Do you have any “smoldering stumps of firewood”plotting to ruin your life?

“SMOLDERING STUMPS OF FIREWOOD” …THOSE WORDS STOOD OUT TO ME the other day, as my husband and I continued to make our way through the Bible, because they perfectly describe some of the “problem people” or “tares” in our life:

Isaiah 7:4-5: “…Take care to stay calm and unafraid; don’t be demoralized by these two smoldering stumps of firewood... (and others who) ...have been plotting against you”… (CJB)

The words hit me so hard because, at some point in our life most, or ALL of us, have experienced “enemies” who disliked us enough to spend time “plotting against us” in some way.

I certainly have!

One example that comes to mind is a high-ranking Department of the Army Civilian I worked for in Germany in the 1985/86 timeframe … a psychopath who loved to harass people by “toying” with them in various ways, in attempt to provoke in them the “fight or flight” response.

My boss (let’s call him “J.D.”) was the head of an Army Public Affairs Office in Heidelberg, Germany, who attempted to ruin, not just my military career, but my entire life, for reasons that remain a mystery still today!

Truth be told, J.D. didn’t need any reasons; he simply took pleasure in harassing and making fun of people, mimicking them, or purposely “pushing their buttons” in some way until they couldn’t take it anymore. He was an “equal opportunity” harasser and bigot. NOBODY was safe from him!

Unfortunately, most people were too afraid to “talk back” or report him – mainly because of his position and temperament. Nobody dared to challenge him … nobody that is, except for me! (If I feel threatened in any way, I don’t lay down and play dead. I’m very tough, because I have had a tough life.  My motto has always been: “The buck stops here!”)

When I realized I had become J.D.’s target, I immediately began keeping records and evidence about his tactics – keeping detailed notes on not only what he was doing to me, but also to others; all of which I ultimately used to report him to the Command’s Inspector General’s Office.

In the end I won my case but, suffice it to say, it was a VERY grueling, lonely, tedious, year-long, uphill battle going up against someone who was buddy-buddy with the Command Sergeant Major, the Chief of Staff and the General - because “the powers that be” ALWAYS tend to “side” with the higher-ranking person! I cannot begin to explain to you the myriad gyrations I was forced to endure in order to “prove” that I wasn’t the worthless employee and “loser” J.D. was trying to make me out to be…

MORE ON THAT LATER, but first I want to share with you one other example of J.D.’s sick antics:

During my first six months in that particular Public Affairs Office, we went through two different secretaries – both of whom left BECAUSE of J.D. Unfortunately, neither was brave enough to report him to the command before they left, because his tendency to terrorize made people paranoid. (That man’s countenance was absolutely demonic whenever he was angry! He could be a real force to deal with!)

Anyway, the secretary who was there when I first arrived at my new duty station, was a German lady who was married to a Black soldier. She left shortly after my arrival, but before she left, she confided to me that her departure was due solely to J.D.’s endless racial jokes and constant mention of the fact that she was married to a Black man, as if it was a “bad” thing.

Her replacement was a black lady from the Bahamas, who happened to be married to a white, Italian man. The couple had two young “mixed race” boys who – as you might guess – were to become J.D.’s next target. The whole situation served as a huge guffaw for J.D. who spent days talking about it in the office.

One day, after looking at the new secretary’s family photo on her desk, J.D let out a huge, comical snort and said: “Well, I don’t know about you all, but it sure looks to me like our ‘Local-National Personnel Office’ mandates that the Public Affairs Secretarial position has to be filled by women involved in interracial marriages!”

“That’s not true!” the secretary countered, quickly adding: “Does it bother you that I’m Black? I mean, you keep bringing it up.”

“Oh, no, of course not!” he replied indignantly. Pulling his lips into a sardonic grin, he continued, “I’m just joking! Don’t take it seriously. I just like to kid around. You’ll get used to me, don’t worry!”

Instead of leaving it at that, the next day, he once again approached her desk and casually asked her if she would mind if he called her children ‘Oreos’.

Tossing him a questioning glance, she responded, “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you mean by that.”

“Oh, sorry,” he replied with a grin. “What I mean is, your kids are like those cookies we have in America, called ‘Oreos’. They’re black on the outside and white on the inside.”

Clearly incensed over his comments, she stood and looked him straight in the eye and demanded to know why he felt a need to label her children at all.

