Ever wonder why “respect” for certain professions has disappeared?

Ever wonder why “respect” for certain professions has disappeared?

HINT: The entertainment industry!

Think of any movie or song that includes the “cops and robbers” theme. Who normally wins? The cops? Nope. Most of the time, the criminals outwit the cops and make them look like a bunch of incompetent, bungling morons.

Oftentimes, the cops in movies and songs, are shown to be “crooked” – people to be hated and shunned. Same thing holds true for shows about lawyers and politicians. Most of the time, they are portrayed as being ignorant or crooked and scheming – and, consequently, people find themselves cheering for the “poor ol’ bad guys who were done wrong.”

This has been going on basically since the beginning of the movie industry. Same thing for the music industry that, at first, featured wholesome songs about God, family and country, and “doing the right thing.” But as time passed, the lines between “right” and “wrong” started to become blurred, and by the early- to mid-Sixties (when God was kicked out of schools and government buildings), all Hell broke loose within both industries.

Cops were no longer people to be respected; they became known as “pigs” by the “hippies” and “freaks” and the underground drug culture. People listened to Timothy Leary telling us to "Turn on, tune in, drop out!” In other words, it was now perfectly OKAY to engage in illegal activity!

If you didn’t believe that, you were considered to be “square.” Colleges and universities became places to “party” instead of learning. No one had a right to stop you from behaving however you wished. Hey – this was AMERICA, man! Home of the free and the brave!

“Good” became a thing to scoff, while “bad” was glorified. The “badder” the better! People LOVED it! With the sexual revolution (after the birth control pill was invented and freed women from the fear of pregnancy), it became popular to “love the one you’re with if you can’t be with the one you love.” Shame was a thing of the past.

Movies and songs of all genres began reflecting the “normalcy” of what was formerly considered “unhealthy” lifestyles. It became “normal” to WANT the “bad guys” and the “underdogs” to win – because, in all honesty, “bad” appeals to man’s “fallen nature!” Myriads could identify with the “bad guys” … especially, if they had ever had any run-ins with the law.

Fast forward to today, and check out the blatant carnality and downright “evil” in movies today. Listen to the lyrics to the various types of music … Heavy Metal, Rap, Hip-Hop, and even many Rock and Country songs that make cops, lawyers and politicians sound like the “bad guys” while glorifying criminals and criminal activity.

I mean, take a look at the lyrics of this old Merle Haggard song, “Branded Man” (1967) - and you’ll see how quickly we can identify with him, and feel sorry for his plight. (Haggard, seemingly a “career criminal” who had been in and out of prison for a slew of crimes, was arrested in 1957 at the age of 18 on a burglary charge and sentenced to 15 years in San Quentin.) Regardless, by the end of the song, there’s NO DOUBT that law enforcement was BAD, because it infringed upon his lifestyle and desire to be viewed as an upstanding citizen – never mind that he had CHOSEN to commit all those crimes!

I'd like to hold my head up and be proud of who I am
But they won't let my secret go untold
I paid the debt I owed them, but they're still not satisfied
Now I'm a branded man out in the cold.

When they let me out of prison, I held my head up high
Determined I would rise above the shame
But no matter where I'm living, the black mark follows me
I'm branded with a number on my name

Refrain.

If I live to be a hundred, I guess I'll never clear my name
'Cause everybody knows I've been in jail
No matter where I'm living, I've got to tell them where I've been
Or they'll send me back to prison if I fail

Refrain..

Can you see how easily “bad” becomes “good” and vice-versa? All it took was the introduction of a little bit of “bad” to make “bad” look “normal” (poor Merle has to suffer for something he did in his past); and “good” (the laws of the land that required prisoners to register their domiciles) to appear to be downright evil, something to be eliminated because it gets in the way of our “freedoms”….

And THAT is how we got to where we are today.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who change darkness into light and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter! 21 Woe to those seeing themselves as wise, esteeming themselves as clever.

22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, men whose power goes to mixing strong drinks, 23 who acquit the guilty for bribes but deny justice to the righteous! 24 Therefore, as fire licks up the stubble, and the chaff is consumed in the flame; so their root will rot, and their flowers scatter like dust; because they have rejected the Torah of Adonai-Tzva’ot, they have despised the word of the Holy One of Isra’el. (CJB)

New to Torah? A word of advice about “having” to wear skirts or dresses….

In your new Torah walk, you will often encounter those who insist that women MUST wear skirts and dresses - and they'll point to all kinds of scriptures to support their beliefs.

Well, that's fine and dandy for those who like to wear skirts and dresses; but the truth is, Scripture does NOT command women to wear dresses! Scripture tells us that men and women are not to wear each other's clothing as it is "an abomination." (Deuteronomy 22:5)

In other words, one becomes "unbiblical" IF they wear clothing designed for the opposite sex because they desire to "look like" or even "be viewed as" the opposite sex.

(YHWH created two sexes, each created for a specific purpose (Genesis 1:27 and 5:2) and He has never wavered about their specific roles.)

Wearing trousers designed for women, does NOT make women "unholy"!

Why? Well, because pants weren't weren't even around in biblical times! (Trousers are a relatively modern invention.) EVERYBODY wore "dresses" (robe-like clothing, tunics). So, if one wishes to become truly legalistic, it would seem that today MEN should be wearing "dresses" - right?

