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You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:14-16

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Can We Really Prove We Are Who We Say We Are?

Each year in the first month we commemorate the impaling death of Our Savior as our Passover.  Each year in the third month we observe the Feast of Firstfruits.   The Day of Firstfruits is also considered the Day of the Set-Apart Spirit.  Why do we observe Feast of Weeks?  Why do we do what we do?

We do what we do because we say and we believe that we are a Nazarene, a First-fruit, and a follower and disciple of Messiah.

But are we who we say we are?  If each and every one of YHWH's people had to prove they were a true Nazarene, First-fruit, and a follower and disciple of Yahshua Messiah, would they be able to do it?

Today, let's look at some signs that prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that someone is really a true Nazarene and First-fruit of Elohim!

But first let's look at some examples from the life of someone who tried to prove her identity during the last century.

Most all historians are aware of the story of the life of Anastasia Romanov (Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaevna).  On June 18, 1901, she was born the youngest of four daughters of the last Russian Czar, Nicholas II, who ruled from 1894 to 1917.  For three centuries, from 1613 to 1917, the Romanov dynasty ruled Russia in glory and splendor.  However, the Bolshevik Revolution had begun in 1905, and, eventually, had taken a foothold in Russia.  Nicholas was forced to relinquish power because of the lack of economic reforms.

The imperial family was eventually taken to Siberia.  The family and their servants were awakened on the night of July 16, 1918, and taken to the cellar.  Believing they were to be photographed, they stood in two rows.  Suddenly armed men burst into the room and began firing.  No one is sure how Anastasia died.  Nor is it clear that she died at all.  Some refuse to believe that she died that night in the cellar in Siberia.  The location of the imperial family's bodies remained secret for years.  During that time, rumors arose that one or more of the children had actually survived.  Several women later claimed to be Anastasia.  One such individual was Eugenia Smith.  She was still alive in the 1990's but refused to submit to DNA testing.  Perhaps the best-known and most widely accepted case is that of Anna Anderson.  Anna insisted that she was, indeed, Anastasia.  Her explanation for her escape from the imperial family's assassins was that she had been bayoneted, but she had survived because the weapons the soldiers had used were blunt--and she had worn lots of jewelry under her clothing.

Was Anna Anderson Really Anastasia?

Over the years many supported her claims to be Anastasia.  However, many others denied her claims.  One thing that did give credence to her story was her remarkable knowledge of the imperial family.  She knew many secrets that no one outside the family could have known.  She also had scars to offer as proof.  She understood Russian and spoke English, German and French, which certainly was a valid indication that she was highly educated. 

In 1938 Anna brought suit in a German court in and effort to prove her identity and claim a part of the inheritance.  But the case dragged on for 32 years--until 1970.  In 1964, after examining photographs of Anastasia and Anna Anderson, testimony was offered to the validity of her claim.  An unpaid handwriting expert also swore that Anna was indeed Anastasia.  Anna Anderson had even tried to obtain samples of Anastasia's fingerprints for comparison, but this proved impossible.  Finally the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence and that Anna had not proven that she was Anastasia.  In spite of the court ruling, experts continued to side with Anna.  In 1977 Dr. Moritz Furtmayr, a prominent forensic expert, identified Anna as Anastasia.  Anna Anderson later married John Manahan, a wealthy American.  In 1984 she died of pneumonia and was cremated.  More recent DNA analysis of hair and tissue samples which were supposedly from Anna seemed to prove that she was really Franziska Schanzkowska.  However some of Anna's supporters cling to their beliefs saying that the tissue tested was not really that of Anna.  They believe that Anna was truly Anastasia, and that she was swindled out of her true name and her portion of the inheritance.

In 1991 the remains of the imperial family were exhumed.  Portions of nine skeletons were found.  DNA testing confirmed they included Nicholas, Alexandra, and three of their daughters.  Two bodies still remain missing, thought to be those of Alexei, the son, and one of his sisters, possibly Anastasia.  On July 17, 1998, eighty years and a day after the assassination, the imperial family and their servants were buried in the St. Catherine Chapel of St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg (called Leningrad during the Communist Regime).  Russian President Boris Yeltsin and members of the Romonov family attended the funeral.  A number of senior members of the Russian Orthodox Church refused to attend, however, due to the lingering doubts over the identity of the remains.

