timothy might ask, Paul, when is those latter times being? Well, the latter times, in Hebrew we call it acharit hayamim, in the latter days, some shall depart from the faith.

The latter days began from the time that Yeshua finished the work on the cross up to those years after years after years after years that passed by. Including today, we live in the latter days, in the latter times, the Lord might come at any time to restore back his people to himself. And therefore, this latter times, in the latter times, in the latter times, may very well apply throughout the history of the church age, that some will depart from the faith which God had once and for all delivered unto the saints. Now, the latter times, this expression is so real because you know very well, even today, especially today, when there's so many views about God's word, so many opinions about Yeshua the Messiah, so many doctrinal views are being impressed upon us today.

And here we see that the apostle warning that these things will happen in the latter time. Now, turn with me to the second epistle of Timothy, and in chapter 3, look what Paul says there as well in the second letter that he wrote to Timothy. He says, This know also, Timothy, that in the latter days, perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truth-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, theorists, despisers of those that are good, traders, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having the form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.

From such, turn away. So, beloved brothers and sisters, when Paul is writing to Timothy and he gives him this warning, he is applying this also for us today. We too have to realize that the Spirit of God gives us warning. That in the latter days, some, again, not all, some will depart from the faith. Again, I want to emphasize the word, the faith. In Hebrew, we call it ha-emunah. Not only emunah, ha-emunah, the faith, which was once and for all delivered unto the saints. So, Paul continues in verse 1, and he's telling Timothy the warning that the Spirit of God given to us, and look what they will be saying and who is going to influence those that will depart from the faith.

In verse 1b, he says, and then he tells us how they're going to be influenced. They will be giving heed, number one, to seducing spirits, and number two, to the doctrine of demons. Now, you know, brothers and sisters, you and I don't realize that we have an enemy called Satan and all his fallen angels to influence humanity into going against the will of God. In 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 4, Satan is called the God of this world, whom the God of this world have blinded the mind of them which believe not. Lest the light of the glorious gospel of the Messiah, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

You know, brothers and sisters, what the devil does, we don't see it, humanly speaking, because we see that which is seen. But the unseen world, we cannot see with unnatural eye. We need the help of the Holy Spirit of God to discern what is of God and what is not of the Lord. And you see, what we find out, that those, some, that will depart from their faith, they will listen, number one, to seducing spirits. Again, the word spirits always apply to fallen angels. They will listen to seducing spirits, and they will listen to doctrine, to teaching of demons. It is amazing when you think about these beloved brothers and sisters, how often time that behind the scene, what you and I cannot see, we just look around, we talk with each other, we enjoy the fellowship of one another, but you know very well that the things that are happening today in the body of Messiah is influence of Satan and his fallen angels, which he drew after himself.

And so those that once claimed to be among the people of God, they will allow themselves to be seduced by fallen angels, by seducing spirits, and they will allow themselves to be taught by the teaching of demons, by the teaching of Satan, and Satan's followers, those angels that kept not their first estate. Now, what does that mean, seducing spirits? Do you remember the first time that Satan seduced anyone happened in the Garden of Eden? When Chavah, that is Eve, instead of submitting herself to her husband, and submitting herself to the Lord, to the God who created her, allowed herself to be influenced by Satan's seducing questioning.

You remember what Satan said to Eve, to Chavah? Has God said? Ye shall not eat of this tree. Has God really said this? And instead of submitting to what God did say to Adam, she added to the Word of God, but allowed herself to be influenced by Satan himself, and it didn't take too long, beloved brothers and sisters, that she had been a tool by the hand of Satan to influence her husband, to give him of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and to plunge the whole human race into sin. But how it began? Has God said? Is the Word of God is what it is, or should we add to it our opinion and our thoughts?

And yet, she have allowed the seducing spirit of Satan himself to disobey the Word of God, and ultimately, Adam, he was the guilty there, because he was the federal head. He himself violated the Word of God, and plunged the human race into sin. And don't point your finger to Adam or to Eve, because if you were there, you were just the same. If I was there, I would have done the very same thing, because in Adam, you see yourself, because we are a descendants of Adam. And so seducing spirits, what do you think that is going on in the influence of people that used to be once among the believers?

