An interesting fact

Yeshua died in 30 CE. The Temple still existed till 70 CE, 40 years after his death. That’s ONE generation from Yeshua's death to the end/destruction of the Temple for YHWH’s people to come to understand what He did for humanity by sending His Divine Messiah to redeem us.

Most Jews to this day still do NOT believe that Yeshua’s death served as our redemption; all they know is that since the destruction of the Temple, they have no way of properly sacrificing animals, and have arbitrarily decided that a blood sin sacrifice is now unnecessary as God only requires prayer and supplication (which is NOT what the Torah says!)….

Anyway, the number forty appears many times in the Bible, usually designating a time of radical transition or transformation. (For instance, the Israelites had to wander in the desert for 40 years, when the first generation of the promise finally got to enter the Promised land.)

What could be more "transforming" than the substitution of the nephesh/soul of Yeshua, so that within one generation, all who accepted this gift could be eternally saved and retained in YHWH's favor by continued obedience?

"You say that I am" in Luke 22:70

The verse, Luke 22:70 reads: "So they all said, "Are you the Son of God, then?" And he said to them, ‘You say that I am’." (ESV).

“You say that I am”, in English, is ambiguous but in German the phrase is: "Du hast es gesagt" means "you said it" which carries an entirely different meaning from the English phrase "You say that I am". In German, the idiom means "Yes, you are right, for you have recognized it", while in English it means "Hey, *YOU* are saying that, but *I'm not* saying that!"

In the German, for example, the Luther Bible 1912 version (https://www.biblestudytools.com/lut/lukas/22.html) reads this way:

Lucas22:70 Da sprachen sie alle: Bist du denn Gottes Sohn? Er aber sprach zu ihnen: Ihr sagt es, denn ich bin's.

Translation: “They all spoke. Are you then God’s Son? He then said to them: You have said it, for I am he.”

So which is it? In Luke 22:70, did Yeshua agree that he, indeed, is the Messiah, or did he dodge the question and not answer as the English implies?

In Luke 22:70 we find the word "said/say") three times. The Aramaic root word in all three instances is: "אמר", (amar), which means "to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate."

The first time it is written in the verse, (rendered in English as "they all said"), the Aramaic is written as "אמרין", (amar'yn), meaning exactly what we expect. They simply spoke! In context, the speakers, who are identified as the Jewish elders and scribes (Luke 22:66), have uttered a statement, indeed a question. That is, they spoke (as it is understood in English): "and they said 'Does this mean, then, that you are the Son of God?' " and the question was directed at Yeshua!

The second time the word is used is when the verse reads "And he [Yeshua] answered them...".

The word “said” (“answered” in some versions) in Aramaic is "אמרי", (amar'i), which is exactly the same meaning as when the word was first used. That is, it is simply stating that Yeshua spoke back to them but this time it is only "him" speaking and not "them" (that is, a singular, not a plural response). Thus, he responded to them with a reply.

But that reply includes the 3rd time the same Aramaic word is used in the verse and it is again "אמרין", (amar'yn) but this time it is Yeshua speaking as to THEIR declarative so the meaning of the Aramaic word is not the same as it has been previously used. Here, 'You say that I am', means "affirm" or as in this: "(you) have seen that it is true." This understanding is simply NOT carried by the English word “say/said” used 3 times in the English verse”!

In other words the first time "said" is written in the verse, the scripture is simply documenting what the Jewish elders and scribes actually spoke. They uttered a question "Does this mean, then, that you are the Son of God?" The second time the word is used is when Yeshua replied (said/answered), the meaning is exactly the same, i.e., he responded to them by speaking.

But the third time the word is used, the meaning in the Aramaic is entirely different than conveyed in the English! There, it carries the meaning of the German phrase "Du hast es gesagt" which means "you said it" or “it is so”. Yeshua is acknowledging that they are correct! Therefore he literally acknowledges that he is the Messiah!

Unfortunately, in English, the reader only sees "you say that I am", which, in its ambiguity, the reader interprets it to mean "YOU say that I am, but I am neither confirming nor denying it." But, as we have now seen, in the Aramaic, Yeshua is actually saying "Correct, you have affirmed it."

Have you ever noticed….

Have you ever noticed that many names of people or places God considers to be “holy” begin with a “Yud” (the Hebrew letter “Y”)?

For instance:

· YHWH or Yahweh (Hebrew – Yud Hey Vav Hey: יהוה). Meaning: "I am that which I am."

· Yeshua (also written as Y’shua; Hebrew - ישוע ) Meaning: “YHWH is Salvation”

· Yisrael – Israel, which means “God Contended” or, “Wrestles with God”; or “Triumphant with God”

· Yerushalayim – Jerusalem, which means “Heritage or City of Peace.”

· Yitzhak - Isaac

· Yakob, Yacob - Jacob.

· Yehezkel - Ezekiel.

· Yoav - Joab.

· Yoel - Joel.

· Yosef - Joseph.

But, naturally, not everything of importance to God starts with a “Y”. For instance, Bethlehem – or “Beit Lechem” in Hebrew, which means "House Of Bread". And as we all know, Y'shua is the Bread of Life" (see John 6:43-51).

The “fear” of YHWH….

Matthew 10:28. And do not have fear of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, have fear* more so of Him who is able to destroy the soul and the body in Gehenna. (AENT)

What does that “fear” refer to:

Well, simply put, the Fear of YHWH is one of the Seven Spirits of YHWH, Isaiah 11:2, 3.

Yeshua juxtaposes the fear of man (religion) with the Fear of Elohim(truth). When the “fear” of YHWH became theologically changed into “reverence”, the authority of men in ministry (i.e., “Reverends”) began to command fear unto themselves - something that was solely intended for the Most High.

The Fear of YHWH empowers Yeshua’s followers to uphold the Word of YHWH, regardless of consequences. (See Romans 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:11; 7:1; Ephesians 5:21; Revelation 15:4.)

The seven spirits of haShem

Ever wonder about those “Seven Spirits” of YHWH mentioned in Scripture? Here they are:

Isaiah 11:2-3: "The Spirit of YHWH shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Chochmah (Wisdom) and Binah (Understanding), the Spirit of Atzah (Counsel) and Gevurah (Might), the Spirit of Da'at (Knowledge) and of the Yirah (Fear) of YHWH."

Now, take a look at this!

1 Timothy 6:1. Let them who are under the yoke of servitude hold their masters in all honor, or else the Name of Elohim and His doctrine be reproached. 2. And let them who have believing masters not treat them with disrespect, because they are their Brothers; but let them be more obedient because they are believers and beloved, in whose service they enjoy quietness. These things teach you and request of them.

3. But if there be anyone, who teaches a different doctrine and does not agree to the foundational Words of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach and to the doctrine of the Fear of Elohim,[1] 4. he is one that exalts himself while he knows nothing; and he languishes in the search and inquiry about words from which come envy and contention and railing and evil suspicions 5. and the constant arguing of men whose minds are corrupt and devoid of the truth, and who suppose that gain is without Elohim. But from these stand away. (AENT)

FOOTNOTE:

[1] A picture of the Menorah is seen here with its seven branches. The center is the Spirit of YHWH while the six other attributes are joined into the center pillar. These seven Spirits also signify perfection or completeness. The Fear of YHWH Elohim is a “Spirit” of YHWH; it is a vital spiritual quality for Life in Mashiyach.

The Fear of YHWH is a personal guide; Hebrew yirah means fear, as in fear/awesome/terrifying contrary to Christian teaching that the Fear of YHWH is not really “fear” but love and respect.

Isaiah 29:13 reveals how “the Fear of YHWH is taught by the commandment of men”; in other words, man’s religious theology and tradition has made void the Fear of YHWH. Many Christians prefer the term “reverence” over “fear”; Christians also use a title of “Reverend” for their clergymen and ministers; therefore, the term “Fear of YHWH” was first negated and then given a theological/semantic twist to apply to their own leadership, as in the case of “reverend.”

The Fear of YHWH is noted throughout Scripture; B’resheet/Genesis 20:11; 42:18; Shemot/Exodus 9:30; 18:21; Vayikra/Leviticus 25:17; D’varim/Deuteronomy 10:12 and in more than a hundred places. Without the Spirit of the Fear of YHWH, people will fear man, materialism, relativism and all form of idols, including their religious leaders.

1) Spirit of Wisdom
2) Spirit of Understanding
3) Spirit of Counsel
4) Spirit of Strength
5) Spirit of Knowledge
6) Spirit of Fear of YHWH
7) The Spirit of YHWH.

Yom Teruah (Trumpets)/Rosh Hashana coming up!

Yom Teruah (Trumpets)/Rosh Hashana this year (2020) begins at sunset on September 17 on our Gregorian calendar. All of the 18th is a High Holy Day.

This Appointed Time denotes the Jewish Civil New Year; the creation of the world, according to tradition; the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve and their first actions toward the realization of man's role in the world; of the first sin that was committed and resulting repentance; a day when YHWH takes stock of all of His Creation, which includes all of humanity.

It is also a rehearsal for the day when the bridegroom will come to claim us, his bride, who are betrothed to Him.

