Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Watch what you say!

Most of us, who are called out of the world to have a relationship with G-d, have over time become very concerned about what we put into our mouths. Most of us or at least our wives who are responsible for procuring the groceries and foodstuffs for our families have become label readers, to ensure that what we eat is kosher. ‘Kosher’ is a word usually applied to food prepared in accordance to dietary laws described in Torah. However, it should be applied to everything we do, including our speech. Yes, there are Torah commands that even apply to the way we should control what we say.

The entire way we live our lives should be totally controlled by Torah, despite those who believe that we already live in the age of grace. Rav Kepha tells us about this grace but also confirms that we are still obliged to keep Torah in 1 Peter 1: 13 – 19, saying: ‘Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Messiah ben David. (14) As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, (15) but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; (16) because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY.” (17) And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth; (18) knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, (19) but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Messiah.’ This tells us unambiguously that we will only receive grace at Messiah’s coming, depending how we will live. That is why G-d’s teachings should regulate our moral precepts; dietary regulations; agricultural science; financial success; sexual behavior and religious practices. The reason why slander have a direct effect on its perpetrator, goes right back to the origins of speech as witnessed in  Genesis 2: 7, as follows: ‘Then HaShemG-d formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (or soul).’ By breathing into man the spirit of speech and understanding man received the spirit in man, as is also witnessed in Zechariah 12: 1, in this way: ‘The burden of the word of HaShem concerning Israel. Thus declares HaShem who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.’ Job who lived during the time of Abraham was a very wise man who said in Job 32: 7 & 8, “I thought age should speak, and increased years should teach wisdom. (8) But it is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.”  Yes, the merger of soul and spirit gives us the ability to speak, understand, make decisions and remember things, thus allowing us to build character over the period of our human lives on earth. Because we were created in the image of G-d, man alone among creation is endowed with this ability, a result of having a spirit in man.

Speech itself makes an earlier appearance in Genesis, where G-d speaks the universe into existence by His word. The first time man spoke, was when Adam gives names to the animals as witnessed in Genesis 2: 19, as follows: ‘And out of the ground HaShemG-d formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.’ Man’s ‘creativeness’ differs from G-d, in that man needs material things to make something else, as opposed to G-d, who creates something from nothing. However we obtain an appreciation for speech based on the comparison, since man’s speech is a G-dly activity. The first time that speech was misused in the Scriptures was when the serpent seduced Eve to eat from the fruit of the tree of good and evil. G-d’s response to man’s sin may be better understood based on the set-apartness of speech. After man ate of the forbidden fruit they felt alienated and hid themselves from the presence of HaShem. Then G-d called to Adam saying: “Where are you?”  It was only when Adam failed to find proper words that he blames the woman that HaShem gave him for his sin and as a result they are expelled from the Garden of Eden. True repentance of our sins or as it is transliterated in Hebrew ‘Teshuvah’ requires that we verbalize our sins before HaShem. This is necessary and when properly understood, will enable us to reacquire our exalted status of the image of G-d.Speech has a much greater impact than what we can imagine. The people who built the Tower of Babel said in Genesis 11: 4, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Their tower was destroyed and they were dispersed throughout the earth. Apparently the builders of the Titanic believed that they built this ocean fairing ship so well that when one of the deckhands was asked at the beginning of its maiden voyage  from Southampton, England to New York, whether she was really unsinkable, he replied: ‘G-d Himself could not sink this ship’. Even though the person did not use G-d’s true name the ill-fated ship was sank by an ice-berg long before it reached its destination during the night of April 14, 1912. Similarly a famous rock star in the early 1990’s brought out a new record in which he sang the words: ‘G-d knows I want to be free.’ He was set free after his record reached top sales, when he died some time later.

We also see another example of speaking judgment upon ourselves in the second last Torah portion in Genesis 44: 18 - 47: 27, where Pharaoh asked Jacob how old he was in Genesis 47: 8. Jacob answered in verse 9, saying: “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.”The Midrash teaches that the reason Jacob did not live to Isaac’s age was because of this statement, which contains thirty three words of complaining. DidJacob have it that bad? In some ways yes, he feared his brother’s murderous threats, he had to live with the conniving Laban for twenty years, his daughter had been raped and abducted, he thought his favorite son was dead and his beloved wife Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. He had experienced tragedy. But G-d had protected him from his brother, G-d had made him wealthy at Laban’s expense, his daughter and son had been returned to him and all men lose loved ones at some point. G-d could very well look at him and call him ungrateful, particularly in the privileged place he now found himself in Egypt. Jacob had not learned that most important lesson, how to have joy and contentment in every circumstance. He dwelt on the past, had no hope for a better future and lived every moment in misery. A rather depressing existence, but too many of us follow in Jacob’s footsteps and rob ourselves of the joyous experiences of G-d in every moment, living a life of joy regardless of the circumstances. We need to learn how to deal with the things that remove our focus from the joy of the moment and into despair.