They used to sit under the sound of the Word. They claimed that they were believers of Yeshua the Messiah. And then you find out that they are no longer in the midst of the saints. Something must have happened. Either they were not believers whatsoever, they have actually never acknowledged the person of Yeshua the Messiah, or they have been influenced somehow of Satan, and for a while they are away from the Lord, and hopefully the Lord will restore them. And here we see that in the latter time, some, they will depart from the faith. By the way, the word depart, it's come really from the thought of apostasy.

In fact, if you turn with me to 2 Thessalonians 2, and verse 3, twice in the New Covenant, where the word apostasy is mentioned. Acts chapter 21, verse 21, and 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and verse 3. And apostasy has to do with departure from that which you once knew and turn away from it. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and verse 3. Let no man deceive you by any mean, for that day shall not come, except there shall come a falling away. That's where you get in the Greek, the word apostasia. In English we say apostasy. Falling away, departing from that which once knew before, and turning away from that. Of course, no one who is saved can be an apostate, because an apostate is not for a believer.

It's only for those who claim to be believers. They knew, they have heard, they have been under the guidance and the influence, and yet they have never made Yeshua as the Lord of their life. And therefore, when seducing spirits came, they have fallen away, they have departed from the Lord. So here is the word here, let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, speaking about the tribulation period, except there be come falling away first, and then the man of sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition. This is the Antichrist in the tribulation period, who will rise up in a time of departure from that which they knew so much about the things of the Lord.

You know, brothers and sisters, there are many people, unfortunately, who attend church meetings. They are probably on a list of a certain church as members, but they never made Yeshua, the Messiah, Lord of their life. They never have confessed their sins and have acknowledged that He is their Lord. They are born to a family of perhaps Christians, they have been born, so called, in a Christian country, but they've never made Yeshua their Lord and Savior. And therefore, the ones that He is speaking here is about those that will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits. And notice that, not only seducing spirits, but the second thing it says in verse 1, but the doctrine of demons.

You see, what I want to emphasize here in this ministry meeting, not only that they have been twisted and been deceived, but now you can see that the demons, the fallen angels, teach doctrine. what do they teach? They teach that which is contrary to the will of the law, to the word of God. You know, God always warned our forefathers, the people of Israel, to be careful from any idolatry because behind the idols, there is demon's activity. The fallen angels influence humanity to go in their own way against the will of God. Let me show you some Old Testament verses. Leviticus chapter 17 and verse 7. This is the book that deals with sacrifices.

Here is a warning that God gave Israel. It says, And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto demons, after whom they have gone a-horring. This shall be a statute forever unto them throughout their generations. God is speaking to Israel through Moshe, through Moses, and He's speaking about the fact that Israel should be careful not to allow themselves to offer their sacrifices unto whom. Notice, they were idols, but really, they were demons, devils, fallen angels. Go to Deuteronomy chapter 32, verse 17. Again there, He's saying, They sacrifice unto demons. In the King James, He says devils, but there's only one devil. They sacrifice unto demons. Not to God.

To gods, small g, whom they knew not. To new gods that came newly up whom your fathers feared not. You see, Moshe and Moses said to our forefathers, He says, Listen, when you departed from the ways of God and you worship idols, you actually offered sacrifices to demons. and your forefathers didn't know these gods with small g because they only worshipped the true and living God. Look at one more verse, please, in the book of Psalms. Psalm 96, verses 4 and 5, it says, For the Lord, or for Jehovah, for Jehovah, is great. And He greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods, small g, idols.

And then notice what He says in verse 5. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, you see what we really learned that these seducing spirits and those who teach doctrine of demons, this is behind the scene where the fallen angels influence humanity and creeping in among the professing church, the professing assembly. And if we are not guarding ourselves against it, Satan is a very crafty fallen angel. He is called in the Bible the god of this world. He has blinded the mind of them that believe. In Ephesians chapter 2, he is called the prince of the power of the air.