Leviticus 23:23-25 says: ADONAI said to Moshe, "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar. Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI.'" (CJB)

According to tradition, during this time YHWH's people are to concentrate all their efforts into making amends with their brethren and apologizing for past offenses – in preparation for the next Feast, which is Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement.

Judging by the fact that Yeshua has so far fulfilled the first four feasts in sequence, Yom Teruah/Trumpets will be the next one to be fulfilled, because when the trumpets sound, those who have accepted YHWH as their God and His Divine Messiah, will be gathered/resurrected (I Thessalonians 4:13-18, I Cor. 15:50-54).

Halleluyah!

A word about those two “same-sex” penguins….

Let’s be realistic here:  These two female penguins didn't "become first-time moms!" They were CAUSED to BE "first time moms" because the caretakers stole an egg from a male-female penguin couple....

"The carnal world" of the media loves to make a big deal out of "same sex couples" when it comes to the animal kingdom, making sure we all KNOW that it's perfectly natural.

I have a some comments to make about that, for anyone who's interested in what the BIBLE says:

While it might be "common" in the animal kingdom (as the attached article about two "gay" penguins suggests), it's still NOT a "natural" thing to do - and by doing so, they are actually breaking one of the first commandments He ever gave to living beings. (But, who knows why these two ended up together; it certainly wasn't because they "knew they were gay" and purposely sought out a same-sex partner....)

The difference between humans and animals is that animals don't have "free will to choose or reject YHWH. They are simply living souls that exist and are exactly what He created them to be ... and their sole job under the heavens is to "be fruitful and multiply."

Genesis 1: 20 God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open dome of the sky.” 21 God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that creeps, so that the water swarmed with all kinds of them, and there was every kind of winged bird; and God saw that it was good. 22 Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, multiply and fill the water of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So there was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day. (CJB)

Animals and birds that mate for life, don't "choose to be gay" (as the media likes to suggest); they simply form bonds ... and some - for whatever reason (including rejection by the opposite sex, etc) - end up in same-sex unions. It's no big deal.

But, it IS a "big deal" when it comes to humanity, because, while YHWH also told humans to "be fruitful and multiply" ... He went even further by giving them free will and an intellect with which to reason - and with that, they were supposed to obey HIS Divine Instructions in Righteousness while "ruling over" every living creature...

Genesis 1:27 So God created humankind in his own image; in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them: God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth.”  (CJB))

Well, as you know, mankind quickly went astray by choosing to SIN, causing YHWH to kill off the entire earth except for Noah and his family. In the meantime, He already been busy laying down some rules, which He kept adding to, as men began to figure out new ways to go astray. (We are privy to this throughout the Torah).

Those rules included strict stipulations for MANKIND to refrain from the sin of homosexuality, which YHWH even called "an abomination." (See Genesis 13:13, Genesis 18:20-22, Genesis 19:1-17, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Deuteronomy 22:5, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Romans 1: 22-32, Revelation 22:14-15.)

HaShem did NOT give the animal kingdom His TORAH to follow - because, as mentioned above, wildlife does exactly what it was created to do. Animals don't "sin". PEOPLE do....

Many (if not most) people who claim to be “believers” have either never read the Bible, or “only some of it”….

On one of my Facebook groups I ask three membership questions for those desiring to join the group.  Two of those questions are: (1) "How long have you been a believer?" and (2) "Have you ever read the Bible from cover to cover, in sequence?"

Of the more than 700 members in that particular group, most say they’ve been a believer for at least a decade or more, but that they’ve either "never read the Bible," or “just some of it.”

What I would truly like to know is:

(1) WHY have you never read the Bible? Surely, you could have found SOME time in all those years to read your way through!

(2) How do you know WHOM you’re worshiping if you’ve never bothered to read the Word?

(3) Do you not realize that upon Yeshua’s return, because you couldn't even be bothered to read His Word at SOME point during your lifetime, you will be considered “lukewarm” and “vomited from his mouth?” (Revelation 3:16)

Throughout the entire Bible we see ADONAI’s desire to have a true relationship with His people. He has tried EVERYTHING – and yet MOST seem to be lukewarm toward Him.

They basically put God on a shelf, removing Him from there only when they want or need something. Other than that, He’s not a part of their life. (Chatting about God or posting the occasional fluffy meme on Facebook doesn't make you "wholehearted" in His eyes!)

Folks, there are many stern warnings in Scripture:

If you can’t be bothered to give haShem some of your precious time NOW, then don’t be surprised if HE refuses to give YOU much time on Judgment Day, when ALL He has to say to you is: "I never knew you! Get away from me, you evildoer!" (Matthew 7:23)

Unless you not only KNOW but actually OBEY His Word (and especially, His TORAH - Divine Instructions in Righteousness specifically outlined in the Torah), you are considered "lukewarm" and an "evildoer" or "worker of lawlessness"....

He is NOT kidding around!

Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

WE are our own worst enemies!

This morning, in lieu of the endlessly depressing TV news, my husband and I watched a documentary about the "most dangerous places on earth to live" due both to natural and man-made hazards.

Most of the places represented as being "dangerous places to live," were due to mankind's carelessness and stupidity - including nuclear test sites which have been rendered completely uninhabitable for hundreds of years after the tests....

The ones that struck us the most were places that worship "strange gods" - such as in Nepal (where most people are Buddhist and Hindu) which, in certain parts, suffers seemingly endless landslides, and is filled with corruption, isolated political violence, and severe poverty (to list just a few) - all in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic...

The documentary highlighted some villages along the "sacred" Ganges River (worshiped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism) which flows through India and Bangladesh, that suffers deadly pollution levels.

A lifeline to millions who live along its course, the Ganges suffers from pollution for several reasons, including, in part, the increase in the population density, various human activities such as bathing, washing clothes, the bathing of animals, and dumping of various harmful industrial waste into the rivers. And let's not forget the religious ceremonies where floats containing dead bodies are set on fire and simply left to sink into the waters....

The Torah reveals that YHWH used to order entire cities of pagans killed. He provided mankind with HIS Divine Rules - and most of the world has ignored Him.

He never said, "find 'religion' and make up your own gods!" He said HE was the ONLY God, and that there is only ONE way to receive eternal life - and that is through the shed blood of His Divine Messiah (John 14:6) Anything else is nothing more than "religion"....

So, is it any wonder that we are in the end times now, in the midst of this huge warning sign called "COVID-19" ... with both man-made and natural disasters of "biblical proportions" (wars, fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc) threatening the entire world by causing major destruction and desolation?

MANKIND HAS BROUGHT ON these things! And that is why we were given scriptures such as the below:

Matthew 24:5-7 - You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. (CJB)

2 Timothy 3: 1-2 - But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy.... (CJB)

Mark 13:7. But when you hear of wars and rumors of revolutions, do not have fear. This is bound to happen, but is yet not the end. 8. For nation will arise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be earthquakes in various places. And there will be famine and uprisings. These things are the beginning of sorrows. (AENT)

Jeremiah 51:7 Babel was a golden cup in the hand of YHWH, making drunk all the earth. The nations drank her wine, that is why the nations went mad! (ISR)

Zephaniah 1:18 - Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of YHWH. And by the fire of His jealousy all the earth shall be consumed, for He makes a sudden end of all those who dwell in the earth. (ISR)

The time to turn to God is NOW! Look around you; listen to the news - WE are the problem! It's too late to try to "fix things." We're as bad or even worse as people were "in the days of Noah" when YHWH wiped out the entire earth by flood....

The damage has been done. The world is decadent, self-centered, and godless - and ALL those "with eyes to see and ears to hear" can do is to turn our hearts to YHWH/Yeshua and start living according to Torah - because, in the end, that's ALL that matters. It is those obedient few who will get to enter into Eternity.

A history lesson about God’s People

Here’s a little history lesson for those who don’t care for the Jews (and trust me, there are plenty of people who don’t!

If it hadn't been for Elohim's CHOSEN being scattered into the nations (Ezekiel 36:19) who were ultimately referred to as "Jews," YHWH (Yahweh) and His Son Yeshua would have remained the best-kept secret of tiny, little Israel, and the rest of the world would still be writhing in Paganism.

One cannot condemn those Jews who are not yet Believers in the Mashiyach because God hasn't opened their spiritual eyes, yet. (Not to mention, they cannot accept a MAN as God, which is what Christianity promotes.) They are, however, Torah observant believers in YHWH, which brings them a lot closer to Him than anyone who ignores God's original Divine Instruction in Righteousness (Torah)!

Harsh words? Yes, but we are living in the end times as outlined in the Bible, and time is short. Jew-bashing is NOT the way to please God! The Bible tells us that anyone who goes up against them in any way will suffer His wrath:

Genesis 12: - 3 I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Note that YHWH wasn't talking to "the Jews" at that point; but, rather, to the first Patriarch, Abraham who "crossed over" (which is what the term "hebrew" means) both physically and spiritually when he accepted YHWH as his Elohim. There were no "Jews" until the third Patriarch, Ya'akov (Jacob) gave birth to Yehudah (Judah) whose offspring became one of the 12 Tribes of Israel....

Deuteronomy 7:6-8: For you are a people set apart as holy for ADONAI your God. ADONAI your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his own unique treasure. 7 ADONAI didn't set his heart on you or choose you because you numbered more than any other people - on the contrary, you were the fewest of all peoples.

