A small example of how the Bible fits together from start to finish!

Here’s just a small example of how the Bible fits together from start to finish!  We’ll start with how it ends and what determines who gets to spend eternity with YAH – and then “look behind the scenes to get a glimpse as to why it ends the way it ends! Please read it again and again until you understand that those who ignore YHWH's Torah will be eternally separated from Him,  We don’t get to pick and choose and twist what Scripture says – but we DO get a choice as to “where” we will spend eternity.  Check it out: 

Revelation 22: 14. Blessed are they who do His (Master YHWH's) Mitzvot, that they may have a right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. 15. Without (will be) dogs (those who are evil/pagan) and sorcerers, and whoremongers and manslayers and idolaters, and everyone that loves and does falsehood. 16. I Y'shua have sent my Messenger to testify to you these things before the assemblies. I am the root and offspring of Dawid: like the splendid star of the morning.

17. And the Spirit and the bride say, You come. And let him that hears, say, You come. And let him who thirsts, come; and he that is inclined, let him take the living water freely. 18. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, that if anyone will add to them, Elohim will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. 19. And if anyone will take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim will take away his portion from the tree of life and from the Set Apart city, which are described in this book. 20. He who testifies these things, says: Yes, I come quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Y'shua! 21. The grace of our Master (Y'shua) Y'shua the Mashiyach, (be) with all the Set Apart believers. Amen. (AENT)

Throughout Scripture YAH warns us to do HIS will, to remember His Divine Instructions in Righteousness (Torah), and to always turn from evil and repent.  He KNOWS that, as humans, we will always “fall short of the glory”; and that is why Y’shua chose to martyr himself as our Sin Offering…. 

Please open your Bibles to Deuteronomy 27 which outlines the actions that caused YHWH's people to be cursed (yes, CURSED!) and pay special attention to verse 26:  "'A curse on anyone who does not confirm the words of this Torah by putting them into practice.' All the people are to say, 'Amen!' (CJB)

(By the way, saying "amen" after each of the curses meant you agreed with what was said, and you've therefore made a covenant with God: The root of the word comes from Hebrew aman which means to nourish and make strong. Emunah (faithfulness) also comes from aman. The ancient Greeks used the word (AMHN) from Hebrew to mean 'truth', 'surely', 'absolutely'. It is one of just a few Hebrew words which have been imported unchanged into Church liturgy.)

Agreeing to YHWH's curses on us if we disobey might seem strange and some might be tempted to sluff it off with, "Well, that was Old Testament stuff meant for Moses and his people." But hardly anyone stops to think that today's decadent and fallen society is a direct result of OUR collective disobedience! Harsh words? Yes, but take a look at this:

Deuteronomy 28: 1 "If you listen closely to what ADONAI your God says, observing and obeying all his mitzvot which I am giving you today, ADONAI your God will raise you high above all the nations on earth; 2 and all the following blessings will be yours in abundance -if you will do what ADONAI your God says: 3 "A blessing on you in the city, and a blessing on you in the countryside. 4 "A blessing on the fruit of your body, the fruit of your land and the fruit of your livestock - the young of your cattle and flocks.

5 "A blessing on your grain-basket and kneading-bowl. 6 "A blessing on you when you go out, and a blessing on you when you come in. 7 "ADONAI will cause your enemies attacking you to be defeated before you; they will advance on you one way and flee before you seven ways. 8 "ADONAI will order a blessing to be with you in your barns and in everything you undertake; he will bless you in the land ADONAI your God is giving you. 9 "ADONAI will establish you as a people separated out for himself, as he has sworn to you - if you will observe the mitzvot of ADONAI your God and follow his ways.

10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that ADONAI's name, his presence, is with you; so that they will be afraid of you. 11 "ADONAI will give you great abundance of good things - of the fruit of your body, the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your land in the land ADONAI swore to your ancestors to give you. 12 ADONAI will open for you his good treasure, the sky, to give your land its rain at the right seasons and to bless everything you undertake. You will lend to many nations and not borrow;

13 ADONAI will make you the head and not the tail; and you will be only above, never below - if you will listen to, observe and obey the mitzvot of ADONAI your God 14 and not turn away from any of the words I am ordering you today, neither to the right nor to the left, to follow after other gods and serve them. 15 "But if you refuse to pay attention to what ADONAI your God says, and do not observe and obey all his mitzvot and regulations which I am giving you today, then all the following curses will be yours in abundance.... (CJB)

YHWH IS NOT KIDDING AROUND! Blessings are what we gain by OBEDIENCE; curses are what we gain from DISOBEDIENCE. Today'sworld is cursed; just take a look around you!