And that's why the apostle Paul gives warning. Now, you and I don't like sometimes to hear it because we think we know all things and we are capable to handle ourselves. But beloved brothers and sisters, behind every false teaching, it's not only a false teacher, but there is a fallen demon, a fallen angel. And we all need the help from the Lord to keep us sound. And so now notice, then he says in verse 2, that the condition of those who depart from the faith, they begin to teach under the influence of the fallen angels, of demons. It says in verse 2, number one, they begin to speak lies.

They are beginning also to speak hypocrisy. and they have their conscience seared with a hot iron. See what happened? The moment the person is influenced by demons, by fallen angels, by those who departed from the Lord, they begin to speak lies. They don't tell you the truth. Oh yes, they like you to assume that it is the truth. And you probably will listen and it's amazing that all these false teachers who teach false doctrine, they seem to know things that you and I don't know. They seem to have a special communication with God that only if you will listen to them you will be able to get this special, special revelation.

You're going to be super spiritual instead of just taking the ABC of the Bible and read it and meditate upon it and learn from it. No, but they will tell you if you would just listen to what I have, I have a special connection with God. And if you're not careful they begin to speak lies and then it says in hypocrisy. You know what is a hypocrite? Hypocrite is somebody who has two faces. If you would ever go to a show and they used to have those two masks. One mask appeals one way and then they change the mask. You know, we can be hypocrites sometimes.

We know that very well. But here it's not only a person at the time fallen and not being genuine inactivity. But here he is those that are speaking continually lies about the things of God and they are really being hypocrite. One of the tests to see if somebody is teaching false teaching is what do they think of Yeshua the Messiah. many who do not believe that Yeshua is the Messiah they also reject his divine nature. Oh, they say no, no, no. He is not God. He is a God. Oh, no. He was not born to the virgin Miriam and they began to deny fundamental truths of the Bible that God became a man and that he loved us so much that he lived a life of pleasing to the Father here and that he went all the way to the cross because there he dealt with the question of sin and he paid for my sins and for your sins he went all the way unto death and there beloved brothers and sisters he paid the price for our salvation.

They began to deny the fundamental truth of the Bible they say well the Bible it's not really divinely inspired and Paul's writing is I don't really like Paul's writing so I will take page number 5 or page number 6 off because I don't really like what he says and then you begin to wonder what is it is it the Word of God can we trust the Word of God both the Tanakh the Old Testament the Brit HaChadasha is divinely inspired we either take it and accept it or we don't and then we find ourselves that we are not in that direction that the Lord is planning for us and therefore they began to teach lies

you see beloved brothers and sisters by their fruit you shall know them remember what Yeshua said in Matthew chapter 7 you will observe to see what they teach how they live at least you can see that if they deny the Lord if they deny the truth of the Word of God you know very well that something is not right not only that they are speaking lies in hypocrisy but something happened to their conscience you see it says here in verse 2 having their conscience seared with a hot iron like marked but really the word for seared really can be with branded the thought is that their heart was hardened to the truth of the Word

of God and what is the conscience you know in Hebrew we say conscience is matzpun it's come from the word campus when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden conscience came in and their conscience told them I'm not right with God I better go and hide behind the trees why they were hiding behind the trees because their conscience bothered them then God said Adam where are you by the way that's the first question in the Bible where are you and Adam was hiding with his wife behind the trees because he was wrong he was not right with God but his conscience was not seared it was still awakened he recognized that he had

done something wrong and he had gone and he hid himself but here those teachers that are influenced by this doctrine of demons and sadduced spirit these ones now their conscience is so hardened it's seared like a hot iron and they are no longer feel that they are wrong it's like when our conscience is not pricked not touched conscience was given unto us in order to help us to see the right and the wrong and to choose the right hopefully and to turn away from the wrong but when a person have a hard conscience or a seared conscience he just carry on his own way or her own way so hardened to the truth of God

that I'm carrying on my own way and so some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrine of demons speaking lies in hypocrisy having their conscience seared with hot iron that's rather sad when these things have happened you know Paul always wanted to have his conscience tender turn to Acts chapter 23 you know we sometimes ourselves are guilty in that our conscience bothers us we don't have a clear conscience we know that we need to confess it before the Lord but you notice that the apostle Paul said in Acts chapter 23 said and Paul earnestly beholding the council this is the Jewish council in Jerusalem he said men and brethren men