The fears and discontentment we live in will come from two places, the past and the future. Too often we dwell on the past, always asking, ‘what if’ or ‘if I had only.” Or we concentrate on the hurts and pain we feel from things done to us. First, it is true that G-d often tells us to remember things; the festivals and Shabbat, the Tzitzit and the mezuzah are all there to help us remember. But those things are there for us to be encouraged, to remember the wondrous things G-d has done. Second, we are encouraged to learn from the past, to build on our successes and learn from our mistakes. Finally, we cannot change the past. The words spoken and the deeds done are all final, we cannot take back any one of them, redo anything differently. So if there are regrettable things in the past, we must learn from them and not dwell on them negatively. That just leads to grudge holding and bitterness, which robs us of our joy and contentment.Anotherfactor that robs us of contentment and joy is concern for the future. Messiah ben Joseph taught His followers not to worry about the future, since we never know what may happen in the next moment or even if we will have one. We can fear bad things may happen that never will, or in the case of the pessimist, expect bad things to happen that never do. But there is a more subtle way of concern for the future that robs us of our joy and contentment. This is when we continually expect the future to be better than the present. “When we have our finances under control, things will be better (then we can give to G-d’s work)”, “when I get that promotion”, “when I get married” or a million other “when this, or when I” statements. Always looking to the future and never concentrating on the here and now. “I would serve G-d if I knew Hebrew orif I knew the Talmud orif my personality were different orif I didn’t have kids….” G-d made you who you are and He uses your life experiences for His honor and glory. He can make bad things in your life good and He makes the good even better. We need to concentrate on the now, serving G-d and our brothers and sisters now, because the now is all we have. And it is making the best of the now, whatever that is for you, that will lead to true contentment and joy as we serve our G-d with every ounce of our being.

 

The most serious speech problem is when we talk evil about another person. Evil talk or as it is transliterated in Hebrew ‘lashon hara’ refers to a derogatory statement about another person, including tale bearing and slander. Messiah ben Joseph warned His followers specifically against this practice which at times might even involve G-d’s people in Matthew 5: 21 & 22, saying:“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. (22) But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca (Aramaic for empty head, or good for nothing),’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” Yes, it is possible for us who have been called at this time to die the second death, because of the way we talk to, and about our neighbors. King Solomon the wisest man that walked the earth wrote on this subject in Proverbs 6: 12 – 19, saying: ‘A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a false mouth,(13) who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers; (14) who with perversity in his heart devises evil continually, who spreads strife. (15) Therefore his calamity will come suddenly; instantly he will be broken, and there will be no healing. (16) There are six things which HaShem hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him; (17) haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, (19)a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.’ Both the Torah portions Tazria and Metzora are concerned with the intricate laws of tzara’at. Tzara’at is a skin disease spoken about in the Scriptures as leprosy. Tzara’at affected people as a consequence of having spoken evil against someone else. We are all aware that Miriam was punished with this skin disease in the wilderness for speaking evil about Moses her brother. These Torah portions warn us to be careful about evil speech. Even so there are situations where one is required to speak up, such as warning about a prospective marriage or business partner; and as Trail Blazers among returnees from the house of Israel we are all appointed as watchmen over the house of Israel. We are therefore told in Isaiah 58: 1 to: “Cry loudly, do not hold back; raise your voice like a trumpet, and declare to My people their transgression, and to the house of Jacob their sins.”

We need to be especially careful of deceptive talk – it is very important that we do not mislead others by telling half-truths, or use flattery or boasting to get them to do things which they would otherwise not have done for us. Another kind of un-kosher speech is when we use disgusting foul language, which includes curse words and or ‘dirty jokes’. We should use positive language to point out the good in others and to uplift and encourage them. But one of the biggest problems about deceptive language has to do with those of us who teach others the way of G-d. The point is that before we start teaching others, we need to be certain that we know enough so as not to mislead others. Messiah ben Joseph spoke about this in a parable to His disciples in Luke 6: 39 - 45, saying: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? (40) A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. (41) And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  (42) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. (43) For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. (44) For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. (45) The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. ”