People are out of control, governments are imploding due to godless leadership, the Middle East is a hotbed of hatred and war and Muslim terrorists who intend to take over the world by killing everyone in their path…Even the United States is no longer a safe place to live and raise children – where lunatics with guns are killing innocents in schools and theaters, etc.; where racial tension keeps raising its ugly head, where too many believe themselves to be “entitled” while they’re sitting around waiting for “the government” to take care of them, and where the President has ensured that “gay marriage” and abortions are “normal”….

 

We cannot pick and choose what parts of the Bible to follow! We must follow what we still can and use some common sense in our decision-making process. Those who OBEY to the best of their ability are blessed in every way, and those who do not, are cursed; simple as that!

The choice as to whether you spend eternity in “smoking or non-smoking” is strictly up to you! The Bible is clear about that.

How ironic that former “believers” in Y’shua/Jesus all seem to have this drive to crow about “leaving Jesus” once they’ve been warmly embraced by the Jewish community

How ironic that former “believers” in Y’shua/Jesus all seem to have this drive to crow about “leaving Jesus” once they’ve been warmly embraced by the Jewish counter-missionary rabbis and their converts who make their living by bashing “Jesus and the NT” on the Internet.

It seems, the first thing these former “believers” all do when they decide to reject ADONAI’s Messiah, is to run to some counter-missionary radio host to share their illustrious “testimony” – which always reveals that they didn’t have a good grasp of Scripture OR their former faith, to begin with. Yet, suddenly, they’ve found what they think is the Truth (after doing plenty of religion hopping in their quest to find one that suits them), and now they just HAVE to tell the world why they’ve denounced “Jesus.”

What a sad commentary about the hearts of humans – hearts that have always strayed and disappointed Him (Jeremiah 17:9), and which STILL aren’t listening to HIS Word because it’s easier to sit around and twist and over-analyze Scripture with their limited human mindsets, than it is to actually comprehend what it says at the most basic level….

Something I recently heard a Y’shua rejecter say on a radio podcast is that one of the reasons she left Y’shua behind is because Isaiah 53 tells us Messiah would have children, and “Jesus didn’t have any.” Really? Is that what that passage REALLY says?

If you’ll take a look at this passage in Isaiah 53, you’ll see it talks about the Messiah being a GUILT offering who gave himself unto death…where ADONAI said that when Messiah DID make himself into a guilt offering, he would “see a seed.” Does that mean “children”? No! How could he have children after death?

Leviticus 7:2 The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be splashed against the sides of the altar.

How could his life be “prolonged” if he offered HIMSELF as a guilt offering? Yeshua’s life was never meant to “be prolonged.” He was here for just a season and a reason – as outlined in the “Rest of the Story” called the Brit Chadasha…

Isaiah 53, verse 10 says that Yahweh purposed Messiah's suffering in His pleasure and would bring it to pass to see the "seed", or the result of this offering; i.e., many redeemed and saved, children of God.

Isaiah 53:10 But יהוה was pleased to crush Him, He laid sickness on Him, that when He made Himself an offering for guilt, He would see a seed, He would prolong His days and the pleasure of יהוה prosper in His hand.

11 He would see the result of the suffering of His life and be satisfied. Through His knowledge My righteous Servant makes many righteous, and He bears their crookednesses. 12 Therefore I give Him a portion among the great, and He divides the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His being unto death, and He was counted with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (ISR)

Re-read verse 12! “He poured out his being unto DEATH!” The ONLY “seed” Messiah can possibly have is the many souls his death has redeemed!

The problem with those who “leave Jesus” is that they see what they want to see, and no amount of reasoning will help once they think they’ve received some “new truth.” God knows this, and He certainly hears it loud and clear when they sit in front of a camera and microphone with some counter-missionary radio host and proclaim that they do NOT “believe in Yeshua/Jesus” anymore! Therefore, He blinds them so that they CAN’T see His Truth anymore…..