and brethren he said I had lived in all good conscience before God until this day my conscience wanted to be right with the Lord and indeed he wanted to please the Lord and when he discovered that Yeshua was the Messiah his conscience bothered him because the Lord had to awaken him and ultimately have accepted the Messiah and he sought to live his life with his conscience awakened look at chapter 24 and verse 16 Paul said and therein I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense towards God and toward man you know brothers and sisters you see our conscience not always free and clean but when it's wrong we need to go to

the Lord to confess our wrong doing and he will forgive our sins and will restore us but these particular some in the latter days that will depart from the faith they were influenced by seducing spirits and by the teaching of demons and they continue on instead of turning away from it and go back to the Lord they continue to speak lies hypocrisies and in actuality their conscience was seared with with with with hot iron what a warning it is for us today to be so careful when somebody teaching us teachings that are not sound specifically against the Lord and I understand that there are difference of views about certain things we just earlier talked about

the rapture of the church some believe one way another this way I personally believe that the church will be raptured that's what I understand from scripture before the tribulation period but I can see that is not an issue of salvation that is not an issue of one goes to heaven or goes to hell this is an issue of seeking understanding from the Lord and asking the Lord to help us to see it clearly but these individuals are individuals that have been influenced by spirits by demons and they continue on in their own way seeking to take away people after themselves instead of following Yeshua the Messiah so verses 1 and 2 Paul tells Timothy of

the approaching apostasy if Paul said this to Timothy 2000 years ago in about 65 AD how much further are we today in the year 2016 can you imagine of the apostasy that is going on in the professing church in the professing ecclesia today in the world in which we live in but now in verses 3 4 and 5 Paul describes before Timothy what these apostate will teach not only the fact that there will be an apostasy there will be a departure verses 1 and 2 but then verses 3 4 and 5 Paul described before them what they will teach now notice that a few things first of all in verse 3 they will tell you

listen to that this is so interesting and especially for us as Jewish people we know that from our background notice what it says in verse 3 forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from foods which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth verse 4 for every creature of God is good and nothing is to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving verse 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer now let me look at this for a moment beloved brothers and sisters this is very important the first thing is that these particular individuals number one they will forbid marriage they will

tell you if you want to be really spiritual you do not need to get married now mind you let's say it as it is because the book of Corinthians 1 Corinthians chapter 7 the apostle Paul said that it's easier if a person is not married for a person to devote himself to the Lord obviously if you are married and you have wives and children or husband and children you need to commit yourself to your family affair to maintain the affair of this life it's understandable and if you are not if you are single or if you are not married you have the possibility to serve the Lord even more than a person who has responsibility

to take care of his family that is given but here it's not here it's not as it says here in verse 3 forbidding to marry in other words they impose upon you their view by saying no no you cannot get married and yet God says in the book of Genesis in chapter 2 God says it's not good that man should be alone I can tell you that and God provided Chava Eve to Adam and united them together see God made married actually the first one who have actually officiated a wedding ceremony was none else but God himself he created out of the ground Adam then he put him to sleep he made a surgery took

a rib out of his side and he made Bana built in Hebrew a woman and he brought her to him and he officiated the first marriage ceremony the only one who was witness is Adam Eve and God nobody else was there you remember what we read in Hebrews chapter 13 marriage is honorable what a blessing it is and the Lord provide a marriage a husband or wife to someone what a blessing it is of course not everyone the Lord allow him but the norm is to get married and so they forbid people to marry can you imagine and by the way there are those today in various groups that forbid marriage if you want to

serve the Lord you cannot get married you got to go to the monastery you got to stay outside of so and yet there's all kind of things that happen there and yet how beautiful it is the God given marriage marriage is honorable it is a divine institution but look at the second thing beloved brothers and sisters and here's where it applies sometimes to us especially those of us that come from a Jewish background it says here in verse 3b it says and they commanding notice it they command they commanding to abstain from food which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth now again I want you