8 Rather, it was because ADONAI loved you, and because he wanted to keep the oath which he had sworn to your ancestors, that ADONAI brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from a life of slavery under the hand of Pharoah king of Egypt.

Again, note that YHWH wasn't talking to "the Jews" at that point; but, rather, to the 12 Tribes of Israel....He didn't give the Land to just "the Jews" (meaning, the Tribe of Judah); He gave it to the descendants of Abraham. That is who the Land belongs to.

Genesis 15: 18 On that day YHWH made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates...."

Ezekiel 37: 21 Then say to them that Adonai Elohim says: 'I will take the people of Isra'el from among the nations where they have gone and gather them from every side and bring them back to their own land.

No tribe or race in history has remained a distinct people group outside of a national homeland for thousands of years like the Jewish people. No people on earth have ever been repatriated after dozens of generations had forgotten their distinct language. No people, that is, except for Yahweh's people.

The Land belongs to Yahweh's Chosen People. God gave the Land to Abraham and his descendants (not "the Jews" per se) in Genesis 15:18-19. Abraham bought a large burial site at Hebron (Genesis 23:1-20); David bought the Temple Mount (1 Chronicles 21:25).

And who was the Land ever sold to? NOBODY! Only in recent years has anyone even been able to TAKE it from the Jews forcefully, thanks to "the world" (including the United States which sticks its collective nose into everything) insisting on dividing Israel! But, unless the Muslims are willing to buy the Land (which, as it happens, is not for sale!) then NOBODY has a right to it except for "the Jews"!

Genesis 15: 18 That day ADONAI made a covenant with Avram: "I have given this land to your descendants - from the Vadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River - 19 the territory of the Keni, the K'nizi, the Kadmoni, 20 the Hitti, the P'rizi, the Refa'im, 21 the Emori, the Kena'ani, the Girgashi and the Y'vusi."

Leviticus 25: 23 "The land is not to be sold in perpetuity, because the land belongs to me -you are only foreigners and temporary residents with me."

Got an unbelieving friend or relative who attempts to put you down for your belief? Tell them this!

If you have an unbelieving spouse, relative or friend, and they attempt to put you down for your belief, tell them this: Did you know that at least 300 Bible prophecies have already come true - and there are really only a few more to go? TWO of those prophecies happened in 1948, when God used the antics of Hitler to (1) cause the rebirth of Israel; and (2) made it happen in just ONE day - exactly as Isaiah prophesied.

Take a look:

Isaiah 66:7 Before going into labor, she gave birth; before her pains came, she delivered a male child. 8 Who ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Is a country born in one day? Is a nation brought forth all at once? For as soon as Tziyon went into labor, she brought forth her children. (CJB)

The woman giving birth before going into labor represents Israel. This accurately describes what happened on May 14, 1948 - when "the world" briefly felt sorry for the Jews and returned Israel to them and they were able to declare independence for Israel as a united and sovereign nation for the first time in 2,900 years.

During that same day, the United States issued a statement recognizing Israel's sovereignty. And, only hours beforehand, a United Nations mandate expired, ending British control of the land.

During a 24-hour span of time, foreign control of the land of Israel had formally ceased, and Israel had declared its independence, and its independence was acknowledged by other nations. Modern Israel was literally was born in a single day.

Isaiah said the birth would take place before there would be labor pains. And that too is precisely what happened. A movement called Zionism began in the 1800s to encourage Jews worldwide to move to Israel, which at that time was called Palestine. Within hours of the declaration of independence in 1948, Israel was attacked by the surrounding countries of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

When reading Isaiah 66:7-8, keep in mind that Israel's status as a sovereign nation was established and reaffirmed during the course of a single day, and that it was born of a movement called Zionism, and that its declaration of independence was not the result of a war but rather the cause of one.

ALSO NOTE: As the Bible prophesied, the world is turning against the Jews and Israel with a vengeance:

-- Isaiah 60:15 - "Whereas you have been [Is 1:7-9; 6:11-13; Jer 30:17] forsaken and [Is 66:5] hated With no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting [Is 4:2; 65:18] pride, A joy from generation to generation.

-- Joel 3:2 - 'I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.'

-- Ezekiel 36:8-10 - "'But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.

-- Matthew 24:9 - "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

For centuries everybody has been fighting over this tiny country called Israel to claim it as "their" holy place. It seems that the whole world has always "had it in" for Jews in one way or another, and some (i.e. Hitler) have even tried to annihilate them completely.

The bottom line is, this issue dates back to the conflict between Isaac and Ishmael, and will not be fully resolved until Yeshua returns....

Yom Teruah (Trumpets)/Rosh Hashana begins this year(2020) at sunset, September 17….

Yom Teruah (Trumpets)/Rosh Hashana begins this year at sunset, September 17. This Appointed Time denotes the Jewish Civil New Year; the creation of the world.

According to tradition; it's the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve and their first actions toward the realization of man's role in the world; of the first sin that was committed and resulting repentance; a day when YHWH takes stock of all of His Creation, which includes all of humanity.

It is also a rehearsal for the day when the bridegroom will come to claim us, his bride, who are betrothed to Him.

This Feast on Tishri 1 always falls in the September/ October timeframe. Leviticus 23:23-25 says: ADONAI said to Moshe, "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar. Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI.'"

According to tradition, during this time YHWH's people are to concentrate all their efforts into making amends with their brethren and apologizing for past offenses. Judging by the fact that Y'shua has so far fulfilled the first four feasts in sequence, Yom Teruah/Trumpets will be the next one to be fulfilled, because when the trumpets sound, those who have accepted YHWH as their God and His Divine Messiah, will be gathered/resurrected (I Thess. 4:13-18, I Cor. 15:50-54).

The Fall Feasts are coming up!

The Fall Feasts are coming up! 

Unfortunately, many don't realize that ADONAI commanded HIS people to keep them, and He even set specific times for them. Whereas the Seventh Day Sabbath (which falls on Saturday on our Gregorian calendar) is our “weekly date” with God; the “mo’edim” (Appointed Times/Feasts) are our “yearly dates” with Him. 

YES – they are our specified DATES with our amazing Creator!

What’s more, Yeshua has so far fulfilled the first FOUR of the Seven.  (You can read about all seven on our website’s article outlining the feasts and their respective purposes:  https://www.therefinersfire.org/feasts2.htm)

In this article, however, we will concentrate only on the upcoming FALL Feasts:  Yom Teruah (Trumpets)/Rosh Hashana); Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement; and Sukkot/Tabernacles.  Each of YHWH’s Feasts are unique, designed for a special purpose.  Take a look:

Yom Teruah (Trumpets)/Rosh Hashana (A Shabbat/Holy Day): This Feast on Tishri 1, falls in the September/October timeframe. Leviticus 23:23-25 says: ADONAI said to Moshe, "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar. Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI.'"

It is the Jewish Civil New Year; the creation of the world, according to tradition; the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve and their first actions toward the realization of man's role in the world; of the first sin that was committed and resulting repentance; a day when YHWH takes stock of all of His Creation, which includes all of humanity. It's a rehearsal for the day when the bridegroom will come to claim us, his bride, who are betrothed to Him.

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated not with fireworks and champagne but with family meals and introspection. During this Festival, the blowing of shofars (rams' horns) signifies the bringing together of God's people, warning them to repent during the coming "days of awe" (the 10 days between Trumpets and the Day of Atonement).

According to tradition, during this time YHWH's people are to concentrate all their efforts into making amends with their brethren and apologizing for past offenses. However, what most traditional Jews do not yet realize is that this Feast is the next one to be fulfilled by Yeshua, because when the trumpets will sound and the true believers in Messiah Yeshua will be gathered/resurrected (I Thess. 4:13-18, I Cor. 15:50-54).

This Feast also signals the call for repentance, for the time is short and Judgment is coming upon the Earth - whether people are read, or not! (See the Book of Revelation.)

Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement - a Shabbat/High Holy Day on which we fast, repent and bare our souls to YHWH, asking Him to forgive us anything we may have done throughout the year that was not pleasing to Him: This solemn day represents the need for the sacrifice/sin offering that must be made for the sins of the nation.

(Yeshua, of course, WAS that "Sacrifice" (actually, "Offering" is a better word, because no one "sacrificed" him; he martyred himself), and he will be recognized for it at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb which may (judging by how close together the Fall Festivals are) take place immediately after Rosh Hashana/the "catching-up of YHWH's people" just BEFORE we all return with Yeshua to fulfill the Feast of Tabernacles, wherein he will "tabernacle" among us for the next thousand years!)

Celebrated on Tishri 10, this mo'ed falls in the September/October time frame. Leviticus 16:29 tells us: "It is to be a permanent regulation for you that on the tenth day of the seventh month you are to deny yourselves and not to do any kind of work, both the citizen and the foreigner living with you. For on this day, atonement will be made for you to purify you; you will be clean before ADONAI from all your sins. It is a Shabbat of complete rest for you, and you are to deny yourselves. This is a permanent regulation."

This Festival represents the need for the sacrifice/sin offering that must be made for the sins of the nation. As the Bible tells us, Messiah shall descend to put to an end the sins of Israel. (Remember, "Israel" includes ALL who believe in and follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!)

