And thou shalt love Yahweh thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Yahweh wants us to love Him with a pure, true, and perfect love. Man can define love 10+ different ways. Yahweh has one standard for His perfect love.

Notice that love is not just a feeling; it is something we are commanded to exercise with a right spirit in obedience to Yahweh’s instructions.

We learn true love from the commandments and prophets. By reading of Yahweh and learning His instructions, we learn what love is and how to love. Yahweh’s has given us His standard and guide book to teach us how to exercise love towards Him and mankind.

Without the blueprints (the instruction, guidance, and direction) and labor (the action) for building a house, you can’t build the house. The entire potential house "hangs on" the blueprints and labor. Without those, the house is non-existent. Love and Law are interconnected in the same way. All the Law and the prophets "hang on" the commands to love. Without true love, keeping of the Law cannot exist. Without the Law, true love cannot exist. 1 John 5:3 - And THIS IS THE LOVE OF YAHWEH that we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, and His commandments are not grievous. John 14:15 - IF ye love Me, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.

Yahweh and Yahshua have set a perfect example for us of how to show love. 1 John 4:19 - We love Him because He first loved us. In His love for us, He does certain things for us. We should do the same for Him. If we truly love Him, we will do what He has instructed us to.

Romans 3:31 - Do we then make void the Law through faith? Yahweh forbid! Yea, we establish the Law! Faith and love do not obliterate the Law. Without Law, faith and love are nonexistent, for from the Law, we learn genuine faith and love. Galatians 3:24 - Wherefore, the Law was our schoolmaster unto Messiyah, that we might be justified by faith. The books of Romans and Galatians have been twisted and corrupted so badly by today’s seminary-ists. Do we make void the Law through faith? No. The answer straight out of the Scriptures themselves is: Yahweh forbid! We establish the Law, which encompasses faith in Messiyah, and His instructions regarding true love and the Way of Life. One problem today that has been a problem for a very long time is that there are way too many seminary-ists who have made a science of putting out false teachings with peer pressure techniques that make them appear Scriptural and true..

Many people are taught that they are "free from the Instruction (Law)". Are they free? They’re "free" from Yahweh at the present. But satan has a grip on them. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 - And the servant of Yahweh must not strive, but be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if Yahweh peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will. Hebrews 2:15 - And deliver them, who through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Are they really free then?

The way things are set up in today’s culture, most people, when they are seeking a better way, striving to turn from their evil ways, begin to go to traditional church. There are many, though, who grow discouraged by the hypocrisy in "the church", and they let themselves fall by the wayside rather than pressing on for the truth of Yahweh. Mark 4:4-7 - And it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fouls of the air came and devoured it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil; and when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Rather than allowing these individual seeds to be devoured, scorched, or choked out, these individuals need to press on and seek out genuine love and satisfying faith. Mark 4:8 - And other seeds fell into good soil, and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty-fold and sixty-fold, and a hundred-fold. Jeremiah 29:11-14a - For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith Yahweh, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an end and expectation. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me and find, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith Yahweh. In so doing, these people WILL FIND the love which stands established and that remains forever. Matthew 7:7-8 - Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Each of us need to be sown on the good fertile ground.... that fertile ground is the truth of the Word.

Hebrews 12:1 - Wherefore, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience unto the race that is set before us. The implications are clear: if we love Him, we are going to have to put forth some effort and do something for Him. I read a quote: "Many people are planning on getting elected to heaven, but they’re not even running for office."

Deuteronomy 6:5 - And thou shalt love Yahweh thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. John 14:15 - IF ye love Me, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. HalleluYah! The original and biggest, boldest lie satan’s ever said is that "We don’t have to obey", and they that teach such are influenced of HaSatan by that same lie yet even today. Matthew 5:19a - Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Yahweh. Who would trust these kinds of teachers? Ezekiel 22:26-27 - Her priests have violated My Law and have prophaned My set-apart things: they have put no difference between the set-apart and the prophane, neither have they shewed between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I AM PROPHANED AMONG THEM. Her princes in the midst thereof are like WOLVES, ravening the prey, to shed blood, to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. Matthew 7:15 - Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. How many "good people" do we see today following this type of self-righteousness? Yahweh declares, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity. (Matthew 7:23; Luke 13:27)

Matthew 5:17-19 - Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to verify and bring to pass. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all things be brought into being. Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Yahweh. But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Yahweh. We can hide Yahweh’s Word in a box, burn it, misinterpret it, mistranslate it, mis-represent it, but will it go away? No. It will always be there to haunt us as we go through life..... only the truth will set us free. John 8:31b-32 - If ye continue in my Word, then are ye My disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. What is truth? Psalm 119:160 - THY WORD is true from the beginning, and every one of Thy righteous judgments endureth forever. This "Word" encompasses both the written Word (Instruction / Law / Torah) and the living manifestation of that Word (Yahshua). These two are inseparable.

