Does Ephesians 5:24 mean women are inferior to men?

No, it doesn’t!

YES, He expects MEN to be the head of the house, but that doesn’t mean women are their slaves.

Ephesians 5:24-29 is actually a beautiful explanation of how our earthly relationships should reflect our relationship with YHWH/Yeshua! Read in context, we see that Yahweh (YHWH) views men and women as equals, yet each with their own, specific gender roles:

Ephesians 5:24. And as the assembly is subject to the Mashiyach, so also let wives be to their husbands in all things.[1] 25. Husbands, love your wives, even as the Mashiyach loved his assembly and delivered himself up for it; 26. That he might sanctify it and cleanse it by the washing of water and by the Word; 27. And might constitute it a glorious assembly for himself,[2] in which is no stain and no wrinkle and nothing like them; but that it might be Set Apart and without blemish. 28. It is fitting for men so to love their wives as (they do) their own bodies. For he that loves his wife loves himself. 29. For no one ever hated his own body; but nourishes it and provides for it, even as the Mashiyach (did for) the assembly. (AENT)

NOTES:

[1] Many put emphasis on "who" has authority but Shaul always makes a pretext of loving one another as well as submitting to one another before describing the spiritual order of men and women.
[2] These verses have been twisted by Christian theologians to dish out a “limited atonement” theology that only Christians “get saved.” They tend to forget that our Messiah’s suffering established atonement for all of YHWH’s people, from the time of Adam, millennia before “Christianity” even existed.

They also tend to overlook the fact that the original Netzarim faith (which is clearly spurned by the Church) is being referenced; NOT the “modernized, grace-only” Christianity. If Paul were to witness the rampant paganism in the modern Church, he would never endorse it or be part of it.

Yeshua says to all who break Torah, “I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquity.” The “glorious assembly” he suffered for consists of those who live FOR and IN Messiah Yeshua, who are sanctified by the Word of YHWH, and whose love for YHWH and each other is based in Torah rather than on the doctrines of men.

Exposing the nonsensical comments of yet another Jesus-rejecter

The woman in this screen shot from Facebook made this comment on a “counter-missionary” thread that was poking fun at a picture of the Last Supper:

So – unlike the OPINION you see espoused in the screenshot, let’s check to see what the BIBLE says:

The judgement of Exodus 11 was death of the first-born. This judgement was not levied only on the Egyptians - all firstborn (ch'ol b'ch'or) in the land of Egypt were to die - (Exodus 11:5). Only those who got together and put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts as YHWH ordered were spared this death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:13).

Thing is, the people who killed a lamb and spread its blood in their doorjambs were "redeemed". This event was NOT an "atonement" for sins! Note that the entire family, not just the first-born were "redeemed" because no one in those homes presenting the lamb’s blood on the door posts suffered a loss. Again, this was NOT an "atonement".

Yom Kippur, on the other hand, is the annual atonement for the sins of all the people - a redemption, yes, but not a permanent redemption (Leviticus 16:30-34)!

To live eternally with YHWH, one must be redeemed. Prayer and tzedakah taught today in Judaism, since there is no Temple, is simply not enough! These things provide only a temporary return to cleanliness, worthiness, possibly holiness to be before YHWH.

Being "saved" requires, in addition to living righteously, the substitution on the altar - a "redemption" if you will - of a nephesh for your nephesh. This was always required, and with or without the temple, it is still required. Most people don't understand this. "For the life [nephesh] of the flesh is in the blood, and I have assigned it to you for making expiation for your lives upon the altar; it is the blood, as life [nephesh], that effects expiation." (Leviticus 17:11, JPS Tanakh).

Most Jewish rabbis dismiss this verse as only addressing individual sins or only condemning the consumption of blood; sins, they say, can be atoned for by other means, thus they dismiss that expiation of sin by blood is required.

But the Jewish rabbis miss the point. Annually at Yom Kippur, at the Temple, the people were both atoned for in their earthly lives (the goat released to Azazel, Leviticus 16:21), and they were purified, "ta'her", (meaning "sound, unadulterated, pure) for their everlasting life. In other words they were, at that moment, redeemed by the blood of another life. This is different than just being "forgiven".
Redemption is required to be in the presence of YHWH and redemption is by blood - one nefesh for another.

Note verse 30, Leviticus 16: "For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall ye be clean before the LORD" (JPS Tanakh). See the words "ye shall be clean before the LORD"? No one unclean can appear before YHWH (Leviticus 15:31; Chronicles 23:19), so this is a redemption - a price was paid (one nephesh) for the sinner's nephesh, so they are able now to appear before Him.

Thus, every year, the people were redeemed and should they then die that year, provided they did not again intentionally sin, that is, they remained righteous, their place in the Kingdom of YHWH was assured - that year.

But YHWH put an end to these "annual" redemptive events and instead promised that He would be our salvation (Isaiah 60:16). That happened. He sent His redeemer, and then just one generation later, the Temple was destroyed! Now all who are redeemed must accept that they were redeemed by YHWH through Yeshua or they have no way to be redeemed. It's so sad that so many don't see this.

Will there be aborted babies in the Millennium?

READER QUESTION:

Will there be aborted babies in the Millennium, and will we be taking care of them and teaching them Torah?

OUR RESPONSE:

This is a GREAT question and I ask that you please bear with me as I explain my reasoning on this whole issue – some of which is going to sound VERY weird to you all….

Okay, so we are told there will be a "catching up" of believers only upon Yeshua's Second Coming - NOT of the unbelievers who will only be called up before God on Judgment Day at the end of the Millennium. “The dead in Messiah shall rise first, and then we who are alive….” (1 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)

This initial “catching up” will include aborted babies – because they were MURDERED INNOCENTS who never committed any sins. BUT here’s the thing: THEY WON’T BE BABIES anymore, because - just like the rest of us who will be caught up right afterward, they'll get their "new bodies"... And Scripture tells us that our new bodies are “incorruptible”. Take a look:

1 Corinthians 15: 51. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52. Suddenly, as in the twinkling of an eye, at the last shofar, when it will sound; and the dead will arise, without corruption; and we will be changed. 53. For this which is corruptible, is to put on incorruption; and that which dies, will put on immortality. (AENT)

Those bodies will have NO NEED to be born tiny and grow into adults. They will be fully formed, glowing, shining brightly (like Moshe was after being in YHWH’s Presence for 40 days (Exodus 34:29-35).

(For more on the “glowing/shining”, please see our blog article: “What were the ‘garments of skin’ with which YHWH covered Adam and Eve after they sinned?” This is IMPORTANT!!!)

Pre-born, stillborn and aborted babies are completely innocent. They hadn’t had the chance to sin – and Scripture plainly teaches that sin is not inherited. “[The] son shall not bear the iniquity of the father” (Ezekiel 18:20); every person is responsible for his own conduct (Romans 14:12).

Ecclesiastes 12:7.Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

(Dust, representing the corruptible body, even the body of the unborn baby, returns to the earth but the God-given spirit returns to God. The unborn baby was human life and its spirit surely returns to Him!)

Isaiah tells us that a child must reach a certain level of maturity before he is able to choose between evil and good (Isaiah 7:15, 16). We’re also told the human spirit is not inherited from one’s parents; rather, it is given by God (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Hebrews 12:9). Hence, at birth it must be as pure as the source from whence it comes….

So, because aborted babies won't be babies, and will likely be fully formed upon their return to earth (as we will be after the Marriage Supper of the Lamb – Revelation 19), perfect, sinless, godly beings, they won't have to be TAUGHT a thing, because YHWH will surely have given them and their “forever bodies” all of the knowledge they will ever need - no different from what those of us who born can expect.

While we, with our limited human mindsets view as horrible the idea of a tiny baby dying, those aborted babies didn't have to go through a through life with all its difficulties here on earth to learn all the things WE have had to WORK to learn over the course of an entire lifetime...

If you disagree with this article, please don’t hesitate to write and provide your reasons why, complete with SCRIPTURE references!  Thank you!

Does forgiving also entail forgetting?

Every once in awhile, someone asks a question about forgiveness. They want to know whether forgiving also means we also have to forget. This is my response;

First of all, "forgiving" does NOT mean "forgetting." Forgiving means to recognize that WE have also done things we're not proud of, and we have no business holding someone else's sin against them. That doesn't mean we have to love or even like them, or ever see them again. it simply means, "let go" so YOU can be free of the psychological hold they have on you.

YHWH's command to forgive, is manifold:

YHWH says HE will personally deal with our enemies (Deut. 32:35, Romans 12:17-19). This means we should never react with hatred, repaying hurt with hurt. As human being who are commanded to love each other, we have no right to repay in kind.

"But God says, 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!" ...

Let's take a look at that passage to see what it really says:

Matthew 5: 38. You have heard that it has been said that an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth[1]. 39. But I say to you that you should not stand against evil[2], but who hits you upon your right cheek, turn also to him the other. 40. And he that desires to go to court with you and take your coat, leave to him also your cloak.

41. He that compels you to go one mile, go two with him. 42. He that asks you to give to him and he desires to borrow from you, you should not deny him. 43. You have heard that it has been said to love your neighbor and hate your enemy[3]. 44. But I say to you to love your enemies and bless those that curse you and do that which is pleasing to those who hate you. And pray for those that take you by force and persecute you. 45. So that you may be the sons of your Father who is in heaven. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] When Y’shua says, “you have heard it said” usually refers to oral tradition; when he says “it is written” he refers to Scripture. The matter of an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, according to Torah, refers to fair restitution; not literally taking out an eye or tooth. The amount to be restored must be commensurate to the loss; the loss of an eye must be rewarded the value of an eye. See Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21. Torahless ultra-religious judges or pagan cultures opted for barbaric punishment as crime for crime, however this is not a Torah principle.