Not used to being challenged, J.D. stiffened as his face flushed, but he quickly managed to regain composure. Jaw visibly clenched, he patted her on the shoulder, then turned to head into his office, and tersely said over his shoulder in a tone that left no doubt that this brand new relationship was going to be short-lived: “Don’t worry, honey, I’m just kidding. I promise you, it will never happen again.”

Well, that was the beginning of the end, and we all knew that this secretary wasn’t going to be with us much longer…

The final straw came just a few months later when the secretary called J.D. one morning to inform him that she had fired her baby-sitter for physically abusing her little boys (aged 5 and 7), and she was planning to take the day off to look for a new sitter.

No one knows what was going through J.D.’s mind at the time, but he let her know in no uncertain terms that he was NOT giving her the day off, because she was “urgently needed in the office.” To make sure she understood the consequences, he firmly added that she would receive a letter of reprimand if she refused to come in.

Having overheard the conversation, I quickly went into his office to let him know I would be happy to fill in for her – but, obviously annoyed and shaking his head vehemently, he quickly dismissed me with an impatient wave of his hand…

When the secretary showed up some 45 minutes later, J.D. came out of his office to ask if she had found a sitter, to which she shook her head and replied that, since she wasn’t allowed to take the day off, she had been forced to ask one of her neighbors to check on her boys throughout the day.

The bottom line to all this was that J.D. didn’t really have any urgent need for the secretary’s presence there that day; he simply didn’t want to grant her the day off. The “end of everything” came just before quitting time, when she received a call from a Child Protection Advocate, telling her that she had been reported her for abandoning her children.

“This is the last straw!” she shouted. Angrily marching into J.D.’s office, she demanded to know if he was the one who had reported her and - as she told me just before she tearfully stomped out of the office forever - he was squatted behind his desk, hands laced behind his head as he leaned back in his chair, and nonchalantly admitted to having turned her in. “Well, of course I did,” he had told her with a huge, triumphant smile. “It was my duty. I mean, what kind of mother would leave her little kids alone all day long?”

…OKAY, SO I WROTE ALL THIS to show you that this man was a total psycho. I won’t go into what all he did to me; but suffice it to say, the year I worked for him was one of the hardest times of my life. Unlike the civilian employees, there could be no “flight response” for me. Since I was an Army journalist, I couldn’t simply “find a new job somewhere else,” and so I was forced to stay and prepare to get into the “fight” mode…

To make that proverbial long story short, while I searched (and failed) to find another Army Public Affairs position, the Chain of Command did allow me to be reassigned to the Congressional Inquiries Office in the Personnel Directorate, while my Inspector General investigation was underway.

As I mentioned above, in the end, I won …and in the meantime, because of my “time in grade” and stellar military service for my then 16 years in the Army – much to J.D.’s consternation, I was even promoted to Master Sergeant/E-8!

Looking back, even though I didn’t know YHWH or Yeshua back then, our ELOHIM protected me from that demon and even repaid him for his evil deeds! Here’s what ultimately transpired – and my story has a HAPPY ending:

Approximately year after I had reported J.D. and kicked off an investigation that seemed to be moving slower than those proverbial “molasses in January,” J.D. took a job at the Pentagon to become Chief of Public Affairs.

I remember being EXTREMELY distraught when I heard about it - because I couldn’t figure out WHY the Command hadn’t taken ANY kind of action against this sick monster – and had even seen fit to allow him to be promoted! As far as I was concerned, he should have been BOOTED OUT of the Civil Service!

But then, quite out of a blue a couple weeks later, something happened to help snap me out of my depression and restore my faith in “the system”…

It happened when, one morning the new Chief of Staff of the Command came into the Congressional Inquiries Office and, in front of everyone, he said he came to APOLOGIZE on behalf of the new General and the entire Command about the way my “J.D. investigation” had been handled!

The Colonel started off by assuring me that things would have turned out radically different, had this new “Chain of Command” been in charge when this incident took place! Unfortunately, my investigation had been “placed on the back burner” because the Command was undergoing a change in leadership at the time, which is why things turned out the way they did…

While that didn’t exactly thrill me (because I had wanted J.D. FIRED!), I practically jumped for joy when the Colonel related that J.D. didn’t completely get away unscathed. He said, because of my bravery in daring to take J.D. on, and “outing him” - he had lost the healthy sum of money he was supposed to have received via that year’s Civilian Incentive Award. AND, not only that, but the new General had sent a letter forwarding a copy of the Inspector General’s Investigation packet to J.D.’s new boss at the Pentagon, informing him of this incident.

