Join Rabbi Schneider on this enlightening episode of Discovering the Jewish Jesus, where we delve into the concept of the kingdom of God existing here and now. Learn about the importance of being spiritually hungry and disciplined to access this invisible reality. Through scriptural insights, Rabbi explains how resisting worldly temptations and cultivating godliness can lead to a deeper and more present encounter with the divine.
Some people don’t understand that these things are things that they need to fight against. They just open their heart that whatever they feel, whatever they see, they just receive. Their door is open when their door should be closed. Father, we’re hungry for you and we’re thirsty for you today. Thank you, Father. You said that if we were hungering and thirsting for you, you would fill us. Come, Father God, and fill us up with the fullness of Jesus. And if you’re in agreement with that prayer today, beloved, say with me, amen and amen. Praise the name of the Lord. We’ve been talking about the fact that there is an invisible reality waiting for you and I to discover. It’s here and it’s now. You don’t have to wait to die to go to heaven to be there. I mean, some people believe, beloved, in a historical Jesus. They believe in a Jesus that lived 2,000 years ago, and that’s the only Jesus they know. They love to read the Bible stories and study the historical Jesus. That’s as far as it goes for them. They don’t understand that the same Jesus that walked upon the earth 2,000 years ago is here, He’s present, and He’s now in the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. I will send the Spirit to you. He will take of me and disclose it unto you. Some people, beloved, have their eyes focused on a future Jesus only. They’re just waiting to die and go to heaven. Some years gone by, they said a sinner’s prayer, and now they’re just waiting till they die to go to heaven to meet Jesus. It’s all focused on the future. But I’m here to proclaim to you that the kingdom of God is also here and now, and it’s waiting to be discovered. There’s a reality that you can access on earth, that you can enter into on earth right now through desire. through faith, through kavanah intent. We’re going to continue on today, beloved, by talking about the next dimension that is necessary in our lives for us to be walking in if we’re going to fully enter in. I want to talk to you now about the importance of having a spirit that resists the flesh and It resists evil. It resists the world. I want to talk to you about how important it is to practice resisting. Let me begin by reading a few scriptures for you today. I’m reading from the book of Galatians, Galatians chapter 5, verse number 19 through 21. Hear the word of God. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. We need to be resisting, beloved, these things. Some people don’t understand that these things are things that they need to fight against. They just open their heart that whatever they feel, whatever they see, they just receive. Their door is open when their door should be closed. When we’re in a conversation where people begin to gossip, We don’t allow ourselves to drift into that. We resist it because the scripture says that what comes out of our mouth will defile us. We will not enter into this sphere of victory, this parallel reality that Jesus came to give those of us in this world that would hunger for it and thirst after it if we are not resisting the culture of the age that is fueled by demonic forces of darkness. We need to resist. The Bible says we have not yet resisted to the shedding of blood. Did you realize the New Testament says you have not yet resisted to the shedding of blood? That’s how serious, beloved, we must take resisting sin and resisting darkness and resisting those things that do not originate from the Spirit of God. Listen to 1 Peter chapter number 5, verse number 8 through 10. Be of sober spirit. Be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But get this now, but resist him. The Bible says, be on the alert. Your adversary, it doesn’t say the world’s adversary, It doesn’t say it’s the adversary only of those that don’t know God. Peter’s writing to us, he says, your adversary. The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, but resist him. Stand firm in your faith, knowing the same experience of sufferings are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself perfect, confirm, and strengthen and establish you. You see, through resisting, get this, you’re strengthened, established, rooted. As you resist, it’s like a muscle. When someone lifts weights, to build their muscle, what does lifting the weights accomplish? The weight is resisting the muscle action. That’s why it’s called weightlifting. It’s called resistance training. And so when we resist the devil, when we resist the flesh, when we resist worldly friends. When we resist the world, it strengthens us. Peter says