False teachers tend to be “people pleasers.” They desire the esteem of the crowd, the praises of men, and therefore appeal to the murmurings of the unregenerate heart: “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isa. 30:10). They flatter people by “tickling their ears”; they offer either platitudes or “new revelation” based on their own imagination. Consequently, they tend to be grandiose and quick to disparage God’s faithful servants. Thus Korah accused Moses of wanting to exalt himself, when this only disclosed the evil lurking within his own heart (Num. 16:3). False teachers speak in their own name and presume to be something when they are nothing (Gal. 6:3). “The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not… they are prophesying to you a lying vision, the deceit of their own minds” (Jer. 14:14). They secretly deny that Yeshua is LORD (יהוה), though they may offer “lip service” about his importance (2 Pet. 2:1). Instead of focusing on the message of the gospel and the greatness of salvation found in Messiah, they “major in minors,” passing over the weightier matters for the sake of various divisive doctrines (Matt. 23:23). They desire to be teachers of the law, but they have no idea what they are talking about (1 Tim. 1:7). Often such deceivers have natural charisma, charm, “good hair,” and an ability to bewitch people through buttery oratory or clever presentation (Col. 2:4,8). Often they focus on the truth of the head rather than the truth of the heart; they are more concerned with being vindicated than healing broken hearts. Finally, they tend to exploit people to promote their own self-serving agenda (1 Pet. 2:1-3). They make “merchandise” out of the gullible, regarding them as the means to support their “ministry” rather than as precious souls in need of God’s love and care…
False teachers inevitably “twist the Scriptures” by offering unsound interpretations contrary to the ruach, or spirit of the Hebrew prophets, and by evading the commandment to “rightly divide” the word of Truth according to basic logic and clear thinking (2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; 3:16). In Christian circles, they often come in the name of the law (legalism) or in the name of grace (licentiousness), but rarely do they take the trouble to carefully (and equitably) work through the paradoxical tensions. False teachers are uncomfortable humbly confessing they don’t know something, and therefore they are quick to style themselves as an infallible prophet or source of authoritative wisdom…
There is no substitute for taking the time and energy to humbly study Torah, friends, and we should be suspicious of those who claim special insight when it is evident that they have not really labored working through the Scriptures… All disciples of Yeshua are called “students,” or talmidim (תַּלְמִידִים), a word that comes from lamad (לָמַד) meaning “to learn” (the study of Scripture is called talmud Torah (תַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה) from the same root). Among other things, then, following Yeshua means becoming a student of the Jewish Scriptures that he both loved and perfectly fulfilled (Matt. 5:17-18; Luke 24:44-45). Only after learning the truth of the Scriptures will you be equipped to “go to all the nations and teach” others (Matt. 28:19). This is accomplished not merely by explaining (propositional) doctrine but by kiddush HaShem — sanctifying the LORD in our lives (1 Pet. 1:15-16). “You shall know them by their fruits…”
Yeshua brings the kingdom of God “at hand,” that is, into the realm of this fallen world. False teachers are emissaries of evil, commissioned by the devil to seduce, deceive, and ensnare souls; they disguise themselves as an “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). God allows false teachers to justify the desires of the unregenerated heart, for such teachers find their audience among those who want to be deceived (Matt. 13:24-30; 15:14). In other words, there can be no false teachers apart from false believers who go along with the ruse. In light of this possibility, we should be careful to honestly examine our hearts. What are your motives for faith? What draws you to Yeshua? Do you accept the message of the gospel or are you trusting in something else? Are you really one of his “sheep”? Do you hear his voice, or are you heeding something contrary to the truth of the Holy Spirit?
Yeshua taught that we discover the truth about spiritual reality by way of revelation from heaven, not by way of human reasoning. He said that we can come to know God only through Him: “No one has ever seen God; the only God (μονογενὴς θεὸς), who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18). He presents himself as “the way, the truth, and the life – the true Bridge to divine life and eternal reality….