I was elated! As far as I was concerned, that was at least “some” vindication – it was better than nothing.

But there is more to the story.

At some point after J.D. had taken the Pentagon job, I heard “through the grapevine” that his position had been DOWNGRADED (for reasons unknown to me); but years later when the Internet was in full swing, I Googled his name, and was thrilled to see that he had unsuccessfully attempted to fight the demotion, and to add insult to injury, he didn’t even receive the new position he was seeking!

So – all’s well that ends well!

As for me, everything was suddenly “coming up roses” because, in the winter of 1989, I was selected to attend the prestigious United States Army Sergeant Major’s Academy in El Paso, Texas, where – after graduation, the Commandant asked me to stay on as a lesson developer and substitute Instructor … AND soon thereafter, I discovered that I had made the Sergeant Major’s List!

I’ll never be able to forget what happened in Germany those 40 long years ago, but I have forgiven J.D. in the meantime; and turned him over to YHWH. I don’t know whatever happened to him, and I don’t care, as it just doesn’t matter anymore.

I WILL SAY THIS, THOUGH: Baruch haShem YHWH for working behind the scenes to protect me from those “smoldering stumps of firewood” that tried to destroy me! Even though I was just a “lukewarm” believer back then, I was being supernaturally protected. Satan tried to kill me, but YHWH turned it all around for GOOD! Halleluyah! Praise Him forever!

Ready for a more indepth study of John 1, verses1 and 14?

Following are some great footnotes in the Aramaic English New Testament to John 1:1 and 14 (from the Hebraic, rather than the Greek mindset)…

Yochanan 1:1. In the beginning [1] was the Miltha.[2] And that Miltha was with Elohim, and Elohim was that Miltha. 2. This was with Elohim in the beginning.[3] (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The phrase B’resheet aytohi hwa miltha breaks a most basic rule of Aramaic grammar by combining a feminine noun (miltha) with two masculine verbs for “to be” (aytohi, hwa). This is unheard of in Aramaic literature other than right here in this passage and in 1 John. This shows YHWH has male and female “images/spirits” even though YHWH remains a He. It may also be a midrash on Isaiah 11:1-2, which describes the Spirit of YHWH descending on Mashiyach using both masculine and feminine suffixes. This is not something easily translated, let alone when it occurs within the first four words.

[2] Miltha has no direct English equivalent. It can mean ‘Word’, ‘Manifestation’, ‘Instance’ or ‘Substance’ among other things. In this context, it may best be left untranslated.

[3] Fulfilling Messianic prophecy: Mashiyach (ruler of Israel) to have origins of the ancient past Micah 5:2; Isaiah 48:16. Bear in mind that Micah is referring to the spiritual “Israel of Elohim,” those of the Kingdom of Heaven according to the circumcision of heart.

John 1:14. And the Miltha[1] became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw his glory,[2] the glory as the Only-Begotten[3] who is from the Father who is full of grace and truth. 15. Yochanan witnessed concerning him and cried out and said, “This is he whom I said would come after me, and yet be before me because he was earlier than me.” 16. And from his fullness we all have received grace on account of grace; 17. Because Torah was given through Moshe, but truth[4] and grace[5] through Y’shua who is the Mashiyach.[6] 18. Man has not ever seen Elohim. The Only Begotten of Elohim, he who is in the bosom of his Father, he has declared Him. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1]  Miltha refers to the “Manifestation” of the Ruach haKodesh within Mashiyach. The physical body of Mashiyach is not the Word of YHWH, but his words and actions demonstrate the Will and Word of YHWH, which upholds observance of Torah. However, Christo-Pagans like Marcion and Constantine taught that Y’shua’s body and spirit manifest a different “word” that did away with Torah. The Word of YHWH was substituted with dispensational and replacement “theologies,” which are very popular among Christians.

[2] Isaiah 42:8; 48:11

[3] Ekhadaya is a beautiful term used among Eastern theologians and poets; it literally means “THE ONE”

[4] Shemot/Ex. 34:5, 6; D’varim/Deut. 32:4; Psalm 25:10; 31:5; 119:142, 151; 146:5, 6; Isaiah 65:16; Jer. 4:1, 2; John 17:17.

[5] Genesis 6:8; Shemot/Ex. 33:12-17; Psalm 84:11; Jeremiah 31:1-3; see footnote 1 Peter 5:10.