At that time the Jews will mourn for the "One who was pierced" and FINALLY recognize that Yeshua was their Messiah, all along! This day will be fulfilled upon the Second Coming of Messiah to the Earth (Matt. 23:37-39, Hos. 5:15 thru 6:1-3, Zech. 13:8,9 Zech. 12:10, Zech. 13:1, Ezekiel 16:61-63).

This mo'ed signals the call for repentance, for the time is short and Judgment is coming upon the Earth - whether people are ready, or not! (See the Books of Daniel and Revelation.)

Tabernacles/Sukkot (Shabbats are on the 1st and 8th day): A week-long holiday that reminds of us the hardships of Israel's 40 years in the wilderness and provides us with insight into the correct birth date of our awesome Messiah who was born on the first day of Sukkot and circumcised on the eighth!

Sukkot, as seen in Leviticus 23: 33-37, is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur. It is a week-long holiday that reminds of us the hardships of Israel's 40 years in the wilderness and provides us with insight into the correct birth date of our awesome Messiah. Yeshua, our Savior was born during the Feast of Sukkot (not on the 25th of December, which is a Christian myth!) and circumcised on the eighth day.

Because there was no room at the inn because of the census (Luke 2:7), Miriam and Yosef (Mary and Josef) ended up in a "sukkah" - a temporary dwelling. Bethlehem is only about 5 miles from Jerusalem and so Yeshua was born there because was no room at the inn. The name Bethlehem means "House Of Bread". And as we all know, Y'shua is the Bread of Life" (see John 6:43-51).

Celebrated on Tishri 15, this Feast falls in the September/October timeframe. It is outlined in Deuteronomy 16:13 - 15, where YHWH tells the Israelites: "You are to keep the festival of Sukkot for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing-floor and winepress. Rejoice at your festival - you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the L'vi'im (Levites), and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you. Seven days you are to keep the festival for ADONAI your God in the place ADONAI your God will choose, because ADONAI your God will bless you in all your crops and in all your work, so you are to be full of joy!

Leviticus 23:39-43: "'But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the produce of the land, you are to observe the festival of ADONAI seven days; the first day is to be a complete rest and the eighth day is to be a complete rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit, palm fronds, thick branches and river-willows, and celebrate it in the presence of ADONAI your God for seven days. You are to observe it as a feast to ADONAI seven days in the year; it is a permanent regulation, generation after generation; keep it in the seventh month. You are to live in sukkot for seven days; every citizen of Isra'el is to live in a sukkah, so that generation after generation of you will know that I made the people of Isra'el live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am ADONAI your God.'"

Did you notice that all Israel is to live in a sukkah for seven days? While some rabbis believe that only those who physically live in Israel need to live in temporary dwellings, the fact is, all are commanded to keep this Feast, and so the least we can do (unless the family is into camping and wants to live in a sukkah for the whole seven days) is build a sukkah in our back yards and eat a meal there at least once during this festival.

Sukkot serves as a reminder of the days in the wilderness when YHWH's people were forced to reside in tents/huts or temporary dwellings - a reminder of our temporary lives on Earth. It will be fulfilled by the ingathering of the "Final Harvest" of souls just prior to the setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah on Earth.

Philipppians 2:10-11 tells us in that day Yeshua will reign from Jerusalem and "every knee will bow in heaven, on earth and under the earth” – and “every tongue will acknowledge” him. His Kingdom is to last 1,000 years before the eternal order begins in the "new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21)!

A few facts about our awesome Mashiyach (Messiah)….

1. Yeshua was a Torah observant, tallit-wearing, Seventh Day Sabbath and Biblical Feast-keeping, kosher Jew!

2. He HAD to die in order to become our Redeemer: 2 Corinthians 5: 21 "For, on your account (speaking to the Corinthian brethren in Yeshua), He (Elohim) made him (Yeshua) who knew no sin to be a sin (offering) that we might, by Him, become the righteousness of Elohim (God)." [AENT] (To see exactly what we mean, please click on our article, The Passover connection to Yeshua.)

3. Although it was "the Jews" who got the ball rolling concerning his murder (many Christians are angry with "the Jews" because "the Jews" killed Jesus), it was the Gentile Romans who arrested him, stripped him, spat upon him, flogged him, ripped out his beard, put a crown of thorns upon his head and mocked him, and nailed him to the cross! Not to mention, there was a "mixed crowd" (not just Jews) cheering on his execution (see Matthew 27).

4. If Yeshua had not chosen to do YHWH's will and die that day, the world would have had NO Redeemer!

5. It was because of "the Jews" that knowledge of YHWH came into the world when "the Jews" were scattered into the nations ((Ezekiel 36:19), including those who believed in Yeshua. Had it not been for "the Jews" knowledge of YHWH would have remained imprisoned in tiny, little Israel and the world would still be writhing in paganism today. Instead of wasting energy hating "the Jews" the world should be thanking them for introducing them to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!

6. Most importantly - what did YHWH (God the Father) say about WHO are His people?  Read on to see that He gives three requirements for salvation in Isaiah 56:6-8...To love His Name, honor His Sabbath and keep His covenant (Torah): (See also Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:13-16, Galatians 3:28 and Romans 10:12-13.)

Isaiah 56: 6 "And the foreigners who join themselves to ADONAI to serve him, to love the name of ADONAI, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples." 8 Adonai ELOHIM says, he who gathers Isra'el's exiles: "There are yet others I will gather, besides those gathered already." (CJB)

There are more facts, but you get the gist.  It's not only "all about Messiah" but the "echad" (plural form of ONE) of "YHWH/Yeshua/Torah."  You cannot separate them....

“But Romans 10:4 tells us that Christ is the end of the Law!"

No, it doesn't. That is just another gross mistranslation from the Greek!

Here are a couple of examples from the Greek translations:

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (JJV)

Romans 10:4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. (NIV)

Here is the same verse in the Aramaic:

Romans 10:4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for 4. For Mashiyach (Messiah) is the goal (see Timothy 1:5) of Torah for righteousness to everyone that believes in him. (AENT)

While telos can mean "end", it is very irresponsible to render it this way due to the flexibility of that term in the receiving language. In English, "end" has two meanings. The first is "termination" which is the majority usage of the word in English.

However, we also have phrases such as "the ends do not justify the means." In this case, the lesser-used meaning is that of "goal", which applies in both Greek and English.

The Apostle Paul clearly refers to the Torah itself as "perfect, righteous and good" (Romans 7:12), so it is very FOOLISH to then think that he turns around and teaches the "termination" of Torah!

Instead, and as Paul clearly teaches in Galatians 3, TORAH IS THE TUTOR that instructs and brings people to Mashiyach. Then, when a person understands and accepts the fact that Y'shua is Mashiyach, he (Mashiyach) becomes Torah's goal.

This is also one of the many meanings behind the cryptic remark in John1, calling Y'shua the "Word (Torah) made flesh." By extreme contrast, the NIV translation of Romans 10:4 is the exact opposite of what the original texts meant!

The Greek versions make it sound like Paul is a train conductor calling out a stop --"End of the Torah! Everyone get off!"

Furthermore, in certain key Renewed Covenant passages, telos can only mean "goal":

Romans 6:22 "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to Elohim, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the goal (telos) is eternal life."

I Timothy 1:5 "The goal (telos) of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

"Obtaining as the goal (telos) of your faith the salvation for your souls." 1 Peter 1:9

In Aramaic we find these same verses have the same reading as "goal" with the word saka. Like telos, the context provides the key to realizing the intended meaning. Because Paul continually upholds Torah in every way (Romans 3:31), then "goal" is also very consistent with the rest of his teaching.

(Borrowed, in part, from an appendix in the Aramaic English New Testament)

Did you know that obedience to Torah has nothing, whatsoever to do with "works"?

Matthew 7: 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. 22 On that Day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?' 23 Then I will tell them to their faces, 'I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'

"But," you cry, "the law/Torah was abolished at the cross. Jesus fulfilled the law!"

No, He didn't. "Fulfilled" never meant "abolished." Think about it: If you are fulfilling your duties as a wife or husband, does that mean your marriage vows/contract is abolished? Please read the articles on this page to find out more.

For those who have never visited our website, The Refiner’s Fire, it is designed to get people to re-examine their relationship with our Creator. We want people to ask themselves whether they are indeed "doing what their Father in heaven wants" by ignoring His "forever" commands....

Did you know, for instance, that obedience to Torah has nothing, whatsoever to do with "works" or being "under the law?" Works is being an elder at your church, or driving the church bus, or being part of some church ministry (i.e, prayer, or youth activities). Torah, on the other hand, consists of God's Divine Instructions in Righteousness that show us how to be holy/set apart.

How is keeping His commanded Seventh Day Sabbath "works" or "being under the law?" ... How is keeping His commanded seven Feasts "works" or "being under the law?" There's a valid reason to keep each one: They are our "dates" with God!

When God directs us to do something, it's a command, not "works." However, trying your best to ignore and talk your way out of obeying His "forever" commands and convincing others to do the same - now THAT is "works!"

Ezekiel 22:26 Her pastors/priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them."

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of ADONAI is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 28:4 Those who abandon Torah praise the wicked, but those who keep Torah fight them.