[2] Do not react with evil towards evil, rather let patience and temperance prevail when accosted by evil doers. Torah instructs the strong to protect the weak, Deut 22:27. Ya’akov teaches to “stand firm” against Satan, James 4:7. Paul teaches to stand against the strategies of the Accuser in Ephesians 6:11; neither does he mince words in Acts 13:10. Isaiah 14:15 states that haSatan will be brought down to hell and a slaughter is prepared for his children (verse 21). Rev 20:10 promises a date for Satan in the lake of fire, in the meantime we are to recognize that our battles are not against flesh and blood, and to act accordingly.

[3]  Normally, when Y'shua says, "You have heard that it has been said," he’s referring to the Oral Torah or Talmud.  However, in this particular case. he refers to one of the Dead Sea Scrolls; as "hate your enemies" isn’t in Talmud. Leviticus 19:18 does NOT teach that anyone should hate their enemy; it teaches “You shall not avenge nor bear any grudge, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Returning to the subject at hand:

Holding grudges only serves to eat us up, make us suspicious of everyone and wastes our time because we end up thinking of that person{s) more than we need to. It eats away at our soul and at the very fiber of our being, and causes us to become bitter.

Turning over to Him those who have hurt us, relieves us of the need and responsibility to "repay" them; which consequently, releases us from the psychological hold they have over us.

We should never "forget" what happened, but we also shouldn't hurt ourselves by clinging to the hatred for the one who hurt us. You see, everything (including bad things) that happen to us, serves to help us learn and grow. We are constantly learning.

We learn that touching a hot stove hurts, and so we remember not to do it again. We learn that our words can hurt people; and so we remember to not say them again (even if they were said in jest). We learn from the actions (whatever that might have entailed) of certain people who have hurt us, that behavior such as what they exhibited HURTS - which, in turn, helps us learn to recognize and discern, and keeps us from becoming like them: In other words:

(1) Through the pain they caused us, we can learn to recognize that our own actions might have done something to cause their action/reaction, and we can immediately apologize. (2) We can learn to recognize that a person is toxic and prone to make us miserable, and so we block them from our life; thus, freeing ourselves from an abusive relationship. And: (3) We "hand it over to YHWH" while forgiving the person in our own mind, and consequently, release ourselves from the hold they have on us.

No, we don't need to forget; but we DO need to recognize that clinging to the memory and hating that person serves no purpose. Concentrate, instead, on the positive - that the person is forgiven and you've "kissed and made up": OR that they are no longer a part of your life and can no longer cause anymore hurt, and YOU have moved on and learned some valuable lessons, in the process!

Lastly, "forgiving" someone may lead to reconciliation - which is YHWH's preferred outcome. But if it cannot happen, then "letting go, and letting God handle it" is the best solution for all concerned. Live your life and move on; never giving the perp another thought, because YHWH/Y'shua's got your back!

Don’t be afraid to challenge those counter-missionary Yeshua rejecters!

If you ever encounter "counter-missionaries" who attempt to challenge you with the idea that “neither Torah nor Tanach contain scriptures that tell us G-d will send a Messiah,” here's what you can respond with:

First - I know that, no matter WHAT, "counter-missionaries" WILL reject and even debunk whatever you say, because their blind minds are made up.

What I always tell people is - while there are no specific scriptures that talk about YHWH sending a Messiah, there are ALSO no specific scriptures that discuss the words "homosexuality", "gambling" or "abortion" - because those words didn't exist back then. (There also is not specific command for or about socks, either - yet we ALL wear them!)

HOWEVER, when Scripture is read IN CONTEXT, we CAN see that YHWH hates homosexual acts because homosexuals can't procreate - which hampers the production of His "likeness"/Image.

We CAN see that He prohibits "gambling" because the act gets people hooked on the hope of "getting rich quick" while they're squandering their hard-earned money with the odds stacked against them.

AND, we certainly CAN produce scriptures that show that YHWH considered the unborn to be "human life" because the penalties were stiff for killing or harming a pregnant woman's unborn child....

So....having said that, while there are no specific scriptures that say, "Thus saith the Lord, I will give the world a divine Messiah," He DID say:

Zechariah 6:12 "...and tell him, 'Yahweh-Tzva'ot says: "There is coming a man whose name is Tzemach [Sprout]. He will sprout up from his place and rebuild the temple of Yahweh. 13 Yes, he will rebuild the temple of Yahweh; and he will take up royal splendor, sitting and ruling from his throne." (CJB)

NOTHING says Yeshua would have to accomplish everything during his lifetime! YHWH's timeline is not necessarily OURS!

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

Yeshua Himself said He came to do HIS FATHER's will; not his own!

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

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

Soooo - having said that.....let's not forget to mention that Isaiah 53 is ALL ABOUT YHWH's Messiah, because NO ONE in history has EVER met ALL those qualifications that Yeshua met.

And for those who insist that Isaiah 53 is "all about Israel" - we must ask ourselves: Can Israel DIE for Israel? (No, but Y’shua did! See Matthew 27.) Can Israel be wounded for our transgressions? (No, but Y’shua was! See Matthew 27.)

Can people take Israel's garments and divide them? (No, but that certainly happened in Y’shua’s case! See John 19:23.) WHEN was "Israel" wounded for our transgressions or crushed because of our iniquities? Has the world been HEALED by "Israel"? Not hardly! Y'shua has filled myriads of Tanach prophecies - and people can reject it all they want, but they cannot CHANGE those facts!

Is honey kosher?

We get asked many times, "Is honey kosher? I mean, it's from a BEE and the bee is not kosher!"

It's a good question, but not to worry for honey is completely kosher, not violating any of the dietary restrictions found in scripture!

Honey bees convert nectar from flowers into honey by a process of regurgitation and evaporation. Regurgitation may not sound kosher, but it is okay here. Bees store the honey as a primary food source in wax honeycombs inside their beehive. Humans extract the honey from the beehive and bottle it.

So let's look at the process in a bit more detail and see how the honey comes about.

Foraging bees land on flowers and use their long, tube-like tongues to suck nectar from the flowers. They swallow the nectar but store it in a "honey crop", a special type of stomach which comes before the actual digestive system stomach of the bee. The nectar never enters the bee's digestive system! The honey crop is more of "pouch" used to port nectar back to the hive and transfer it to worker bees.

The worker bees "chew" the nectar for a period (about 30 minutes or so) during which time enzymes break complex sugars in the nectar into simple sugars. This final form of nectar is then spread throughout the honeycomb which allows remaining water in the mass to evaporate. As the water evaporates, the nectar thickens and becomes honey. Honey is more digestible to the bees than the nectar, and it is also protected from any bacteria.

At some point, the worker bees "assess" the thickness of the honey, and they seal off the end of the honeycomb with a cap of wax. This keeps the honey in permanent storage until it is eaten by the bees - or as in our case - a beekeeper harvests the honey for us humans!

Honey consists of mostly fructose, glucose, and the water which did not evaporate. It also contains other sugars as well as trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. But most importantly, it is only converted nectar, not a product of the bee itself, and completely kosher consisting of nothing forbidden by our Creator!

Yep, Jewish "counter-missionaries" ARE busy getting people to reject YHWH's Divine Messiah!

Found on the wall of Rabbi Tovia Singer who makes his living bashing YHWH's Divine Messiah. Think they're not taking "our" people away with their smooth-talking lies? Snap out of it and think again!

Reader wants to know if Melchizedek was a pre- incarnate Christ

READER QUESTION:

My question today is was Melchizedek  a pre- incarnate Christ?  I have seen many theories about who Melchizedek was and what was meant by ( the order of Melchizedek). Your thoughts as always are appreciated and eagerly awaited.  Thankful for your help

OUR RESPONSE:

People for centuries have been trying to argue that Melchizedek was a "pre-incarnation" of the Messiah. (For example Ambrose of Milan in the 4th century, CE, tried to show the same in his writings called "On the Mysteries".  But Ambrose was already anti-semitic, and very Catholic in his thinking).  However the whole point in the comparison of the Messiah to Melchizedek in Hebrews is not to suggest that at all.  The idea is rooted in a complete lack of understanding the scriptures.

Hebrews 7 seems to paint a picture of Melchizedek as some sort of divine being with no parents and who still lives (Hebrews 7:8).  This perception from Hebrews led to the idea that Melchizedek is some sort of "Pre-incarnate Messiah".  But it's all wrong.

Look at it this way:  Without Hebrews, the only thing we truly know of Melchizedek is from 4 verses in the Tanankh. Four! Three from Genesis 14:18-20, and one in the Psalms (110:4).  Hebrews 7 has only these 4 verses to draw from, yet Hebrews 7 itself is 28 verses long!  If, today, we read Hebrews only to conclude that Melchizedek was some sort of a pre-incarnate Messiah, we truly should stop right there and examine the issue because something is amiss.

The central problem, I believe, is that we, today, are trying to interpret scripture which has been translated from language to language and the original meaning has in many cases been lost.  Here, we have the book of Hebrews which has been translated over and over with significant bias since at least the 4th century CE, and most of us can only read scripture in English using our English-only understanding of the meaning of any particular word or phrase.  I make that last point because it causes a big problem here in this discussion.

Case in point:

Take Hebrews 5:6 and 7:15 which read (in the typical English translation) respectively:
"as he says also in another place, 'You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek'." (ESV).

"And it is still more abundantly clear because He said that another priest would arise according to the order of Melchizedek." (HRB).

But BOTH verses in Hebrews refer to Psalm 110:4: "The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek'," (ESV).

The problem is that the English word "order" in these verses from Hebrews is NOT the same word from Psalms which is also translated into English as "order"!