[6] The Torah of Moshe is the Word of YHWH, but grace and truth revealed in Y’shua are the impelling forces that uphold all righteousness and keep the Word of YHWH (Torah) positioned in our hearts; these are complimentary, not opposites. It is according to the Grace of the Father YHWH that Mashiyach is revealed in a person’s heart; see John 17:9, 10.

Let’s do a thorough exam of that “you’re judging me” thing…

Many people are quick to yell, "Don't judge me!" whenever someone attempts to tell them they are off the mark in some way. Truth is,TORAH is our judge. We're not "judging" anyone by telling them that they're going against Torah principles..

"Judging" refers to the attempts to correct others according to your own standard of iniquity. When you do that, you condemn yourself. When you "judge", you must do it SOLELY by the standard of truth, and that truth (which Paul amply addressed in Romans 2:1-8) is Torah.

The bottom line upfront is, there IS a difference between “judging” and “exposing!”  For instance, whenever Torah observant Believers see someone teaching "no need for Yeshua," or "no need for Torah," or pushing themselves on others to shove the idea of YHWH/Yeshua/Torah down their throats (or anything that may be contrary to Scripture), we MUST rebuke them!

To sit idly by and say nothing is NOT an option, for if we don't help our brethren stay on the YHWH's Path, then WE will be held accountable! (See Ezekiel 33, James 5:19, Matthew 18:6, Acts 20:28, etc.)

Yes, we must "stand our ground" when it comes to our faith; BUT, we don't need to go into synagogues or churches to "target" anyone in hopes of roping them into God's Truth... After all, Scripture commands us to be gentle (see Philippians 4:5; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:12; 1 Corinthians 4:21; Ephesians 4:2).

In Torah, we learn the following:

Leviticus 19: 15 "'Do not be unjust in judging - show neither partiality to the poor nor deference to the mighty, but with justice judge your neighbor. 16 "'Do not go around spreading slander among your people, but also don't stand idly by when your neighbor's life is at stake; I am ADONAI. 17 "'Do not hate your brother in your heart, but rebuke your neighbor frankly, so that you won't carry sin because of him. 18 Don't take vengeance on or bear a grudge against any of your people; rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am ADONAI. (CJB)

So you see, Scripture commands us to warn our brethren about sinning, but the problem is many attempt to use New Testament scriptures, such as Romans 2 as proof that we are not to "judge one another." (Read Romans 2 in context.)

TORAH is our judge, and if you see a brother or sister who has fallen head-long into sin, you can't just stand by and watch, or attempt to "pray it away." You MUST warn that person. But, simply telling someone they're breaking ELOHIM's rules is NOT "judging"!

HOWEVER, we also need to consider this:

Titus 1:13. And this testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith 14. and may not throw themselves into Jewish fables and into the precepts of men who hate the Truth. 15. For to the pure, everything is pure; but to them who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but their understanding is defiled, and their conscience. 16 And they profess that they know Elohim, but in their works they deny him; and they are odious and disobedient and to every good work reprobates. (AENT)

In other words, don't white-wash the Truth. Be firm - but do NOT give people a "biblical concussion" while you're doing it.

Let’s go a littler deeper:

Referring to the “Jewish fables” mentioned in Titus 1:14 above: According to Charles Ryrie: “Jewish myths; speculations of a Gnostic sort, supposedly based on OT scripture.”  Ryrie Study Bible (NASB), p. 393: The key is in the highlighted portion of the above passage, “they profess to know Elohim, but in works deny him” for by this very description, Paul has named the heretical sect. “Gnosticism” is derived from the Greek gnosis, “to know.” What is often overlooked is that Gnosticism did not originate with Christianity, although later adopted by many Messianic themes. Rather, it began as a Jewish sect with their own “myths and fables.”

Professor Ryrie continues: The heresy of Gnosticism had begun to make inroads among churches in John’s day. Among its teachings were: (1) knowledge is superior to virtue; (2) non-literal sense of Scripture is correct and can only be understood by a select few; (3) evil in the world precludes God being the only creator; (4) the incarnation is incredible because deity cannot unite itself with anything material such as a body (Docetism); and (5) there is no resurrection of the flesh. The ethical standards of the Gnostics were low… (Ryrie Study Bible (NASB), p. 440).

Is it any wonder then why Paul was upset at these false teachers? Even a conventional Pharisee would take great offense to such posturing, and they most certainly did with four of these five articles of belief. These false teachings are, of course, diametrically opposite to Paul’s own teaching as a “ringleader” of the Netzarim, so there should be no surprise when he takes these false teachings to task.

