Scripture warns us that in the end times there would be plenty of false teachers and prophets, and articles like this one PROVE it: ‘Lost Gospel’ depicts a married political activist Rabbi Jesus.
Yeah, right....
If Y'shua – a Jewish man with a divine qnoma/nature - had had a wife and kids, He would never have chosen to die on that stake, to leave behind a widow and orphans! YHWH would not have expected Him to do that. Y'shua's mind - as we see in Luke 2:49 - was always on YHWH. He knew who He was, and He didn't have time for a wife and family. That would have been a huge distraction. So, this attempt by the anti-missionaries is like ALL their attempts to discredit Y'shua - it's weak, and it's a slap in the face of YHWH whom they are calling a liar.
Plus, He followed Torah, even to His death. An example is that He made sure His mother would be cared for after he died:
John 19: 25. Now at the stake of Y’shua were standing his mother and the sister of his mother and Maryam, that of Qalyopa, and Maryam of Magdala. 26. And Y’shua saw his mother and a disciple whom he loved who was standing there, and he said to his mother, Woman, behold your son. 27. And he said to that disciple, Behold your mother.[1] And at that hour that disciple took her with him. 28. After these things Y’shua knew that everything was complete so that Scripture might be fulfilled, and he said, I thirst. 29. And they placed a vessel there that was full of vinegar, and filled a sponge with the vinegar and placed it on hyssop and brought it to his mouth. 30. And when he had taken that vinegar Y’shua said, Behold, it is finished! And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
[1] Not as in “behold the mother of Elohim” but that John would care for Y’shua’s mother, and so he takes her with him. By the time of Y'shua’s death, his earthly mother was a widow who had no close male relative to look after her and faced a precarious existence. By entrusting Maryam to the “beloved disciple” (commonly understood to be John), Y’shua was not only showing love and concern for his mother, ensuring that she would be safe and cared for after his death; but He was following the Torah command to do so (Exodus 22:21-23)! (See also Isaiah 53 and all of the Feasts/Appointed Times which foreshadow Y'shua. Also, Who does Yeshua say He is: Man or God?)
Here's more about Him:
Philippians 2:5 And think you so in yourselves, as Y'shua the Mashiyach also thought; 6. who, as he was in the likeness of Elohim, did not regard it sinful to be the coequal of Elohim; 7. yet disinherited himself and assumed the likeness of a servant, and was in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man; 8. and he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the stake. 9. Wherefore, also, Elohim has highly exalted him and given him a name which is more excellent than all names; 10. that at the name of Y'shua every knee should bow, of (beings) in heaven and on earth and under the earth; 11. and that every tongue should confess that Y'shua the Mashiyach is YHWH, to the glory of Elohim his Father. (AENT)
More than his literal birth name Y'shua (which was and is a common Hebrew name), and more than the perfect reputation that his name represents. Y'shua bears the Name of YHWH, the "name above all names"! Y'shua has the Name and reputation of the Father YHWH in him (John 17:11) and the name means "YHWH is Salvation" (Matthew 1:21). (The angels, for instance, only have YHWH's title of ELOHIM within their names: GabriEL, MichaEL, RaphaEL....)
Colossians 1: 15. who is the likeness of the invisible Elohim and the first-born of all creatures: 16. and by him was created everything that is in heaven and on earth, all that is visible and all that is invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; everything was through him and was created by him: 17. and he was prior to all, and by him every thing exists. 18. And he is the head of the body the Assembly; as he is the head and first-born from among the dead, that he might be the first in all things. 19. For it pleased (the Father) that in him all fullness should dwell; 20. and by him, to reconcile all things to himself; and through him he has pacified, with the blood of his stake, both (those) on earth and those in heaven. (Aramaic English New Testament)
Footnote: The literal Aramaic reading is "by him," whereas Greek and English texts have "for him." Mashiyach is the creative Word through which everything was made (Psalm 33:6, John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:1-5). The common Aramaic idiom here and in John is "through his hands" meaning as the Word, Mashiyach crafted all things according to YHWH's blueprints. Mashiyach Yeshua emerges as the Word from YHWH's breath and command and, as such, was with Him in the beginning (John 17:1-11).
What
these "scholars" who write this junk tend to forget is that "Jesus"
(they never call Him by his given Hebrew Name, LOL!), is that He was a
Torah observant, seventh day Sabbath keeping, tallit wearing, kosher JEW
who would never go outside of Torah. YHWH would never have expected
His Divine Son to marry because marriage would have tied Him down and
caused Him to have to make the choice between His wife and family...and
doing YHWH's will/accomplishing everything He was sent to do. Y'shua
would never have deliberately made His wife a widow to be left to her
own devices; He would never have left His children fatherless.....To
suggest He was married is a sick attempt by some folks to place doubt in
the gullible!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Sh'mittah Year
Question from a reader: I have been looking at the shmita year and can't find enough
information. Is it only practiced in the
"land of Israel" or do you practice it no matter where you live?
So we know from these scriptures there is a "land sabbath" every 7 years, but we also know the 50th year (the Jubilee) is also a land sabbath. 7 x 7 = 49, so the 49th year is a land sabbath but the 50th year is also a land sabbath! There are two, consecutive land Sabbaths in years 49 & 50! If you simply count 7 years continuously, the 50th year would not be a Sabbath year, rather it would be the 1st year of a new 7-year cycle, and the 7th-year land Sabbath gets "out of sync" with the Jubilee! The 50th year must be a land Sabbath as well, so the NEXT 7-year cycle cannot begin till the 51st year, when the Jubilee count starts over! Scripture even clears-up the obvious dilemma this causes! With two years in a row the land laying fallow, what are the people to do? Go back and read Leviticus 25:20-22! So here is the provision for the Jubilee year:
Answer
The reason you find so little information is that the
Sh'mittah is followed these days only in the smallest of circles in the Jewish
world. The "short answer" is
that it is (or should be) followed all over the world, but it is intended to be
"established" in Israel (i.e., they set the year of the
Sh'mittah). But I have to say they've
made a mess of it! They (meaning
"those who are supposed to know") are saying this current Hebrew year, Tishri to Elul, (Sep
2014 - Sep 2015), is the year of the Sh'mittah, but they are wrong!
The error is that they simply count a
continuous 7 years, therefore announcing every 7th year as a Sh'mittah, but the
Sh'mittah is, in actuality, "woven" around the Jubilee year - the
50th year. So all one needs to do is
determine the Jubilee year, and the years of Sh'mittah are established. But, there is a rub! That rub is that the Jubilee year count has
been lost! I'm no expert in Israel history,
but suffice it to say, they've endured turmoil and there were Jubilee years
"missed", and then those looking into it have had little success in
properly recovering it. That may go a
long way toward explaining why you find so little about the Sh'mittah and why so
many simply "throw in the towel" and simply count a continuous 7-year
cycle. Sadly, Judaism today no longer observes the Jubilee year. The rationale for abandoning the Jubilee is basically the rabbinic interpretation of Leviticus 25:10 which reads: "...and you are to consecrate the fiftieth year, proclaiming freedom throughout the land to all its inhabitants." Among many and circuitous reasons for denying the Jubilee, the rabbis decided this command is applicable only to the land of Israel, and only if "all" the 12 tribes are living in Israel. Thus, today they only count 7 year cycles continuously.
But Andrew Roth (One Faith One People Ministries), has recovered the Jubilee years! (I know...I built his spreadsheets, hundreds
of thousands of lines, which revealed the alignment [using the Gregorian
proleptic calendar] with the known
ancient dates of the Jubilee year, and thus enabled him to carry the proper
Jubilee year forward.) He found the last
Jubilee year was 1995, and that makes Sep 2015 to Sep 2016 the next year
of Sh'mittah since 1996 would have been the 1st of the 49 year count.
Thus the remaining years of Sh’mittah to the next Jubilee in 2045 are: Sep
2022-Sep 2023, Sep 2029-Sep 2030, Sep 2036-Sep 2037, and Sep 2043-Sep 2044.
It is not just a continuous 7-year count
To understand that the Sh'mittah is not simply a continuous
7-year count, consider this:
"For six years, you are to sow
your land with seed and gather in its harvest. But the seventh year, you are to let it rest
and lie fallow,..." (Exodus 23:10-11)
So we have the "7th" year is established as the Sh'mittah.
So we have the "7th" year is established as the Sh'mittah.