Nicholas II was head of the Russian Orthodox Church, as Czar, and even after he abdicated.  He and his family were revered by many as martyrs after the assassination, and many miracles were attributed to them.  In 1981 the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad canonized the family as royal martyrs.  In the year 2000, the Archbishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church voted unanimously to canonize Nicholas and Alexandra, and all of their children were made passion bearers, a minor form of sainthood that recognizes the Christian humility and patience with which they endured their captivity.

After all has been said and done, it is not known conclusively as to whether Anna Anderson was actually Anastasia.  Even after she spent years of her life in a trial that had dragged on for 32 years trying to prove that she was the real Anastasia.  Historians still don't know if she really was Anastasia, or if she wasn't.  And if she wasn't, the question still remains as to what happened to the real Anastasia.

In the same way, perhaps, true disciples of Messiah spend much of their lives proving--by the way they live their lives--that they are true Followers, First-fruits, and followers and disciples of Yahshua Messiah.  Or, on the other hand, they end up proving--by the way they live their lives, that they are not true Followers, First-fruits, and disciples of Messiah.

Can it be known as to who is a true  Nazarene and First-fruit and follower and disciple of Messiah--and who is not?

While we are not to sit in judgment of others, the written word of dYHWH does judge the deeds and actions of all mankind.

Turn to Matt. 7:16

Mat 7:16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Mat 7:17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Mat 7:19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Master, Master, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Master, Master, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

First of all, who would say these things?  Certainly not those who have turned their backs on Messiah and rejected Him.  They would have no basis for saying these things.    Rather, these things would be said by those who, for some reason, believe they do have a relationship with YHWH the Father and His Son.  They actually believe they are pleasing Elohim. 

YHWH says that they are to be known by their fruits.  Is that judging?  Well, they are judged by the word of YHWH.  

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

Mat 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

 YHWH made it possible to know who really is a true Disciple and First-fruit of YHWH.

 What then are some of the signs that prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that someone is really a true Nazarene and First-fruit of YHWH?

Point 1   True Disciples Have the Set-Apart Spirit Dwelling in Them.

YHWH's Spirit may indeed be working with people bringing them to repentance, as can be  shown in the passage in John 16 on Pentecost--to convict or convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

 Joh 16:7  But I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send Him to you.

Joh 16:8  And when that One comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment.

Joh 16:9  Concerning sin, because they do not believe on Me;

Joh 16:10  concerning righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;

Joh 16:11  concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Once an individual is converted, they are true Disciples and they have the Set-Apart Spirit dwelling in them. 

The Set-Apart Spirit, or power of YHWH's essence, has been available to  people down through thousands of years of history.  Under the  Old Covenant  there were relatively few who had a true relationship with YHWH, though they were given access to the Spirit.  Then, at Feast of Weeks, as recorded in Acts 2, the Set-Apart Spirit was manifested  and  made available upon repentance and baptism for the remission of sins.  Then in Acts 10, with Cornelius, we find that the Set-Apart Spirit was also made available to Gentiles.  (Please remember that the lost sheep of the ten tribes of Israel were considered Gentiles by the House of Judah).

A good number of people who are part of professing Christianity say that the Set-Apart Spirit is the third person of the Godhead or trinity.  This belief, of course, cannot be proven from the Scriptures no matter what anyone says or thinks.

1Co 8:6 for us there is one Elohim, the Father, from whom all came and for whom we live, and one Master יהושע  Messiah, through whom all came and through whom we live.

No mention of a third person here.  But without the knowledge of the availability of the Set-Apart Spirit, people will not seek repentance and the gift of the  Spirit.  And they will not attain to the gift of the Set-Apart Spirit.

Without the indwelling of the Set-Apart Spirit, one is simply not a true Disciple, regardless of how many good "works" they may do in this life. 