here, and the Lord will perfect you, confirm, strengthen, and establish you through this. If we’re going to gain the spiritual vitality and strength that’s needed to break into this parallel reality that Jesus brought to the world when he brought the kingdom of God in, we’re going to need power to do this, and the power will be developed through resisting. We resist the natural lust of the flesh. We resist eating if we know we shouldn’t eat, even if it’s just managing what we’re eating because we’re eating unhealthily. Resisting involves, beloved, how we relate to people and saying yes when we should be saying no and saying no when we should be saying yes and letting other people control us and bowing down to the pressure of men. We have to resist these things As we do, we’re strengthened. We have to resist the lust of the flesh. We all have built within us natural functions of the flesh, natural desires of the flesh. Just because we have the desires, it doesn’t mean that they’re right. No, we have to discipline ourself for the purpose of godliness. We have to resist. Let’s listen again what Paul tells us in the book of Galatians. Now, the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality. What do we do? We resist it. Impurity, sensuality, idolatry, and all these things. Envying. We resist envying. We resist accusing people. We resist practicing jealousy. We resist being offended. We resist getting a spirit of offense so that we don’t love people. Because Jesus said that we’re supposed to love even our enemies. So we have to practice, beloved, resisting. to enter into the kingdom of God. Resist the lust of the flesh, resist lower level spirits, resist demons, resist watching on television what you shouldn’t be watching. We have to resist these things. And as we do what happens, we get strong. It develops our muscle in our spirit, just like lifting weights develops our spiritual muscles. And we’re going to need muscle in the spirit to enter into the kingdom, to break into this parallel reality that Jesus came to bring us, known as the kingdom of God. The last dimension that needs to be operating in our life, in our spirit, in our walk for us to break in to the parallel reality called the kingdom of God that Jesus came to bring is that that I’m calling discipline. Do you know, the Western church today hears very little about discipline. We serve people cappuccinos in the pews, and I’m not putting down any church that does this, but we just so pamper to everybody today. People don’t understand discipline. But Paul said, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. Let’s look at a couple of scriptures that have to do with discipline. Proverbs 23, verse 12 says, apply your heart to discipline and your ears to words of knowledge. Listen what Paul said about himself, the great apostle Paul. Many of us, we ask ourselves, would we want to be like Paul? And we all go, yeah. But listen what Paul said about himself if we want to be like him. 1 Corinthians 9, 27, Paul said this, but I discipline my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. Paul said he made his body his slave. He didn’t give into his appetites, but he disciplined himself. He disciplined his mouth. He said, let no unwholesome mouth proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is edifying for the hearer. He disciplined his body and made it a slave so that he wasn’t a glutton. He walked in a disciplined lifestyle. Listen to what he said in Colossians 2, 5. For even though I am absent in the body, nevertheless, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see you. your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. Here Paul linked discipline and stability together. Discipline and stability speak of strength and it takes strength to break through the dimension of eternal life that Jesus brought us, the parallel reality that’s ours, the reality of the kingdom.
SPEAKER 01 :
You’re listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus with Rabbi Schneider, and he’ll be right back. But first, have you thought about the legacy you’ll leave when you’re no longer on this earth? Planning for the future, it’s an important step in walking with wisdom. So we’ve partnered with Freewill, a free online tool that makes creating a will simple, secure, and accessible to everyone. I’ve used it myself, and it’s really easy and efficient. And this tool, it also gives you the opportunity to make a lasting impact. And if you want to support this ministry, you can include a financial gift to us in your plans to help us share the love of Yeshua with generations to come. You can get started today at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Just click on our resources and need a will tab. It’s completely free, whether you choose to give to this ministry or not. So check it out today. And for those of you who do choose to give, thank you so much. And now back to Rabbi with the second half of today’s lesson.