Our discipleship program should take about three and a half years during which we are required to attend about 200 Sabbath services and all the Feast Days of G-d during the three years, plus a Scripture study of about two hours weekly. However, since it is not possible for everyone to attend Scripture study lessons during the week, the normal discipleship program last about seven years. After the first three and a half years, disciples may assist their Torah Teacher by doing regular sermonettes on such subjects, as: Why do we keep the Sabbath? Why do we need to keep G-d’s annual Feast Days? How to debunk the many reasons some site for not eating kosher, etc. Rav Yaa’cov also warns prospective teachers to make very sure that they know their facts, before they start teaching others, saying in James 3: 1, ‘Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.’  In continuing to talk about teachers, He also warns all of us to bridle our tongues in verses 2 – 10 of James 3, saying: ‘For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. (3) Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well. (4) Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. (5) So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!  (6) And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. (7) For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by the human race. (8) But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. (9) With it we bless our Master and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of G-d; (10) from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.’

We need to be especially careful what we say about the Almighty G-d we believe in. We read from the Ten Commandments, specifically about the name of G-d in the third commandment as recorded in Exodus 20: 7, “You shall not take the name of HaShem your G-d in vain, for HaShem will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.”The Hebrew word for vain is ‘shavah’, meaning to use lightly, destroy or bring the name of HASHEM your G-d to naught, by hiding, refusing to use, or purposely misspelling His name. Now there are a number of ways in which one can take the name of HaShem our G-d in vain; one of which is mentioned in Leviticus 24: 10 - 16, in this way: ‘Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the sons of Israel; and the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel struggled with each other in the camp. (11) And the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name (of G-d) and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) (12) And they put him in custody so that the command of HaShem might be made clear to them. (13) Then HaShem spoke to Moses saying, (14) “Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then let all the congregation stone him. (15) And you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone curses his G-d, then he shall bear his sin. (16) Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of HaShem shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.’”’Hashem’s name is blasphemed if we use it to ask the blessing over unclean food or Sabbath and Feast Days not ordained by HaShem in His word, as the prophet Malachi witnessed in Malachi 2: 1 - 9, as follows: “And now, this commandment is for you, O priests. (2) If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name” says HaShem of Hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. (3) Behold, I am going to rebuke your offspring, and I will spreadrefuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. (4) Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says HaShem of hosts. (5) My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me, and stood in awe of My name. (6) True instruction was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. (7) For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of Hashem of hosts. (8) “But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant with Levi,” says HaShem of hosts. (9) So I also have made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways, but are showing partiality in the instruction.”This is talking about false feast days like Xmas and Easter, but also about those who keep Hashem’s Feast Days on different days to those that He ordained through Judah.

As teachers in the congregation we should make sure that those whom we teach will not easily be deceived by the false teachers we are warned about by Rav Kepha in 2 Peter 2: 1, in this way: ‘But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying (or contradicting) the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.’  One area in which many have been deceived by false prophets is in respect of the mystery of our faith as explained in 1 Timothy 3: 16 (KJV), as follows: ‘And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: G-d was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.’ This is obviously talking about the Oneness of G-d, as is also confirmed by G-d’s words through Isaiah in Isaiah 43: 10 & 11, in this way: “You are My witnesses (talking about returnees from the house of Israel together with our Jewish Brothers),” declares HaShem, “And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no G-d formed, and there will be none after Me. (11) I, even I, am HaShem; and there is no savior besides Me.”  However, Rav Shaul continues in 1 Timothy 4: 1 saying: ‘But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.’ Like little children, we should not be double-minded. Yaa’cov‘s first concern about double-mindedness was in the area of prayer, as we read from James 1: 5 - 8, in this way: ‘But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of G-d, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.(6) But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from HaShem, (8) being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.’ If we pray asking HaShem to heal us with doubt in our minds, we will definitely not be healed! But if we ask knowing that He will heal us, healing will start immediately. What Yaa’cov is teaching here is in agreement with what we read from Hebrews 11: 6, as follows: ‘And without faith it is impossible to please Him (G-d), for he who comes to G-d must believe that He is (or exists), and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.’ 

Even so, we also need to be ever mindful what we ask of G-d, as Yaa’cov warned in James 4: 3, saying: ‘You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.’ Yaa’cov’s second concern about double-mindedness entails what we do with the information that we read and hear from the Scriptures, as he wrote in James 1: 22 – 25, saying: ‘But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; (24) for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. (25) But one who looks intently at the perfect law (Torah), the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.’ How do you react to the things you read in the Scriptures? Do you try and find ways to avoid areas that you consider difficult to accept, or do you study the Scriptures with the view to get to know G-d and to become more obedient. Other than with Christianity, we should go beyond feeling good, we should actually strive to do good, as Yaa’cov wrote in James 1: 26 & 27, saying: ‘If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. (27) This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our G-d and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.’

