Complimentary Story
August 2026“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 ESV.
It must be the season. As I was considering this directive to “make disciples,” I had the image of a carefully tended garden; kept in a way to make it clean and productive. Growing disciples in chaotic world is like a gardener trying to grow a clean productive garden in the midst of a large area of dandelions and thistles. Some threats are blown in and some grow with invasive root systems, out of sight until they erupt within the garden. Far more effort is involved in keeping the garden clean than the effort involved with weeds blowing where they will and taking root. It is the discipleship that helps believers stabilize and mature into those who can replicate and serve our Elohim and His people.
There seems to be a distinction between the generic use of the term “believer” and a “disciple.” (NOTE: The KJV translates this phrase as “teach all nations.” And according to the Blue Letter Bible, the word “believers” is only used twice there; from the Greek “pisteo” Strong’s G4100 while “disciples” from Strong’s G3101 mathētēs is used nearly 300 times.)
I think we are all aware of some who claim to be believers in Messiah yet there is little to no evidence of the fruit of this claimed faith. An intellectual faith is not enough. It must be put into action of some kind. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” James 2:14 ESV.
In the KJV, it appears to be questioning that faith is enough for salvation but newer translations such as the ESV have given additional consideration to the grammatical implications of the Greek words used. They confirmed that it is a question of what “kind” of faith. One may claim faith in words but show no internalization or practice of that faith. THIS kind of faith is not saving faith. I think, too, that people have inappropriately focused on “works” as only meaning “doing something,” but I understand it to also refer to the work of faith itself that has taken root in the person.
Yes, we need to spread the Word of salvation and our hope and joy in Messiah’s work on our behalf! The most productive way seems to involve recognizing the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Who brings conviction and then connects us with other like-minded believers. I have heard some say that they don’t need any teachers or community because they listen to the Spirit. That can be true, but I have also seen too many people who aren’t as discerning as they could be or who fail to remember to check what they learn experientially by comparing it with the written Word. I believe this is why Yeshua lamented those who are like sheep without a shepherd… or in our garden picture today, plants without a gardener.
Those who have come to an intellectual faith or claim faith because of their generational legacy may not realize how difficult it is to keep that faith clear and clean from the weeds in the world. Faith is the necessary grounding in order to receive the Holy Spirit and to be able to discern Truth in His Word. You may recall:
“And all the people that heard Him (Yeshua), and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of Him.” Luke 7:29-30 KJV.
Yes, those who did not humble themselves to receive baptism via John were unable to receive Messiah and could not recognize when the counsel of God was warning them of their own wayward, arrogant behavior. While saving faith is the ground we must work in, it is also not enough to sustain a person through the thistles and dandelions of the world around us.
The prophets declared, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master.’” 1 Kings 22:17 KJV.
“And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things.” Mark 6:34 KJV. Faith is the necessary ground to come into the family of Believers, grafted in to the common wealth of Israel…
“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:12-13 KJV.
Yes, our salvation by faith is made possible for all through the work of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus Christ. He made a way back to the Father as Father and Son planned before the foundation of the world was laid, knowing sin would enter in.
His directive to keep His commandments has been waylaid, too, creating confusion as to which commands? Anything that separates our Father God and our Savior, Yeshua/Jesus is not consistent with all of the Scriptures and should be considered an invasive weed. When this was written, the only Scripture available was the Torah, the prophets and the writings, what we call the Old Testament:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV.
Invasive weeds that get into a garden underground are very like the interpretations offered of the Word for two thousand years. It seems this “weed” has taught us that we needed a new “church” after Messiah’s death and resurrection although there is no place in the Word that says any such thing. In fact, we are warned that if anyone teaches anything that is contrary to God’s Word, the Torah and the Prophets we should be wary of that one as being a false prophet.
“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.” Deuteronomy 13: 1-4 ESV.
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2:1 KJV.
Marcion was one such false prophet whom the early church fathers recognized and ousted him from their assemblies. He had taught that the gods of the Old and New Testament were different, with the Old Testament God being of only wrath and anger and the New Testament God being filled with grace. He even developed his own network of assemblies outside the sanctioned group. Unfortunately, this viewpoint is still present despite their efforts to weed it out.
This is a whole course in apologetics itself but suffice it to point out this: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17 AKJV.
Please note that italicized words in Scripture indicate that the word was added. In this case, adding the “but” made this statement to appear to be a contradiction of the two juxtaposing what is stated rather than seeing the whole picture as one. In truth, one could not have a concept of mercy and grace if there wasn’t already a standard. It is our God’s prerogative to show mercy and grace and He does so very often and always has! Messiah’s work on our behalf was a confirmation of the mercy and grace that had been shown so often before, especially in Genesis and in the book of Judges. Here, Israel repeated a cycle of obedience, to nonchalance toward God, to outright rebellion, to being endangered and finally repenting and crying out to God once again. He then provided restoration through God honoring leaders.
We have spent hundreds of years being taught that we must bring “Jewish” people out of their faith and into the church faith…but this is not what God’s Word teaches.
Because Messiah was obedient and humbled Himself to death to atone for our sin, we are able to be reunited with the family of our God, Who is the God of Israel. Even Israel will have to be grafted back into the tree of the family through belief in Messiah Yeshua.
So many Bible teachers speak of the importance of context, yet then go on to miss the entire context of the Whole Word. I submit this is due to the tremendous diligence that is needed in order to keep a garden clean and clear of weeds and that we have not been diligent enough. We must remember that Messiah Yeshua/Jesus IS YHWH, the LORD God Almighty. He was present at creation. He is God…
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John 1: 1-3 KJV.
How have we concluded that this Messiah, through Whom all things were created as the Written and Spoken and Living Word of God, would accomplish this plan to restore the garden’s cleansing from weeds and then turn away from keeping that garden as it was intended to be? He, Himself, had taught His people to observe and keep His ways in order to be regarded as righteous…clean living without weeds!
“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4 KJV.
The Greek word under “lawlessness” is “anomia” G458…which can also be translated as being without the law. “A” set before the word “nomia,” which means law or teaching, makes it a negative. “Nomia” in Greek correlates to the Hebrew word “Torah.” It is often translated as “law” which brings a connotation to our Western thinking minds as being like the laws that govern our behavior and lead to punishment if broken. While that is not entirely wrong, it is also not entirely representative either. The Word “Torah” is more accurately represented as a teaching, to “hit the mark,” as in archery. The word for sin, “hatah” can be better represented as “missing the mark.” Many believers are not entirely “lawless,” yet the confusion over Yeshua/YHWH truly being one has led them to believe that the Old Testament commands no longer apply. (There are some that aren’t applicable as there is no Temple and we are not in the Land but this consideration is also an entire teaching in itself to discern.)
So many people struggle with the idea that God is just waiting to punish them when they make a mistake, when in truth, He is FOR us! There is no other faith in which God Himself intervened to make a way for restoration for His people at His own cost. He is indeed the Good Shepherd Who gives His life for His sheep.
Why is this garden metaphor important? Because we are drawing nearer to the time of harvest. We must be diligent to keep our personal and corporate gardens clear and clean and productive for the set apart purposes of our Elohim! A disciple is another word for those who desire to be found as His Bride, without spot or wrinkle! (Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 21:2).
ONLINE: Set-Apart-Ministries.org
EMAIL: info@set-apart-ministries.org