to notice now here it is important for us to understand Paul does not speak about the need of someone to diet to take care of himself or herself he doesn't speak about some individuals that need to be careful from certain food that is not appropriate that is not the issue but here they say no you are not to eat certain food and then he says look at this as he says here received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth of the word of God now you know when I became a believer in Yeshua the Messiah I have one of the many Jewish believers that came to know Yeshua the Messiah and you

know among our Jewish people there are some we grew up in homes in Israel that you will never dare to have pork pig or shell food or shrimp or whatever you would enjoy today or somebody would enjoy today we would never allow to have it in our own homes it was called and why because God have instructed our forefathers not to eat certain foods I want to emphasize I would like to point to this fact that in various dispensations in various periods of time in human history God gave instruction to humanity different in one era than another the word dispensation simply means come from the Greek word economy in a different economy God allowed certain

things in another economy God did not allow certain things so for example in Genesis chapter 1 verse 29 we read this was in the garden of Eden and God said behold I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of the earth and every tree in the which is the fruit of the tree yielding seed to you it shall be for food in other words in the garden of Eden men Adam and Eve were vegetarian by the way if you notice the next verse even the beasts were vegetarians because it says in verse 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every fowl of the air and to everything

that creepeth upon the earth wherein there is life I have given every green herbs for food for meat and it was so in other words in the garden of Eden before sin came into this world men were vegetarian they didn't eat meat they didn't eat anything that was moving they were vegetarians now turn to Genesis chapter 9 and verse 3 after sin came in and after the judgment of God in the flood when Noah was delivered him and his wife and Shem Ham and Yefet his three sons and their three wives when they came out of the ark in Genesis chapter 9 look what we read in verse 3 every moving thing that liveth shall

be meat for you even as the green herbs have I given you all things now look what happened before sin came in in the garden man was vegetarian after sin came in and after the judgment of God over this universe when Noah came out of the ark now not only that he was vegetarian but now every moving thing shall be food unto you now let me tell you I'm not going to eat every moving thing but nevertheless it was allowed by God after the flood now turn to Leviticus chapter 11 and here we are in a different dispensation altogether where God had chosen the nation of Israel to be a separated nation unto himself he

gave the chapter that is devoted to what Israel as a nation should eat and what Israel as a nation should not eat in Leviticus chapter 11 verses 1 to 8 the beasts that are on the earth out of them there are certain beasts that Israel could not eat and there are certain beasts that Israel could eat for example it says in verse 2 speak unto the children of Israel saying these are the beasts which ye shall eat it's interesting this can be eaten every animal that he's walking on fore that hoof is parted and cloven footed and then chew is the card this could be eaten but notice verse 4 nevertheless these shall ye not

eat of them that chew the card of them that divide the hoof as and here he tells them what they cannot eat in verse 4 they couldn't eat camel in verse 5 they couldn't eat coney in verse 6 they couldn't eat hair in verse 7 they couldn't eat chazir swine that's what we get in Yiddish chazir in Hebrew we call chazir pig if you continue on you will see these things could not be eaten by our forefathers under the law in the dispensation when God have elected our people out of the nations of the world by the way if you read from verse 9 to verse 12 he's speaking about fish what fish Israel could

eat and what fish Israel could not eat notice it says in verse 9 these ye shall eat all that are in the waters whatsoever has fins and scales Israel could eat but then notice it says in verse 10 and all that have not fins and scales in the seas and in the rivers of all that moves in the water and of any living things which is in the waters they shall be an abomination unto you ye shall not eat of their flesh but then verse 13 on he's speaking about the fowls of the the birds verse 13 says these are they which ye shall have an abomination among the fowls these are the birds they

shall not be eaten and they give us a list of them it says in verse 13 eagle could not be eaten but then he tells them in verse 21 these ye may eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four and he gave us this list here so brothers and sisters listen to this before sin came in man was vegetarian when sin came in and the judgment of God came upon Noah's generation when he came out every moving thing he could eat including the herbs of the field under the law he gave our nation the nation of Israel in Leviticus chapter 11 specific things that Israel as a nation could eat or could