"The 50th year shall be a
jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the
untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is
taken directly from the fields. In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return
to his own property” (Leviticus 25:8-13)
So we see that the 50th year is the Jubilee, and it, too, is a Sh'mittah because you do not sow or reap. Since the 49th year was a Sh'mittah, and the 50th year, there is a dilemma! The land is fallow for two years! What to do! Torah explains:
So we see that the 50th year is the Jubilee, and it, too, is a Sh'mittah because you do not sow or reap. Since the 49th year was a Sh'mittah, and the 50th year, there is a dilemma! The land is fallow for two years! What to do! Torah explains:
"'If you will say, "What will we eat in the seventh year? - behold! we will not sow and not gather in our
crops?” I ordain My blessing for you in the sixth year and it will yield a crop sufficient for the three-year period. 'You will sow in the eighth, but you will eat from the old crop; until the arrival of its crop, you will eat the old." (Leviticus
25:20-22)
Let's look at this provision for a "regular" 7-year count, where the 7th year is the Sh'mittah:
Let's look at this provision for a "regular" 7-year count, where the 7th year is the Sh'mittah:
So we know from these scriptures there is a "land sabbath" every 7 years, but we also know the 50th year (the Jubilee) is also a land sabbath. 7 x 7 = 49, so the 49th year is a land sabbath but the 50th year is also a land sabbath! There are two, consecutive land Sabbaths in years 49 & 50! If you simply count 7 years continuously, the 50th year would not be a Sabbath year, rather it would be the 1st year of a new 7-year cycle, and the 7th-year land Sabbath gets "out of sync" with the Jubilee! The 50th year must be a land Sabbath as well, so the NEXT 7-year cycle cannot begin till the 51st year, when the Jubilee count starts over! Scripture even clears-up the obvious dilemma this causes! With two years in a row the land laying fallow, what are the people to do? Go back and read Leviticus 25:20-22! So here is the provision for the Jubilee year:
As stated above, the last Jubilee was 1995, so the "count" for the
7-year cycles had to have begun in 1996, and that makes the Hebrew year from Sep 2015-Sep 2016 the
Sh'mittah year, and not 2014-2015. (MANY
sites, some well-known and respected, incorrectly teach that the 7 years is
simply a continuous count from creation.
Andrew Roth's work though shows this is not true, so it is pretty certain
that 1995 was the last Jubilee in our time.)
Now to the question: "Is it only practiced in the 'land
of Israel' or do you practice it no matter where you live?"
"Tell the people of Isra'el,
'When you enter the land I am giving you, the land itself is to observe a
Shabbat rest for ADONAI. Six years you
will sow your field; six years you will prune your grapevines and gather their
produce." (Leviticus 25:2-3)
This verse tells us the 7th year is a Shabbat for the
land itself! It is YHWH's land, so it is "for YHWH" as well, but the
"rest" is for the land! So, yes, absolutely, we should
be observing the Sh'mittah wherever we live!
Some will argue, as the rabbis do, that since verse 2 says "When you enter the land I
am giving you...." means only Israel has to observe the Sh'mittah. Really?
No matter where you live, isn't it YHWH's land He has given you? And despite the rabbinical arguments, why would the blessings of the Land Sabbath and the Jubilee only apply to Israel, and only if "all" the tribes still lived there? After all, YHWH tells us in Leviticus 25:18-19 "...you are to keep my regulations and rulings and act accordingly. If you do, you will live securely in the land. The land will yield its produce, you will eat until you have enough, and you will live there securely."
Now we have a problem.
We in the US live in a nation which does not revere or obey YHWH. And our "man's laws" which we are obligated to, don't mandate
the Jubilee year, and land is not returned to its original owner. (The list of what we do, as a nation, against
YHWH, goes on and on.) So we probably should
not expect YHWH to honor His end of the deal.
If we, on our own, observe the Sh'mittah year, and the Jubilee year, then
we probably can't expect YHWH to provide as He said he would. Again, Leviticus
25:18-19: "'Rather, you
are to keep my regulations and rulings and act accordingly. If you do, you will
live securely in the land. The land will
yield its produce, you will eat until you have enough, and you will live there
securely." His expectation is for ALL, the whole nation, to be keeping His mitzvoth. He might show us
favor, but since we live in such a godless nation, why would we expect his
favor on our tiny property, when the nation as a whole is being punished by
drought, fire, flood, tornado, etc.? Interesting thought.
Perhaps the answer is that we, ourselves, as we obey as best we
can, can expect only the blessings we may receive from anything we've done which
might be credited to us as righteousness, while we do the best we can as our
nation flounders. So yes, if you farm or grow crops,
then give the land its Sh'mittah! We need
not be concerned about how to observe the Jubilee since the next one is in 2045, but
we can certainly honor the Sh'mittah, on our own property wherever we live. (And, if we are not observing the right years, don't stress about it! None of us are charged with the responsibility to determine the correct years! But each of us is expected to do our best to obey the mitzvoth. And the commandment of the Sh'mittah can still be followed individually if they apply to you.)
And finally, besides the Land Sabbath, the Sh'mittah has a "commerce" component. Deuteronomy 15:1-15 provides for the release of debts for fellow members of the community of faith and to renew the commitment to providing for others. This is just one of the many ways a community flourishes when all share in the blessings of the same faith and living by His guidance.
And finally, besides the Land Sabbath, the Sh'mittah has a "commerce" component. Deuteronomy 15:1-15 provides for the release of debts for fellow members of the community of faith and to renew the commitment to providing for others. This is just one of the many ways a community flourishes when all share in the blessings of the same faith and living by His guidance.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Protestors: "What do we want? Dead cops!"
Okay, so I'm angry.
I'm not even going to waste my time looking up the pertinent scriptures that speak to this kind of stupidity. Suffice it to say, people who make make such utterly hideous, vicious comments do not have a brain, much less believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They do NOT think for themselves because they are following a mobster mentality that is plain satanic in nature. They are sheep, they are no better than the ISIS idiots or Al Qaida following the mindless masses - and while part of me would love to reach out to whatever humanity is buried below their rampant hatred, I also realize (from experience) that it's no use. Once demons are set free to rage, we "fallen humans" tend to go with it and become more out of control.
America is beginning to implode BECAUSE of people like this! These people don't even realize they are helping to usher in the end times scenario outlined in the Books of Daniel and Revelation. Instead of paying attention to great leaders (such as Martin Luther King and others [of all colors] who promoted peaceful marches as opposed to violence), they are listening to Rev. Al Sharpton and and Jesse Jackson spewing forth hate speech designed to rile up the masses - suggesting in so many words that "it's time" to stand up against injustice.
INJUSTICE? Excuse me? Yes, there are certainly dirty cops, and yes, young Blacks have been getting killed. But has it dawned on anyone that there was a slight difference between those unfortunate Black guys who were killed, and the two officers who were shot by some lunatic? The officers were on the right side of the law, doing their jobs when they were blown away by some guy who just wanted to kill cops, while those Blacks who have been in the news lately were caught committing CRIMES and then had the raw audacity to become UNRULY with the cops! If you're wielding a gun in public (even if it's just a toy gun); and/or if you're caught in the act of committing a crime, shouldn't you expect the possibility that you might be hurt and/or killed IF you decide to stand there and argue and/or outright attack and officer? If you're committing a crime of some kind and the cops tell you to put your hands behind your back so they can cuff you, why would you stand there and argue and try to fight them?
But suddenly, many in the US are turning against the cops because they're doing their jobs. Sorry, but that doesn't make ANY sense to me! The protesters who are now chanting - "What do we want? Dead cops!" - have NO clue what they're saying, because what they are saying is, "We want the right to commit criminal acts without ANY repercussions! Go away and let us loot and shoot and generally do whatever we want!"
No, I don't believe this is just "protesting" anymore. This is human beings being STUPID humans who are going with their "carnal selves" just because they can!
Dummies! Have they learned nothing from history? Hatred and violence has ALWAYS begotten hatred and violence! It solves nothing - and it certainly is NOT how the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob wants us to behave!
Shame on whoever joins in with these types of demands!
I'm not even going to waste my time looking up the pertinent scriptures that speak to this kind of stupidity. Suffice it to say, people who make make such utterly hideous, vicious comments do not have a brain, much less believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They do NOT think for themselves because they are following a mobster mentality that is plain satanic in nature. They are sheep, they are no better than the ISIS idiots or Al Qaida following the mindless masses - and while part of me would love to reach out to whatever humanity is buried below their rampant hatred, I also realize (from experience) that it's no use. Once demons are set free to rage, we "fallen humans" tend to go with it and become more out of control.
America is beginning to implode BECAUSE of people like this! These people don't even realize they are helping to usher in the end times scenario outlined in the Books of Daniel and Revelation. Instead of paying attention to great leaders (such as Martin Luther King and others [of all colors] who promoted peaceful marches as opposed to violence), they are listening to Rev. Al Sharpton and and Jesse Jackson spewing forth hate speech designed to rile up the masses - suggesting in so many words that "it's time" to stand up against injustice.