In Hebrews 5 and 7, the Aramaic word translated as "order" is from the root word "d'ma", [dalet-mem-aleph], meaning "to resemble".   We can see the same root word in Hebrews 1:1: "In days gone by, God spoke in many and varied ways to the Fathers through the prophets", (CJB), where the word is not understood as "order", but as "varied ways".

But in Psalm 110:4 which reads: "The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek'," (ESV), the Hebrew word is "dibrah'ti" [dalet-bet-resh-tav-yod] meaning "a reason, suit or style: - cause, end, estate, order, regard."  The importance of the verse in Psalm is to refer to the royalty, the "estate", the regard due Melchizedek - to compare to the one being elevated in the Psalm.  And we see the one being elevated is not Melchizedek or David, but the Messiah.

Just to be clear, let's look at the intent of the phrase "after the order of Melchizedek" used in Hebrews and in Psalm 110.  In Psalm 110, the intent is best seen in how other translations write the phrase, such as found in the JPS which reads: "Thou art a priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedek."  (More on that in a moment).

But in Hebrews "after the order of Melchizedek", (where the original word for "order" was from a Aramaic root word meaning "to resemble"), we see that the author's purpose was only to compare the resemblance of Yeshua's Kingship to Melchizedek and not to suggest that Yeshua somehow "was" Melchizedek or replaced Melchizedek.  So just what was the comparison?  Was the author or Hebrews trying to say Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate Messiah, or did he intend something else?

He intended something else!

The meaning of Hebrews 7 is NOT that Melchizedek was like any sort of  pre-incarnate Messiah or that Melchizedek had no mother or father or that he remains alive - that is nonsense.  Rather, when the author of Hebrews wrote in 7:3 "He [Melchizedek] is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling* the Son of God he continues a priest forever", all he is saying is this:

Melchizedek was chosen not by his genealogy, but by divine appointment (Genesis 14:18, "he was priest of God the Most High" (JPS) - clearly not by blood, and not by the later Levitical line).  Melchizedek was both a High Cohen and King, and that his "chosen" status never ended - the message is not that Melchizedek never died.  The Messiah's role as King and Cohen is of that same origin, that is, divinely appointed.  Therefore the Messiah is "of the order of Melchizedek", that is, his appointed reign is never ending. 

The difference is that Melchizedek was but a mortal man, and though we have no record of his death, he no doubt died, but the type of kingship he had, by appointment from YHWH, did not "end".  Yeshua's kingship on the other hand does not end since Yeshua was the one resurrected and is now sitting at the Right Hand of YHWH as Psalm 110 declares.

If we examine this further, we see that the author of Hebrews and the author of Psalm 110 were in complete agreement.  I referred to the JPS version of Psalm 110:4 more correctly reads "after the manner of Melchizedek" instead of "of the order of Melchizedek".  The author of Hebrews therefore correctly used Psalm 110 in Hebrew 7 arguing that it was the "manner" of the Messiah's kingship that is important, that of "being chosen" or appointed, and was certainly not trying to argue that Melchizedek was some sort of pre-incarnate Messiah.

And with that, I conclude that the problem is with Biblical interpretation and not that Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate Messiah.

*"Resembling" in Hebrews 7:3 is from the same root word in Hebrews 1:1, 5:6 and 7:15.

Putting Hollywood in its proper place….

By Robin Refaela Gould  

The fallout from Golden Globes felt like a sign. This will make some people mad, so if you're one of those people, stop here.

To see if you qualify, say the following 5 times fast:
"Hollywood Jumps Trump and Trump Trumps Hollywood."

If you could do that it is safe to proceed.

Let's start with a question.

Remember when Hollywood actors knew their place in society?

Me neither.

Some remember. However, most of these people are long since dead. Let's pick someone from the past (let me clarify; dead but not the dead people who voted democrat in the 2016 election). Let's go with Henry VIII. He had it figured out (Indeed, I've watched The Tudors). The equivalent then of Hollywood actors were the court Jesters. These feckless entertainers would be summoned for their craft, instructed to perform it, and after they did their little thing, they would bow and disappear until they were summoned again. It was a mere diversion from reality and everyone understood that.

The current "Hollywood Elite" has forgotten that they belong next to the box checked "people who perform for our amusement." This mishap crept in when actors started to believe their own press. They forgot that the category of Hollywood Elite was their own manmade pond, stocked with engineered, farmed fish, and appraised using its own auditing system.

The straight A's they gave themselves inundated us as we read tales of their heroic theatrical endeavours. Points were merited based on how many people watched their "work" to escape reality for 120 minutes. And because MANY people like to escape reality for 120 minutes every now and then, Hollywood attributed this to the inescapable fact that they were special people who had special powers. Your mail carrier is NOTHING if not a messenger of Vanity Fair so you can do your daily devotions to them.

They no longer saw themselves as people pretending to be somebody else as a profession. Instead, they started to see themselves as icons of what the "regular Joe" should WISH he could be. What should the "little people" wish they were? According to the ruling class (AKA those with lots of microphones and very little humility), the little people should aspire to be THEM. The little people should desire to eat what they eat, dress as they dress, and wait on tenterhooks for glorious words and ideas from this artificial pond.

Suddenly, almost overnight (1980's, I'm looking at you), this small group of millionaire-hating millionaires decided that they would saturate the culture with their insignificant jesting, but cleverly reframe it as life-altering magic, generated in their demigod benevolence THAT EVERYONE NEEDS.

This voice of pseudo wisdom ubiquitously bestowed upon our Walmart-brand-Q-tipped ears was supposed to move US to elevate THEM. Rather than accepting that they were a temporary escape from reality, they strove to CREATE a reality about themselves that they could sell and we would buy.

They thought they had us in the bag. Cameras everywhere on their every move. MILLIONS of dollars deposited into their bank accounts if they would wear a costume and dramatically portray victims of a social issue, imitate a fictional superhero, or dress up like a cat person. Their opinions MUST be heard! Their instruction MUST be golden! Their spray tan MUST be something to emulate! They eat chia seeds? We must eat chia seeds! Bring me to the nearest teeth whitening center as fast as you can, and I'm talking TOILET BOWL WHITE, y'all.

When challenged in any way, statements from the starlets' "publicists" (that survived a focus group vote) were aimed at chiselling us into the Pied Piper followers we turned out to be. Yes, it worked for a while. We devoured magazines about how they exercise, how they clear up their acne, how they decorate their homes, and for the love of all that is good, they gave us the recipe for the divine avocado. They INVENTED the avocado actually, or at least that is what I read somewhere while I was living my pitiful life bereft of stardom.

But here is what happened when you have a loaded deck;
You overplay your hand.

And then there is Trump.

The Hollywood Elite knew who they wanted the little people to vote for. They instructed us in their late-night interview rounds, on their early morning talk show chattering, and in the mainstream media that iconoclasts them. Their message was made clear, and, seriously, aren't they in charge?

Apparently not.

So why is Hollywood so viscerally attacking Trump supporters? It's not because they think he is an ineffective leader. It is because he demonstrated the lack of importance of the ruling class of elites.

When it comes to the regular Joe showing up and thinking for himself, you've got yourself a swamp teeming with hostility. Far from worshipping at the altar of celebrity, regular, normal, everyday awesome people went against the Avocado class. They ignored their opinions. They laughed at their outbursts. They made memes of their hypocrisy. They ate avocado toast ALL ON THEIR OWN.

Gone is the golden globish era of the jester ruling the jested. Done is the tail wagging the dog. Youtube explodes with regular people who are FAR more interesting than the Hollywood Elite. People figured out that they don't need the jesters, the jesters need them!

THUNK.
(That is the sound of the fury falling off the pedestal of fame.)

These wannabe rulers are not finding Trump lacking in success. Quite the opposite, in fact. They see him belligerently flaunting it in their faces. HOW DARE ANYONE NOT OBEY THEM?! The little people are finding that the fruit of Los Angeles was not their placenta after all. The "important people" were right there in the mirrors of their house all along.

Hollywood, we have a message for you. NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR MALIBU MANSIONS WITH 4 PIZZA OVENS, A YOGA STUDIO, AND A BOWLING ALLEY. We care about our own lives. Your role, Hollywood, is to simply entertain us as we summon you per our whims. You are not influencers. You are actors, clowns, jesters... you are merely the people who make pretend for a living. Real life is in OUR OWN HOMES, not at your cinema premieres. I see your limo, and I raise you one Toyota 4-Runner. I win because my hand beats your hand. My REALITY is better than your movies. I am not the deluded one. You are.

Here is some free advice, red carpet walkers. The more reactive you are to anyone who dares to neglect genuflecting to you, the more swampy you are revealed to be. You are no more or less important than any of us. You've been tested and you have failed, Hollywood. You are not the deities you've been portrayed as in those glossy paged magazines that decry glossy page magazine production. You are silly and self-important, and your 15 minutes are up.

That is my Trump theory when it comes to the pontificating elite. I stand by it. I might not have invented the avocado like De Niro’s people, but I live in the real world and I don't require your jesting. What we need is an escape from YOU.

The velvet ropes have been torn down. Deal with it.

(The author of this article, Robin Gould, divides her time between Alaska and Antarctica, and is in the process of moving.)