not but now we are living in this dispensation of the grace of God and back to 1st Timothy chapter 4 verse 3 commanding to abstain from foods which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth and then he tells us in verse 4 every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving now you and I might say but I grew up in a Jewish home I have never eaten pork well you don't have to eat it but the point is that we are in this dispensation in which we live in and look it's very clear every creature of God

is good and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving now of course if you have a conscience I remember years ago we used to go to street evangelization in the city of Chicago and we were handing out tracts all of us most of us were Jewish believers and then the time was to eat lunch and this one brother went to a kosher restaurant and this other brother went to McDonald's or to any other restaurant we finished to do our lunch time we got together we continue to do the Lord's work there is a conviction that some has in his heart and this can be understood and that's why Romans 14 allow

us to be sensitive to each other and not to force one another let me just read that we must be sensitive to each other but we cannot apply what was given nationally to Israel under law to the present day dispensation because we live in the present day dispensation by the way vast majority of our Jewish people do not eat kosher food today Romans 14 verse 1 says him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtful disputation for one believer that he may eat all things another who is weak eat as herbs let not him that eat despise him that eat not and let not him which eat not judge him that

eat for God hath received him who art thou the judge another man's servant to his own master he standeth or fall yeah ye shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand and then he's speaking about days one man esteemeth one day above another and another esteemeth every day alike now now brothers and sisters listen I'm just by the grace of God I want to minister the word of God I'm not interested in politic or in religion I just want to share the word this is honestly what I understand from the scripture I read the text and it's very clear every creature of God is good and nothing is to be refused

if be received with thanksgiving now do you think I'm going to go and eat everything that moves of course not but the point is that what God demanded from Israel under the law no Jewish man or Israeli man could say well God listen I'm sorry but I like to eat the pork the pig and God would have judged him on the spot there was no such a thing to be pigs among the nation of Israel in the biblical time under the law and so we have to understand that if God would have disciplined believers today the way he disciplined Israel historically when they have violated his word then all of us are in condemnation because

one of us or all of us have eaten something that we were not exorted to eat under the Old Testament economy from the book of Leviticus chapter 11 so we have to understand this the present time in which we live in and notice what he says in verse 5 he says it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer now I immediately came to my mind act chapter 10 you remember when Shimon Petros was in the house of Simon the tenor and the sheet came down from heaven with every creeping thing that was inside and the Lord said to him rise up and eat Peter and Peter said to the Lord not so

Lord and the Lord said to him and of course it is applied to the Gentiles there because he was trying to show Peter that now God opened the door to the Gentiles but Peter got up and he ate and even though he says not so long the Lord had to teach him a lesson through these foods that he ate he applied it to the Gentiles who were actually considered to be unclean but God cleansed us Jew and Gentile alike and brought us into this one body for it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer and so brothers and sisters you can eat as the Lord give you liberty and you cannot impose

upon another your conviction but obviously one have to be careful with what he or she eats but again we must understand present dispensation in light of other dispensation in the beginning it was vegetarian then everything that move and then only certain animals or certain food and today everything that is prepared for us is good and nothing is to be refused may the Lord just help us with this now finally in the last verse verse 6 if thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things you shall be a good minister of Yeshua the Messiah nourished up in the words of faith of good doctrine whereunto thou hast attain in verse 6 Paul is encouraging Timothy

to be a good servant a good servant number one teach truth a good servant number two is exhorted to be a faithful servant and a good servant is nourishing himself with the word of God with sound doctrine teach the believers things that are sound if you're going to do so Timothy you're going to be a good servant the word for servant here it comes from the word diakonos a servant of the Lord you and I all are called to be the servant of the Lord and finally in verse 6c if you are going to do so you're going to have to nourish yourself by the word of God let me challenge you today I hope

you read your Bible I hope you are reading sound material I hope you are careful to know what to take in and what to throw aside because not everything we hear today is sound Timothy is called to be a good servant of Yeshua the Messiah nourishing himself in the words of faith and of good teaching whereunto he hath attained may the Lord help us beloved brothers and sisters to seek to be good servants who rightly divide the word of truth and apply this to our lives the Lord is able to bless us if we do so for his name sake