INJUSTICE? Excuse me? Yes, there are certainly dirty cops, and yes, young Blacks have been getting killed. But has it dawned on anyone that there was a slight difference between those unfortunate Black guys who were killed, and the two officers who were shot by some lunatic? The officers were on the right side of the law, doing their jobs when they were blown away by some guy who just wanted to kill cops, while those Blacks who have been in the news lately were caught committing CRIMES and then had the raw audacity to become UNRULY with the cops! If you're wielding a gun in public (even if it's just a toy gun); and/or if you're caught in the act of committing a crime, shouldn't you expect the possibility that you might be hurt and/or killed IF you decide to stand there and argue and/or outright attack and officer? If you're committing a crime of some kind and the cops tell you to put your hands behind your back so they can cuff you, why would you stand there and argue and try to fight them?
But suddenly, many in the US are turning against the cops because they're doing their jobs. Sorry, but that doesn't make ANY sense to me! The protesters who are now chanting - "What do we want? Dead cops!" - have NO clue what they're saying, because what they are saying is, "We want the right to commit criminal acts without ANY repercussions! Go away and let us loot and shoot and generally do whatever we want!"
No, I don't believe this is just "protesting" anymore. This is human beings being STUPID humans who are going with their "carnal selves" just because they can!
Dummies! Have they learned nothing from history? Hatred and violence has ALWAYS begotten hatred and violence! It solves nothing - and it certainly is NOT how the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob wants us to behave!
Shame on whoever joins in with these types of demands!
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Yoohoo, Mr. Whiteman…
In 1930, Hal Roach studios released the Laurel & Hardy
classic short “Below Zero”. It is a
delightful film, one of many of the famous comedic duo Stan Laurel and Oliver
Hardy. It was filmed in an “age of
innocence” (my words) when compared to today’s decadence, opulence, and
depravity.
So it hit me. Today, we read scripture, all of which was written thousands of years ago, yet within it are terms we simply don’t or cannot today understand. Thus, many conclude falsely many aspects of who God is, who the Messiah is, what was expected of us, and just what it was that the Messiah offered that we did not already have. And when you realize that the original scriptures were written in the rich language of Hebrew and Aramaic, then translated to Greek, then to English, you can imagine the potential horrific change in meaning of the original scripture! YHWH must be beside Himself! Imagine the simple phrase in my beloved 1930 Laurel & Hardy movie “Below Zero” which says “Oh Mr. Whiteman” translated into Greek for a Greek audience! They’d be looking at themselves, shrugging their shoulders with absolutely no understanding!
There is a scene in the film which has long bothered
me. You see, Stan & Ollie portray a “down
on their luck” pair who are trying to eek out a survival by playing music on
the streets, relying on the generosity of those more well-off than they. In an early scene, actress Kay Deslys is
seen leaning out 2nd floor window where they are playing below and she shouts “Yoohoo! Oh
Mr. Whiteman…” and asks them to move on down a couple of blocks. It’s a delightfully funny scene though not by
today’s standards involving sex or gays, but this scene always bothered me
because I assumed it to be some sort of “racial slur” of the time – Stan &
Ollie, both white, portrayed as poor and disadvantaged. Thus I thought the person leaning out the
window was referring to them negatively, my beloved Laurel & Hardy, by the term “Mr. Whiteman”! This bothered me for many years! Truly it did!
Well, my concerns were very misguided! It turns out that the term “Oh Mr. Whiteman”
was not derogatory at all! You see,
Ollie was a dead ringer for a Jazz musician of the 1920’s-1930’s by the name of
Paul Whiteman! The “crack”, made by the
actress leaning out the window, was only meant to be understood to the audience of the time – the audience who would see the movie short!
But in my time, I did not understand the use of the phrase "Yoohoo, Mr. Whiteman"!
I needed to know something about the era
in which the film was made! It was my
fault it gave me concern! It was my
ignorance of that era which caused me grief!
I was not aware of “Paul Whiteman”, Jazz Musician!
So it hit me. Today, we read scripture, all of which was written thousands of years ago, yet within it are terms we simply don’t or cannot today understand. Thus, many conclude falsely many aspects of who God is, who the Messiah is, what was expected of us, and just what it was that the Messiah offered that we did not already have. And when you realize that the original scriptures were written in the rich language of Hebrew and Aramaic, then translated to Greek, then to English, you can imagine the potential horrific change in meaning of the original scripture! YHWH must be beside Himself! Imagine the simple phrase in my beloved 1930 Laurel & Hardy movie “Below Zero” which says “Oh Mr. Whiteman” translated into Greek for a Greek audience! They’d be looking at themselves, shrugging their shoulders with absolutely no understanding!
Thus the message of this post: Read scripture, but where it is not clear,
don’t assume! Go study. Find out what it originally meant. You will find yourself coming closer to YHWH
because you will come to know Him better.
May you have a terrific Hanukkah of new-found understanding!
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Discussing James 2 in context
I keep seeing Christians make this comment: “Unless you're keeping the Law 100%, 100% of the time, you condemn yourself. Repent (change your mind) and believe the Gospel (Good News - the finished Work of Christ).” They chide those of us who are Torah observant for our obedience, they throw into our faces that “no one can keep the law perfectly” and constantly attempt to use James 2:9 as proof that God’s people don’t have to do anything besides “believe in Jesus.”
Well, we discover in Luke 1 that some HAVE kept “the law” perfectly”, which knocks the Christian argument out of the water!
Luke 1:5 In the days of Herod, King of Y'hudah, there was a cohen named Z'kharyah who belonged to the Aviyah division. His wife was a descendant of Aharon, and her name was Elisheva. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, observing all the mitzvot and ordinances of ADONAI blamelessly.
Luke didn't make fun of Z'kharyah and Elisheva, but yet many Christians today believe they have the right to!
Truth be told, YHWH doesn’t expect us to “keep the law perfectly.” If we did, our name would be Y’shua! Christians have totally misunderstood the meaning behind James 2, so let's read it in context:
James 2: 1. My Brothers, do not hold to the faith of the glory of our Master Y'shua the Mashiyach with double-minded hypocrisy. 2. For if there come into your assembly a man with rings of gold or splendid garments and there come in a poor man in ragged and stained garments; 3. and respect is shown to him who is clothed in splendid garments, and you say to him, Be honorably seated; while to the poor man, say, Stand way over there, or sit here (in low prostration) before my footstool; 4. are you not showing double mindedness among yourselves and becoming advocates of evil thoughts? 5. Hear, my beloved Brothers; has not Elohim chosen the poor of the world, the rich in faith, to be heirs in the Kingdom which Elohim has promised to them that love him? 6. But you have despised the poor man. Do not rich men exalt themselves over you and drag you before the tribunals?
7. Do they not hate that worthy Name, [1] which is invoked upon you? 8. And if in this you fulfill the Torah of Elohim, as it is written, You will love your neighbor as yourself, you will do well: 9. but if you have partiality towards persons, you commit sin; and you are convicted by Torah as breakers of Torah. 10. For he that will keep the whole Torah and yet fail in one aspect of it, is an enemy to the whole Torah. 11. For he who said, "You will not commit adultery," said also, "You will not kill." If then you commit no adultery, but you do murder, you have become a defiler of Torah. 12. So speak and so act as persons that are to be judged by the Torah of perfect freedom. 13. For judgment without mercy will be on him who has practiced no mercy: by mercy, you will be raised above judgment. 14. What is the use, my Brothers, if a man say, I have faith; and he has no works? Can his faith resurrect him? [2] 15. Or if a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16. and one of you say to them, "Go in peace, warm yourselves, and be full;" and you do not give them the necessities of the body, what is the use?
17. So also faith alone, without works, is dead. 18. For a man may say, you have faith and I have works; show to me your faith that is without works and I will show to you my faith by my works. 19. You believe that there is one Elohim; you do well; the demons also believe and tremble. 20. Would you know, O weak man, that faith without works is dead? 21. Awraham our father, was not he justified by works[3] in offering his son Yitz'chak upon the altar? 22. Do you realize that his faith aided his works, and that by the works his faith was rendered complete? 23. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says: Awraham believed in Elohim, and it was credited to him for righteousness and he was called the Friend of Elohim. 24. You see that by works a man is justified[4] and not by faith alone. 25. So also Rahab the harlot, was she not justified by works when she entertained the spies and sent them forth by another way? 26. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (AENT)
Unfortunately, the arguments are endless. Many Christians refuse to acknowledge there's more to God and the Bible than just "believing in Jesus" and they are willing to resort to vicious behavior and even character assassination to prove their point. Traditional Jews and their converts are resorting to the same thing, so it's a never-ending battle. Messianic believers are caught in the middle and all we can do is make sure we constantly cling to the WHOLE Truth. Fortunately Scripture tells us that those who hang on to the end will be saved....