2 Corinthians 4: 3 So if indeed our Good News is veiled, it is veiled only to those in the process of being lost. 4 They do not come to trust because the god of the 'olam hazeh has blinded their minds, in order to prevent them from seeing the light shining from the Good News about the glory of the Messiah, who is the image of God. (CJB)

This is why it is so important for people to read the whole Bible for themselves - again and again - so they can at least KNOW what it says and be able to discern whether or not someone has interpreted some passage correctly.

If someone reading this is thinking of "leaving Jesus" to join the counter-missionaries and their efforts, I would ask that you first read every article on our Countering Jewish Counter-Missionaries page, first: http://therefinersfire.org/ca.htm . That page responds to hundreds of their challenges! "The Jews" only see Scripture from their "Tanach-only" perspective, while you have been viewing it through your "grace-only glasses." Why jump from one end of the spectrum to the other when the TRUTH is somewhere in the middle?

Yes, Torah is "God-breathed" - but He didn't stop "breathing" when Moshe died, and Israel crossed over into their Land. Remember..."the Jews" as a whole (all 12 tribes) were eventually scattered for their endless DISOBEDIENCE! With three major "religions" living in THEIR Land (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) so, WHAT makes you think "they" are on the right track NOW? My God, they gave away the Temple Mount to people who have ALWAYS been, and are STILL trying to kill them! WAKE UP and stop going "religion hopping!" READ THE BIBLE!

Hebrews 10:29 Think how much worse will be the punishment deserved by someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of God; who has treated as something common the blood of the covenant which made him holy; and who has insulted the Spirit, giver of God's grace! 30 For the One we know is the One who said, "Vengeance is my responsibility; I will repay," and then said, "ADONAI will judge his people." 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God! (CJB)

It's time to stop following teachers/pastors/rabbis who are criminals or "false prophets", etc.

You know, people truly should stop following teachers/pastors/rabbis who are known criminals or "false prophets" or who have affairs and become divorced, or end up in prison for defrauding people, or those whose teachings simply don't line up with Scripture. (Remember, WE have a responsibility to verify in Scripture everything we see, read or hear! It seems most people don't know Scripture well enough to "chew the meat and spit out the bones" and so, to keep from becoming confused, it is imperative that they stay far away from teachers who don't meet God's standards.)

It always saddens me to see people arguing, "Well, so he made a mistake, So what? He's repented and I forgive him."

That's fine - forgive all you want. But also be aware of the fact that those who have deliberately stepped outside of Torah and are busy taking others with them, you're following those who no longer meet the requirements of an Elder, according to Matthew 18 and Titus 1:5-9:

Titus 1:5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the [a]overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

YHWH commands us to stay away from frauds and liars and generally "bad" people (Matthew 10:13-15; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:11 and Acts 13:51 and 2 Chronicles 14. See also all these scriptures: https://www.openbible.info/topics/bad_influence).

Here are some quick examples of what will happen to those who purposely and without repentance dare to step outside YAH's Torah and take others with them:

Revelation 21: 8. But to the timid and the unbelieving, and to the sinful and polluted, and to manslayers and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and to all false persons, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. (AENT)

Micah 2:1 Woe to those plotting wickedness, and working out evil upon their beds! In the light of the morning they practise it, because it is in the might of their hand.
Mic 2:2 And they coveted fields and seized them, also houses, and took them away. And they oppressed a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.
Mic 2:3 Therefore thus said יהוה, “See, against this clan I am planning evil, from which you do not remove your necks, nor walk proudly, for this is a time of evil.
Mic 2:4 “In that day one shall lift up a proverb against you, and he shall lament with a bitter lamentation, and shall say, ‘We have been utterly ravaged! He changes the inheritance of my people. How He removes it from me! He apportions our fields to the backslider.’ ”
Mic 2:5 “Therefore you shall have no one in the assembly of יהוה to divide the land by lot.
Mic 2:6 “You do not preach, they preach. They do not preach to these, reproaches are not turned back.
Mic 2:7 “Are you called ‘House of Yaʽaqoḇ’? Has the Spirit of יהוה been limited? Are these His doings? Do not My words do good to the one walking uprightly?
Mic 2:8 “And lately My people have risen up as an enemy. You strip off the robe with the garment from those who trust you, as they pass by – those returning from battle.
Mic 2:9 “You have driven the women of My people from their pleasant houses. You have taken away My splendour from their children forever.
Mic 2:10 “Arise and go, for this is not your rest, because uncleanness destroys, and the destruction is grievous.
Mic 2:11 “If a man walking after wind and falsehood has lied: ‘I preach to you of wine and of strong drink,’ he shall be the ‘preacher’ of this people!
Mic 2:12 “I shall certainly gather all of you, O Yaʽaqoḇ, I shall bring together the remnant of Yisra’ĕl, put them together like sheep of the fold, like a flock in the midst of their pasture, they being noisy because of men.
Mic 2:13 “The breach-maker shall go up before them. They shall break out, and pass through the gate, and go out by it, and their sovereign pass before them, with יהוה at their head!” (ISR)