Yet myriad Christians write to challenge or outright attack our desire to OBEY God! Why is that? Because most have NO concept of what Torah is! Like Christians, we believe in the God of the universe and we believe He sent His Divine Son who martyred Himself for mankind, thus abolishing the need for the blood of animals to atone for our sins.

(NOTE: Our use of the term "martyr" is intentional because traditional Jews love to point out that "G-d never required human sacrifice!" Well, Y'shua wasn't a "human sacrifice" because nobody "sacrificed" Him. He was our "redemption" - he offered himself on our behalf - against which there is NO law! As a human being, he had the choice to obey YHWH or not. As we see time and time again, he CHOSE to obey because he KNEW exactly who he was....)

The difference is, we also believe that His "forever" commands are meant for ALL and they weren't simply some outdated rules for "the Jews" to follow. Yet, Christians become irate over the idea of someone desiring to keep the COMMANDED Seventh Day Sabbath and the Feasts - and some have even sent us death threats and let us know how EVIL they believe us to be for our desire to obey!

So who is right and why are there all these divisions? Which of the nearly 40,000 different Christian "denominations" is the one GOD approves of? Do you really believe He approves of those who can't even be bothered with His Seventh Day Sabbath, which is a SIGN between Him and His people?

James 3:15 For this wisdom comes not down from above; but is earthly, and from the devices of the soul, and from demons. 16. For where envy and disputation are, there also is confusion and everything wrong. 17. But the wisdom which is from above is perfect and full of peace, and mild and submissive, and full of compassion and of good fruits, and without partiality and without respect of persons.

People can fight all day long about how they have the truth..."I'm right...No, I'm right!" This gets us nowhere! In the end, there is only one truth - and that is YHWH's Truth!

A passage that shows what God is all about

One of the most important Bible passages you could ever hope to read. Write it on your hearts and pass it on to everyone you know!

Deuteronomy 6:1 “Now this is the mitzvah, the laws and rulings which ADONAI your God ordered me to teach you for you to obey in the land you are crossing over to possess, 2 so that you will fear ADONAI your God and observe all his regulations and mitzvot that I am giving you — you, your child and your grandchild — as long as you live, and so that you will have long life.

3 Therefore listen, Isra’el, and take care to obey, so that things will go well with you, and so that you will increase greatly, as ADONAI, the God of your ancestors, promised you by giving you a land flowing with milk and honey.

4 “Sh’ma, Yisra’el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, Isra’el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one]; 5 and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources.

6 These words, which I am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; 7 and you are to teach them carefully to your children. You are to talk about them when you sit at home, when you are traveling on the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

8 Tie them on your hand as a sign, put them at the front of a headband around your forehead, 9 and write them on the door-frames of your house and on your gates. (CJB)

Following “false teachers” is not a good thing….

"Well, I love my husband ... but, I also have a boyfriend on the side. God understand my needs."

"Well, I like this politician because of his policies. Okay, I know that he has Nazi and some 'white supremacist" affiliations ... but, I'm gonna vote for him, anyway, because I know he's going to do great things for our country!"

"Yes, Mom, I know my fiance is a terrorist, but I love him and he loves me, so what's the big deal?"

What's the big deal? Well, when it comes to SCRIPTURE, you can't "cherry pick" because you'll end up being considered "lukewarm" on the day Yeshua returns (Revelation 3:16). THAT's what the "big deal" is!

If my examples above turned you off, then ask yourself why you aren't turned off by off-the-mark Bible teachers! Like the people in my examples, they might "sound okay" on the surface, but if their foundations are off, they are ROTTEN to the core!

For instance - look around Facebook to see who some people are following, and then ask yourself, WHY they're following the teachings of someone who doesn't "believe in" Yeshua, Paul or the New Testament. Why are they following someone who preaches "New Testament-only grace and mercy" and all manner of other 'fluffy' doctrines?

If people are off in the slightest about THOSE VERY IMPORTANT topics, then you need to run the other way - or else you'll be just another adulterer or "corrupt politician" leading the world into the pits of Hell.

Think I'm kidding? Take a look at just some of the myriad scriptures that warn people to stay away from false teachers and their rotten teachings designed to lead people away from YHWH's Truth:

Deuteronomy 18:20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”

Jeremiah 14:14 Then ADONAI said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.

Matthew 24:24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Briefly discussing our divine Messiah….

Let’s briefly discuss YHWH's Divine Messiah who - while certainly a human who was born and died (something GOD Himself cannot do) - was also "divine" because he came straight from Abba Himself!

He was and is YHWH's Word (John 1:1, 14) who spoke everything into being .. an indelible part of ELOHIM. He was also called YHWH's "Arm" (Isaiah 53:1), doing NOT his own will, but YHWH's when he was sent to earth to become our Messiah, teacher and REDEEMER - the Messiah who was to do everything he was commanded to do and say. (Deuteronomy 18:15-18; Luke 4:43 and 8:1; John 6: 35-40; Acts 28: 23)

Why is Yeshua so important to us? Because, without his divine blood shed to remove our past sins and allow us to repent and turn toward YHWH, believers would still be forced to kill innocent animals to atone for their sins. Yeshua's blood reconciles the "lost" with YHWH!

Even satan and his demons knew who Yeshua was!

Mark 1: 23. And there was a man in their assembly in whom was an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24. And said, What have we to do with you Y'shua the Nasraya? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, you are the Set Apart One of Elohim. 25. And Y'shua rebuked him and said, Shut your mouth and come out from him! 26. And the unclean spirit threw him down and cried out in a loud voice and came out of him. (AENT)

Amyway, let's allow John 1:1-5 to explain more.

John 1:1 In the beginning[1] was the Miltha.[2] And that Miltha was with Elohim. And Elohim was that Miltha. 2. This was with Elohim in the beginning.[3] 3. Everything existed through his hands,[4] and without him, not even one thing existed of the things which have existed. 4. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.[5] 5. And that light shines in the darkness,[5] and the darkness did not overtake it.[6] (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The phrase B’resheet aytohi hwa miltha breaks a most basic rule of Aramaic grammar by combining a feminine noun (miltha) with two masculine verbs for “to be” (aytohi, hwa). This is unheard of in Aramaic literature other than right here in this passage and in 1 John.

This shows YHWH has male and female “images/spirits” even though YHWH remains a He. It may also be a midrash on Isaiah 11:1-2, which describes the Spirit of YHWH descending on Mashiyach using both masculine and feminine suffixes. This is not something easily translated, let alone when it occurs within the first four words.

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

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

[4] Literal Aramaic reading; “through his hands” indicates the Word as a creative force, like a sculptor working under the orders of a king. See Psalm 33:6; Isaiah 44:24; 66:1, 2.

[5] While Abba YHWH is in sole command of the creation process, the “his hands” refers to the Word from His mouth and that Word will become flesh as His Son. Since this is a form of Y’shua the “him” is in small letters. The same is done for Yochanan 1:10-12. Although in another sense it is also accurate to say that Y’shua is YHWH. See Luke 2:11 and 1 Corinthians 12:3.

[6] Aramaic wordplay. Nohra b’nshokha menhar (light in the darkness that shines) is a deliberate mirror-reversal of menhar-nohra (menorah), which marks the conception of the light of the world at Hanukkah. This puts the birth of Mashiyach nine months from Hanukkah, during the fall feasts; many point to the first day of Feast of Tabernacles for the date of Y’shua’s birth.

Folks, one important thing to remember is that, while Yeshua was (and still is!) the most important human in history during the short time on earth as Messiah, it's NOT " just all about him" as Christianity teaches It's all about YHWH who sent Yeshua to earth to redeem lost people; and to personally show them how to live holy/set apart lives, in order to prepare them for the Kingdom....

Yeshua didn't come to bring any new religion or to "become God on earth." (If you'll remember, he constantly deferred to the Father and prayed to Him.) He was The Word who had been sent on a very important and painful mission ... who then returned to YHWH as The Word ... but is destined to return to earth as the Lion of Judah who will rule with an iron fist, causing everyone to live according to TORAH, until Judgment Day arrives...

Halleluyah! May he return soon!.

In debt? Start living according to Torah!

Statistics show that most Americans are deeply in debt – but, you CAN get out IF you’re willing to make the effort and employ some real willpower!

Proverbs 21:20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. (ESV)

Scripture provides ample warnings to NOT become a slave to debt. Here is just a couple of examples:

Proverbs 22:7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. (ESV)

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (ESV)

NO ONE would be in debt IF we all adhered to Torah principles. Examples:

Exodus 22:25-27 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate. (ESV)

Deuteronomy 15:1-2 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release. And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord's release has been proclaimed. (ESV)

As mentioned above, getting out of debt takes some effort and willpower … the willpower to give up “credit” and manage your income so that you don’t keep spending more than you make.

That’s basically the whole key to becoming debt free. Pay off those credit cards (smallest to the largest) as fast as you can, and don’t buy unnecessary “stuff.”

Financial guru Dave Ramsey says, until you are debt free, you shouldn’t even enter a restaurant unless you work there; and in the meantime, you should basically live on beans and rice, rice and beans. Sounds harsh, but it works!

As with Torah observance, being debt-free feels GOOD and it eventually becomes a "way of life!"