Isaiah 29:13 - Wherefore Yahweh said, "For as much as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear towards Me is taught by the precept of man....." Do we just say, "I love Yahweh", or do we really love Him? 1 John 3:18-19 - My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

1 John 3:4 - Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law, for sin is the transgression of the Law. Here we see the instruction book (Torah / Law) still being totally advocated in the Apostolic Writings.

People today say that we can’t keep the Law good enough, and that it was intended for the people back before Messiyah came. I suppose that the "rebels of the TaNaK" said, "We aren’t able to keep the Law. When Messiyah comes, then we’ll be able to keep it." John 4:21-25 - Yahshua saith unto her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. Elohim is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." The woman saith unto Him, "I know that Messiyah cometh; when He is come, He will tell us all things." Here we are on this side of the fence, saying, "The Law was intended for back before Messiyah came." On the other side, there were certainly people claiming, "The Law is too hard to keep. When Messiyah cometh, He will tell us all things, and He will show us how to keep it then." Both sides are wrong. The Law, which leads to true love as defined by the Father, was in effect back then, and still is, and will be when Messiyah returns.

Numbers 14:4 - And they said one to another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt." Did you ever hear of astrology? Much of today’s "ministerology" tells us it’s good to go back into Egypt / sin / bondage / breaking of the Law. We are not to be like that, but on the other hand, we are also not to be like the Jews who place undue emphasis on Law only. Philippians 3:8-15a - Yea, doubtless, I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Messiyah Yahshua my Master; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Messiyah, 9. and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Messiyah, the righteousness of Elohim which is by faith: 10. that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death, 11. if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Messiyah Yahshua. 13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do: forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward unto those things which are before, 14. I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of Elohim in Messiyah Yahshua. 15. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded.... We cannot attain righteousness on our own merely through trying to properly keep the Law. But, nor can we attain salvation by traveling backwards into Egypt. There is a middle ground between these two extremes, and Paul reveals for us in this passage what that middle ground is. Notice that he points out that righteousness (verse 9) AND PERFECTION (verses 12, 15) are something which we attain THROUGH BELIEF IN ELOHIM THE FATHER AND YAHSHUA HIS SON.(verse 9). This Scriptural viewpoint upholds our inadequacy, the necessity of belief, the cleansing and renewing of our hearts through Yahshua’s blood, and righteousness and Law-keeping being placed within us by Yahweh-tsidkenu, Yahweh our righteousness, Yahshua the Living Word. Our righteousness is not found on our own through the Law, but we DO strive for perfection (verse 12), leaving behind the sins of the past (verse 13), and having a life changed by Messiyah, henceforth aspiring to better things (verse 14).

People today call this kind of conversion and conviction self-righteous, as though we are claiming that we are better than others and that we never sin. True, we are not perfect. But, just because of a little scratch on the car, do we dent it all up and ruin it? Or do we try to fix the scratch? We make mistakes, but is that excuse to wilfully sin? Instead, we should be trying to fix up the mistakes. That is not "self-righteous". It is our heavenly duty because of our love for and belief in our Creator, whose cherished temple we are. Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, that acceptable, and perfect will of Elohim. 2 Corinthians 6:16b-17 - Ye are the Temple of the living Elohim, as Elohim hath said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them, I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate," saith Yahweh, "And touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you." Hebrews 10:26-27 - For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more offering for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

As we strive to live out our love for Yahshua, when we do fall, He will lift us up again so that we can continue to press forward. Proverbs 24:16 - For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again...... Let’s compare this to if Dad and Mom go away for a while and say, "Children, while we are gone, we want you to do this and this and this and this and this." Now when they return home, things look pretty good, and they are very glad to see that their children made an effort to accomplish the things they were told. Of course, there is always the possibility that the children won’t have time to complete quite everything while their parents are gone. Or maybe there would be something that ended up being too hard for them to do. But, the important part is that they would try. It is true that we are human and prone to err, but even if we err in keeping Yahweh’s instructions, we should try our best. When "our Father gets home", so to speak, or more like, when we get home, will He be pleased? He is coming to deepen our understanding of things and to complete our perfection, but will He be pleased with our efforts and what we have done thus far? Micah 4:1-2 - But in the last days, it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of Yahweh shall be established at the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the house of the Elohim of Jacob, and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the Law shall go forth from Zion, and the Word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.

John 17:17 - Set them apart through Thy Truth: Thy Word is Truth. Psalm 119:105 - Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Proverbs 16:9 - A man’s heart deviseth his way, but Yahweh directeth his steps. The question is: Do we love Him enough to allow Him to set us apart, guide us, and direct our steps according to His Word?

Are we completely sinless? No. But Yahshua understand our weakness, and He also understands our heart desire to serve Him. Hebrews 4:15 - For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tested like as we are, yet without sin. Psalm 103:1-3, 11-13 - Bless Yahweh, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His set-apart Name. Bless Yahweh, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities..... For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the East is from the West, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so Yahweh pitieth them that fear Him. 1 John 1:8-9 - If we say that we have so sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Matthew 5:17-19 - Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to verify and bring to pass. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all things be brought into being. Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Yahweh. But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Yahweh. Yahshua fulfilled His mission on earth, in loving Yahweh fully by being obedient to both the Law and the Prophets, and teaching us to "Go and do likewise".