You can't really converse about God and the Bible with those who think they already have all the answers

Talking to some people who have their own ideas about God and the Bible is a total waste of time. They don't understand the simplest things and will argue the hind leg off a donkey. They absolutely refuse to simply OBEY YAH who clearly, for instance, explained the difference between "clean" and "unclean" animals. I've had several conversations about the "clean and unclean" issue over the last few days, and it's always the same ol' tired stuff:

"Yes," they argue, "I know what God said, but that was just for the Jews."

Really? So Numbers 15:13-16 where YAH said FOUR TIMES in a row that ALL are to do exactly as HIS people do, doesn't mean anything to you? "No, because things have changed. People have changed. Everybody's eating pork now, and it hasn't hurt anyone. It's no different from eating bovine. God only told the Jews this because He was trying to teach them obedience at the time."

OH, I get it now! So obedience was only meant for the Jews. Everyone else can do whatever they want and eat whatever they want because they're all "under grace" now. Riiiiight. Okay. Got it.

Hmmmm....

So, the question remains: WHY was, the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 dealing with a specific issue on how to properly bring the Gentiles into the fold without over-burdening them? Why were they wracking their brains over things like: Was it necessary for Gentiles as new converts to take on the full weight of the man-made laws of the Sages in order to be accepted within the Jewish community? And how can we assure our Jewish community that those Gentiles who had confessed Yeshua as Messiah had genuinely forsaken any form of idolatry?

WHY all the hoopla over what to do with, and how to treat the Gentiles who had accepted the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Do you honestly believe that "under grace" meant they didn't have to bother with any rules?

Adam and Eve weren't Jews - and yet they had to follow His Divine Rules! Same with Cain and Abel who presented sacrifices, and Noah who knew the difference between "clean and unclean" animals. None of them were "Jews" - but yet they ALL followed YAH's Divine Instructions in Righteousness (Torah)!

So, what's the problem today, eh? Did God's Son REALLY come to bring a new religion and to abolish everything his Father ever commanded so people could do, be and eat whatever they wanted without any restrictions?

Most people look but don't see

The other day, I was outside loading accumulated household junk into giant trash bags.  I'm not talking about those ordinary black plastic trash bags you pull out of a box for weeds and grass clippings and such; I'm talking about GIANT bags - capacity 3 cubic yards - that you fill to the brim, and then the waste company comes and hoists the entire bag, contents and all, into the even larger trash bin on their truck.  They are called "bagster bags".  Here's a couple of stock images of how this works:

Each bag can hold 3300 pounds!  The hoist is simply attached to the straps on the bag and the whole bag, contents and all, is lifted away.  It's an amazing process!

While I was filling this giant bagster bag, and especially when the waste company came to pick up the full bag, I noticed that as people drove by my house, some would look but not actually see what was going on.  They simply failed to see the uniqueness of what was happening.  This was no ordinary trash disposal!  Didn't what they saw happening here have any meaning to them? Could they not see how "beyond" ordinary trash bags this was?  So, I found myself thinking "Most people look but don't see."

Now that would be a brilliant observation if it were not already rather well known.  Most people look but don't see.  It's a factual statement, yet actually hard to understand.  What does it mean, "people look but don't see?"  How is it possible to not see what you are looking at?  Of course, the meaning is that most people see but don't understand the significance of what they are seeing.  Think of the phrase "See what I mean?"  In English, the word "see" can mean both "to perceive with the eyes" but it also means "to understand."  The phrase "See what I mean?" actually means "Do you understand now?" The Messiah understood this problem and He dealt with the problem by speaking in parables.