Rabid Jewish counter-missionary bashes Messiah Yeshua

The following is comment from a rabid Jewish “counter-missionary” – posted exactly as written, with my responses below:

JOEL BERGER WROTE:

… if you will close your mouth and open your ears would be glad to explain to you why he is not, using your Bible, he did not live to be past 70 years and have two sons, Isiah 53:10, Psalm 90:10 he did not bring all the Jews back to the land he did not end sickness, hunger, war, bring the knowledge of Hashem to all mankind, build the third and eternal temple begin again animal sacrifice for accidental sin Ezekiel 34-48 the animals did not stop fighting, Isiah 11:2, also Isiah 11:2 he will be an observant Jew who fears Hashem, Hashem, does not fear anything, all men do and will. No man can die for your sins Jeremiah 31:29-3o G-d speaks only against human sin, calls it an abomination and G-d doe not lie or change his mind. Numbers 23:19. He gave is specific instructions ; animals only, only certain animals, and a drop of blood had to be and will again be dropped at the alter, the food was and will again be given to the poor. No instruction on sacrificing man except not to, if he did give instructions, which he did not as he does not lie or change is mind, than Jesus would have had to have a drop of his blood dropped to burn on the alter. 200,000 Jews were crucified, not one had their blood, not one drop put on alter. If you do not like to hear the truth, leave, have a nice day.

MY RESPONSE: Let’s dissect what Mr. Berger said, shall we? Here goes:

BERGER WROTE: “if you will close your mouth and open your ears would be glad to explain to you why he is not, using your Bible, he did not live to be past 70 years and have two sons, Isiah 53:10, Psalm 90:10”

MY RESPONSE: And I am happy to explain why Y’shua IS the Messiah! In response to your first comment, Isaiah 53 isn’t about Israel; it’s all about Y’shua! Why? Well - can Israel DIE for Israel? (No, but Y’shua did! See Matthew 27.) Can Israel be wounded for our transgressions? (No, but Y’shua was! See Matthew 27.)

Can people take Israel's garments and divide them? (No, but that certainly happened in Y’shua’s case! See John 19:23.) WHEN was "Israel" wounded for our transgressions or crushed because of our iniquities? Has the world been HEALED by "Israel"? Not hardly! Y'shua has filled myriads of Tanach prophecies - and people can reject it all they want, but they cannot CHANGE those facts!

You can argue that until you’re blue in the face, and suggest that Y’shua isn’t mentioned in Torah by name and that NT scriptures don’t count because you feel the NT is a myth, etc. - but the fact remains just because YOU believe that the NT is a myth, doesn’t make it so. I believe in God’s “rest of the story” for many reasons, including the fact that Yeshua has so far fulfilled at least 300 prophecies! Who else can make that claim?

Oh, and by the way, the EARTH is God’s altar! 

Leviticus 17:11 says that the blood of the sacrifice must be placed "upon the altar to make atonement for your souls".

NOTHING says that the "altar" is to be a place of supreme importance! YHWH never said that an "altar" had to be a "special place" made out of special materials; the altar was simply the place where the sacrifice was offered. Yes, there has to be an altar for the sacrifice and, yes, the altar is a holy place - but the altar is not the central issue.

In Exodus 20:21 (which is verse 24 in some Bibles), YHWH says: "For Me, you need only make an altar of earth...." He goes on to say that if you do make an altar out of stone, not to use cut stones because if you use a tool on it, you profane it....

When Yeshua offered Himself on our behalf, where did his blood spill? On the Earth! The Earth was the altar! Yeshua's blood was sprinkled on the altar to make atonement for us! He WAS, in essence, the final sin sacrifice! He martyred Himself on our behalf. He chose to do that! He could have called down legions of angels to take him off that stake, but He KNEW WHO HE WAS - and He obeyed His Father's Will....

BERGER WROTE: “he did not bring all the Jews back to the land he did not end sickness, hunger, war, bring the knowledge of Hashem to all mankind, build the third and eternal temple begin again animal sacrifice for accidental sin Ezekiel 34-48 the animals did not stop fighting, Isiah 11:2, also Isiah 11:2”

MY RESPONSE: So, who said Messiah would have to do all these things at once according human standards? Do you see any passages in the Tanach that suggest YHWH’s Messiah would have a certain timeframe in which to accomplish all he had to accomplish?

It’s not enough for you that Yeshua has so far fulfilled at least 300 Messianic prophecies? As the Word (John 1:1, 14) and the “Arm” (Isaiah 53:1) he was an intercessor between YHWH and man, who came to proclaim the Kingdom of YHWH and do everything His Father commanded (see Luke 4:43 and 8:1; Acts 28:23), all while leading people back to the Source: YHWH and His Divine Instructions for mankind, without which we would have no blueprint for moral, holy living!

BTW, while certainly “divine” Yeshua wasn’t GOD (God cannot be born or die); nor was he created in the womb of an almah to come onto the scene and "change any rules" as Christianity teaches. For a list of what he accomplished so far, please check out our article.

And BTW – even though your rant didn’t mention it, I’ll just say it anyway:

The Rabbis are correct that Isaiah 7:14 was NOT referring to the future birth of Yeshua; the 7:14 prophecy unfolds within 65 years - the lifetime of the two Kings mentioned in Isaiah. The prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 was used by Matthew, but there was an expectation in Matthew's writings that the reader would understand the reference to Isaiah as he did. Matthew clearly knew the remainder of Isaiah, chapters 9-11 was a progressive revelation of the future Messiah, and that the tie between the prophecies included the word "virgin" (which in the Hebrew translation became "almah").

The prophecy in Isaiah 7:14-25 is about the salvation and regathering of Israel, and that salvation as the prophecy was being revealed, involved a sign of a birth, first to Achaz in Chapter 7, then of a future birth of chapters 9-11. I could go on, but surely you get the gist.

The bottom line is, the BIBLE contains at least 300 prophecies that have already come to pass exactly as was written, and there is no way they could all be "coincidences." (According to scientist and mathematician, Professor Peter Stoner, the probability of even just 48 prophecies being fulfilled by one person (referring to Y'shua) is the incredible number of 1 in 10^157 power - one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion…)

BERGER WROTE: “he will be an observant Jew who fears Hashem, Hashem, does not fear anything, all men do and will.”

MY RESPONSE: Which Yeshua certainly was! He was a Torah-observant, Sabbath-and Mo’edim-keeping, tallit-wearing, synagogue-attending, kosher Jew who did not come to start new religions called "Catholicism" or “Christianity”; but, rather, to fulfill the Old Covenant promises and become the LIVING Word of God.

As our “substitution” (he martyred himself against which there is no law!), he did not come to abolish the Torah, or to nullify God's original commandments in any way. The simple Truth is, Yeshua martyred himself, thus redeeming us by voluntarily shedding his divine blood; and, in doing so, he redeemed us for our past sins (“our” referring to those who accepted YHWH [the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob] as their ELOHIM, and recognized that Yeshua was His Divine Messiah who martyred himself on our behalf).

If you’ll recall, YHWH always demanded blood sacrifices as a substitution/redemption for our lives, as you can see fully explained in our blog (https://blog.therefinersfire.org/2016/02/what-sins-did-jesus-die-for-exactly.html). The bottom line of the article is that one’s salvation always required that blood substitution or redemption of one nephesh (soul) for another.

The possibility of that substitution of an animal at the Temple is gone; it has been replaced by your acceptance that the Messiah died for you, and redeemed you, so you can receive eternal life.

Yeshua volunteered to substitute His nephesh for yours, and yet, today, many reject the offer. Yeshua, sinless, MARTYRED himself, offering His blood for yours, against which there is NO Torah prohibition!

So, how do we know he was a Jew? Well, many people fail to realize or address a major problem associated with the genealogical listing found in Matthew's gospel (which counter-missionaries LOVE to use to prove Yeshua a lie) … The lineage of Mary.

Once you have established that the line is indeed Mary's, you must deal with a second difficulty: The rights of the line are NOT passed through the mother; but rather, through the father. Even though Mary, through her lineage, was of the Davidic bloodline (as was her husband, Joseph - Luke 3:23-38), she should be excluded from being able to pass those rights of the bloodline because she was female (Deuteronomy 21:16).

So, it is not enough to prove that Mary was an unblemished descendant of David; she had to be a male to transfer the rights. Therefore, she would be disqualified to transfer the rights to her son Yeshua - EXCEPT for a little known exception to the rule.

In Numbers 26 we are introduced to Zelophehad. Zelophehad, we are told, had no sons; only daughters. In Numbers 27, following the death of Zelophehad, the daughters of Zelophehad came before Moses and argued their plight. Because their father had died with no sons, all of their rights of inheritance were to be lost and they felt this was unfair. So Moses prayed to YHWH and He gave Moses an exception to the rule!

Numbers 27:8 Moreover, say to the people of Isra'el, 'If a man dies and does not have a son, you are to have his inheritance pass to his daughter. 9 If he doesn't have a daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11 If his father doesn't have brothers, give his inheritance to the closest relative in his family, and he will possess it. This will be the standard for judgment to be used by the people of Isra'el, as ADONAI ordered Moshe.'"

YHWH told Moses that the inheritance CAN flow through a female, IF they fulfill two requirements: There must be no male offspring in the family (Numbers 27:8) and if the female offspring should marry, they must marry within their own tribe (Numbers 36:6).
Now, returning to Mary. On the surface she should be unable to transfer the rights to her Son. But when you research you find that Mary had NO brothers, she was of the line of David, AND received the inheritance of her father because her father had no sons, AND Mary did indeed marry within her own tribe to Joseph.

BERGER WROTE: “No man can die for your sins Jeremiah 31:29-3o G-d speaks only against human sin, calls it an abomination and G-d doe not lie or change his mind. Numbers 23:19. He gave is specific instructions ; animals only, only certain animals, and a drop of blood had to be and will again be dropped at the alter, the food was and will again be given to the poor. No instruction on sacrificing man except not to, if he did give instructions, which he did not as he does not lie or change is mind, than Jesus would have had to have a drop of his blood dropped to burn on the alter. 200,000 Jews were crucified, not one had their blood, not one drop put on alter. If you do not like to hear the truth, leave, have a nice day.”