In any case, one can easily see how modern readers, divorced from the historical context, can easily draw the wrong conclusion and not take into account who the speaker is, and who the intended audience is.” (Source, AENT)

QUESTION: Why does YHWH need a Messiah?

A FRIEND RECENTLY POSED THE FOLLOWING GREAT QUESTIONS:

“I going to be honest in that I am struggling since I came to Torah observance. Why does YHWH need a messiah? I believe that Yeshua is real but don’t understand why Jewish people don’t think He is Messiah. Then I am struggling with there is only one God so why does He need another man? Scriptures please.”

MY RESPONSE:

QUESTION: Why does YHWH need a messiah?

ANSWER: The simple answer on this is: He probably doesn’t “need one”; however, since we mere humans cannot actually SEE God Himself (and it’s hard to believe in, and worship an “invisible” entity), He obviously decided to send one as a human who was to teach mankind face-to-face via a “human vessel” that could help us understand Him better.

That is why He supernaturally sent “The Word” (John 1:1, 14) into a human woman’s womb, who would be born to be the Messiah … someone who was totally sinless in every way (so that he could later offer himself as the Final SIN Sacrifice*, and relieve us of the burden of having to kill innocent animals to atone for our sins); and would teach not just the ordinary population, but also the Rabbis who needed to be “wowed” and reminded that they weren’t doing everything correctly, and had even been “putting fences” around His Word and thus turning some of His commands into a burden.

(NOTE:  *By the way, Yeshua was not “sacrificed” as nobody sacrificed him in the Temple; he willingly martyred himself on our behalf, against which there is NO Torah law.)

Furthermore, YHWH actually SAID He was going to send us someone who would be “greater than Moshe” who was to do everything He ordered him to do – and I’m taking this straight from my website’s article Proclaming Torah which says, in part:

Deuteronomy 18: 15 "ADONAI will raise up for you a prophet like me from among yourselves, from your own kinsmen. You are to pay attention to him, 16 just as when you were assembled at Horev and requested ADONAI your God, 'Don't let me hear the voice of ADONAI my God any more, or let me see this great fire ever again; if I do, I will die!' 17 On that occasion ADONAI said to me, 'They are right in what they are saying. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I order him. (CJB)

Yeshua then said He came to teach and do HIS FATHER's will; not his own – in words that God’s people could understand!

John 6: 35. Y'shua said to them, I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will not hunger. And whoever believes in me will not ever thirst. 36. But I have said to you that you have seen me, and you do not believe. 37. All who my Father has given to me will come, and whoever comes not to me I will cast outside! 38. For I came down from heaven,[1] not to do my will, but to do the will of Him who sent me. 39. And this is His will, that of Him who sent me, that all that He has given to me I do not lose even one. 40. For this is the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him, will have life that is eternal. And I will raise him up on the last day. (AENT)

[1] As in the context of Miltha (the Word) or the "Manifestation" or the "Will of" YHWH coming down from heaven to do the Will of YHWH upon earth; his Spirit is of YHWH but his nephesh (soul) and body are human and temporal. This shows that Yeshua was NOT in charge; HIS FATHER WAS!

QUESTION: I believe that Yeshua is real but don’t understand why Jewish people don’t think He is Messiah.

ANSWER: The short answer is that Christians have turned “Jesus” into God Himself, and Jesus is supposedly the be-all-end-all, and the Father (YHWH) is hardly ever mentioned in church! To them, it’s all about “Jesus!”

The Jews know and believe that throughout the Torah, YHWH kept telling them He was the ONLY God – and He IS! Yet, Christians have turned “Jesus” into “God in the Flesh” – which is not a good description at all. He was the DIVINE Messiah (“divine” because of who his Father was!). Yeshua had a divine Nature, and thus, he innately KNEW YHWH’s Will (because he was “The Word made flesh” after all (and “the Word” is a PART of who YHWH is!). Yeshua clearly had a special relationship with YHWH that we mere humans cannot possibly comprehend. However, he was NOT a separate god! He CAME from God as His prophesied MESSIAH – someone who was able to be born and die (neither of which YHWH ELOHIM can ever do and never did!)…

Take a look at these passages from the Hebrew and Aramaic viewpoints:

Here are some great footnotes in the Aramaic English New Testament to John 1:1 and 14:

Yochanan 1:1. In the beginning [1] was the Miltha.[2] And that Miltha was with Elohim, and Elohim was that Miltha. 2. This was with Elohim in the beginning.[3] (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The phrase B’resheet aytohi hwa miltha breaks a most basic rule of Aramaic grammar by combining a feminine noun (miltha) with two masculine verbs for “to be” (aytohi, hwa). This is unheard of in Aramaic literature other than right here in this passage and in 1 John. This shows YHWH has male and female “images/spirits” even though YHWH remains a He. It may also be a midrash on Isaiah 11:1-2, which describes the Spirit of YHWH descending on Mashiyach using both masculine and feminine suffixes. This is not something easily translated, let alone when it occurs within the first four words.