Romans 13:8 - Owe no man anything but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law. Wow, let’s remember that. The entire Law and Prophets hang on the commands to love. Love does not do away with the Law. Rather, when we love Yahweh, that means that His Law is written on our hearts, and we have a desire to keep His instructions. Jeremiah 31:33 - But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, saith Yahweh, I will put My Torah / Law / Instruction in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. By having a love for Yahweh, we are also then equipped to have love for one another.

Matthew 5:19 - But whosoever shall do (the commandments) AND TEACH THEM, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Yahweh. Are we supposed to live life concerned only about our own salvation? Let us rather be servants, sharing the good news with others, the commands of Yahweh and the testimony of the sacrifice of His Son, our Messiyah, for sin.

1 John 2:6 - He that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also so to walk even as He walked. How do we get around that verse? Yahshua walked according to Yahweh’s instructions and He taught us the ways of Yahweh as well.

Matthew 5:47-48 - And if ye salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. We’re supposed to consider more than just our own family and/or fellowship group. Yahweh wants us to have our life and heart open to love and serve others too, thus being a light to the world, and revealing His love to all we come in contact with, as much as be possible.

Of course we must exercise wisdom, and be careful that those around us do not pull us off track. Those who don’t really love Yahweh or desire to obey Him may want to pull us into a ditch. Misery loves company.

Jeremiah 6:10 - To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the Word of Yahweh is unto them a reproach. They have no delight in it. We cannot love Yahweh if we do not love His Words. Psalm 1:1-2 - Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the unrighteous, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of Yahweh, and in His Law doth he meditate day and night. Do we enjoy searching and reading and meditating on the Word of Yahweh.... and how often?

Matthew 7:20-21 - Wherefore, by their fruits shall ye know them. Not everyone that saith unto Me, "Master, Master", shall enter into the Kingdom of Yahweh: but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Another way that we show our love for Yahweh is by the kinds of fruit we bear. Look at people’s children. What have we passed on to our offspring? To a large degree, our children tell everyone about us. As they look on them, they can see us. For those without children (single, or married), look at their company, their interests, their communication, their actions, their dress standards, etc. These are all fruits of the inner heart condition.

Psalm 1:3 - And he shall be like a tree, planted by streams of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not whither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Is a seed a completed tree? It takes a long time. It’s whole life, it feeds on water. It takes a long while to begin bearing fruit. After it reaches its full growth, someday it will finally die. People are like trees. Our whole life, we should be feeding on the living water, and growing stronger and more fruitful. Someday we will die. When that time comes, how much progress will we have made? How much progress do we want to make? How much do we love Yahweh? How much do we instill in our offspring and in others all around us? Psalm 1:3b - And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Feeding on Yahweh’s Word will bless and prosper us.

When we don’t immerse ourselves in the Word of Yahweh, the rest of "our plans" will not be blessed either. Our plans need to be built on His Word. Psalm 127:1 - Except Yahweh build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except Yahweh keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain. There is a song which goes, "If you read your Scriptures and pray every day, pray every day, pray every day; if you read your Scriptures and pray every day, then you’ll grow, grow, grow. If you don’t read your Scriptures or pray every day, pray every day, pray every day; if you don’t read your Scriptures or pray every day, then you’ll shrink, shrink, shrink. So! Read your Scriptures and pray every day, pray every day, pray every day. So read your Scriptures and pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow." This can be compared to the "leaf" in Psalm 1:3. It never whithers, for it is feeding on the living Water. What happens if its source of nutrition is blocked though? It will shrink.

Psalm 1:4-6 - The unrighteous are not so, but are like the chaff, which the wind driveth away. Therefore, the unrighteous shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For Yahweh knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish. Malachi 3:16 - 4:6 - Then they that feared Yahweh spake often one to another, and Yahweh hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared Yahweh and that thought upon His Name. "And they shall be Mine," saith Yahweh of hosts, "in that day when I make up My jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth Elohim and him that serveth Him not. For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble. And the day that cometh shall burn them up," saith Yahweh of hosts, "that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear My Name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings, and shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked: for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, in the day that I shall do this," saith Yahweh of hosts. "Remember ye the Law of Moses My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel (all twelve tribes, not just the Southern tribes, Yahudah and Benyamin), with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Eliyah the Prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Yahweh. And He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." There is a clear distinction between those who love Yahweh and those who don’t. Everyone makes mistakes, and that is how you grow. But, what’s our desire? Is our heart desire to please and obey? Do we have a zeal to pass on true love and obedience to the next generation? Fathers, what are we doing with Yahweh’s love?

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Who could be more worthy of our love? May we love Him with the perfect love which He desires from us. Shalom (peace) unto you.