MY RESPONSE: Well, then, how do you explain YHWH’s telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?  While Isaac wasn’t meant to be a “sin sacrifice,” the command was still to “sacrifice” him.

And how do you account for the following passages in Torah?

Exodus 28: 36 "You are to make an ornament of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal, 'Set apart for ADONAI.' 37 Fasten it to the turban with a blue cord, on the front of the turban, 38 over Aharon's forehead. Because Aharon bears the guilt for any errors committed by the people of Isra'el in consecrating their holy gifts, this ornament is always to be on his forehead, so that the gifts for ADONAI will be accepted by him.

Leviticus 6: 25 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the sin offering: in the place where the burnt offering is slain the sin offering shall be slain before the LORD; it is most holy. 26'The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the tent of meeting. 27'Anyone who touches its flesh will become consecrated; and when any of its blood splashes on a garment, in a holy place you shall wash what was splashed on.…

Leviticus 10: 16 Then Moshe carefully investigated what had happened to the goat of the sin offering and discovered that it had been burned up. He became angry with El'azar and Itamar, the remaining sons of Aharon, and asked, 17 "Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the area of the sanctuary, since it is especially holy? He gave it to you to take away the guilt of the community, to make atonement for them before ADONAI. (CJB)

Also, read Numbers 18 to get a tiny glimpse of the weight that was placed upon the shoulders of Aaron and the other cohanim.

Excerpt from the website MessianicTorah.org: 

Priests were established to help the people live in an intimate relationship with the Eternal. Many times people would, by mistake, enter the sanctuary being impure which generated guilt among the people. That guilt had to be removed in order for the people to keep enjoying the Eternal's presence without being exposed to the danger of His anger against sin.

In order to eliminate that guilt, they had to burn on the altar part of the animals destined for this purpose and then eat the rest. So, on the one hand, part of the sin that was transmitted to the animal that bore the guilt of the people was burnt on the altar; and on the other hand the priests ate the rest of the animal and the sin within it. Through these two ways of consuming the animal, sin was removed from the people who, thus, were atoned before the Eternal.

In the Torah this offering is not called "sin offering" but just "sin" chatat – חטאת. In other words, it is written in this verse that the priests had to eat the sin. Since the people's sin was transmitted to the animal through hand imposition, sin was in the sacrifice itself, so it is then called "sin". So when the priests ate from the sacrifice, sin entered in them, and in that way it decomposed in their intestines in the natural way and then got disposed of.

This teaches us that a priest may introduce the sin of the people in his own body, in the form of meat. This makes us think of the Messiah who took the sin of the people of Israel and the world in his body so the Eternal could forgive our sins and cleanse us to be sacred dwellings for Him and also to be able to enter the heavenly tabernacle without danger.

"...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed." (1 Peter. 2:24 NKJV)

"In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!" (Rev. 5:12 NIVUK)

Blessed be the Eternal for having given us Yeshua as heavenly priest who took our sins in his body and eliminated them! And blessed be Yeshua for his faithfulness as priest becoming responsible for our sins and taking them away to give us everlasting hope! And blessed are those who believe in the Messiah's sacrifice!

Yeshua wasn’t a “sacrifice”–he offered himself, against which there is no Torah prohibition!

As you all know, God never demanded a human sacrifice - which is what Jewish counter-missionaries attempt to use against Yeshua...because Christianity insists he was a "sacrifice".

Truth is, Yeshua - like the Passover lambs, which were also NOT "sacrificed" (because nobody "sacrificed" them) Yeshua OFFERED himself ... and there is no Torah prohibition against that! He was a human martyr who had a divine qnoma/nature, and by his divine blood, we are cleansed from our PAST sins.

However, while we weren't supposed to offer HUMAN SACRIFICES, YHWH - as our Elohim and Almighty and Creator of the entire universe - certainly can do anything He wants!

And what He obviously wanted (as evidenced in Isaiah 53 and in all the Mo'edim/Feasts) was for His Messiah to be born. to teach and preach and do everything his Father commanded, and then to die ... so that mankind (not just the Jews but ANYONE who accepted Him as their ELOHIM) could have a way to become redeemed without the Temple, which was destroyed in 70 AD.

And - as we all know - YHWH's Divine Messiah chose to martyr Himself....as a sin OFFERING, against which there IS NO TORAH LAW! According to a footnote in the Aramaic English New Testament:

Offerings "qurbana" and sacrifices "dabekha" are two different entities. Although there are certain aspects to Mashiyach's death that are utterly unique to him (Zechariah 12:10, etc.), his death nevertheless echoes aspects of offerings and sacrifices that came before.

The qurbana is the human life (nefesh) that Y'shua voluntarily offers up on the stake. The result of that offering is his blood put out on the "altar"; hence dabekha.
However, this is certainly not, as some critics suggest, human sacrifice. Rather, this indicates Y'shua's status as Mashiyach ben Yoseph.

Per strict accordance with Isaiah 53 and Genesis 22:8, Mashiyach ben Yoseph was required to suffer and die. After his death, the offering of himself became a sacrifice that was taken up, and he was resurrected three days later. Many of YHWH's prophets also suffered and were martyred at the hands of those who fought against the Malchut Elohim.

In the case of Mashiyach, his shed blood is counted as the acceptable offering, the Lamb of YHWH, which is most Set Apart unto YHWH.

A strong Message in 2 Chronicles 15….

Here's something to really think about if you're "lukewarm" in the least bit:

2 Chronicles 15:1 The Spirit of God came on ‘Azaryah the son of ‘Oded; 2 he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Y’hudah and Binyamin! ADONAI is with you, as long as you are with him; if you seek him, you will find him; but if you abandon him, he will abandon you!

3 For a long time Isra’el was without the true God, without a cohen who could teach, and without Torah. 4 But when, in their distress, they turned to ADONAI the God of Isra’el and sought him, they found him.

5 In those times people going about their business were insecure, and great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands; 6 so that they were shattered to pieces, nation against nation and city against city, as God troubled them with every kind of distress. 7 But you, be strong, and don’t slack off; for your work will be rewarded.” (CJB)

Nobody deceived you but YOU!

A message for those who are thinking of “rejecting Jesus” because they felt they were “lied to and deceived” in church:

I hate to tell you this, but NOBODY lied to you or deceived you!

You have nobody else to blame but yourself because you personally never bothered to actually read or STUDY Scripture from Genesis to Revelation! If you had, you would have known who God is and what He expects of HIS people.

You would have KNOWN that ADONAI expects ALL who believe in Him to be Torah observant – keeping His COMMANDED Seventh Day Sabbath and His Mo’edim/Feasts, and to refrain from eating “unclean” meats… (See Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:13-16, Isaiah 56:6, and Romans 10:12-13.)

But, you didn’t know that. Instead, you blindly clung to that last THIRD of the Bible and the misunderstood writings of Paul (who seems to negate Torah, which in fact, he NEVER did – but, hey, you never really bothered to investigate how a mere MAN would or could possibly have dared to speak against what YHWH commanded and what His Divine Messiah taught)….

And then one day you happened upon some “enlightened” folks on Facebook who brought all this to your attention – and suddenly – BAM! – your eyes were opened to THEIR “truth” – and, of course, you began to view yourself as an instant “expert” on Torah!

And now you’re sitting there on your high horse, joining the Jewish “counter-missionaries” in their aggressive quest to deceive others into “leaving Jesus” – that is, those like yourself who have done nothing but warm the church pews on Sundays propping their Bibles on their laps (if they even bothered to carry one) opening them to the chapter and verse their New Testament-only, grace-only pastors told them to turn to, while presenting their fluffy “God loves you and nothing is required of you but to believe in Jesus” sermons….

And now since you’ve swung from one end of the pendulum straight to the other, you’re going to tell others how they’ve “been deceived and lied to” by their pastors. YOU HYPOCRITES!

Matthew 23: 13. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before the sons of men. For you are not entering yourselves, and those who would enter you do not allow to enter.

14. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For you consume the houses of widows, and that for a pretense you lengthen your prayers. Because this you will receive a greater judgment.

15. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you traverse sea and land that you might make one proselyte, and when he has become one, you make him double the son of Gehenna that you are yourselves. (AENT)

We are “Under the law” and “ignoring grace?”

People need to start realizing that "grace" has ALWAYS been around! If YHWH hadn't provided "grace" Adam and Eve would have been worm fodder, and none of us would have existed!

But, since certain people continue to bring up the issue, let's discuss this, shall we?

1 John 2: 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in him. 6 He who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked.

How did he walk? By Torah! Y'shua didn't make up new rules. He kept Torah and expected US to follow suit. You can only know the him through the law and the testimony! Revelation reveals this:

Revelation 12: 17 "The dragon was infuriated over the woman and went off to fight the rest of her children, those who obey God's commands and bear witness to Yeshua."

Revelation 14: 12 "This is when perseverance is needed on the part of God's people, those who observe his commands and exercise Yeshua's faithfulness."

Please note, the above scriptures don't mention the "Ten Commandments". They simply refer to "the Commands" or "the Commandments", depending on which Bible version you use....God warns us in Proverbs 4:2 - "I give you good instruction: Do not forsake my Torah."

Here's more...

"And by this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and follow his commandments. For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not burdensome. Because, whoever is born of Elohim overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith" (1 John 5:2-4).

"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept the commandments of my Father, and I abide in His love." (John 15:10).

"And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My Commandments" (Sh'mot/Exodus 20:6); and, "Therefore you shall love YHWH your Elohim and keep His charge and His Statutes and His Judgments and His Commandments, always." (D'varim/Deut. 11:1).