[2] Miltha has no direct English equivalent. It can mean ‘Word’, ‘Manifestation’, ‘Instance’ or ‘Substance’ among other things. In this context, it may best be left untranslated.

[3] Fulfilling Messianic prophecy: Mashiyach (ruler of Israel) to have origins of the ancient past Micah 5:2; Isaiah 48:16. Bear in mind that Micah is referring to the spiritual “Israel of Elohim,” those of the Kingdom of Heaven according to the circumcision of heart.

John 1:14. And the Miltha[1] became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw his glory,[2] the glory as the Only-Begotten[3] who is from the Father who is full of grace and truth. 15. Yochanan witnessed concerning him and cried out and said, “This is he whom I said would come after me, and yet be before me because he was earlier than me.” 16. And from his fullness we all have received grace on account of grace; 17. Because Torah was given through Moshe, but truth[4] and grace[5] through Y’shua who is the Mashiyach.[6] 18. Man has not ever seen Elohim. The Only Begotten of Elohim, he who is in the bosom of his Father, he has declared Him. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[[1]] Miltha refers to the “Manifestation” of the Ruach haKodesh within Mashiyach. The physical body of Mashiyach is not the Word of YHWH, but his words and actions demonstrate the Will and Word of YHWH, which upholds observance of Torah. However, Christo-Pagans like Marcion and Constantine taught that Y’shua’s body and spirit manifest a different “word” that did away with Torah. The Word of YHWH was substituted with dispensational and replacement “theologies,” which are very popular among Christians.

[2] Isaiah 42:8; 48:11

[3] Ekhadaya is a beautiful term used among Eastern theologians and poets; it literally means “THE ONE”

[4] Shemot/Ex. 34:5, 6; D’varim/Deut. 32:4; Psalm 25:10; 31:5; 119:142, 151; 146:5, 6; Isaiah 65:16; Jer. 4:1, 2; John 17:17.

[5] Genesis 6:8; Shemot/Ex. 33:12-17; Psalm 84:11; Jeremiah 31:1-3; see footnote 1 Peter 5:10.

[6] The Torah of Moshe is the Word of YHWH, but grace and truth revealed in Y’shua are the impelling forces that uphold all righteousness and keep the Word of YHWH (Torah) positioned in our hearts; these are complimentary, not opposites. It is according to the Grace of the Father YHWH that Mashiyach is revealed in a person’s heart; see John 17:9, 10.

As mentioned above, Yeshua was sent by the Father NOT to do his own will, but the Father's! So many erroneously seem to think he came to replace the Father and abolish Torah....Yet he came to restore man's relationship with YHWH and remind us to totally rely on YHWH for everything. There are LOTS of scripture passages, complete with proper footnotes on the above-mentioned article and I would highly suggest you read it all in order to get the “whole” picture:

I believe all of the above serves to answer your final question: “Then I am struggling with there is only one God so why does He need another man?”...

Recommending the movie called “The Six Triple Eight”

MY HUSBAND AND I RECENTLY WATCHED A TERRIFIC NETFLIX MOVIE ENTITLED, "THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT" (based on real events during WWII) about Black women in the Women's Army Corps (WAC).  This story touched me because, when I joined the Army, right after high school in 1969, it was still called the Women's Army Corps - which was finally incorporated into the "Regular Army" during the 1974/1975 timeframe.

When I did my 9-week basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama in 1969,  the races were no longer separated, and I distinctly remember that our Black Drill Sergeant (Sergeant First Class Farrington) explained to us that we had better get used to to the fact that there was no black, white, yellow or red in the WAC's, as we were all GREEN!  (And yes, everything WAS some shade of "green" ... the entryways into our barracks, our uniforms, our rod-iron beds, the wool blankets on our beds, the wall lockers, the footlockers and even the floors that were buffed every evening before bed, and waxed once a week...)