Rom 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, this one is not His.

Gal. 5:22 explains what the fruit of the Spirit is.  We know that some are more caring, more loving, more in control of themselves, more gentle, have more joy, etc. simply by nature.  This is not what we are talking about.  The fruit of the Spirit is produced by the presence of the Set-Apart Spirit.  As a result, those who do not, by nature, have these attributes, will develop them as a result of the indwelling of the Set-Apart Spirit.  If there is no fruit of the Spirit, it is because the Set-Apart Spirit is not being allowed to flow and develop in that individual.

In order to maintain the Set-Apart Spirit, one must do certain things on a regular basis, such as prayer (communication with YHWH), Scripture study, striving to keep the commandments that YHWH gave for man's benefit, and the performance of good works--the proper use of the gifts of the Set-Apart Spirit.

It is quite possible to lose the Set-Apart Spirit through neglect, or being deceived by others.  This has been the case for many thousands of true Disciples throughout the world in the past generation.  They have neglected their calling, been deceived by men, and have in turn, lost the Set-Apart Spirit.  All true Believers must be on their guard to see that this never happens.  Before Yahshua suffered and died, He warned His disciples that this would happen:

Mat 24:5 “For many shall come in My Name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they shall lead many astray.

Mat 24:12 “And because of the increase in lawlessness, the love of many shall become cold.

Point 2  True Nazarenes  Follow Yahshua’s  Example.

There are many examples of the things that Yahshua did and the way He lived His life.  They are recorded in the four gospels.  What were some of those examples?  A very familiar one is found in chapters 5-7 of Matthew--the familiar "Sermon on the Mount."  The essence of all the teachings of Our Master and Savior are summarized in these three chapters.  In these three chapters, Yahshua expanded the law to include the "spirit of the law."  Another example is found in Luke 4:14-16--"And Yahshua returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country.  And he taught in their synagogues, being esteemed by all.  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the Sabbath day.  And he stood up to read..."

Yahshua kept the Sabbath day.  We are all familiar with Mark 2:27-28.     The Living Bible has an interesting translation:  "But the Sabbath was made to benefit man, and not man to benefit the Sabbath.  And I, the Messiah, have authority even to decide what men can do on Sabbath days!"

The people of YHWH follow the Father and Son alone.

Rev 4:5 And out of the throne came lightnings, and thunders, and voices. And seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of Elohim.

The First-fruits of Elohim do not look to men, but look to the Father and Son alone to teach them, through the Set-Apart Spirit.

I John 2:26-27--(NLT) "I have written these things to you because you need to be aware of those who want to lead you astray.  But you have received the Holy[Set-Apart] Spirit, and it lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true.  For the Spirit teaches you all things, and what it teaches is true--it is not a lie.  So continue in what it has taught you, and continue to live in Christ [Messiah}."

Point 3  True Natsarim (Nazarenes), First-fruits, and Disciples of Messiah Understand the Plan of YHWH.

There are more than six billion people on earth today.  Of these billions, there are very few who understand the master plan of YHWH, as outlined by His Sabbath and His Festivals and Appointed Times.  The Feast of  First-fruits is one of those Festivals which portrays the time now that YHWH is calling a  number of people to understand His plan and to prepare themselves to become leaders and teachers with Messiah in the future.

This is explained in John 6:44-45.

Let's also take note of what Yahshua said in Matthew 13:10-11.

Mat 13:11 And He answering, said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the reign of the heavens, but to them it has not been given.

YHWH is not being unfair.  It was because they had hardened their hearts and refused His message that He finally had His son speak to them in parables. 

The Apostle Paul also explains this in I Cor. 15:22-23.

1Co 15:23 And each in his own order: Messiah the first-fruits, then those who are of Messiah at His coming,

Point 4  True Natsarim, First-fruits, and True Disciples of Messiah Have Love For One Another and Use Their Gifts To Serve Others.