SPEAKER 03 :
Listen, 1 Timothy 4, 7. But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself, Paul said, for the purpose of godliness. For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Paul said that when we discipline ourself for the purpose of godliness… It brings us into the dimension of eternal life, and we reap the benefits of it, not just in the here and the now, but even in the age to come. We’ve been talking, beloved ones, beloved children of God, about a parallel reality. Jesus came into the world to establish the kingdom of God. The kingdom is a hidden kingdom. Many people are not aware that it’s here. The Bible says, he that created the world came into the world, but the world perceived him not. They didn’t recognize him. You see, the natural man perceiveth not the things of God. But for you children of God, The kingdom of God, it’s here for you now, that you don’t have to wait to die and go to heaven to experience the freedom that Jesus came to bring. That when Jesus said, if the Son shall make you free, you’ll be free indeed, you could partake of that freedom now. that when Jesus said, my joy I give to you, that’s for the now. That when Jesus said, my peace I give to you, that’s for the now. When Paul said in the book of Romans, you shall reign in life through Christ Jesus, that’s for the now. And those of us that have ears to hear, that have faith to believe that we can have what God says we can have now. There are certain things that we can do in our life for breakthrough to enter into this reality of the kingdom. Get a church now. Jesus said this in the book of Matthew, chapter 7, verse 14. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life. And there are few that find it. This gate, Jesus said, that leads to life, Jesus said, is small and the way in is narrow. And he said, few find it. I want to ask you, are you one of the remnant? Are you one of the chosen that will lay hold of it? Jesus said, many are called. but few are chosen. I want to ask you, are you one of the chosen ones? Are you one of those that God has called and chosen to lay hold of the kingdom of God here and now? When Jesus came to earth and cast out the demons, He said, if I cast out demons by the finger of God, the kingdom of God has come among you. It’s broken in. It’s here and it’s now. Luke chapter 17, verse 21. He that has ears to hear… Let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Hear, beloved one, the Word of God. Neither shall they say, this is Jesus speaking, neither shall they say, lo here or lo there, for behold, the kingdom of God, Jesus said, is within you. Jesus said that you shouldn’t be running here and running there and all over the world to try to find the kingdom when the kingdom is right here and it’s right now. It’s inside you and it’s in our midst. You can lay a hold of that kingdom, but you need desire. You need to want it more than anything else. And if you want it more than anything else, that’s going to be evidenced by your actions. You see, if you really believe that you can have what God said you can have, Jesus said, he that believes in me Rivers of living water will flow from his innermost being. Do you believe that you can have rivers of living water? I mean, I’ve experienced and do experience rivers of living water flowing from an innermost being. Have you ever just heard in some people’s voices that there’s rivers of water in their voices? You can hear the life, you can hear the base, you can hear the fullness in their voice. Oftentimes what you’re hearing, beloved, is the Holy Spirit through their voice. I can even tell sometimes when I’m singing, when I recognize I’m in the spirit, when I’m singing, my voice sounds a lot different than when I’m not singing in the spirit. When I’m in the spirit, I can hear the fullness. Rivers of living water, Jesus said, will flow from the innermost being of those that believe in me. Jesus said, those that believe in me, he said, they’re going to know a well of life inside them. A well, he said, of eternal life. And that well of eternal life that’s inside Jesus’ own, Jesus said it would well up within them and become within them a well of living water so that you and I would hunger and thirst no more. You see, Jesus said you can be satisfied. that you don’t have to roam around forever looking to get satisfied and not be satisfied. We know that the things of the world will never satisfy. You’ll get to where you think is going to satisfy you. You’re going to get there and it might be fun and a great experience for a while, but you’re going to come to the conclusion it doesn’t really satisfy the deepest needs of your heart. But Jesus said we could truly satisfy become satisfied by eternal light that would well up from within and become a well of living water flowing from an innermost being that would quench all our needs for purpose, for love, for identity, for affirmation, all of it. I want you to know, beloved, You can have and I can have what God said we can have. But we need to exercise faith to enter in. You see, it’s not just going to fall on us supernaturally while we’re sitting on a couch doing nothing. It doesn’t work like this. We are co-laborers with Christ. We cooperate with the grace of God in us. So in order to enter in, we first need to have the faith that we can have, what God says we can have. Then we desire it with such passion that we begin to apply ourselves with intent, with kavanah to the things of the Lord. We meditate on his word day and night, Joshua 1.8. We meditate on what God is showing us to do in our life. Whatever He’s been speaking to us in our life, we do it. We meditate on it with