Dave Ramsey’s mantra about the process of becoming debt-free is, "I didn't say it was going to be easy! I said it's going to be worth it!"

My husband and I KNOW it’s worth it, because we’ve been completely debt free since 2012 - able to pay cash for everything we buy!

Reader question about tshuvah/Repentance

The Fall Feasts are on the horizon, folks - Halleluyah! 

Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanna begins at sunset on September 17. A week later, beginning at sunset on September 26, we'll be celebrating Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), which is the ONLY mo'ed (Appointed Time) on which there will be no eating, as it is a complete "fasting" day on which we are to "deny ourselves"...
 
The final mo'ed of the year is a week-long holiday called Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles, which kicks off at sunset on October 1.
 
Anyway, in the coming days and weeks, I will be posting more about each mo'ed, but right now, I want focus on Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement, because someone sent a great question to our website about  t'shuvah/Repentance....
  
READER QUESTION:
 
About the tshuvah/Repentance:  As far as any reference w/in the scriptures, I've never found this word, nor any mitzvah to observe this in the form of an annual observation. The original texts show the word [שוב (Heb. "shuv"), or ושבום (Aram. "v'shuvim")], both of which are defined in English as "to turn about, to return" and/or " to turn about, to return".
 
The Mishneh Torah (Hebrew: מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, "Repetition of the Torah"), subtitled Sefer Yad HaHazaka (ספר יד החזקה "Book of the Strong Hand"), is a code of Jewish religious law (Halakha) authored by Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also known as RaMBaM or "Rambam"), one of history's foremost rabbis. The Mishneh Torah was compiled between 1170 and 1180 (4930–4940), while Maimonides was living in Egypt, and is regarded as Maimonides' magnum opus.
 
It begs the question whether one is to observe rabbinic Judaism's tradition, or the scriptures?  Thoughts?
 
OUR RESPONSE:
 
There is indeed no mitzvah (command) commanding an annual observance of t'shuvah.  And you are correct, the root of the word is שוב (Heb. "shuv") But there are many scriptures expressing YHWH's expectations of us to return to Him and to stop sinning, and as the annual time of this is the day of Yom Kippur, there is certainly ample evidence that what we know today as "t'shuvah" is in complete compliance with Torah. 
 
As to the traditions of t'shuvah, no, we are not obligated to conduct ourselves in accordance with the rabbinic procedures.  But since all parts of the traditions of t'shuvah originate from scripture, the tradition is not at all "bad".
 
In Judaism, for example, many verses in liturgy are "chanted", and there is no mitzvah requiring that either, yet it is a wonderful way to actually remember the scripture or the commandment, liturgy, or ceremony.
 
Everyone, even a non-Hebrew speaking person can remember the words to the "Sh'mah" in Hebrew because all they have to do is chant it! But few can remember the words if they have to just speak the phrase.   My husband, Bill Welker, has written an excellent teaching on Yom Kippur and t'shuvah, if you're interested: https://www.therefinersfire.org/yom_kippur_teaching.htm
 
No commandment for a formal process called "t'shuvah" is found in scripture but the word is found many times to mean "to turn" (back, to or from), "return", or "repent" - all in the context of turning from sinful ways and returning to YHWH - exactly those aspects of propitiation that is the tradition of the process of t'shuvah.  See  Psalm 7:12, Psalm 90:3, Hosea 6:1, Isaiah 6:10, Isaiah 10:22, Jeremiah 3:7, for example, and many others.
 
And the annual aspect of it comes from the observance of Yom Kippur, the 10th of Tishri, the ONLY day the High Priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for all of Israel - Exodus 30:10, Leviticus 16:29-30, Leviticus 16:34.  
 
While we agree with you that the halakha (Jewish law and jurisprudence, based on the Talmud) of rabbinic Judaism carries more weight in some circles than it should, we would say that we might want to first make the effort to understand the Torah origins of the halakha before we dismiss it.   In other words, spend less time with Rambam and more in the Word....

Responding to the comments of a "Jesus"hater" who rejected the New Testament and converted to Judaism

A YESHUA-REJECTER WROTE:

“If I ever get to meet Jesus and he asks me why I denied him, I'd probably ask him what he said. I would ask him if he really said, "Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that he Kingdom of God has come with power." (Mark 9:1).

And then I would say, "You were a devout Jew, hoping that in a matter of time, within your generation, you would be crowned as the Messiah. But, as you know, it was not to be. I also looked back 1900 years to see what had happened to those Jews who followed your name into the church, and ignored your teaching about the eternity of Torah. They all disappeared from the nation of Israel, assimilated fully with the gentiles, and became indistinguishable from them in belief and practice.

Also, as you know, no Jew has any obligation to accept any man as the messiah until he is proven and accepted by the nation of Israel. This conforms to the Torah's teaching, "when a prophet speaks in the name of HaShem, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which HaShem has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you need not be afraid of him." (Duet. [sic]18:22).

OUR RESPONSE:

Let's address your statements one-by-one:

YOU WROTE:  I would ask him if he really said, "Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that he Kingdom of God has come with power." (Mark 9:1).

OUR RESPONSE:  You'll surely get your wish one day!  Y’shua will then calmly explain to you all the things your human mind refused to see.  For instance, Luke 9:27, Matthew 16:28 and Mark 9:1 all say, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." Who was standing there?  A crowd!  See Mark 8:34.  So Y'shua was literally saying that some of all who were present would not taste death till they had seen the kingdom of God!

In each Book - Luke, Matthew, and Mark - they all record the event immediately after this promise from Y’shua!  It is the transfiguration.  Rather than interpreting Y’shua’s promise as referring to His coming to establish His kingdom on earth in the future, the context reveals He was referring to the transfiguration. This meant that the three disciples (i.e. "some who are standing here") would see Messiah as He really was—the King of heaven—which occurred in the transfiguration.

The “transfiguration” refers to the event described in the cited passages when Y’shua took Peter, James, and John to the top of the mountain, where He met with Moshe and Eliyahu—representing Torah and the Prophets —and spoke with them. The disciples saw Y’shua in all His glory and splendor, talking with a glorified Moshe and Eliyahu. The disciples were dumbstruck at the sight and “fell on their faces” (Matthew 17:6). This is a glimpse of what will occur in the Kingdom. Y'shua's prophecy was fulfilled only only 8 days later!

YOU WROTE:   And then I would say, "You were a devout Jew, hoping that in a matter of time, within your generation, you would be crowned as the Messiah. But, as you know, it was not to be.

OUR RESPONSE:  Is this from Matthew 24:34?  Here are a few renderings of this verse:

34 Yes! I tell you that this people will certainly not pass away before all these things happen. (CJB)

34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished. (ASV)

34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. (ESV)

And the AENT says:

34 Truly I say to you, that this tribe will not pass until all these things happen.

Note that interpretation depends entirely on understanding the Messiah's words!  Interpretation of this verse depends entirely on understanding WHOM the Messiah was talking about. Was He talking about the current generation, or was He talking about all people - all YHWH's people?  Good grief!  He says in the next two verses that even HE does not know when the end will be and He returns to be crowned Messiah!  So very clearly we know he was NOT talking about the current generation.

So if you did get the chance to ignorantly ask the Messiah this question, we rather suspect his answer to you would be to quote Deuteronomy 32:6.

YOU WROTE:  I also looked back 1900 years to see what had happened to those Jews who followed your name into the church, and ignored your teaching about the eternity of Torah. They all disappeared from the nation of Israel, assimilated fully with the gentiles, and became indistinguishable from them in belief and practice.

YESHUA MIGHT RESPOND:  "My lost friend, why did you look back only 1900 years? Jews have been ignoring My teaching of Torah for much longer than that!"

YOU WROTE:  Also, as you know, no Jew has any obligation to accept any man as the messiah until he is proven and accepted by the nation of Israel. This conforms to the Torah's teaching, "when a prophet speaks in the name of HaShem, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which HaShem has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you need not be afraid of him." (Duet. [sic]18:22).

AND YESHUA MIGHT RESPOND something like this: "My lost friend, when does a prediction have to come true?  In your day so you see it with your own eyes?  Need I point out the prophecies in Isaiah and Ezekiel which have yet to come to pass?  But you are apparently not complaining that the Tanakh records the word of false prophets - and according to you, Isaiah and Ezekiel are false prophets because their prophecies have not come true. You cited Deuteronomy to ME!"

As to "no Jew has any obligation to accept any man as the messiah until he is proven and accepted by the nation of Israel", that's quite an absolute statement! Unfortunately, you can't back it up!  The "nation of Israel",  we guarantee, can't unify on what qualifications will "prove" the Messiah and therefore lead to His acceptance!  There is not a single verse in the Hebrew scriptures which specifically identifies the Messiah or what he will do.

Every verse regarded as messianic is subject to interpretation.  Many rabbis think Isaiah 53 is messianic, while many rabbis think it is about Israel.   Who is right?  Is Isaiah 11 messianic?  Some rabbis say yes, while some say no.  So unless you have a list of "no kidding" scriptures which all of Israel will agree can be used to prove the Messiah and accept Him, don't make this ridiculous statement in your attempt to deny Yeshua.

