How are you supposed to be the light that Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) called you to be when the world casts dark shadows on anything that is good? You activate the light when you connect to its source through the roots of your faith.
“”You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).
The problem is that many of us do not know how to tap into the source, power and authority in order to be a light. We’ve never really been taught how to come to the Father so His word manifests in our lives. As a result, we don’t know how to influence people in the way Jesus speaks of in Matthew 5.
The shadows block the light not because God is getting smaller but because He is waiting on His people to come into alignment with their biblical roots. It is then, and only then, that He can rightly position us on His lampstand in full view, with His name glorified for the world to see.
Connecting to the Roots of Our Faith
Connecting to the roots of our faith opens heaven, allowing us to experience intimate communication with God and the Spirit to move freely. This connection positions you on the lampstand.
You see, if the Spirit is moving through you, you will be supernaturally moved into new levels of faith. You connect to your roots by understanding your identity in Christ.
The Key Many Believers Often Miss
There is a key many believers often miss when discovering their spiritual identity: To understand the culture and context in which your identity statements were made.
What does that mean?
It means the Bible was largely written by Jewish authors from a Hebraic perspective. It makes sense, then, to gain a deeper understanding, connect them to their original, root meaning.
This makes a difference when you read passages such as:
—”If the first portion of the dough is holy, the batch is also holy. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and became a partaker with them of the root and richness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. If you boast, remember you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you” (Rom. 11:16-18).
—”For He is our peace, who has made both groups one and has broken down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of the commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile both to God into one body through the cross, thereby slaying the enmity.” (Eph. 2:14-16).
—”And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29).
You can read these passages and infer what they mean. But God is explicit. So then, to understand what is clearly stated, you have to understand the context.
The danger of inference alone is that it leaves room for speculation.
Therefore, when you don’t understand the context, you can be easily swayed and subjected to doubt and unbelief. God doesn’t want to put a dimly lit light, about to burn out, on the lampstand.
He will place those on the lampstand who are confident in their identity and understand their inheritance!
Confidence in Christ leads to kingdom authority on earth.
No Root, No Fruit
In parable after parable, Yeshua used the analogy of seeds, roots, planting and harvesting. This is because He understood that no fruit would be produced if we were not connected to the root. In other words, without fruit, we have no blessings to give and no seeds to plant within others.
Struggled to Understand My Identity
I struggled to understand the power of my identity in Christ. Then, through a number of events in my life, I started exploring the roots of my faith.
This was the key that opened the door to heaven!
Growing up an orphan, I knew what it was like to wonder about my identity. At the age of 38, a newly born-again believer, I felt a longing from the Lord to reconnect with my biological father.
I had adoptive parents who deeply loved me, yet the Lord continued to burden my heart with this connection.
There was a heritage recorded in my DNA that I knew nothing about. God wanted me to connect with a lost heritage that would change my life forever. The day I connected with my biological father, he told me my biological mother was Jewish.
From that moment on, things started to make sense. I had always felt connected to the Jewish people. When I began to explore my Jewish heritage, my spiritual identity in Christ began to make sense!
There was no longer uncertainty or confusion about my identity, rather clarity, understanding, knowledge and confidence.
I learned about the Jewish faith and traditions. I read the New Testament with greater depth of understanding.
And as I began making trips to Israel, I began to make connections I never would have made otherwise.
Discovering the Jewish roots of my faith has brought new fullness to my life and faith.
I pray you have a growing desire to understand your spiritual heritage. When you uncover these mysteries, you will walk in greater kingdom authority and no longer wonder or speculate. You will have the confidence and be the light on His lampstand that He intended from the beginning.
Curt Landry, founder of Curt Landry Ministries, and his wife, Christie, travel extensively, preaching and teaching about the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Together, their passion is to empower families to live and leave kingdom legacies and understand their own personal heritage.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.