Well, we discover in Luke 1 that some HAVE kept “the law” perfectly”, which knocks the Christian argument out of the water!
Luke 1:5 In the days of Herod, King of Y'hudah, there was a cohen named Z'kharyah who belonged to the Aviyah division. His wife was a descendant of Aharon, and her name was Elisheva. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, observing all the mitzvot and ordinances of ADONAI blamelessly.
Luke didn't make fun of Z'kharyah and Elisheva, but yet many Christians today believe they have the right to!
Truth be told, YHWH doesn’t expect us to “keep the law perfectly.” If we did, our name would be Y’shua! Christians have totally misunderstood the meaning behind James 2, so let's read it in context:
James 2: 1. My Brothers, do not hold to the faith of the glory of our Master Y'shua the Mashiyach with double-minded hypocrisy. 2. For if there come into your assembly a man with rings of gold or splendid garments and there come in a poor man in ragged and stained garments; 3. and respect is shown to him who is clothed in splendid garments, and you say to him, Be honorably seated; while to the poor man, say, Stand way over there, or sit here (in low prostration) before my footstool; 4. are you not showing double mindedness among yourselves and becoming advocates of evil thoughts? 5. Hear, my beloved Brothers; has not Elohim chosen the poor of the world, the rich in faith, to be heirs in the Kingdom which Elohim has promised to them that love him? 6. But you have despised the poor man. Do not rich men exalt themselves over you and drag you before the tribunals?
7. Do they not hate that worthy Name, [1] which is invoked upon you? 8. And if in this you fulfill the Torah of Elohim, as it is written, You will love your neighbor as yourself, you will do well: 9. but if you have partiality towards persons, you commit sin; and you are convicted by Torah as breakers of Torah. 10. For he that will keep the whole Torah and yet fail in one aspect of it, is an enemy to the whole Torah. 11. For he who said, "You will not commit adultery," said also, "You will not kill." If then you commit no adultery, but you do murder, you have become a defiler of Torah. 12. So speak and so act as persons that are to be judged by the Torah of perfect freedom. 13. For judgment without mercy will be on him who has practiced no mercy: by mercy, you will be raised above judgment. 14. What is the use, my Brothers, if a man say, I have faith; and he has no works? Can his faith resurrect him? [2] 15. Or if a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16. and one of you say to them, "Go in peace, warm yourselves, and be full;" and you do not give them the necessities of the body, what is the use?
17. So also faith alone, without works, is dead. 18. For a man may say, you have faith and I have works; show to me your faith that is without works and I will show to you my faith by my works. 19. You believe that there is one Elohim; you do well; the demons also believe and tremble. 20. Would you know, O weak man, that faith without works is dead? 21. Awraham our father, was not he justified by works[3] in offering his son Yitz'chak upon the altar? 22. Do you realize that his faith aided his works, and that by the works his faith was rendered complete? 23. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says: Awraham believed in Elohim, and it was credited to him for righteousness and he was called the Friend of Elohim. 24. You see that by works a man is justified[4] and not by faith alone. 25. So also Rahab the harlot, was she not justified by works when she entertained the spies and sent them forth by another way? 26. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (AENT)
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The Name invoked upon you is YHWH.
[2] Literally "restore life", not "save" as often translated.
[3] Some theologians allege this teaching to be opposite of the Pauline Epistles, such as Galatians. The reality is that Paul was grossly misquoted whereas Ya'akov was not. Rav Shaul did not accept empty ritual devoid of proper spiritual focus. He was Torah Observant; he kept the Moedim (feast days), the Shabbat, and took one or more Nazirite vows; he fasted on Yom Kippur, ate "clean" food and lived a Set Apart life in Mashiyach Y'shua. The fact is that Romans 7:12 totally harmonizes Galatians with, and complements, Galatians and Ya'akov.
[4] The Hebrew word for a righteous soul = tsadiq; righteousness = tsedeq; justified = tsadaq; notice they are the same word. A soul without righteousness can never be "justified" regardless of what theologians claim. The original root word for justified relates to righteous action. However, mainstream Christianity teaches that a person is "justified" solely on the merits of belief in Y'shua, and that observing Torah is impossible.
Even in Ya'akov's (James) day, some individuals wanted cerebral belief to "justify" themselves, which is impossible. Y'shua's person (example) and Spirit is meant to literally be imparted into us; this must be evidenced by our actions, otherwise we do not belong to him. Theological, or cerebral "belief" without works, is dead religion; but active literal Faith comes to life in Mashiyach. Torah Observance/obedience is clear evidence that we have passed from death to life. See John 5:29, Matthew 7:23.
Unfortunately, the arguments are endless. Many Christians refuse to acknowledge there's more to God and the Bible than just "believing in Jesus" and they are willing to resort to vicious behavior and even character assassination to prove their point. Traditional Jews and their converts are resorting to the same thing, so it's a never-ending battle. Messianic believers are caught in the middle and all we can do is make sure we constantly cling to the WHOLE Truth. Fortunately Scripture tells us that those who hang on to the end will be saved....
Sigh. The Great Wisdom of "truth2u.org" Scholars!
There is a list of the "Messianic Prophecies in scripture", commonly found on the Internet, containing a number of some 365 of said prophecies. Years ago, this list ended up in one of the hundreds of articles on The Refiner's Fire and was assumed "authoritative".
It turns out that The Refiner's Fire was victim to
this common list of unknown origin (shame on us) as we did not review each and
every listed "prophecy" for validity.
Well, Australian Internet radio host Jono Vandor at
"truth2u.org" along with a Canadian rabbi, Michael Skobac, have for
weeks now been "picking apart" this “list” on their Internet radio
show as "disingenuous and misguided" - (my words not theirs).
Truth is, when we evaluated the list, we did
find there were some problems with it!
Some of the "prophecies" were found to be "weak", at
best (again, my words) and mistaken or misidentified at worst (meaning
only that the scripture citation was simply erred or not understood). So, having had our
hind-ends seriously lashed by these two “learned men”, we at The Refiner’s Fire
made a concerted effort to review and revise the list!
This review took considerable time - a couple of weeks or
more - as it was a rather intensive effort - and resulted in what ended up to be a list,
reduced in number, inclusive of about 300 items rather than the original 365.
(The original number, 365, held no special significance, so it was not our mission
to either increase or decrease the number.) The main reason for the reduction in the
number was certainly not withheld, and we openly explained that some of the
prophecies seemed to be "duplicates", equating the same Tanach
scripture to one or more New Testament citations, and it did not seem right to
"count" them more than once.
We stated this fact without obscuration! Additionally, we decided that not all the
citations could be clearly described as "prophecies", so we chose to
describe them as "connections" (my word - never imagining that Jono and his
scholarly guest, Rabbi Skobac would enjoy admonishing the use of that word! )
Some of the things they said were downright pernicious, as
it was clear in their dialogue, dripping with sarcasm, that they view us as
illiterate or mindless bozos because we “believe” in Y’shua. I mean, we are talking about people who accept
completely “by faith” alone that God created the world in 7 days, and that
people in biblical times lived to be nearly a thousand years old, and that God flooded
the entire world except for Noah and his family…(no PROOF, but hey, they
believe it!) And they believe that God
supernaturally kept Israel alive for 40 years by providing manna, and Moshe
wrote the Torah (never mind that Moshe died before the end of Deuteronomy, and
yet somehow, the Torah was magically finished!) And they simply accept that
the Hebrews in the wilderness saw a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire
by night; and that Moshe’s face was so bright when he descended the mountain
where he somehow received two tablets of
stone with ten commandments written by the “finger of God”! But for US to
“believe” the promised Messiah is found in Y’shua without “evidence”? Well, THAT is just blasphemy and STUPID,
isn’t it?
Regardless, we "republished" the new,
reduced/refined list on The Refiner’s Fire, this time scripture citation
inclusive; and, when needed, even provided an explanation about the citation so as
provide details which may not be obvious from the scripture alone.
Well, Jono and Skobac were apparently delighted with the
reduction in the number of prophecies, declaring the new list as the "Revised
Standard Version" (the joke of which is not lost on us!) It was a lot fewer for them to pick apart
which, of course, leaves more time to devote to their “cross-talk funtime”
trashing of ALL things “New Testament” and those who are dumb enough to
“believe”….
The new list – judging by the mocking tones and allegations
of these Internet scholars - clearly did not provide any improvement over the old
(is this reference lost on you?) It apparently
only served to bring NEW charges against us!
Our new list, while recognizing up front that a particular item may not
be "clear" as a "prophecy" and thus may be seen (as we
tried to indicate by the careful choice of the appropriate English word) more
as a "connection" to the Messiah, was instead made out by these
on-air experts to be an "apothenia"! Ouch!