Explanation of the word “hate” in Luke 14:26

Have you ever wondered what this passage means?  Are we really to HATE everyone, just so we can “follow Yeshua?”

Luke 14:25 And while going, large crowds were with him. He turned and said to them, 26. He who comes to me and does not hate his father and his mother and his brothers and his sisters and his wife and his children and even himself, is not able to be a disciple to me. 27. And he who does not take up his stake and comes after me, is not able to be a disciple to me. (AENT).

The Aramaic word "sa'ne" (as in "saw-knee), means "to hate", "to be ugly", "to be an enemy", "to make hateful". But the understanding of the word is not our modern English understanding of "hate."

So the verse is more about someone choosing YHWH over their families if their families are "sa'ne" toward YHWH by their unbelief. In other words it's better for the believer to turn to YHWH and from their unbelieving families. Notice the verse includes the person himself! If that person is "sa'ne" toward YHWH he, too, cannot be a disciple.

 

So, while the word "hate" is actually an accurate translation of the Aramaic word "sa'ne", it also depends upon the context of the subject at hand. 

 

In Luke 14:26, the word doesn't mean you're to actually loathe your parents, etc. Rather, it refers to "hating" their unbelief enough to leave them to follow Yeshua.

So, while the word "hate" is actually an accurate translation of the Aramaic word “sna”, it also depends upon the context of the subject at hand.  In Luke 14:26, the word doesn't mean you're to actually loathe your parents, etc.  Rather, it refers to "hating" their unbelief enough to leave them to follow Yeshua.

The difference between “sunset to sunset, and sundown to sundown” explained

READER QUESTION:

Could you please tell me if there is a difference between Sunset to sunset, and sundown to sundown?

OUR RESPONSE:

Is there a difference between Sunset to sunset or, sundown, to sundown? Biblically, no, because those words/phrases are not in the Hebrew scriptures. "Sunset to sunset" and "Sundown to sundown" are only English approximations to the Hebrew.

Various Bible translations are not even consistent as to which English idiom is used in the translation. In common usage however, i.e., in everyday life, most people understand the two phrases as synonyms.

But some pockets in some cultures use the terms slightly differently, for example, "sunset to sunset" is from the moment the sun has set to the moment the sun has set the next day, while "sundown to sundown" is taken to mean "the sun has set and it's now getting dark".

The implication is that if something needed to be done while it is still light, "sundown" means it's too late, for the sun has set and darkness is setting in. Back to the scriptures, some people do try to argue that there is a difference between "sunset" and "sundown", but the Hebrews did not think that way.

To a Hebrew, the late afternoon is "erev", usually translated into English as "evening". But the Hebrew "erev" means "mixture", which makes sense because in the late afternoon and early evening after sunset, the sky is a mixture of light and dark. So to a Hebrew, the time after sunset when the sky is getting dark is also "erev."

In English that is "evening" so that is what is usually used in translations. Example: In Exodus 12:38 we read "A mixed [erev] crowd also went up with them, as well as livestock in large numbers, both flocks and herds" (CJB). In Genesis 1:8 we read "So there was evening [erev], and there was morning, a second day" (CJB). So we see that the chosen meaning of "erev" into English depends on the context and use, while the English still does not capture the actual Hebrew meaning!

The use of sundown and sunset have similar problems. Hebrew does not say "sunset" or "sundown"! Period. Example, in Exodus 17:12 we read "the one on the one side and the other on the other; so that his [Moshe's] hands stayed steady until sunset." (CJB). But for sunset, the Hebrew uses "shamesh", which means "brilliant" and therefore refers to the sun. The word's use and context in the verse means "until the going down of the sun".

In English, "until sunset" is pretty close, but it is NOT what the Hebrew says! The Hebrew permits that Moshe's hands became heavy as the sun was descending, not that the event was "at sunset". In Exodus 22:26 we read "If you take your neighbor's coat as collateral, you are to restore it to him by sundown," (CJB).

Again, here the Hebrew is "shamesh"! So once again the English is close, but does not convey the intent of the Hebrew which is that the cloak is to be restored as the work-day is ending and the sun is going down.

One more example: In Leviticus 23:5 we read: "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between sundown and complete darkness, comes Pesach for Adonai." (CJB). But here, for "sundown" in the Hebrew is again "erev"! So the actual meaning is "between the evenings", and NOT "between sundown and complete darkness".

So, we can understand the English "sunset to sunset" and "sundown to sundown" to mean the same thing. The sun is setting or has set and the day has changed. Our activity, especially if the day is Friday, for example, should begin to wane as the sun is descending in the West, and we are not to resume our activity until a full day later, and that would logically mean that the sun has actually set on Saturday, and the old day is over and the new day has begun.

Is anybody listening?

This passage basically describes our world today, where myriads don't bother listening to "Moshe or the Prophets." Most are into themselves, into "the world," into everything EXCEPT the Bible - that entity that teaches us how to live and prepares us for the world to come....

Take a look:

Luke 16: 19 “Once there was a rich man who used to dress in the most expensive clothing and spent his days in magnificent luxury. 20 At his gate had been laid a beggar named El‘azar who was covered with sores.

21 He would have been glad to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table; but instead, even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 In time the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Avraham’s side; the rich man also died and was buried.

23 “In Sh’ol, where he was in torment, the rich man looked up and saw Avraham far away with El‘azar at his side. 24 He called out, ‘Father Avraham, take pity on me, and send El‘azar just to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue, because I’m in agony in this fire!’

25 However, Avraham said, ‘Son, remember that when you were alive, you got the good things while he got the bad; but now he gets his consolation here, while you are the one in agony. 26 Yet that isn’t all: between you and us a deep rift has been established, so that those who would like to pass from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house, 28 where I have five brothers, to warn them; so that they may be spared having to come to this place of torment too.’

29 But Avraham said, ‘They have Moshe and the Prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30 However, he said, ‘No, father Avraham, they need more. If someone from the dead goes to them, they’ll repent!’

31 But he replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moshe and the Prophets, they won’t be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!’” (CJB)

You’re no longer a “Gentile”….

So many believers erroneously keep referring to themselves as Gentiles. They've never realized that they're no longer "Gentile" once they have accepted the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!

They have become "Hebrew" and thus, a part of Israel - God's CHOSEN - and here's why:

Remember how YHWH told Abram (the pagan Chaldean who accepted YHWH as his ELOHIM) "to cross over" into the land which YHWH commanded him to head to, in Genesis 12?

Well, once he crossed over (both physically and spiritually), he became a "Hebrew" - a word that means, "to cross over!" Abram as you know, became our first forefather, and was renamed Abraham (a name that translates to "Father of a multitude).

This also means that YOU "become a Hebrew" once you have accepted YHWH as your God and His Divine Son whose shed blood removed your past sins! (John 14:6)

Now, note what YHWH commanded His people to do just before they FINALLY got to enter the Promised Land of Israel:

Deuteronomy 11: 30 Both are west of the Yarden, in the direction of the sunset, in the land of the Kena'ani living in the 'Aravah, across from Gilgal, near the pistachio trees of Moreh. 31 For you are to cross the Yarden to enter and take possession of the land ADONAI your God is giving you; you are to own it and live in it. 32 And you are to take care to follow all the laws and rulings I am setting before you today. (CJB)

Note the words, "you are to cross" in verse 31, followed by a warning to FOLLOW ALL THE LAWS AND RULINGS they've learned over the last 40 years....

Once we "cross over" we MUST obey His Divine Instructions in Righteousness, IF we want all to "go well with us." (See Exodus 15:26, Deuteronomy 6:3 and 12:28, Jeremiah 7:23, and a whole host of other passages.) YHWH reiterated that over and over again, throughout the entire Torah - as did Yeshua and his Apostles in the Renewed Covenant!

Notice what I said above? Once WE "cross over?" .... Yup - same God, same rules....(See Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:13-16, Isaiah 56:6, Galatians 3:28 and Romans 10:12-13.)

You too can become a true warrior for YHWH … if you can start backing up your facts via Scripture!

Hey, everybody. Did you all know YOU could become warriors for YHWH/Yeshua/Torah in these end times? In order to do that, though, you have to learn to not just give your opinions to this lost and decadent world of ours; but to actually be able to prove what you say by backing it up with Scripture.

If you don’t, then all you’re doing is presenting just another “opinion” …

A quick example of this would be if someone tries to tell you that MONEY is the root of all evil. You – KNOWING what the Bible says – can respond with: “No, 1 Timothy 6:10 says the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.”

Those with eyes to see and ears to hear (Matthew 13:9-16) will understand that they were wrong and correct themselves. The blind and stubborn will keep on proclaiming to the world that “Money is the root of all evil.” They don't even realize that they will some day stand before YHWH to explain why they kept leading people astray with their falsehoods.

Even Yeshua, when “tested” by the Adversary (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4) responded with “It is written.” What was “written” during his time? Torah and Tanach…. (Early manuscripts of the biblical texts did not contain the chapter and verse divisions in the numbered form familiar to modern readers.)

Anyway, as you all know, most opinions are pretty much worthless because they’re not necessarily based on facts. All it takes is a little effort on your part. Knowledge is power!

You don’t have to be a Bible expert or scholar; you just have to be familiar enough to know exactly what the Bible says and doesn’t say – and then Google the passages….