The various moral rules of Torah (i.e., mishpatim: משׁפטים) may be likened to guideposts along the way, warning us about dangers up ahead. And just as a physical law like gravity describes material reality, so moral law describes spiritual reality. We can no more deny moral reality than we can deny physical reality, though the effect of violating moral truth is often not physical but spiritual – affecting our inner life, our conscience, our sense of value, our relationships, and so on. In either case, however, reality is self-correcting, and we shall deny its substance at our own peril…
Yeshua taught us: “If anyone does not live in Me, he is cast off as a branch, and withers…” (John 15:6). We find life only as we remain connected to the Source and Conduit of life, who is the Messiah, the Savior and LORD. True life grows out a heart connection with Yeshua, and without that connection our lives become vain and yield no eternal significance (John 15:5). Be forewarned: it is the sacred truth of the Messiah that if you do not live in the Vine you will be suffer eternal loss, since life is found in no other Source (John 14:6; Luke 3:9). Be encouraged, however: The yoke of Messiah is easy, and His burden is light: we cannot create new life by our own best efforts nor effect regeneration by means of our own “good works” (John 1:3; Titus 3:5; 2 Tim. 1:9). No, the work of salvation is God’s alone, and we partake of that work as we abandon our self-efforts and religious conceits (see Isa. 32:17). There remains, therefore, a Sabbath for the people of God, “for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his” (Heb. 4:9-10). This “deep Sabbath” of rest is a matter of trusting that the finished work of salvation has been provided on your behalf. Therefore relax, for the LORD always effects what is best for you, and not much is under your control anyway. The path of peace is to surrender to God’s care for your life and let the evils and drama of this world flow past you. Look to heavenly reality and not to the shadows and deceits of this world (Col. 3:1-4). Live in Yeshua’s Presence, drawing strength and vitality from your relationship with Him. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is produced as we yield ourselves to the love and presence of God.
Our actions invariably reveal what we are believing about the nature of reality. We will live what we believe… Put the other way around, what we believe will determine what we do. Nearly all of our conscious intentions are future-directed. We assume that the future will resemble the past, and therefore we make our plans and set our agendas. And yet to what end? What is the purpose of our lives? Where are your actions taking you? Where are you going?
The Book of Lamentations is an acrostic (i.e., alphabetical) poem that begins with the Hebrew letter Aleph (א) in the word “eichah” (אֵיכָה), which also marks the Hebrew name of the book (מגילת איכה). “How (eichah) lonely sits the city that once was full of people!” (Lam. 1:1). The sages note that this word “how” (i.e., eichah) could also be read as “where are you?” (i.e., ayeka: אַיֶּכָּה), God’s first word spoken to Adam after he broke covenant in the Garden (Gen. 3:9). Note that God’s question is often our own: “Where are you God? Are you here, in the midst of this tedious moment? Do you know my loneliness, my ache for love? Do you understand the troubles of my heart? Do you know my pain?” And yet how many people have faith that God’s call is one of comfort and restoration? God uses our loneliness (“how lonely…”) to search our hearts, asking each of us, ayeka – “Where are you?” “Why have you turned away from me and chosen a state of exile?” Our haunting sense of God’s absence impels us to seek for him… God awaits our only possible response, “Hashivenu!” — an imperative (urgent appeal) for the grace to repent: “Turn us back to yourself, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old” (Lam. 5:21).
Sometimes we seem to forget that we are not home yet… The ancient thinker Socrates argued that philosophy, when done correctly, was “practice for death,” since the passing shadows of this world pointed to an unchanging good, our true end. Likewise Yeshua our Messiah taught us to take up the cross and die daily (Luke 9:23). We are to “set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth,” for we have died and our life is hidden with Messiah in God (Col. 3:2-3).
Our Torah this week (i.e., 
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will seek to enter but will not be able” (Luke 13:24). The narrow door is the way of humility, assuming a low position, crawling, if you will, and making yourself small… It is the way of the cross of Messiah, confessing the truth of our condition and trusting in God alone for deliverance.. The narrow door is the way of faith – trusting God’s compassion and righteousness given on your behalf. The large, wide-open door is designed for the crowd and its various idols. Beware of the world that seeks to assimilate the soul: beware of becoming part of the crowd! The individual is lost and overwhelmed in the midst of the crowd and its momentum. The crowd assimilates the soul, laughs at the notion of individual responsibility, and abandons itself to the gravity of fallen natural forces… The life of faith, on the other hand, refuses to regard the individual human heart as a triviality. Faith is an individual struggle, a walk into unknowing; it is the way of the sojourner who feels uneasy in this world of shadows… God is always with us and helps us stay strong and resolute, even as we struggle through the darkness of this age. Press on, friend: the day and the hour draw near!