"Only take great care to obey the mitzvah and the Torah which Moshe the servant of ADONAI gave you - to love ADONAI your God, follow all his ways, observe his mitzvot, cling to him, and serve him with all your heart and being." (Joshua 22:5). He declared "...as for me and my house, we will serve YHWH." (Joshua 24:15).

And Paul said:

"Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we ESTABLISH the Law" (Romans 3:31).

The thing is, Scripture is clear that YHWH hates paganism. He is holy and commands us to be holy and set apart. How are we "set apart" if we refuse to keep the commanded Seventh Day Sabbath - which is a SIGN between YHWH and His people! - and make up our own "holy days" (Christmas, Easter) both of which are steeped in paganism?

Ezekiel 20: 11 I gave them my laws and showed them my rulings; if a person obeys them, he will have life through them. 12 I gave them my shabbats as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I, ADONAI, am the one who makes them holy.

So, the question remains: How likely is it that people who consider Torah a CURSE and refuse to obey God will end up in heaven?

Women – don’t be deceived! Scripture does NOT “command” women to wear head coverings…

A GUY ON FACEBOOK WROTE THE FOLLOWING:

Headcoverings are beautifully modest, because they are obedient to Yahuah and the Torah keeping Husband. HalleluYah! Amein Ladies remember the Bible says you are to cover your heads during prayer time and while prophesying. It also says in another place in the Scriptures that all servants of Yahuah should be in constant prayer at all times.

So does this mean the female daughters of Yahuah should have a covered head at all times even though there isn't a forced permanent covering listed? I say you should do it for love and obedience. You and your husband should talk about this and pray too for a revelation. Ladies remember if your husband would like you to wear a headcovering regularly you should obey him, because the Bible says you must always.

NICE TRY, BUT THAT’S NOT EXACTLY TRUE!

I’ll be honest – I truly hate it when men attempt to use Scripture out of context to force women to obey them! Case in point – women’s head coverings.

At first glance, the man's words seem benign enough, but upon further examination, you can see that, while this guy even ADMITS there are NO scriptures commanding women to wear head coverings EXCEPT when praying and prophesying, he goes on to blatantly suggest that women MUST wear them in order to please YHWH and their husbands.

CAN ANYBODY SAY "SCRIPTURE TWISTING?"

What saddens me is that most people will read the type of nonsense and immediately agree – because a Hebrew Roots “teacher” said it; and therefore, it MUST be true!

Truth is, there is NO scripture in the entire Bible that commands women to keep their hair covered 24/7. None!

Don't take my word for it - let's examine the main passage in question, which some men love to read out of context, concentrating only on verse 6 and ignoring the rest:

1 Corinthians 11: 3. And I desire that you know that the head of every man is the Mashiyach, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of the Mashiyach is Elohim.

4. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered, dishonors his head. 5. And every woman, who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered, dishonors her head; for she is on a level with her whose head is shaven. 6. For if a woman be not covered, let her also be shorn; but if it be shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered....

13. Judge for yourselves, among yourselves; is it becoming that a woman pray to Elohim with her head uncovered?[1] 14. Does not nature teach you that in a man, if his hair grows long, it is a reproach to him? 15. But for a woman, if her hair is abundant, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.[2]

Footnotes:

[1] It's a shame for a man to grow long hair, if his goal is to look like a woman. Torah requires that there be a clear distinction between male and female (Deuteronomy 22:5). Each person must be clearly recognizable according to their natural birth gender. Long hair on a man is NOT the sole issue; those taking Nazarite vows wore long hair some for life (Samson) and others for a season.

Paul himself took a Nazarite vow. Rav Shaul is teaching against pagan sexuality practices, of those who do things to make themselves appear as the opposite gender. This an issue of gender distinction and understanding the Image of Elohim in both male and female.

[2] Or rather, as an additional covering, i.e., on top of proper clothing for worship and having her head covered. This does not mean a woman's hair is in place of a head covering.

GET IT?

First of all, if someone wants to insist that PAUL SAID women have to wear coverings – let’s remember that PAUL IS NOT GOD! End of argument!

But, that’s a moot point, because as you can see for yourself, Paul DIDN’T say it to force women to cover constantly.

Now, just for kicks, let’s respond to that guy’s comment:

HE WROTE:

“So does this mean the female daughters of Yahuah should have a covered head at all times even though there isn't a forced permanent covering listed?"

MY RESPONSE:

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw this was, "'Female daughter?" Is there such a thing as a 'male' daughter?

Secondly, sincere PRAYER isn't just babbling to God all day long while you're doing your daily chores; it is getting on your knees during quiet time, with head covered, to go before our HOLY ELOHIM with open heart and soul.

I've never been down on my knees before Him in prayer 24/7 - and neither has anybody else! NOBODY is able to physically do that, therefore, it's truly unfair to suggest that "female daughters" should remain covered "just in case"...

But if you want to push the issue, then I suggest MEN start wearing DRESSES because that's what men in biblical times wore! PANTS are a fairly modern invention, so, if men want to be truly biblical, they should wear tunic type "dresses"...

This silly argument could go on forever, but let’s just leave it for now, because there will always been men who wish to subdue women, and women who will allow them to.

And that’s just fine. As long as you don’t attempt to push YOUR “truth” on the rest of us! If neither YHWH nor Yeshua commanded it, then it's NOT NICE to suggest we need to do it, anyway.

About that "turn the other cheek" thing

I'm writing this because a couple of people on Facebook truly managed to push me over the edge today, I don't mind people disagreeing with me, but I cannot handle being continuously provoked.

When it gets to the point where I ask nicely for you to back off, I MEAN, BACK OFF - especially if you're a repeat offender who likes to return to my wall to provoke me again and again! Today, the only way to get rid of those two guys was to block them, because it was the ONLY way to get them to shut up. I only have two cheeks to turn, and after that, all bets are off, because I “tell it like it is.”

While Scripture commands us to do everything in our power to maintain shalom, there are provisions for self-defense. Torah instructs the strong to protect the weak, Deut 22:27. Ya'akov teaches to "stand firm" against Satan, James 4:7. Paul teaches to stand against the strategies of the Accuser in Ephesians 6:11; neither does he mince words in Acts 13:10.

Isaiah 14:15 states that haSatan will be brought down to hell and a slaughter is prepared for his children (verse 21). Rev 20:10 promises a date for Satan in the lake of fire, in the meantime we are to recognize that our battles are not against flesh and blood, and to act accordingly.

We must remember that Y'shua taught his followers to make sacrifices for the Kingdom and to "take up their cross" and follow him. Many Christians take these ideas literally, knowing what he did on the stake; and, at certain times of the year, they parade large wooden crosses through the streets of their cities.

While Y'shua predicted hardships for his followers, he also told them to rejoice when it happened - but this didn't mean he wanted them to roll over and play dead. Clearly he intended his followers to live! .

Y'shua calls his followers to be beyond reproach so that false accusations against them will not have a negative impact. He knows that "they will lay hands on you and persecute you" on account of his name's sake (Luke 21:12) and he tells us: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18-25) Nevertheless, the fact remains that Y'shua always expects the best possible efforts from his followers, and this is where "turning the other cheek" really comes into play.

Keefa (Peter) was rebuked for cutting off the ear of a member of the arresting party. Y'shua felt so strongly about this being wrong that he restored the stricken man's ear. Why? Because he didn't want to escalate the situation and risk the safety of his own disciples.

Y'shua wanted the assaulter to have an opportunity to re-think his actions. Oftentimes assaults are made during momentary acts of emotion. For these reasons, Y'shua says turn your left cheek, and then see if your attacker is running on their emotions. Most people, if given a moment to think about what they are doing, would probably not resort to violence.

However, even if someone did, the act would indicate the intent and be so blatant that it would virtually guarantee either arrest and/or conviction of assault. Either way, this would again serve as an opportunity for both parties to make one final attempt toward reconciliation before escalating the matter further and winding up in court.

Reader asks “What is the ‘Call of God’?”

Hello. I have a question that I've been pondering. What is "The Calling of God?" In Jeremiah 1:5 YHWH calls Jeremiah ; Sh'muel was called (set apart). There are many other accounts of this "Call of God." In the book of Romans 11:29 "For Elohim is not changeable in his free gift and His calling" (AENT). I've seen this "Calling of God" erroneously stated, even "prophesied" over people, advocating "gifts assessments", aka: "God's got a call on your life..." I know many are called and even fewer chosen or choose to listen to God.  Thank you for all you do. Your ministry has been instrumental in my life. Shalom.

Our Reply

This is a very good question "What is the calling of God?"… and a wise observation. It's difficult to answer as there is no "correct" answer. Nevertheless, the phrase "Call of God," as you’ve clearly witnessed, is very much misused and abused. Christianity, for example (speaking very broadly), tends to read Romans 11:29, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (ESV) to be all about A) individual "gifts", i.e., "God has given you spiritual gifts" and B) "it is your personal calling..." Of course, that is not what the verse means. Since both the concept of the "Call of God" and Romans 11:29 are mentioned, let me first address the latter:

Romans 11:29

In the verse, Paul is not talking about "Christians" (Christianity did not yet exist.) He is talking about how the people of God rejected His gift and that Gentiles, begin grafted-in to the tree, have every much the same responsibility as do His chosen people. But Paul had just explained that His chosen People had rejected God's gift, yet they remain His people and their destiny remained open for them to "return" to Him (carefully read Romans 10:1-11:27). Indeed he summarized in 11:28:

"Now, in the Good News, they are enemies for your sake; but in the election, they are beloved for the father's sake" (AENT). Not such an easy verse to understand, but here is what it means derived from the context preceding the narrative:

- "They" in "they are enemies for your sake" are the Jews who have rejected the Messiah. (Romans 10:2-3).

