AMAREL - It means "The Message or Word of God"

Is victory really possible through the act of surrender?

There are very few people
who are likely to consider this a possibility.
Most people see these as diametrically opposed. 
Victory is seen as the defeat of an opponent. 
Surrender is viewed as defeat.  

Look at the definitions given to these terms.

victory - noun - an act of defeating an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition.

surrender - verb - cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority 
- give up or hand over, typically on compulsion or demand. 
- abandon oneself entirely to; give in to: 
noun - the action of surrendering.

However, when dealing with Scripture principles
we need to recognize that YAHWEH's ways
are not the same as those of human beings.
His ways are different.  

Here is what He instructs us to do. 
            "Come out from among them and be separate…"   2 Cor 6.17.
This is our directive from YAHWEH. 
"Believers" are to make a distinction between ourselves 
and the rest of the world that has not chosen to trust YAHWEH.

Many are afraid to do this.
They're afraid to be "different”.
They're afraid of being rejected by family or friends
because they're speaking and acting "differently" than the rest.
They want "belong to the crowd”.
They want to "fit in”.
Indeed, that's the propaganda that's fed to us by those in "authority" daily!
"Do what you're told.” “Move along!” "Don't make waves!” "Do not resist!”
"You will only be "accepted" if you do what you're told."

Coupled with this is the concept of "The Ten Commandments”. 
We've been fed the line that we "must obey” - or we'll go to "hell”. 
This fits the "propaganda line" very nicely. 
Unfortunately, it's not correct.

Add to this our insatiable desire to "do our own thing”. 
We run around proclaiming, "I'm in charge! I'm in charge! I'm in charge!” 
It may take a slightly different form than this
but this is effectively what we're saying.

All of this fits into the concepts of "fight" or "surrender”. 
We're very inclined to fight, especially for our own interests. 
We shudder at the thought of surrender. 
We do so because we perceive it as defeat.

But this is not what YAHWEH calls us to do. 
He proclaims that ultimate victory (eternal life with Him)
 is indeed only possible through surrender.  

We're setting aside military battles here
although even there sometimes the only way to "win" is to surrender. 

Scripture speaks primarily to the personal level. 
It's at this level that each of us
will be required to account for the way we live our lives.

YAHWEH gives us freedom to choose.
He has given instructions to us on how to live. 
He invites us to follow His instructions. 
When we refuse to follow them we enter the state of rebellion.
This is what Scripture refers to as "sin".

This is an offense against YAHWEH because it is a rejection of His Word. 
Rejecting His Word is identical with rejecting Him.
It is a failure to surrender! 
We are refusing to surrender our desires to His desires.

Hopefully this will give you a better understanding of sin. 
Hopefully this will also help you begin to see
that the only way to victory from YAHWEH's perspective
is to surrender - to His desires.
This needs to happen willingly, without any "force" applied.

At this point we need to discuss another misconception. 
Contrary to what you've been taught,
there are NO 'Ten Commandments' in Scripture!  
What you've been taught as “commandments”
are not "commandments" at all! 
They are instructions! 
They tell you what YAHWEH desires from His people.

You'll probably want to argue with me over this one
because it's so ingrained in your "thinking”.
You've been taught there are "Ten Commandments"
since you were born.
You've watched the recent debates and court fights
over removing them from "government" buildings, monuments, etc.
But you "believe" in them and consider them to be important.
Yet when you study Scripture earnestly,
when you learn how the Hebrews viewed The Torah,
when you come to understand how YAHWEH functions
in His relationship with us - everything changes!

The Hebrews refer to what is traditionally called
"The Ten Commandments” as "The Ten Words”. 
For them, they are ten words of instruction.
They are not ten rigid and demanding “commands”
from a domineering and unrelenting "God”.
But you won't recognize this,
and you won't understand this
unless you get absolutely serious about studying Scripture,
instead of simply "reading it" as some ritualistic "devotional" exercise.
You need to get serious about studying it!
Only then will you ever begin to sort out
what seem to be  contradictions or problems with the text.

The reason I can speak to this
is that I have personal experience with it.
I've been brought, by the kindness of YAHWEH,
to a whole new understanding of His Word.
I was raised from infancy "in church”
- initially the Augustana Lutheran denomination.
Then I spent many years in the United Methodist denomination.
I've also been involved with Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Catholics,
United Church of Christ, and several evangelical groups.
I was "saved" when I was seventeen.
I've “studied" Scripture, albeit not as intensely as now, for decades.
I “studied" in seminary. I became a "pastor”.
I taught these same "traditions" personally for years.
Yet there were always "issues" I could not resolve.
Even with many years of "training"
they remained obscure.
Many of those very familiar "traditions"
did not fit with what I began to recognize within Scripture.