Anyway, the story "Six Triple Eight" is a true World War II story about a Black Army Captain (played by Kerry Washington) who leads her historic battalion of all-female Black soldiers in a mission unlike any other: to restore hope to WWII’s frontlines by delivering over 17 million backlogged letters (which - to everyone's surprise, was accomplished within only 90 days!).

I highly recommend this movie where you will get to witness the courage and determination of a unit  of military women who had TWO obstacles to overcome in a basically "White" world: they were women and they were Black...

I, being a woman, can identify with "having to prove" myself, because - even though the chasm between men and women in the military kept growing smaller over the years - every single time I was promoted to the next rank, some man would feel compelled to make ignorant comments designed to put me down for it. 

That happened even in 1992, while I was a lesson developer and substitute instructor at the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy.  When the "Promotion to Sergeant Major" list came out that year, I was elated to see that I was among the few at the Academy who had made it to the highest enlisted rank!  

However, my joy was briefly damped via comments made by - get this! - the Equal Opportunity NCO! – who said, in front of everyone gathered around the Promotion List:  "Well, the Army HAS to promote their 'token women,' don't it?" 

While I knew he had uttered those words out of anger because he had FAILED to make the promotion list, I could no longer “laugh off” the silly barbs and insinuations.

Tossing him a searing glance, I remarked that his comments were completely unwarranted, as he had personally witnessed me and my work, since we had not only been classmates but were recruited by the Academy leadership to remain there after graduation! I reminded him that out of 500 students during that grueling six-month period, only 10 of us were women … and we ALL had managed to graduate, while not all men did – and that it certainly had NOT been “because” we were women, but BECAUSE we completed ALL the requirements, both academically AND physically!

“And oh, by the way,” I concluded, “as you know, promotions are based on many things, including work performance, efficiency reports, physical fitness, and military and civilian education – all of which I either met and/or exceeded!  I am a Business college graduate, and during my 22 years of military service, I managed to get a four year college degree – all at night school, after normal duty hours.

“The Army has used me as an office administrator with a German language translator designator, trained me as a military journalist and newspaper editor, and most recently, used me as a lesson developer and substitute instructor at this prestigious institution. So … unless YOU have accomplished more than me, you have NO RIGHT to call me a “token woman!”

Not long after that incident, at age 42, I decided to retire and go to work as a journalist in the civilian sector, where I no longer had to “prove” myself, because my work and accomplishments spoke for themselves.

The good news was, before I left, that particular sergeant apologized for his insensitive comments; and I apologized for embarrassing him in front of some of our colleagues that day.
Keeping in mind that ADONAI ELOHIM created clear differences in men and women and their roles in this life, I'm just glad to know that the male/female issues in the military have mostly been resolved since I retired back in 1993.

Unfortunately, the military now has other "gender" issues to deal with...

Yes, you have the free will to do Christmas, but do you also have a right to perpetuate the lie about Santa and his flying reindeer?

PEOPLE HAVE THE FREE WILL TO "DO" CHRISTMAS IF THEY WANT TO … but where in the Bible does it tell us we have a RIGHT TO LIE to our children, and teach them to lie?

I am writing this because, my friends, that is exactly what NORAD and the news media (and parents) do every year - by telling Americans they have "spotted Santa and his reindeer" flying across the skies of Colorado (or wherever). Santa … that MYTHICAL, made-up being that has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the birth of Messiah [who was born on the first day of one of God’s commanded festivals called Sukkot/Tabernacles]; and that this “Santa” supposedly "knows whether the children have been good or bad, and will bring them a lump of coal if they have been among bad).

Proverbs 12:22 "Lying lips are an abomination to Adonai, but those who deal faithfully are his delight." (CJB).

Note the word “abomination” in the passage above. There are many other verses which seem to suggest that lying lips are absolutely forbidden and that the liar is doomed to She'ol. Take Revelation 21:8 for example: "But as for the cowardly, the untrustworthy, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those involved with the occult and with drugs, idol-worshippers, and all liars — their destiny is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, the second death."

So, yes, lying is bad! HOWEVER … we can also see in Scripture that lying is NOT necessarily an “unpardonable sin” or that all liars are destined to the second death! Apparently, it depends on the nature of the lie. (Two wit, our three Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were ALL guilty of lying at some point – and God still used them!)

Let’s check out Exodus chapter 1 for the story of the midwives.  A new king arises (verse 8), and among the horrors he imposes on the Israelites, he orders the Hebrew midwives to kill the male children of the Hebrew women (verse 16). But the midwives let the boys live and when asked, (verse 18-19), they lied!  And then, in verse 20, we find that the midwives were not punished for their lies, rather, they prospered!