- But "they" (the Jews) are the "elect" and "they" remain beloved and that God has destined that "they" will return to a close relationship with Him as they come to faith in the Messiah at some point in the future (Romans 11: 25-27).

Thus, the meaning 11:29 comes into focus: "For Elohim is not changeable in his free gift and in his calling" declares that God chose His people and He has not turned His back, and his "gift" of redemption remains for His people whom He called to be His.

Paul then goes on to say that "you [gentiles] too were formerly disobedient..." ...and now have the same mercy He offers His chosen whom He still loves. (11:30-36.)

So, finally, I can say that the "calling" is not about what we are individually called to do or be, rather the "calling" refers the unchanging fact that God called people to be His and that still holds.

The Call of God

Now, I can return to my thoughts on the "Call of God". I'll keep this brief:

• We are all made in His image. (Genesis 1:26-27.)
• We are called to be His people and to be holy. (Genesis 17:7-8, Exodus 6:7, Leviticus 19:2., Deuteronomy 7:6, and others.)
• For we are His creation who are created in Y’shua the Mashiyach for good works which Elohim has before prepared for us to walk in. (Ephesians 2:10.)
• Since he delivered us and called us to a life of holiness as his people. It was not because of our deeds, but because of his own purpose and the grace which he gave to us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He did this before the beginning of time. (2 Timothy 1:9.)

Thus the "Call of God" is eternal to all humankind. Each person is born with the "call" already in them as the image of God. But that "call" is dormant unless the individual takes action to cause it to bloom (Ezekiel 18:27-28).  Once it blooms, then the way which was ALWAYS prepared for him (Ephesians 2:10) is opened for him to walk.

As you saw in Jeremiah 1:5, we, too, are known before we are born, but as it has always been, part of the "gift" is our acceptance of it and what we do with it. That is the Call of God.

“If God opened the Red Sea for the Jews to escape from Egypt, why didn’t He open WWII Concentration Camp gates?”

I recently found a meme I found on some atheist’s wall that asked the following question:

“If God opened the Red Sea for the Jews to escape from Egypt, why didn’t He open WWII Concentration Camp gates?”

That is actually a very valid question – and our careful response COULD very well be the catalyst that serves to open an atheist’s eyes! We don’t have to sit around and debate them (as that usually resolves nothing anyway); but there’s nothing wrong with “sowing seeds” as you never know whom you might reach!

Plus, YOU might be the one YHWH chose to reach that particular person…. (See 2 Corinthians 9:6; Ecclesiastes 11:6; Proverbs 11:24-25; Luke 8:11; Matthew 13:1-58; Luke 8:15, etc.)

So, here is some interesting info you could share with someone who attempts to debunk the Bible. Share these things with them:

Whether or not you “believe in God,” the Books of Daniel and Revelation are unfolding before our very eyes! In them, you’ll read about unusual phenomena such as the strange weather patterns we’re experiencing right now, along with the increasing, horrific occurrences of natural disasters of ALL kinds; and wars and rumors of wars (terrorist activities), and the increasing decadence and viciousness of humanity. You’ll even discover the fact that Believers will be BEHEADED for their belief. (Not shot, stabbed, hanged or drowned, but BEHEADED! (See Revelation 20:4.) And much, much more….

Now, to answer the question posed on that meme:

To begin with, YHWH does things in His OWN timing. And while myriads have died waiting on Him (like they did, for instance, during the Holocaust), the fact remains, we ARE in a “fallen world” where bad things happen to everyone (and no one is exempt). YHWH didn’t cause the Holocaust, nor was He punishing the Jews (as some assert) … HOWEVER, He USED what Hitler did to make His Grand plan unfold.

I’m not kidding! Please read on because this gets really interesting!

FIRST:

Because of what Hitler did, YHWH allowed mankind to witness the unfolding of TWO end-time prophecies: (1) that Israel would become a nation again, and (2) that it would happen in just ONE day! (See Isaiah 66:7-8.)

We must remember that, in the end, the ONLY thing we can count on is the Promise of Eternal Life after we die (no matter what the cause). (Proverbs 8:35; Daniel 12:2-3; John 3:16; John 10:28-30; 1 John 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:18; Revelation 21:3-4; etc.)

As awful as the Holocaust was, YHWH allowed a certain number of His people to die: SIX MILLION. The number 6 represents not only man, but, in Scripture, it is also used as a symbol of sin and imperfection. In Scripture the number 6 is also used as a symbol of work, because a man was supposed to work 6 days and to sow the earth during the period of 6 years and rest on the Seventh….

SECONDLY, please read this very carefully, or you’ll miss where I’m going with this:

The Bible reveals Y’shua was born during Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), died on 14 Nisan (Passover) and resurrected exactly three days later at the end of the seventh day Sabbath.

The Israelites were led out of Egypt and given physical liberation on 14 Nisan/Passover (Exodus 12:1-13) which foreshadowed Yeshua, the “Passover Lamb” whose atoning death provided SPIRITUAL liberation [see Matthew, Mark, Luke and John].

Well, here’s a mind-blowing fact: Many of the European concentration camps were liberated ON or around 14 Nisan (which on our Gregorian calendars, falls during the March/April timeframe). It is also reported that Hitler committed suicide during this timeframe [April 30, 1945].

Coincidence?

Perhaps, but YHWH does nothing without a specific reason ... EVER! Every single one of His Feasts/Mo’edim represent an important event in His grand plan – and so far, Y’shua has fulfilled FOUR of the SEVEN! The next one (Trumpets) signifies his “second coming” during which there will be a “catching up” of dead and still living believers who will rule and reign with Y’shua during the Millennium (1 Corinthians 15:35-58).

This "catching up" will occur at the return of Mashiyach, which will be around the same time that the Earth will be going up in smoke (2 Peter 3:10-12) at the end of Jacob's Trouble.

Am I 100 percent correct on this? I don’t know. Check my facts and see for yourself (and then please share your findings).

Let’s discuss Titus 3:8-9

Have you ever wondered about the “deeper meaning” of Titus 3:8-9?

Titus 3: 8. Faithful is the Word: and in these things I would have you also establish them; so that they, who have believed in Elohim, may be careful to cultivate good works: these are the things which are good and profitable to men. 9. But foolish questions and stories of genealogies and the disputes and contests of the scribes, avoid: for there is no profit in them and they are vain.* (AENT)

What does this mean?

Well, the truth is that the ancient world is not alone when it comes to “stories of genealogies.” The Internet teems with Jewish, Christian, Messianic, Hebraic Roots, Ephraimite or Two-House identity teachings that tend to endlessly focus on bloodlines, DNA and genealogies – all focusing more on the importance of “who” we are, than on the Truth of YHWH/Yeshua/Torah, and totally ignoring the fact that we are actually all ONE in Messiah (Ephesians 2:15); and that in Messiah there is no Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free (Galatians 3:28)….

Some Ephraimite leaders even teach that ONLY the 12 Tribes of Israel will be “saved!”

Some have lost sight of Y’shua altogether, swinging completely to the “other side of the pendulum” to adopt different forms of Orthodox or Karaite Judaism for their spirituality - all because of their pursuit of bloodline theology, identity, and “Hebraic” teachings.

The “lost sheep of the house of Israel” is another example of an 18th century Christian doctrine that takes the focus off the Kingdom of Heaven and puts it on ancient maps of Europe, Assyriology, self, and Jewish and Israelite history in a bid to link bloodline connections between British and American Christians with the “Lost Sheep of the House of Israel.”

Rav Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) specifically told us to “avoid” these things!

Titus 3:9 But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, quarrels and fights about the Torah; because they are worthless and futile. 10 Warn a divisive person once, then a second time; and after that, have nothing more to do with him. 11 You may be sure that such a person has been perverted and is sinning: he stands self-condemned. (CJB)


The following excerpt was borrowed from a footnote on Titus 3:9 in the Aramaic English New Testament (AENT):

One of the ironies of the Ephraimite, Two-House, and British Israel movements is that the key word for “lost” sheep in Hebrew is “abad” (destroyed or perished) from which the term “Abaddon” destroyer is derived. The movement has produced leaders who are highly influenced by Rabbinical and Karaite Judaism, some of whom no longer believing that Y’shua is the King of Kings, or that Y’shua did not make atonement on the stake; but rather, that he came to “gather the 12 Tribes of Israel.”

However, Hebrews 13:8 says Y’shua is “the same yesterday, today and forever”. So, if Y’shua cannot change, if he is not King of Kings now, he never will be King of Kings. By focusing on self and identity, many have elevated their genealogy theories over and above the Redemptive work of Mashiyach, and put the Kingdom of Heaven as a secondary pursuit.”

(End of footnote excerpt.)

What people seem to forget is that “tribal identity” is secondary. Why? Because, the bottom line is that there is only one Torah for the Jew and the foreigner (Numbers 15:15-16) and the righteous from the nations become part of the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:11-16) …which includes ALL 12 tribes in unity (Revelation 7:1-8).

As believers in Y’shua Mashiyach, our ONE, TRUE SPIRITUAL IDENTITY is that we love him by keeping His Father’s Commandments (Revelation 22:14). That is also why Jeremiah 31:31-34 starts with Two Houses and ends with One—Israel.


Continuing with another excerpt from the AENT footnote on Titus 3:9:

Ezekiel goes even further: “And for all there is One Shepherd from David to rule over them all, the two sticks being the shepherd’s staff in his hand: And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms.” (Ezekiel 37:22-NAU)

Since it is clear that there is no Mediator between humanity and Abba YHWH other than Y’shua, why does it seem as extremists from all camps are promoting their man-made hierarchies, whether Jewish, Christian, Catholic, Messianic, Hebrew Roots or Ephraimite?