intentionality, with focus, with kavanah. We apply the things that the Spirit’s giving us. We don’t just sit in churches week after week after week, listening to the sermon and then walk out of the service without applying it. No, we focus on what God says and we do it. We discipline ourselves. We practice what God tells us we should practice. We meditate on His Word. And then we looked at, beloved, the importance of resisting. That we can’t just go along with things. We have to resist. We can’t make excuses for not resisting. We don’t excuse ourself for our slothfulness. We don’t excuse ourself for giving in to the lust of the flesh. We don’t make excuses for ourself and compare ourselves with other people and say to ourselves, they’re no worse than we are, therefore we’re okay. No, that’s the devil’s game. We don’t measure ourselves by other people or by the world. We measure ourselves, beloved, by God’s Word, and we resist in our life what’s not of God’s Word, whether it’s a matter of the heart, whether it’s something that you shouldn’t be speaking with your mouth, whether it’s the lust of the flesh, we resist. And finally, beloved, along with this, we discipline ourselves, Paul said, for the purpose of godliness. When you will desire God, and I will desire God with my whole heart, we will back that up with faith. When we’ll apply ourself with kavanah, with intent, When we’ll begin to resist the things of the world and keep them out, like the bride in the Song of Songs that described herself as a locked garden, she wouldn’t let in her what was going to defile. And when we all discipline ourselves to walk with Jesus in order to enter into the narrow gate that leads to life, I want you to know, beloved, you’re going to possess a power You’re going to possess a vitality. You’re going to possess a youthfulness. You’re going to carry an anointing. The glory of God’s going to be upon you. The dew of heaven will rest upon you. You’re going to be a sign and a wonder. It’s available for you. It’s available for all. Jesus said, lo, all you that are weary and heavy laden, come to me and I will give you rest. I want you to know Jesus loves you. He’s got something special for you. You just got to come to him and I just got to come to him on his terms. Father, I bless these beloved ones of yours today that have ears to hear and a heart to obey. God bless you, beloved ones, and shalom. I want you to know, beloved, we have a special charge from the Lord in Romans 11, 11. This is what the Bible says, that Gentile believers have the charge of provoking Jewish people to jealousy that Jewish people might receive the Lord Jesus into their lives. Through Discovering the Jewish Jesus, we are provoking Jewish people to jealousy. In supporting me and this ministry, you’re not only provoking Jews to jealousy, as is the Lord’s command to you in Israel, but you’re provoking Jews in America, beloved, and all over the earth that are being challenged with the gospel of the kingdom through the broadcast of Discovering the Jewish Jesus. You are fulfilling the Lord’s command to provoke Jews to jealousy by financially supporting this ministry. The Lord has raised me up for such an hour as this, but without you, I can’t fulfill my charge. You see, you and I are partnering together to fulfill the command of the kingdom to spread the gospel around the globe. I want to thank you for partnering with me, for trusting in this ministry. And if you feel the Lord touching you right now to support me in this ministry, just be obedient. I know God will bless you for your obedience.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. Help us reach the next generation right now by going online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com or give when you call us at 800-777-7835. And as a token of our appreciation for our listeners who support us through a new monthly partnership, we want to send you a special gift in the handcrafted shofar straight from Israel. And with your support today, you’ll be helping us shout out the gospel on radio stations, podcasts, TV, and so many other platforms in the US and all around the entire world. So join with us, keep this program on the air by giving us a donation today. Go to discoveringthejewishjesus.com or send your donation via text. Just text the keyword GIVE to the phone number 88777. I want to remind you that we’re in the midst of the fall holy days, and tomorrow at sunset, we begin Yom Kippur. This is the holiest day of all the year. And Yom Kippur, the day of atonement in Hebrew, That’s when we reflect on God’s mercy and the sacrifice that Jesus made, which covers our sins completely. We would love for you to learn more about these special Set Apart Holy Days. So just go online to discoveringthejewishjesus.com to see all the free resources that we have available there for you. And now here’s Rabbi. He’s going to speak God’s sacred and special blessing over you.
SPEAKER 04 :
In the Old Testament book of Numbers, we find a blessing God speaks over His children through Moses and Aaron. It carries the idea of favor and expression. Open your heart to the Spirit and the Word today and receive Father’s goodness into your life with confidence.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with his countenance. And the Lord give you, beloved one, his peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 01 :
This program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And I’m your host, Dustin Roberts. Be sure to join us again next time when Rabbi Schneider shows us the prophetic fulfillment of God’s fall holy days. That’s Wednesday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