An "apothenia", as Jono quoted on-air (apparently
verbatim directly from Wikipedia), is "the experience of seeing patterns
or connections in random or meaningless data." Jono's example, of
"apothneia" was this: "You know, Michael, when people
see...they look at clouds, and they go 'Oh that looks like a butterfly, or that looks like a face, or
that looks like whatever'..." to which rabbi Skobac interjects: "Like
a Rorschach test" – and Jono quickly agreed, and he then went on to
compare the prophecies to "seeing the face of Jesus in your toast". OUCH! Thus,
the entire list of Messianic prophecies and/or "connections" (a word
which they clearly did not like) was reduced to the equivalent of seeing a
"rubber ducky in the clouds" (my paraphrase of their tomfoolery). Wow! It’s
actually somewhat surprising they did not accuse us of eisegesis! (Not at all sure why they chose the apothenia
route: "That cloud looks like..." analogy, rather than "apparently this
is what they WANT the scriptures to say" – the application of exegesis. Oh well, it's their radio show, and their time
to admonish the world, all those who believe Y’shua is the long-awaited
Messiah, well, they are all blithering, babbling idiots who live in a fantasy world!)
Nevertheless, whatever their charge, the ancient writings
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Peter, in the available manuscripts (Greek to the 3rd century CE and Aramaic to
the 2nd century CE) are apparently to be equated to a “child looking at the
clouds and seeing visions" – patterns only pointing back to the unnamed Messiah! Their entire dialogue is to deny that some of the
prophecies in the Tanach could have possibly already come true and are
documented in the Brit Chadashah! In
fact, Rabbi Skobac makes the point that “their belief” [in reference to weak-minded believers] first requires acceptance that Jesus is the Messiah, and
only then do they find “connections” to the Hebrew scriptures as proof. Therefore these ancient writings which became the Brit Chadashah can't have
possibly been fulfilled by a physical Messiah – because, after all, there is no evidence!
Indeed Skobac says:
“You can really start off with anything and find connections to a document as large as the Hebrew scriptures. But the real question is why begin at that point, meaning if there aren’t clear prophecies that identify Jesus as the Messiah, so why begin this entire enterprise of finding connections to Him, meaning that I think that the critical question is: Do the Hebrew scriptures contain clear evidence that identify Jesus as the Messiah? Now if that is the case, if it is clearly established that He is the Messiah, then it would be worthwhile to say ‘Well, you see, now that we know this with clarity, we can actually find, many, many connections and references and clouds and types and, you know, hints and that would be a worthwhile project.”
(Er, yeah, good question, Rabbi Skobac! So, we are wondering why you are willing to
adhere to the Hebrew scriptures when they originated from the Masoretic Text,
which, in turn, originated from the Septuagint!
Doesn’t that make the Hebrew scriptures you hold so dear nothing but a “cloud”
too? You guys rely on translations of translations
yet have the audacity to sit there and make fun of the authority of the New
Testament and our belief in Y’shua?)
In other words, the fact that the many connections,
references and hints seen in the Messiah Yeshua as recorded in ancient
documents (called the Brit Chadashah, “New Testament”) which match the
connections, references and hints in the older Tanach, are simply not good
enough because we did not already know in advance who the Messiah would
be! This is like saying “Wait a minute,
this birth certificate recorded at the courthouse says Mr. and Mrs. Skobac are
the parents of Michael, but there is no clear evidence predating this piece of
paper that Mr. and Mrs. Skobac would birth a son and name him “Michael”
therefore there is no purpose in the exercise to argue that Michael is their
son.”
No, according to these two men, we can't have it that a
Messiah actually came and was written about in an ancient era 2000 years before
their time, who taught of the Kingdom of YHWH, and the need for our steadfast
obedience to the God of Abraham, and His offering of Himself for our salvation, so long as we obey! Can’t
have that! According to Skobac,
"our position" (on the Messiah) is that: "the person making the list begins
with their belief that Jesus was the Messiah, and beginning at that point they
then find connections..." (Thus "our position", being only a
"belief" is therefore entirely invalid!) Get it? A “belief” is entirely invalid!
Excuse me? I reiterate: Is not the ENTIRE TANACH
embraced and understood by traditional Judaism only "by belief"? Do you, Jono Vandor, Rabbi Skobac, or
anyone else have ONE SHRED of evidence that "YHWH created the
heavens and earth in 7 days", or that Abraham was asked to sacrifice
Isaac and trusted in YHWH, or that Moshe saw YHWH in a burning bush
and realized he was in His very presence, or that Jonah survived 3
days in the belly of a fish, or that Moshe lead thousands from Egypt
- EXCEPT FOR YOUR BELIEF? So just what is so wrong with
the 27 documents which became canonized as the Brit Chadashah describing
the birth, death and salvation of the long prophesied Messiah that is so
unbelievable from the 39 books of the Tanach that you absolutely refuse
to believe them?
Worse, this duo, Jono and Skobac, go on to denigrate
believers in the Messiah by challenging us that since "there aren't
clear prophecies that identify Jesus as the Messiah" then why begin
this "entire enterprise" (the exact words of Rabbi Skobac –
see above!) to make connections to Him?
Rabbi Skobac states: "Do the Hebrew scriptures contain clear
evidence that identify Jesus as the Messiah?" Excuse me? Again, you accept without question, without
the required (but missing) "clear evidence" that YHWH appeared AS MEN to Abraham at the
Oaks of Mamre (Genesis 18:1), but you can't accept that YHWH appeared AS
A MAN ~2000 years ago to show us the way to YHWH, which, after thousands of
years of animal sacrifices had not yet brought us together as a community, within
His guidance as Creator and live as He asks?
You find it so hard to accept that at the time, year, and
century described in the Brit Chadashah, that the prophesied Messiah actually
came, and that to prove it you must spend hours on end on the radio laughing
and giggling and denying, for example, even the concept of a “virgin birth”, and
the remainder of the list of prophecies and "connections" (my word,
remember), that reveal the undeniable, staggering, statistical evidence
that it may have actually happened? Must
we "pick apart" line by line, the list that many thousands of
scholars before us have identified, and argue instead, ad nauseum, that it did
not happen? Do you not comprehend the
meaning of the word "faith"? Again, is it not by faith that you
believe ANY of the “Hebrew scriptures” (a term Rabbi Skobac loves to use)?
Really? Jono and
Rabbi Skobac - Must you be so
blind? I won’t apologize for my use of
the word “connections” to describe some of the items in our list, rather than
retaining the stronger word “prophecy” as originally applied to all of the
list. But I chose that word only because
I recognize that there are some valid arguments that one person’s
interpretation of a “prophecy” might not be accepted by another’s
interpretation and thus lead to valid differences of opinion. But I assure you that I was not “making
connections” as if watching shapes in clouds or using “meaningless data” to
draw conclusions. If I were to rely only
on meaningless data, I’d continue listening to truth2u.org radio.
In closing, since you allowing your listeners to post
sarcastic remarks attacking our belief as well as our characters, let us
point out: Nowhere are you told in the
Hebrew scriptures it is permissible to mock or attack PEOPLE or to poke fun at
their supposed “lack of intellect” – which is what you condone! Not in Torah, not in Talmud! Here, in case you are not aware of it, from the “Code of the Jewish Law”, (the Shulchan Aruch), http://books.google.com/books?id=B83c7pHQuqQC&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=shulchan+aruch,+do+not+mock&source=bl&ots=qPo2OOFZEX&sig=91R1HAlAmWK9zlu5k8HIFrTAHV8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dUllVLeCMo32yQSqzoDAAg&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=snippet&q=mock&f=false
, it clearly states it is permissible to mock idolatry, but NOT the person you perceive to
be an idolator….
Your scholarly mocking has not gone unnoticed.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
The extent to which people will go to deny simple obedience to God!....
I came across a hideous site the other day (which shall remain unnamed), a blog actually, one of those sites purporting to have "the truth" of "Christ". Right away red flags went up because they state up-front the blog "is about truth as it concerns belief in God and His written Word" - then they go on in each and every blog post, in lengthy (erred) exposés, to deny the written Word as not applicable to them!
Examples of their perspicuity:
That last article listed above (denying the word "shekinah") - 1300+ words - is especially appalling because part of their worthless argument is that the word "Shekinah" is found nowhere in the Bible! Really? Since a descriptive word is not found in the Bible, this is important enough to deny it as an endearing term for the "Presence or dwelling place of God"? Well, I hate to break it to you, but "Christmas and "Easter" are also not found anywhere in the Bible! But I don't see any articles on this same site denying those phoney holidays! (I should not be surprised really since they spent 2000+ words denying that Hebrew is God's language!)