The Messiah was asked by his disciples why he spoke in parables (Matthew 13:10).  The Messiah responded "I speak in parables with them because they see, and they see not, and they hear and they do not hear, nor do they understand." (Matthew 13:13).  This may not be readily understood at first, but what He means is this:  Why should He speak to people clearly, explaining exactly what He means, when He expects  people to make an effort to understand!

Consider what He says to the disciples next: "But you [disciples], how blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear! Yes indeed! I tell you that many a prophet and many a tzaddik longed to see the things you are seeing but did not see them, and to hear the things you are hearing but did not hear them" (Matthew 13:16-17).  Recognize the importance of what the Messiah said!  He had quoted part of Isaiah 6:9-10 which states: "And He said, 'Go, and you shall say to this people, 'Hearing, you hear, but do not understand; and seeing, you see, but do not know.' 'Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and shall turn and be healed.'"  Let's look at the words of Isaiah which Yeshua clearly understood.

The heart of people had become fat (lazy), their ears heavy, their eyes shut!  The people themselves lived lives that made them blind!  If only they would turn their hearts and minds to YHWH, they would be healed and they would understand what they see and hear!  This, the Messiah knew well!  This is why he spoke in parables.  People have a responsibility to make an effort to turn from their earthly ways, turn from their ways of the flesh, turn from the trivial importance of the "event of the moment" so they can see and hear YHWH!  Understanding won't be handed to them on a plate!  It's not free!  Seeing and hearing (understanding) requires effort.  This is true of scripture as it is true in every day life.

If you can't comprehend something unique when you see it or hear it, you have not made the effort! In the case of scripture, you have not studied the context or understood the background.  In the case of everyday events, you have not relied on your education or you have emphasized trivialities over substance.  For example: If you read an article about "the flat earth" or "chemtrails" and you are inclined to believe it, you have not applied what you should have learned in school to discern the false claims in the article. You didn't make the effort.  You will have experienced the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10! You hear but you don't understand, you see but you don't know.  This, indeed, is what it meant by a "fat heart"! 

Returning to my example of the unique trash bag system I was using called "bagster bags", the people who drove by clearly saw the bag being filled or loaded yet drove on past without so much as a "wow" expression.  They were likely engrossed at the moment in their trivial task. They could not see because their eyes, heart, and mind were on something else. That "something else" was probably important to them only at that moment. Am I going to be on time? Is my dress okay? I wonder if John is at home? I must pick up the laundry today, etc. Whatever they were thinking or doing, it prevented them from seeing, and recognizing, something unique.  They could have had a brief "wow" moment, experiencing something unique, but they missed it.

I see the same thing happening to people when they encounter scripture. They could have a "wow" moment, but they did not make the effort.  They look but they don't see.

Is it ever okay to lie?

Yes it is okay to sometimes lie. What!?  Do you find that shocking? We were taught that it is never okay to lie! The Bible says, "Lying lips are an abomination to Adonai, but those who deal faithfully are his delight." (Proverbs 12:22 CJB).  There are many other verses which seem to suggest that lying is absolutely forbidden and the liar is doomed to Sh'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."  Sure sounds like lying is an unpardonable sin and that all liars are destined to the second death!

But is that true?

Turn to Exodus chapter 1 and read with me the story of the midwives.

Remember the story. 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!  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 Sh'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!  She, too, was not condemned to Sh'ol but was rewarded for her actions (Joshua 6:17-25).

But lying lips are an abomination to Adonai! Refer again to Proverbs 12:22!  What gives?  Indeed, other stories in the Bible reveal people who were punished for their lies! Read, for example, Acts 5:1-11.

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 raise our children according to Torah and teach them 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".  They should be taught not to lie. Period.)  But 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, however, 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?  I'll tell you! We would learn from our peers and our community, that's where.  And sadly, when we learn from the community instead of from YHWH, we learn their godless ways and we put ourselves at risk of learning bad traits and habits which go against the teaching and instruction, i.e., Torah, of our creator.  So spend time in Scripture in coming to know YHWH, and you will learn when it may be permitted in your particular situation to lie - if it is necessary.  It remains a gray area, but YHWH will permit you to make the right choice at the time.