Proverbs 18:15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. (ESV)

Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. (ESV)

Proverbs 1:22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?  (ESV)

We are ALL capable of being warriors for YHWH, telling the world not only what we THINK on any given Bible subject, but also gaining respect for being able to back it up with actual Scripture references to show that we DO know what we're talking about. That is all part of how the "sheep" are separated from the "goats"....

Let’s once again discuss the word “fulfilled”….

"The church" keeps insisting that the word "fulfilled" somehow meant "abolished". Well, it didn't! While your job as parent teaching your kids how to be safe, and to, for instance, NOT cross the road without first looking both ways to make sure it was safe to cross, ended when those kids grew up, did that mean they could now start crossing the road WITHOUT looking both ways first?

Well, it's the same with God's Divine Instructions! Jesus didn't bring anything new when he came to do everything His Father commanded; he simply went on to explain and even demonstrate the need for Torah! His death didn't relieve anyone from OBEDIENCE to the Divine Instructions. It simply alleviated the need for us to NOT have to kill an innocent animal to atone for our sins.

Let's examine this a little further:

Matthew 5: 17 Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah – not until everything that must happen has happened.

19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven! (CJB)

Has everything that "must happen" happened yet? Have "heaven and earth passed away? If not, then it seems believers are supposed to BE Torah observant today!

The verse in Matthew 5:17-20 that says: "So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven" is a major key, because it is talking about YHWH's commands!

What commands are they? TORAH commands - which still stand today ... and WE are obligated, as believers, to keep those that we can! We need to pay special attention to those that have the word "forever" or "throughout your generations" attached to them.

Why? Because "forever" hasn't ended yet! Not to mention, "fulfill" never meant "to put an end to." It means, Yeshua came to do His Father's will and to fulfill "the next thing on the agenda".....

"Fulfill", among other things, means to have proper understanding of a scriptural passage, such as recognizing a precise fulfillment of prophecy. Therefore, for instance, when Yeshua says, "This word is fulfilled in your hearing," he means that he is the goal or object of that prophecy and has now arrived on the scene to do his mission as specified according to prophecy.

Now, if the "fulfillment" has not happened yet, as is the case when Yeshua says, "All that is written in the Torah and Prophets must be fulfilled," then it means, quite obviously "kept", "vouchsafed" or "adhered to" – the exact opposite of passing away!

That is also why he says, "He who keeps (fulfills) my words shall not taste death!"

Tired of trials and tribulations? Be like Yeshua!

Have you, as a Believer,  ever pondered the many trials you’ve had to endure SINCE you became a Believer?

Well, that’s often because the Adversary is doing everything in his power to get you to reject YHWH and His Divine Messiah!  (And, sometimes, YHWH Himself is trying to teach you some lessons in self-discipline - as he did with Abraham who thought YHWH really wanted him to sacrifice of his own son, Isaac….)

Yeshua, as you know, underwent MANY trials (all aptly outlined in Isaiah 53!) We don’t know how many he had BEFORE he received the Ruach haKodesh/Holy Spirit, but AFTER he did, what was the first thing that happened?  The Adversary began TESTING him!  (See Luke 3:21-23 and Luke 4.)  He even offered Yeshua all the kingdoms in the world!  (THAT was a pretty impressive bribe!)

But Yeshua didn’t fall for it, for he KNEW who he was and what he had to do!

And then, instead of fighting or arguing with the Adversary, he kept doing what?  Quoting Torah and Tanakh (“Old” Testament)!  Take a look:

Luke 4:4 Then Yeshua, filled with the Ruach HaKodesh, returned from the Yarden and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days of testing by the Adversary. During that time he ate nothing, and afterwards he was hungry.

3 The Adversary said to him, “If you are the Son of God, order this stone to become bread.” 4 Yeshua answered him, “The Tanakh says, ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’” (Ref Deuteronomy 8:3)

5 The Adversary took him up, showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world, 6 and said to him, “I will give you all this power and glory. It has been handed over to me, and I can give it to whomever I choose. 7 So if you will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Yeshua answered him, “The Tanakh says, ‘Worship ADONAI your God and serve him only.’”

9 Then he took him to Yerushalayim, set him on the highest point of the Temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, jump from here! 10 For the Tanakh says, ‘He will order his angels to be responsible for you and to protect you. 11 They will support you with their hands, so that you will not hurt your feet on the stones.’”  (Ref Psalm 91:11, 12)

12 Yeshua answered him, “It also says, ‘Do not put ADONAI your God to the test.’” (Ref Deuteronomy 6:13-17)  13 When the Adversary had ended all his testings, he let him alone until an opportune time. (CJB)

So, try to remember these things the next time you face some trials and tribulations.  If you truly belong to YHWH/Yeshua, you WILL come through it all, shining like refined gold and silver! (You might not think so at the time, but when you do things according to Torah, you can't go wrong!)

Job 23:10 Yet he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come out like gold.

Zechariah 13:2 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. 3 He will sit, testing and purifying the silver; he will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold and silver, so that they can bring offerings to ADONAI uprightly.

Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My Name, and I will answer them; I will say, It is My people; and they shall say, Yahweh my Elohim is my Elohim.

Malachi 3:2 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. 3 He will sit, testing and purifying the silver; he will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold and silver, so that they can bring offerings to ADONAI uprightly.

Isaiah 48:10 "Look, I have refined you, but not [as severely] as silver; [rather] I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Job 23:10 Yet he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come out like gold. 11 My feet have stayed in his footsteps; I keep to his way without turning aside. 12 I don't withdraw from his lips' command; I treasure his words more than my daily food.

Something very serious to ponder

Scripture warns us to guard our mouths and even to take every thought captive (Psalm 141:3, Proverbs 21:23, 2 Corinthians 10:5, etc).  Why?  Because thinking leads to action. 

Throughout the entire Bible we are told to be holy/set apart, from the inside-out. Our bodies are the TEMPLE today (Leviticus 15:31; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 6:15-20); yet we often forget we are, in essence, carrying within us “Holy Ground”; and offending the Ruach/Holy Spirit with any unclean thoughts, words or actions....

"For I am Adonai your God; therefore, consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy … you are to be holy, because I am holy (Leviticus 11:44 and 45, CJB)

"...you people are to be holy for me; because I, Adonai, am holy; and I have set you apart from the other peoples, so that you can belong to me." (Leviticus 20:26, CJB)

You see, YHWH commanded us to "be holy" so we could be in His presence and He could dwell with us.  "In this way you will separate the people of Isra'el from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in a state of uncleanness for defiling my tabernacle which is there with them." (Leviticus 15:31, CJB)

"The person who remains unclean and does not purify himself will be cut off from the community because he has defiled the sanctuary of Adonai." (Numbers 19:20 CJB)

NONE of this changed when Messiah Yeshua martyred himself on our behalf!  The rules for holiness didn’t change; the only thing that changed was that innocent animals no longer had to die to atone for our sins!

2 Corinthians 6: 14. And don’t be yoked with those who do not believe: for what fellowship has righteousness with iniquity or what fellowship[1] has light with darkness.  15. Or what agreement has the Mashiyach with the Accuser or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 

16. Or what agreement has the temple of Elohim with that of demons?[2] For you are the temple of the living Elohim; as it is said, I will dwell among them, and walk among them, and will be their Elohim, and they will be my people. 

17. Wherefore, you come out from among them, and be separate from them says Master YHWH; and don’t come near the unclean thing,[3] and I will receive you;  18. And will be to you a Father,[4] and you will be sons and daughters to me, says Master YHWH the Almighty.[5] (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1]  Another place where “communion” was inserted into Christian versions, where it is clearly and simply “fellowship.”

[2]   Present tense, the Temple was still standing when this Epistle was written and therefore before the year 70.  Of course, Pauline authorship also gives us this time, since the Apostle died before 67.

[3]  See Leviticus 5:2; 7:21; 11:8, 31; Deut 14:8; Isaiah 52:11; Lam 4:15; Haggai 2:13.

[4]  Psalm 103:13; Malachi 1:6

[5] Literally, “Master YHWH that (is) all power.”

1 Peter 2: 5. And you also, as living stones, are built and become spiritual temples and Set Apart priests for the offering of Spiritual Sacrifices,[1] acceptable before Elohim through Y’shua the Mashiyach. (AENT)

FOOTNOTE:

The spiritual component of sacrifice is much more important than what is being “sacrificed”; otherwise it would have no more significance than a backyard barbecue.  A sacrifice is evaluated by spiritual content that is elucidated in Torah, the Prophets and through Mashiyach.

The surrender of one’s will, peace offerings, bountiful offerings, thanksgiving offerings, mercy offerings, or sacrifices to establish resolve or new direction, congregational sacrifices, national sacrifices, sacrifices towards becoming Set Apart, or sacrifices to aid purity of thought and attitude are all potential “spiritual sacrifices.” 

“Spiritual sacrifices” unto YHWH are Set Apart and distinct from the sacrifices towards the physical gods of materialism, relativism or religious identity.  All authentic spiritual sacrifices have components of Righteousness, Judgment, Justice, Mercy and Faith; they are not cerebral, but spiritual, not in word only but in deed (visible) as well, and they are made with spiritual intent within the heart.