The whole tenor of this horrible blog is centered on denying the "Messianic Movement" - those of us who recognize and accept the simple idea (found throughout the Bible) that we are, as humans on earth, expected to obey the Word of God. This horrible blog spends enormous time and energy denying our responsibility to obey God, while hiding behind a seriously misguided "truth".
I feel especially bad for those people who have found this awful site and have thus been misled by this "Internet Expert" and have fallen for his/her version of "truth". This is a huge problem with the Internet today. There are no "peer reviews"; and there is no "value/honesty/truth assessment" made - absolutely ANYONE with ANYTHING to say can post their thoughts and opinions for all to see and believe! The problem is, it is up to the reader to ferret out the good stuff from the bad. Sadly, in my experience, I've come to realize that few possess the needed intellect and skill to do that. It's sad but true!
Well, here is a COMPLETE debunking of that ENTIRE blog site in just 23 words: "The sum of the matter, when all is said and done; Revere God and observe His commandments! For this applies to all mankind." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) - And that IS in the Bible! Deny that!
Examples of their perspicuity:
- Denying the simple commandment to wear tzitzit: 3505 words.
- Denying Passover and replacing it with Easter: 3740 words (and planning a "Part 2" and "Part 3"! Whoah!)
- Denying the Feast of Trumpets: 2668 words.
- Denying Yom Kippur: 974 words.
- Denying the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): 1272 words.
- Denying Hebrew as the Holy Language of God: 2274 words.
- Denying the Hebrew word "Shekinah" as a term for "the dwelling place of God": 1354 words.
That last article listed above (denying the word "shekinah") - 1300+ words - is especially appalling because part of their worthless argument is that the word "Shekinah" is found nowhere in the Bible! Really? Since a descriptive word is not found in the Bible, this is important enough to deny it as an endearing term for the "Presence or dwelling place of God"? Well, I hate to break it to you, but "Christmas and "Easter" are also not found anywhere in the Bible! But I don't see any articles on this same site denying those phoney holidays! (I should not be surprised really since they spent 2000+ words denying that Hebrew is God's language!)
The whole tenor of this horrible blog is centered on denying the "Messianic Movement" - those of us who recognize and accept the simple idea (found throughout the Bible) that we are, as humans on earth, expected to obey the Word of God. This horrible blog spends enormous time and energy denying our responsibility to obey God, while hiding behind a seriously misguided "truth".
I feel especially bad for those people who have found this awful site and have thus been misled by this "Internet Expert" and have fallen for his/her version of "truth". This is a huge problem with the Internet today. There are no "peer reviews"; and there is no "value/honesty/truth assessment" made - absolutely ANYONE with ANYTHING to say can post their thoughts and opinions for all to see and believe! The problem is, it is up to the reader to ferret out the good stuff from the bad. Sadly, in my experience, I've come to realize that few possess the needed intellect and skill to do that. It's sad but true!
Well, here is a COMPLETE debunking of that ENTIRE blog site in just 23 words: "The sum of the matter, when all is said and done; Revere God and observe His commandments! For this applies to all mankind." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) - And that IS in the Bible! Deny that!
About Kim Kardashian's silly comment about God
Honestly, there are so many things I could say in response to what Kim Kardashian said about her pregnancy ... But I will refrain, because none of it will sound “loving.” Suffice it say that this woman wouldn’t know God if she fell on Him….
Here is an excerpt of what she said during a recent interview about her pregnancy while she was expecting North West in 2013 and how it was supposedly “a sign from the heavens.”
"I think God was doing this for a reason," the reality star, 34, told Elle UK in its January 2015 "Confidence" issue. "He was saying: 'Kim, you think you're so hot, but look what I can do to you.'"
So, pregnancy is a punishment? While I understand that Kim was apparently finally understanding that she is way too much “into herself” and her looks and that her body is her idol and her source of income, I truly hate that she made the above statement!
Pregnancy is NOT “punishment” – it is a GIFT from YHWH!
Enough said.
Here is an excerpt of what she said during a recent interview about her pregnancy while she was expecting North West in 2013 and how it was supposedly “a sign from the heavens.”
"I think God was doing this for a reason," the reality star, 34, told Elle UK in its January 2015 "Confidence" issue. "He was saying: 'Kim, you think you're so hot, but look what I can do to you.'"
So, pregnancy is a punishment? While I understand that Kim was apparently finally understanding that she is way too much “into herself” and her looks and that her body is her idol and her source of income, I truly hate that she made the above statement!
Pregnancy is NOT “punishment” – it is a GIFT from YHWH!
Enough said.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
He's turned them over to their own reprobation....
Romans
1:28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned
them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never
be done.
This verse came to me a little while ago. It describes everything that is going on the world right now, including the ISIS thugs whose goal is to behead everyone who gets in their way. It describes the garbage coming out of "Holly-weird". It describes the behavior of the crazed lunatics who think their protests against the decision of Grand Juries should include robbing and looting and destroying businesses and generally acting like lawless criminals who will resort to violence whenever they don't get their way. And it describes the reasons for all the fights and arguments over "religion" (or lack thereof in those who have run the gamut of Christian/Messianic/Judaism in their search for a god that suited them before they went completely off the deep end into agnosticism or atheism).
Without the Holy Spirit within, let's face it, we cannot find God or the shalom that only HE can bring...So, that verse above says a LOT about humanity, in general. And things are only going to get worse...and then we will be "as in the days of Noah":
Matthew 24:37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Genesis 6:9 Here is the history of Noach. In his generation, Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted; Noach walked with God. 10 Noach fathered three sons, Shem, Ham and Yefet. 11 The earth was corrupt before God, the earth was filled with violence. 12 God saw the earth, and, yes, it was corrupt; for all living beings had corrupted their ways on the earth. 13 God said to Noach, "The end of all living beings has come before me, for because of them the earth is filled with violence. I will destroy them along with the earth.
Well, guess what - those days are here again! Why? Lawlessness. Nobody wants to follow man's laws, and they certainly don't YHWH's laws! Everybody wants to do what's right in their own eyes. See Judges 21:25, Proverbs 21:2, and other Bible passages that revealed what happened to those who refused to follow HIS ways.
John 4:23. But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, indeed. For the Father, He seeks worshippers as these. 24. For Elohim is Spirit, and those who worship, they must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Unfortunately, the remnant who is truly seeking Him and being humble enough to listen to HIS Voice instead of following their own limited, human mindset, is VERY small....
Matthew 7:13 "Go in through the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it; 14 but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 "Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing sheep's clothing, but underneath they are hungry wolves! 16 You will recognize them by their fruit....
Many ARE traveling that broad road. That's why Romans 1:28 rings so true!
Romans 1:28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
This verse came to me a little while ago. It describes everything that is going on the world right now, including the ISIS thugs whose goal is to behead everyone who gets in their way. It describes the garbage coming out of "Holly-weird". It describes the behavior of the crazed lunatics who think their protests against the decision of Grand Juries should include robbing and looting and destroying businesses and generally acting like lawless criminals who will resort to violence whenever they don't get their way. And it describes the reasons for all the fights and arguments over "religion" (or lack thereof in those who have run the gamut of Christian/Messianic/Judaism in their search for a god that suited them before they went completely off the deep end into agnosticism or atheism).
Without the Holy Spirit within, let's face it, we cannot find God or the shalom that only HE can bring...So, that verse above says a LOT about humanity, in general. And things are only going to get worse...and then we will be "as in the days of Noah":
Matthew 24:37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Genesis 6:9 Here is the history of Noach. In his generation, Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted; Noach walked with God. 10 Noach fathered three sons, Shem, Ham and Yefet. 11 The earth was corrupt before God, the earth was filled with violence. 12 God saw the earth, and, yes, it was corrupt; for all living beings had corrupted their ways on the earth. 13 God said to Noach, "The end of all living beings has come before me, for because of them the earth is filled with violence. I will destroy them along with the earth.
Well, guess what - those days are here again! Why? Lawlessness. Nobody wants to follow man's laws, and they certainly don't YHWH's laws! Everybody wants to do what's right in their own eyes. See Judges 21:25, Proverbs 21:2, and other Bible passages that revealed what happened to those who refused to follow HIS ways.
John 4:23. But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, indeed. For the Father, He seeks worshippers as these. 24. For Elohim is Spirit, and those who worship, they must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Unfortunately, the remnant who is truly seeking Him and being humble enough to listen to HIS Voice instead of following their own limited, human mindset, is VERY small....
Matthew 7:13 "Go in through the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it; 14 but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 "Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing sheep's clothing, but underneath they are hungry wolves! 16 You will recognize them by their fruit....
Many ARE traveling that broad road. That's why Romans 1:28 rings so true!
Romans 1:28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
'Being gay' is not a sin. Acting on it, on the other hand, is.