In James 2: 1 – 7, Yaa’cov deals with double-mindedness in the treatment we meet out to fellow believers. He asks if we treat all our brethren the same; or do we treat those with an abundance of wealth and goods better than those who are poor.  In verses 8 - 10 of James 2, Yaa’cov wrote: ‘If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. (9) But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (10) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”’ This is totally contrary to what Churchianity would like us to believe, as we read from verses 14 & 20 - 26, as follows: ‘What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? (20) But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? (21) Was not Abraham our Father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (22) You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; (23) and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED G-D, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of G-d. (24) You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. (25) And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? (26) For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.’  As much as we show our faith by our works, those who do not have the Set-apart Spirit of G-d indwelling them, is as good as dead. But, if you are from the house of Israel and have been immersed correctly, meaning in the saving name of Messiah ben Joseph for the forgiveness of your past commandment breaking (such as keeping Sunday worship services instead of Sabbath services, eating unclean foods instead of the clean foods ordained by G-d in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 , keeping Xmas and Easter and not the Set-apart Days G-d ordained through those who sit in Moses’ seat in Leviticus 23, not believing in the Oneness of G-d, but in a trinity or two Deities, committing fornication, adultery or homosexual deeds, stealing, coveting, drinking too much {alcoholic beverages}, or misusing G-d’s Set-apart name) and the laying on of hands of a teaching elder, you are as good as being alive, even after you died one day, as you have been given a pledge of your inheritance, as Rav Shaul wrote in Ephesians 1: 13 & 14 and Romans 8: 11 respectively, saying: ‘In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Set-apart Spirit of promise, (14) who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of G-d’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.’ (Romans 8: 11) ‘But if the Spirit of Him who raised Messiah ben Joseph from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah ben Joseph from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you

If you delve into the recorded history of mankind over the past two thousand years, you will notice that the world honors its military heroes. Massive monuments have been erected in the major cities of the world in honor of people who lead their armies in defeating enemy forces. It is true that such men of fame registered remarkable military achievements during this age of man. But, greater conquests than the spoils of war, namely the accomplishments of peace are usually esteemed too lightly. King Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived wrote about it in Proverbs 16: 32, as follows: ‘He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.’  If we are able to control our own base instincts, our Creator views it as a great accomplishment, as Messiah ben Joseph taught His disciples in Matthew 5: 5 – 9, saying: “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. (6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (7) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (8) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see G-d. (9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of G-d.” Notice G-d’s words to King Solomon in 1 Kings 3: 11 – 13, who asked G-d to give him wisdom and understanding to be able to rule His chosen people, as follows: “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, (12) behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. (13) And I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.” G-d heard and granted Solomon’s request and he would be blessed as a peacemaker in a normally bloodstained, violent world. So it is clear that in the eyes of our Creator, honor and esteem goes to those who wage a battle for peace!

But the problem is human nature. G-d understands our nature, since He has put up with our disobedience for the past 6,000 years. Soon after G-d created Adam and Eve, Satan influenced their minds to disobey Him. Lacking the divine nature of G-d’s Set-apart Spirit, Eve gave in to the deceit and manipulation of Satan and Adam, though not deceived (as per 1 Timothy 2: 14), also ate of the forbidden fruit.  Rav Shaul confirms our human weakness in Romans 8: 7, as follows: ‘Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward G-d; for it does not subject itself to the law of G-d, for it is not even able to do so.’  Our thoughts, without the Spirit of G-d are motivated by ‘the law of sin’.War starts with selfishness and lust – when people fail to fill their selfish permissive agendas through deception and manipulation, they turn to violence resulting in full blown war. At this time Satan is fully aware that G-d is adding men and women to His Spiritual family. He recognizes our destiny to become part of G-d’s immortal spiritual family.  Satan knows that when we are resurrected one day, we as per Messiah’s example gain eternal life in G-d’s family and will exist on a higher plane than angels, since we will assist G-d in even administering angelic affairs as witnessed in 1 Corinthians 6: 3, in this way: ‘Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life?’  In order to try and disrupt G-d’s plan, Satan influences the minds of men to kill ourselves and others, physically orspiritually by what we say. Millions of people have been murdered or died in wars, yet, G-d will ultimately overcome Satan’s handiwork through the promise and power of the resurrection.Knowing this, we should be able to say the Sh’ma with conviction, learn to zip our lips as far as talking about our neighbors are concerned and to refrain from idle talk, greed, swearing and ever using the name of HaShem our G-d’s in vain! Because it could cost us eternal live!