"Therefore God prospered the midwives, and the people continued to multiply and grow very powerful." (CJB).

Since Scripture does not record that the midwives were condemned to She'ol, it appears that their lie was overlooked!

Another instance: Turn to Joshua 2. Here, Rachav hid the Hebrew spies who had come to inspect the land and Yericho (verses 1-4), and she lied to the servants of the king regarding the whereabouts of the spies (verses 4-5). She lied – yet she, too, was not condemned to She'ol but was, instead, rewarded for her actions (Joshua 6:17-25).

Regardless, that does NOT mean we can simply lie whenever it suits us because – as we saw in Proverbs 12:22, lying lips ARE an abomination to Adonai! Matter of fact, other stories in the Bible reveal people who were punished for their lies! Read, for example, Acts 5:1-11.

Here's the point I’m trying to make: If you consider the two cases, Exodus and Joshua, we see the lie perpetrated was in defense of someone else. The midwives protected the innocent Hebrew babies with a lie. Rachav, protected the Hebrew spies with a lie.

This seems to be the key: A lie, if not meant for one's personal gain, pleasure, self-indulgence, or other reason of self-satisfaction or selfishness, can be credited as righteousness. Indeed, in the story of Hananyah and his wife Shappirah in Acts 5, their lie was for personal gain - and they were punished.

What does this mean to us today?

Well, we certainly should continue to follow the Torah commands and raise our children to do the same, which includes learning NOT to lie. Period. Children typically learn to lie because they are learning the covering-up of guilt or they are trying to gain something; perhaps the approval of parents, siblings or peers. In other words, their nature is to lie to protect themselves. This, they need to be taught, is categorically wrong. (In their limited minds, this is not an issue. Better that it be an "absolute" to them than a "gray area". Regardless, they should be taught not to lie. Period.)

As we grow into adults, we should gain from our adult understanding how God expects us to live and love each other; that sometimes for the protection of others, a lie may be permitted and desirable.

Note that I said "we should gain from our adult understanding how God expects us to live." We only grow in our understanding IF we keep our noses in Torah, and actually learn from Scripture what it has to offer regarding how we should live and love each other!

If we don't spend time with God, learning HIS ways, then from whom are we learning?  Lying basically remains a “gray area,” but knowing YHWH and His ways will help you to determine how to make the right choice at the time.

Anyway, referring back to that “Santa and his flying reindeer” thing: THAT IS AN OUTRIGHTT LIE … an abomination … not only because it’s a perpetuated myth; but it’s also part of a “holiday” that pretends to be one of the BIBLICAL High Holy days. 

Lying about “Santa Claus” is a biggie.  It’s not just a “little white lie” so that the kiddies can have fun!  As we have seen above, even "white lies" are deceptions intended to benefit the one who uttered them, and are clearly wrong. (See Leviticus 19:11; Proverbs 12:22). Where possible, one should always speak truthfully, especially friends, relatives, neighbors. (Ephesians 4:25).

Please think about that.

Got idols in your life?

GOT IDOLS IN YOUR LIFE or do you share the same disdain as Yahweh about idolatry?
We can get a good idea of how He feels about idolatry by checking out the 1st and 2nd Commandments:

Exodus 20:2 “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Idolatry is the first of the curses mentioned:

Deuteronomy 27:15 “ ‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to Yahweh, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’

We're told that idolators are devoted to destruction:

Exodus 22:20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than Yahweh alone, shall be devoted to destruction.

Deuteronomy 17:2 “If there is found among you, within any of your towns that Yahweh your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of Yahweh your God, in transgressing his covenant, 3 and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, 4 and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones.

Warning about Prophets and Dreamers:

Deuteronomy 13:1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For Yahweh your God is testing you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after Yahweh your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
Warning about the dangers of listening to Family or friends who serve "other gods":

Deuteronomy 13:6 “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, 8 you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. 9 But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. 10 You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Warning about inhabitants of cities that entice you to serve "other gods":

Deuteronomy 13:12 “If you hear in one of your cities, which Yahweh your God is giving you to dwell there, 13 that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, 14 then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, 15 you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. 16 You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to Yahweh your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again.

SO, IT’S TIME TO DO A SELF_EXAM: Do YOU tolerate idolatry in your life - or do you share the same disdain as Yahweh when it comes to idolatry?