How many times have you heard something like this: "If God did not want me to be homosexual, why did he make me this way?" But you never, ever hear "If god did not want me to be stupid, why did he make me this way?" It's the same argument - blaming God for your own choices. The problem with suggesting "God made me this way" can only go so far. One person may be blind, another lame, and it very well may be from God. But being blind or lame is not a sin. To sin, and then claim that God wanted you to, is outright blaspheming your Creator!
I once said in a social-media discussion: "'Being gay' is not a sin. Acting on it, on the other hand, is."
That brought the following strong admonition: "Being homosexual is a sin!!!!!! Nowhere in the scriptures does it say being homosexual is OK and not a sin... that only partaking of it is a sin..."
And I was asked to provide scripture and accused of being "dead wrong". So I provided scripture:
Leviticus 18: "22 You are not to go to bed with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination."
Leviticus 20: "13 If a man goes to bed with a man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination..."
(See, it is the action that is condemned.) But all of us are expected to turn from evil ways, homosexual or heterosexual alike:
Psalms 34: "14 turn from evil, and do good; seek peace, go after it! 15 The eyes of ADONAI watch over the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. 16 But the face of ADONAI opposes those who do evil, to cut off all memory of them from the earth."
1 Peter 3: "10 For 'Whoever wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, 11 turn from evil and do good, seek peace and chase after it. 12 For ADONAI keeps his eyes on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers; but the face of ADONAI is against those who do evil things.'"
1 Chronicles 7: "14 then, if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land."
Amos 5: "14 Hate evil, love good,..."
We know homosexuality is an abomination to YHWH (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13) despite how the world has decided to twist scripture to collectively deny it. But in reality, our lives, all of us, are sometimes fraught with evil influences till the time we come to realize we were wrong going with those influences - not God. At that time, if you repent, and make a conscious decision to obey YHWH and follow Him, your prior sins are forgiven. But you might still "be" a homosexual! [You might still be a pedophile! You might still be a {fill in the blank}. The list is long!] But the point is that once you come to realize what the Messiah offered you, and you give up that [whatever], not act on evil influence, and begin to obey His mitzvoth, then you become righteous! (So, no, I am not "dead wrong"!)
Further, the apostle Paul was a murderer (see Acts 8) before he accepted the Messiah, and he went on to write many of the letters which were ultimately canonized into the NT we read today! So the person admonishing me for saying "Being gay is not a sin, acting on it is" was arguing that if a person simply realizes they desire the same sex, they are automatically condemned! Clearly, by Paul's example this is not true! If you turn from your sin, you are not condemned. If the murderer Paul can become righteous and go on to write of the Kingdom of YHWH after his behavior, then I think the homosexual can be counted as righteous if they realize it is wrong and do not act on it.
We are told to take every thought captive (Psalm 141:3-4, 2 Corinthians 10:5) and guide our individual actions. We all are sinners, this is true, but that does not mean we must sin, or expect carte blanche forgiveness for continued sinning. Therefore if homosexuals are condemned just because they are homosexual, then ALL of us are condemned simply for our thoughts! Turning from our thoughts would not be good enough and the purpose of the Messiah's death for us was for naught.
I once said in a social-media discussion: "'Being gay' is not a sin. Acting on it, on the other hand, is."
That brought the following strong admonition: "Being homosexual is a sin!!!!!! Nowhere in the scriptures does it say being homosexual is OK and not a sin... that only partaking of it is a sin..."
And I was asked to provide scripture and accused of being "dead wrong". So I provided scripture:
Leviticus 18: "22 You are not to go to bed with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination."
Leviticus 20: "13 If a man goes to bed with a man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination..."
(See, it is the action that is condemned.) But all of us are expected to turn from evil ways, homosexual or heterosexual alike:
Psalms 34: "14 turn from evil, and do good; seek peace, go after it! 15 The eyes of ADONAI watch over the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. 16 But the face of ADONAI opposes those who do evil, to cut off all memory of them from the earth."
1 Peter 3: "10 For 'Whoever wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, 11 turn from evil and do good, seek peace and chase after it. 12 For ADONAI keeps his eyes on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers; but the face of ADONAI is against those who do evil things.'"
1 Chronicles 7: "14 then, if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land."
Amos 5: "14 Hate evil, love good,..."
We know homosexuality is an abomination to YHWH (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13) despite how the world has decided to twist scripture to collectively deny it. But in reality, our lives, all of us, are sometimes fraught with evil influences till the time we come to realize we were wrong going with those influences - not God. At that time, if you repent, and make a conscious decision to obey YHWH and follow Him, your prior sins are forgiven. But you might still "be" a homosexual! [You might still be a pedophile! You might still be a {fill in the blank}. The list is long!] But the point is that once you come to realize what the Messiah offered you, and you give up that [whatever], not act on evil influence, and begin to obey His mitzvoth, then you become righteous! (So, no, I am not "dead wrong"!)
Further, the apostle Paul was a murderer (see Acts 8) before he accepted the Messiah, and he went on to write many of the letters which were ultimately canonized into the NT we read today! So the person admonishing me for saying "Being gay is not a sin, acting on it is" was arguing that if a person simply realizes they desire the same sex, they are automatically condemned! Clearly, by Paul's example this is not true! If you turn from your sin, you are not condemned. If the murderer Paul can become righteous and go on to write of the Kingdom of YHWH after his behavior, then I think the homosexual can be counted as righteous if they realize it is wrong and do not act on it.
We are told to take every thought captive (Psalm 141:3-4, 2 Corinthians 10:5) and guide our individual actions. We all are sinners, this is true, but that does not mean we must sin, or expect carte blanche forgiveness for continued sinning. Therefore if homosexuals are condemned just because they are homosexual, then ALL of us are condemned simply for our thoughts! Turning from our thoughts would not be good enough and the purpose of the Messiah's death for us was for naught.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
The great "falling away" is already happening....
Scripture tells us that in the end times there would be a “falling away” – and, folks, it has started, and it is happening in droves!
I’m seeing it place especially within the ranks of those who have a habit of “religion hopping” – those Christians who found their way to Torah and became Torah observant believers in Y’shua … and then, after grazing around on Facebook or somewhere, they got hooked into traditional Judaism by other “religion hoppers” who had found “real rabbis” whose major goal in life is to draw people into traditional Judaism….
But that’s how it all starts, and what’s sad is that these new “unbelievers” fool themselves into believing they are “thinking for themselves” while singing the praises of atheists and pantheists and agnostics and generally those who haven’t got a clue about God and the Bible but yet have the audacity to proclaim themselves to be “experts”!
So, in essence, these newly-deceived people are willing to believe the messages of MAN, but not God Himself. It makes absolutely NO sense!
Regardless, the Bible did warn us that these things would happen. Let’s take a look at just one of the pertinent passages in the Aramaic English New Testament, with footnotes:
2 Thessalonians 2:9. For the coming of that (Evil One) is the working of haSatan with all power and signs and lying wonders 10. and with all the deceptiveness of iniquity in them that perish; because they did not receive the love of the truth by which they might have life. 11. Therefore Elohim will send upon them the strength of a deception that they may believe a lie;[1] 12. and that they all may be condemned who believe not the truth but have pleasure in iniquity.
13. But we are bound to give thanks to Elohim always on your account, my Brothers, beloved of our Master (Y’shua), that Elohim has from the beginning chosen you to life through sanctification of the Spirit and through faith in the Truth. 14. For to these it was that Elohim called you by our preaching;[2] that ye might be the glory to our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach.
5. Therefore, my Brothers, be established and persevere in the Commandments[3] which you have been taught, whether by word or by our epistle.[4] 16. And may our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach himself, and Elohim our Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and a good hope through his grace, 17. comfort your hearts and establish in yourselves every good word and in every good work. (Aramaic English New Testament)
Footnotes from the AENT:
[1] The price for not receiving the “love of the truth” is to become overly self-confident in false religion. The “love of the truth” is the spirit of truth which must be sanctified by thought and action. One cannot “love the truth” and, at the same time, break the Commandments.
[2] The phrase “called you by our preaching” is another instance of the implied wordplay between “called” (qirakon) and the Hebrew name for the priestly book of Leviticus (Vayiqra), which is derived from the first words “and he called.” The same can be said of “preaching” which is once again being tapped by the Aramaic sebar (Good News/Hope). The final repetition is also a favorite implied wordplay of Paul’s, with miltha “Word” being contrasted with “Commandments” which comes from the fact that the “Ten Commandments” are originally called “The Ten Words” YHWH spoke. One cannot also help but see the similarity with the use of “miltha” in the way John opens his Good News/Preaching; “the Miltha was with Elohim and the Miltha was Elohim.”