During the past thirty years there has been a great deal of confusion and turmoil in the "church".  During this period of time, many disciples have abandoned their calling and have gone back into the ways of this world.  This turmoil and the continuing decadence of society have been responsible for the fulfilling of the prophecy in Matt. 9-13--(TLB) "Then you will be tortured and killed and hated all over the world because you are mine, and many of you shall fall back into sin and betray and hate each other.  And many false prophets will appear and lead many astray.  Sin will be rampant everywhere and will cool the love of many.  But those enduring to the end shall be saved."

At this time there is a worldwide persecution of professing Christians and true Natsarim.  This is especially true in China.  But in spite of the government's efforts to try to stamp it out, grassroots Christianity is making tremendous growth.  At this same time, many brethren are being led astray by those who profess to be servants of YHWH.  There seem to be too many who are following men rather than following our Messiah.  As a result, they have become confused with heresies and deceit, and no longer have love for one another.

Each year at Passover time we read from the Gospel of John, chapters 13-17.  Immediately before His betrayal and impalement Yahshua instructed His disciples in many things that He wanted them to know before He left this earth.  A very important element they were to learn was to learn to love one another.  This was so important to Jesus that the concept of love is mentioned 17 times in these chapters.  We also know that John  referred to himself as the disciple whom Yahshua loved.  John was inspired to use the same word for love 43 times in three chapters.  Yahshua left little doubt as to the importance He placed on loving our fellow brethren in Messiah. 

In His description of how people would know that we are His disciples, He makes no mention of being part of the right group, or of having all the doctrines right (though Natsarim should have the correct doctrines).  Nor did He talk about so many things that seem to divide believers today.  Rather, He said to love your fellow brethren, and by this love for one another, the whole world would know that we are His disciples.

 Joh 13:34  I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should also love one another.

Joh 13:35  By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another.

True Natsarim, First-fuits, and Disciples of Messiah must be willing to cross corporate and organizational boundaries to help, serve, and fellowship with their brethren, regardless of what would-be church leaders might say.  Those who are not willing to fellowship with their brethren on the Sabbaths and Appointed Times need to examine as to whether they are indeed true Nazarenes and disciples of Messiah.

Point 5  True Natsarim, First-fruits, and Disciples the Messiah Have Made a Long Term Commitment to Live YHWH's Way of Life.

We often remember the parable of the sower when we think of commitment to YHWH's way of life.  This parable provides very important information to show how people respond when called.   Speaking of the sower sowing seeds, Yahshua says:

Mat 13:8  And some fell on the good ground and yielded fruit, indeed one a hundredfold, and one sixty, and one thirty.

Mat 13:9  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

In this parable, of the four kinds of ground that the seed fell upon, it was only the good ground that produced an abundant crop.  The seed that fell on the path, or on the rocks and among the thorns all ended up dying for various reasons.  In like manner we have had many brethren who have not survived the stormy trials of the last thirty years.  It is the few who have survived who must continually renew their commitment to YHWH on a daily basis.  This is done through being constant in prayer and by studying His written word on a regular basis. 

Luke clarifies this in an example given in his gospel.

Luke 9:57-62 (NIV) "As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.'  [Yahshua] replied, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'  He said to another man, 'Follow me.'  But the man replied, '[Master], first let me go and bury my father.'  [Yahshua] said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of [Elohim].'  Still another said, 'I will follow you, [Master], but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.'  [Yahshua] replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of [Elohim]."

These people prioritized other things as more important, and as things they had to do before they were willing to make a commitment to follow Messiah.  Unfortunately, many of our fellow brethren have done the same thing.  Many have become tired of making the effort it takes to walk YHWH's way of life. 

Yet those called by YHWH who are truly committed to walking in this way of life must continue along the rocky path.  In so doing they prove a lot about themselves and leave no doubt as to whom they really are.

In the example we examined, Anna Anderson tried in vain to prove her identity as the true Anastasia --after 32 years in a battle in court.  Can YHWH's people prove that they are indeed who they say they are--true Natsarim, First fruits, and disciples of Yahshua Messiah?  Only we as individuals can answer that question as we continue to live our lives in our steadfast commitment to follow Our Messiah.

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