In part the answer must reside with the deceptions of the enemy that are reflected in the root level of the Hebrew language itself. Ephraim first appears in Genesis 41:52; “He named the second Ephraim for he said, Elohim has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

There are two concepts brought into sharp juxtaposition here. First, is the word para (fruitful), which according to Brown Driver Briggs becomes “Ephraim” in Hiphil form. So, when Joseph’s children—or anyone else for that matter—lives in righteousness, they can be fruitful even in tough times. That’s the good news. However, the sense of affliction (oni, anah in Hebrew) could also be viewed as a warning of what will befall those who choose rebellion and unrighteousness.

Very often in Hebrew a “blessing” word starts with the letter Aleph but turns “corrupt” by swapping it with the similar sounding Ayin. For example, “light” is spelled Aleph-Waw-Resh, but “blindness” is spelled Ayin-Waw-Resh (see Exodus 4:11). Similarly, Ephraim is spelled with an Aleph but if we swap it for an Ayin we get Epher which means “ash heap”.

In Psalm 44:24-26 we find “affliction” not with “fruitfulness” as it is in Genesis 41:52 but with dirt, dust, ashes via Epher: “Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction (oni) and our distress? For our core beings have sunk down into the dust (epher/apher). Our body clings to the earth. Rise up! Be our help! And redeem us for the sake of Your loving-kindness.”

Therefore, just as “light” degrades to “blindness” so too can “Ephraim” stop being fruitful and become ashes, the ultimate symbol of surrender or mourning. The same choices apply to everyone, not for Ephraim alone.

Adam was formed from Epher/Apher and was told; “For Apher (dust) you are and to Apher (dust) you shall return” (Genesis 3:14). The Good News is that all of humanity is called to fruitfulness through righteous behavior—regardless of what man-made teachings say—to celebrate and rejoice in Mashiyach and Torah.

When we open our hearts to Torah we are fruitful, but when we rebel and turn a blind eye we come to ashes. On that score, when we walk in humility and repent of our sins in sackcloth and ashes we become “fruitful” again.

(End of footnote excerpt.)

The bottom line is. while it’s “nice to know” where we came from and “who we are” here in our “earth suits,” our TRUE identity lies in YHWH/Y’shua! Divisions concerning our respective places in that identity are totally unnecessary and uncalled for. We are ONE IN MESSIAH! End of story.

How sad that so many fall for deception!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the myriad “anti-missionary” Jewish Rabbis who spend their lives taking people away from Yeshua. Over the last couple of decades, they’ve become very skilled at their chosen profession, and have managed to not take many away from Yeshua, but they USE those same people against other believers!  They’re very skilled in “proving” to Christians and Hebrew Roots/Messianic adherents that “Jesus, Paul and the New Testament are myths….

Well, I’m here to say it’s truly sad that they’re very deceived!

How often throughout Torah and Tanakh was YHWH upset with His people for their stubbornness and refusal to obey and behave themselves? My goodness, after witnessing YHWH’s miracles upon their escape from the bondage of Egypt (including the parting of the sea and being supernaturally kept alive by the regular appearance of manna), they ultimately – led by Aaron the High Priest! – made a golden calf to worship (Exodus 32) while Moshe was in the Presence of YHWH, receiving the Ten Mitzvot! (And Aaron, when confronted by Moshe, basically goes: “DUH! The people made me do it. They gave me all their gold and I threw it into the fire, and poof! – out came this golden calf!”)

Exodus 32: 21 Moshe said to Aharon, "What did these people do to you to make you lead them into such a terrible sin?" 22 Aharon replied, "My lord shouldn't be so angry. You know what these people are like, that they are determined to do evil. 23 So they said to me, 'Make us gods to go ahead of us; because this Moshe, the man that brought us up from the land of Egypt - we don't know what has become of him.' 24 I answered them, 'Anyone with gold, strip it off!' So they gave it to me. I threw it in the fire, and out came this calf!" (CJB)

A HIGH PRIEST was guilty of catering to the whiners and loudmouths – and they're STILL doing it ... only now, they're busy taking “the nations” with them…those who used to “believe in Jesus” and have allowed themselves to be sucked into a vortex of untruths because they never knew or understood Scripture in the first place! They are the same people who have been led around by the nose by Christian pastors of the myriad “denominations” – and now they’re angry about how they were “deceived” – never mind that they would NOT have been deceived had they actually READ the Bible from cover to cover WITH the aid of the Holy Spirit!

If you or someone you know is thinking of kicking Yeshua in the face to follow these rabid anti-missionaries, I urge you to think twice, for if you deliberately deny Yeshua and thereby trample YHWH's Son, you will have sold your soul to haSatan!

Matthew 10:32. Whoever, therefore, that confesses me before the sons of men, he also I (will confess) before my Father who is in heaven. 33. But whoever denies me before the sons of men, he will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. (AENT)

1 John 2:22. Who is false but he that denies that Y’shua is the Mashiyach? And that person is a false Messiah. He that denies the Father denies also the Son. 23. And he that denies the Son also does not believe the Father. He that confesses the Son confesses also the Father. 24. And what you heard from the first, let that remain with you. For if that which you heard from the first remains with you, you also will remain in the Father and in the Son. 25. And this is the promise which he has promised us: (even) life eternal. 26. And these things I have written to you on account of those who seduce you. (AENT)

Anti-missionaries and their converts seem to spend all their waking hours bashing those of us who believe that Yeshua is Messiah, while building themselves up as the most righteous and misunderstood people on earth. Well, I urge you to reach the very short chapter 3 of Malachi, which reveals just ONE of the many times YHWH was disappointed in, and angry with His people - not to mention, it is a huge Messianic prophecy! Here are just a few passages from Malachi 3:

Malachi 3: 1 "Look! I am sending my messenger to clear the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Yes, the messenger of the covenant, in whom you take such delight - look! Here he comes," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot. 2 But who can endure the day when he comes? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire, like the soapmaker's lye. (CJB)

Malachi 3:6 "But because I, ADONAI, do not change, you sons of Ya'akov will not be destroyed. 7 Since the days of your forefathers you have turned from my laws and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot. "But you ask, 'In respect to what are we supposed to return?' 8 Can a person rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How have we robbed you?' In tenths and voluntary contributions. 9 A curse is on you, on your whole nation, because you rob me. (CJB)

Malachi 3:13 "You have spoken strongly against me," says ADONAI. "Yet you say, 'How have we spoken against you?' 14 By saying, 'There is no point in serving God. What good is it to obey his orders or to walk about as mourners before ADONAI-Tzva'ot? 15 We consider the arrogant happy; also evildoers prosper; they put God to the test; nevertheless, they escape.'" (CJB)

Malachi seems to speak of two messengers- one who will prepare the way for YHWH - Yochanan the Immerser who is foretold in Isaiah 40:3-4. He is, “The voice crying out in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Matthew 11:10 quotes this as a confirmation of Yochanan the herald of Yeshua Mashiyach. “For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'

Notice also that Malachi explains that YHWH himself, the one who made covenant with Israel in Torah will come to visit his temple personally. Matthew states to prepare His way - Isaiah says God will come to them. When did this happen? Many times in Yeshua's ministry! He did his ministry on the steps of the Temple, and even healed the people in the temple (Matthew 21:23;26:55). Not to mention, he drove out those who were desecrating the Temple on Shabbat! He said, “It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.’”(Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:17; Luke 14:23; Mark.11:11). The Temple was His own possession and he had a personal interest in what was taking place – so WHO are the Scripture-twisting anti-missionaries to “debunk” who he was and what he did?

Anti-missionaries don’t seem to understand that Yeshua never, ever spoke against Torah! He was the LIVING Torah, the WORD of YHWH (John 1:1 and 1:14, John 14:6). As a matter of fact, Yeshua and his apostles upheld Torah at every turn:

Luke 4: 43 "But he (Yeshua/Jesus) said, "I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."

Luke 8: 1. And it happened after these things that Y'shua was going around in the cities and in the villages and was preaching and declaring the Kingdom of Elohim.

Acts 28: 23 "From morning till evening the Apostle Paul explained and declared the Kingdom of God and tried to convince people about Yeshua from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets."

Acts 24: 14. But this indeed I (Paul) acknowledge, that in that same doctrine of which they speak, I do serve the Elohim of my fathers, believing all the things written in Torah and in the prophets.

It is at once both sad and maddening to see people on all sides TWISTING Scripture to force it to fit into their own, limited understanding! I’m afraid this won’t stop until the Second Coming, when Yeshua haMashiyach will put an end to our stupid human nonsense….

In the meantime, we have on the one hand, Christians who take Scripture out of context to suit their respective "beliefs"; and on the other hand we have anti-missionary Jews and those they've managed to entice onto their side, who are doing the exact, same thing! Christians concentrate only on the "New Testament" - twisting its passages and basing their beliefs on the very much misunderstood writings of Paul; while anti-missionary Jews and their converts (those who hate Jesus and live every second of their life to "disprove" him) ALSO concentrate on the New Testament, poking fun at passages they, too, have misunderstood and are trying to “put in a box”....

But this is exactly WHY we can know we are IN the end times!

2 Timothy 3: 1. But know this: That in the latter days hard times will come: 2. and men will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money, boasters, proud, revilers, unyielding towards their own people, deniers of grace, wicked, 3. unloving, addicted to irreconcilable malicious gossips, ferocious, haters of the good, 4. treacherous, rash, inflated, attached to pleasure more than to the love of Elohim, 5. having a form of respect for Elohim but wide from the power of Elohim. Them who are such, repel from you. 6. For of them are they who creep into this and that house and captivate the women who are plunged in sins and led away by divers lusts, 7. who are always learning, and can never come to the knowledge of the truth. (AENT)