I then was brought, by the compassion of YAHWEH,
to the desire to know more of His Truth,
and less of man's so-called "wisdom”.
That's when "the lights began to come on”.
That's when I finally began to recognize
that many of those very familiar traditions
were the foolish wisdom of human beings
and not the wisdom of YAHWEH.

There's a passage in Ecclesiastes
I've come to appreciate more and more.

What do human beings get 
from all the hard work and striving 
with which they work hard under the sun? 
For all their days are full of pain, 
and their work is a grievance. 
Even at night their minds do not rest. 
This also is futility.

There is nothing better for human beings 
than to eat and drink, 
and find enjoyment in their hard work. 
This also, I saw, is from the hand of The Elohim (God), 
because apart from Him 
who can eat or who can have enjoyment?

Indeed, to the one who pleases Him 
The Elohim gives wisdom and knowledge and joy. 
But to the offender (sinner) 
He gives the work of gathering and heaping 
only to give it to one who pleases The Elohim. 
This also is futility and a grasping at wind.

For everything there is a season, 
and a time for every purpose under the sky; 
A time to be born, and a time to die; 
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what's planted; 
A time to kill, and a time to heal; 
A time to break down, and a time to build up; 
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; 
A time to mourn, and a time to dance; 
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; 
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 
A time to get, and a time to lose; 
A time to keep, and a time to cast away; 
A time to rend, and a time to sew; 
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 
A time to love, and a time to hate; 
A time of war, and a time of peace.

What profit has he who works in that at which he labors? 
I have seen the task itself 
which God has given to the children of human beings 
to be humbled by it.

He has made everything beautiful in its time! 
Also, the eternity itself He has put into their heart 
without which no human being 
can discover the action itself that The Elohim does 
from the beginning to the end.

I know that there is nothing good in them 
except for one to rejoice and to do good with one's life. 
And also that every man might eat, and drink, 
and enjoy the good of all his labor. 
It is the gift of The Elohim.

I know that whatever The Elohim does 
it will be forever. 
Nothing can be added to it 
nor any thing taken from it. 
And The Elohim does it 
in order that one might have respect before him.

That which has been exists now. 
And that which is to be has already been. 
And The Elohim will search out each pursuit itself. 
                                                        Eccl. 2.22 -3.15

Everything has its time and its place
within YAHWEH's economy of things. 
Until we recognize this we are "His opponent”. 
We are in effect "trying to conquer Him”
in order to live according to our own desires (will).

But wait! 
Consider carefully what YAHUSHUA, The Messiah,
taught His "disciples" (students) when they asked Him
to teach them how to pray. You know this.
It's traditionally referred to as "The Lord's Prayer”. 
But this is not "A Prayer”. 
It's instruction in what YAHWEH desires!

Let's look at just two phrases. 
     Your kingdom come.
     Your will be done,
     on earth as it is in The Heaven. 
                                           Matt. 6:10 

Do you see it? 
It does not say, 
     "Let ME be in charge of my life. 
     "Let MY will be done."

We are to seek to have YAHWEH in charge of our life. 
We are to seek to have YAHWEH's will (desire) done in our life.  
The only way that can happen is through surrender. 
We need to be willing to surrender our desires to Him,
to place ourselves under His authority, not our own. 
It's only in this way that we will ever experience "victory"!

And the victory is not even our own. It's His! 
He has won the battle for us - already! 
            "IT IS FINISHED!"      John 19.30

There are details to be completed as part of this victory. 
Not all of the events included as a consequence of that victory 
have yet been completed. 
They're coming. 
And they're wondrous - for those who will surrender.
For the one who will not "surrender”,
the one who is not willing to allow YAHWEH
to have His way in their life, 
there is no victory! 
There is only defeat!

So what about you? 
Are you willing to consider surrendering your life to YAHWEH? 
Or are you going to continue with the cry,
"I'm in charge! I'm in charge! I'm in charge!”,
and end up losing the battle?

The choice is yours alone! 
No one can, or will, make it for you. 
There's no "commandment" to do this. 
There's only an invitation given to each one. 
And the "Instruction Book" is readily available to you
so you can learn what YAHWEH desires of you. 

NOTE:  These pages are a "work in progress". They're updated fairly often as new information or insights are provided that require a change in what's presented. Please check back regularly to see what may have changed since your last visit. Scripture verses used on the site are from The Aleph-Tav Bible. They're not always presented on these pages in exactly the same format as they occur in the text due to space considerations but the text is the same. Download or print your own copy today.  
Personal use is free, but these are not to be used for any commercial purpose. Please contact the site owner if you have an interest in commercial usage.