This idea is reinforced further with the phrase “from the beginning,” dovetailing with the title of the Book of Genesis, which is called B’resheet in Hebrew, and rendered min reshita here by Paul. The fact is, there is very little difference between the two terms, coming down to a small alteration in how prepositions are used between “in the beginning” and “from the beginning.” Either way, this revelation that Paul is addressing cannot be a “new commandment” but the one that has always been, calling Jew and Gentile alike into the righteousness of Torah through its foremost interpreter, who is Mashiyach.
[3] The biggest misunderstanding of the Pauline Epistles is that Paul’s encouragements nullified or superseded Torah rather than complemented Torah, and most of this is due to erroneous Greek translations, such as in this verse which reads: “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the paradoesis (traditions) which you were taught, whether by word or epistle.” Paradoesis could mean “traditions” but may also be rendered “teachings” as in the NIV. However, there are BIG problems with both phrases as they imply a new “wisdom” has supplanted the Eternal Word.
Many theologians suggest that Paul the Jew is saying to the Gentiles, “Don’t concern yourself with Torah, it’s just a Jewish thing; just listen to me (Paul) and follow to the new teaching.” However, Aramaic reads: “Henceforth, my brethren, stand fast and hold to the Commandments which you have been taught, either by word or by epistle.” (Lamsa) The Aramaic porqadona, unlike the Greek paradoesis, can only mean “Commandments”. The question is then, what commandments?
According to Matthew 5:19, Y’shua taught Torah and the Commandments of YHWH from the very beginning of his ministry. According to Matthew 15:3, Y’shua warned the Pharisees against making void the “Commandment of Elohim” by their traditions. In Matthew 19:17 Y’shua spelled out the Commandments to the rich young ruler, teaching that “if you will enter into Life, keep the Commandments.” The rich young ruler asked which ones? Y’shua gave him Torah Commandments!
Being led by the Ruach haKodesh to observe YHWH’s Torah (instruction in righteousness) is a perquisite to entering the Malchut Elohim; in fact, Torah is magnified (made great) by Y’shua according to Yesha‘yahu/Isaiah 42:21. In 2 Peter 2:21, 22, Peter levies a sharp rebuke; “…it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after having known (it), to turn back from the Set Apart commandment that was delivered to them.”
John teaches in 1 John 2:4; “For he that says I know him and does not keep his Commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” There can be NO doubt these are YHWH’s Commandments because John teaches in 1 John 3:22: “And whatever we ask, we receive from Him because we keep His (YHWH’s) Commandments and do acceptable things before Him.” But some theologians teach that if you “love” you don’t need to keep any Commandments; however, this is the tradition of the Laodicean Church who interprets “love” according to religious tradition (see Definition of Love in Appendix).
“And the dragon was enraged against the woman; and he went to make war upon the residue of her seed who keep the Commandments of Elohim and have the testimony of Y’shua.” (Revelation 12:17). The true remnant, the Israel of Elohim, keep the Commandments of Elohim and they know Y’shua is Mashiyach ben Yoseph.
The evidence supporting Torah Observance among Y’shua’s followers is overwhelming, but there are multitudes of doctrines and church traditions that make war against the Word of YHWH. It’s one thing for a person to choose to disobey YHWH’s Commandments, but it’s quite another to teach others to also be disobedient. Y’shua warns that it would be better for a millstone be hung around your neck and be sunk into the sea than to be guilty of causing one of his little ones to stumble (Matthew 18:6).
Paul and all of Y’shua’s disciples, even the Pharisees knew that the “Word of Elohim” can only mean Torah! Therefore, this verse clearly demonstrates that Paul is determined to bring everyone including the Gentiles, the Tribes of Israel, and all Jews into the Grace of Y’shua so they could have Torah written upon their hearts. Grace is power given by YHWH to live as a Kedoshim (holy people).
[4] Most Gentiles are unaware of the fervent debates between Netzarim Jews (Nazarenes) and traditional Jews regarding Y’shua being Mashiyach or his divinity. In particular, the issue that frequently comes up is the idea that Christians exalt a man as God. As we will see, part of the problem again lies with inaccurate Greek translations and, of course, there is a marked difference between Catholic, Protestant, “Messianic Jewish” and Netzarim beliefs.
It is most intriguing that some traditional Jews would label Paul’s letters as pagan, given his admonition to a pagan audience: “Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come unless it is preceded by a rebellion, and the man of sin be revealed as the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called Elohim or that is reverenced; so that even in the Temple of Elohim, he sits as a god, and shows himself as though he were a god.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (Lamsa).
The phrase “son of perdition” in Aramaic, breh d’abadana is the same as the Hebrew abaddon, meaning “destruction” and is torn from the pages of the Dead Sea Scrolls, alluding to sons of light and sons of darkness. Of course, such a metaphor makes little sense in Greek. However, more pointed to our discussion is the fact that Paul is describing a great deception whereby “Christians” would be entrapped into worshipping a man! “And with all deceitfulness of unrighteousness in those who perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved thereby. For this reason Elohim shall send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that all who did not believe in truth but preferred unrighteousness might be damned.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (Lamsa).
Since the Wicked One in 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 is clearly a man sent from Satan, we can rightly infer that this sort of man-worship is heartily and forcefully condemned by the Shaliach/Apostle Paul. That being said, it is odd that his critics would continue to accuse him of being an idolater himself, when all evidence in Scripture points to his keeping Torah! Furthermore, if the heresy is as Paul says, “a strong delusion” it seems likely that it is a popular one as well! Certainly this vision of the distant future from Paul’s era drives a spike in the coffin to Replacement Theology (Supercessionism) and Dispensationalism, which are as “fathers” to polytheistic Christianity.
In the end, the true Good News is linked inextricably to the Word that came before, while the “other Gospel” teaches Torah is done away with, and/or that paganism rules the day. As we will also see later on, since Paul condemned as heretical the “man-god” idea, it seems very unlikely that the Shaliach would simply substitute the agent of Satan with the Hellenized “Jesus” who essentially does the same thing.
It was Paul who made statements as in 1 Corinthians 12:3 that “Y’shua is YHWH!” We must certainly differentiate between a man who would wrongly aspire to be YHWH, with a pure understanding of Aramaic/Hebrew and Torah that demonstrates how YHWH can take on any form He desires. One is the age old pagan counterfeit from haSatan which entered the world by confusion in the Greek “New Testament” while the other is the ultimate understanding of Mashiyach as revealed in Torah and the prophets of YHWH as truth, and it’s Jewish to the very core.
So this "falling away" (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3) is being manifested in our time! Sure, we still have no idea of the ultimate unfolding of events, but the signs are unmistakable!
The bottom line is, those who have left “God” by rejecting either YHWH or His Son, and spoken against His Word, they are guilty of "blaspheming the Holy Spirit" – which is an unforgivable sin!
Matthew 12: 30. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever did not gather with me, scatters. 31. Because of this I say to you that all sins and blasphemies will be forgiven to the sons of men, but blasphemy that is against the Spirit will not be forgiven to the sons of men. 32. And anyone who says a word against the Son of man, he will be forgiven, But anyone who will speak against the Ruach haKodesh, he will not be forgiven - not in this world or in the world that is to come. (Aramaic English New Testament)
If a person committed one of the capital offenses that are mentioned in Torah, but confessed and pleaded for forgiveness, there were ways to receive atonement. But those who blaspheme against the Spirit of YHWH have no way to make atonement for themselves, nor can they make an appeal in the name of Yeshua. See also Acts 5:1-11 and Hebrews 10:28-30.
Matthew 13: 32. And anyone who says a word against the Son of man, he will be forgiven, But anyone who will speak against the Ruach haKodesh,[1] he will not be forgiven – not in this world or in the world that is to come.
It is "defiant irreverence" - a term that can be applied to such sins as cursing Yahweh or willfully degrading things relating to Him, or attributing some evil to Him, or denying Him some good that should be attributed to Him. For instance, in Matthew 12:31-32, the Pharisees, having witnessed irrefutable proof that Yeshua was working miracles in the power of the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit), claimed instead that He was possessed by the demon "Beelzebub" (Matthew 12:24).
Mark 3: 28. Truly I say to you, that all sins and blasphemies that the sons of man will blaspheme will be forgiven them. 29. But he who blasphemes against the Ruach haKodesh has no forgiveness ever, rather he is guilty before the eternal judgment. 30. This is because they were saying that an unclean spirit is in him.
Hebrews 10: 28. For if he who transgressed the Torah of Moshe, died without mercies at the mouth of two or three witnesses; 29. how much more, do you think, will he receive capital punishment who has trodden upon the Son of Elohim and has accounted the blood of his covenant by which he is sanctified, as the blood of all men and has treated the Spirit of grace in an insulting manner?
Acts 5: 32 And we are witnesses of these words and the Ruach haKodesh; He Who Elohim gives to those who obey Him.