So, if there's someone in your life trying to tell you that God commanded women to wear dresses and skirts, ask them to produce the scripture that specifically SAYS so; along with the one that says women cannot wear pants....

And if that doesn't work, simply ask them WHY they are wearing socks, since there is not one, single scripture discussing sock wearing - which means, they are clearly in violation of Torah!

A question for America

Why is it that whenever a Black person is attacked in any way by a white person, the media jumps all over it, making sure to mention the COLOR of the attacker was WHITE. Yet, whenever Blacks commit a crime, the color of the victim is rarely EVER mentioned, and their crime is immediately "downplayed" in some way?

WHY IS THAT?

And WHY wasn't this particular incident mentioned on the national TV news networks? I can assure you that if the perps had been WHITE, and the victim Black, there would have been screaming headlines and protest marches by the BLM in the streets!

Here is just ONE example of why I am so incensed about this kind of thing: This particular article doesn't mention what color the victim was, but it IS SURE to mention that the women's lawyer is making plenty of excuses for their violent and vicious behavior. Take a look:

"At the bond hearing on Tuesday, the sisters’ court-appointed attorney argued the first-degree attempted murder charges were too extreme because they were acting in self-defense and have bipolar disorder, according to the Chicago Tribune. The sisters have no criminal record."

Sorry, but I don't care WHAT they are "suffering from!" They deserve the maximum for being EVIL, VICIOUS, VIOLENT, pathetic excuses for humanity! NOBODY has a "right" to attack someone for doing their job!!!! I don't care WHAT "color" they are!

And, oh yeah - they were "acting in self-defense?" REALLY? The guard never approached them! He simply told them to put on a mask, because that is the store rules in SECOND WAVE our the COVID pandemic!

I'm getting really, really SICK of all those nonsense! TWO THINGS need to happen:

(1) The MEDIA needs to start reporting the NEWS, like they're supposed to; and stop forcing their own liberal, self-centered biased opinions down our collective throat!

(2) PEOPLE need to STOP behaving like childish, selfish, self-centered, uneducated, spoiled rotten brats; and begin to realize THEY aren't the only people on the planet, and that everything is NOT "about them."

And most of all, ALL Americans (Black, White, Red, Brown, Yellow and everything else in between) need to learn to take responsibility for their own actions, so they can come up with resolutions for the "greater good" because - as it stands right now, we are headed to Hell in that proverbial "hand basket."

We were once the greatest nation on earth - in part, BECAUSE we were "one nation under GOD" - consisting of diverse races, each contributing to a beautiful "melting pot" called "The United States of America" - where people were free to pursue their dreams (IF they were willing to get up off their rumps and WORK for it!)....

Unfortunately, we somehow turned into a nation of entitled, me-oriented, self-centered "toddlers," pitching fits if everything isn't handed to them on a silver platter....

Well, here's a hard truth:

As things stand right now, "Pandora's Box" has been opened, and there's no stopping this craziness, until Yeshua returns. The ONLY remedy is if the entire country shuts its collective "big mouth" and starts looking toward YHWH/Yeshua/Torah for resolutions.

A plain and simple truth!

A plain and simple truth!

You can't know WHOM you're worshiping unless you've actually studied the Torah.

Unless Torah is engraved in the furthest regions of your soul, you cannot possibly know who ADONAI is, who His Divine Messiah is, or what YHWH expects of His people. Without a firm grasp of Torah, you cannot know how to be holy, set apart….

Example:

A toddler is happy just being alive, running around, playing, and simply being a child - but he can do nothing on his own. He can't provide for himself; he can’t read or write or do simple arithmetic, ride a bike or drive a car. He cannot function in the world all by himself. He has to LEARN all those things while his body and mind continue to grow.

Same holds true with Scripture. Unfortunately today, MOST prefer to remain in the "toddler" stage.

Ever noticed that "pork" and "circumcision" are a real sticking points for some?

Have you ever noticed that "pork" and "circumcision" seem to be real sticking points for some? Bill and I have actually witnessed some people deciding to either ignore those two items, or simply return to Christianity because they weren't about to get circumcised or give up pork!

Some people simply don't understand that if you try to "cherry-pick" Scripture, you will be considered "lukewarm" and be vomited from Yeshua's mouth upon his return (Revelation 3:16). In this week's Torah portion (Parasha 3) we saw YHWH making the covenant of circumcision which Avraham. (As you know, ONLY YHWH Himself can make or break covenants. If you break "your side" of the covenant, His covenant still remains, but you're no longer His. After all, WHOM are you worshiping if you can't follow rules?)

Genesis 17:10-11: This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you."

Circumcision, like the Sabbath is a sign that we are in covenant with Him. We cannot say we are in covenant with Him and not keep the signs! If you wish to ignore the circumcision covenant, then you might as well stop bothering to keep His Shabbats or Mo'edim/Appointed Times as well, because if you pick and choose, then you’ll be considered lukewarm.

Many attempt to use Acts 15 as ammo to prove that circumcision is unnecessary, They don't realize that Paul did NOT suggest that at all. (In all honesty, when the Bible is read through a "Hebrew" instead of "Greek" mindset, it becomes clear that Paul NEVER negated Torah - ever!)

The arguments that raged in Paul's time were about how the rabbis were saying Gentiles MUST be circumcised before they came to faith (and abandoned their old gods). Paul was only saying that gentiles should be given the time to come to faith in their heart first, and not be "forced" into what were rituals in Judaism.

Then, once the gentile has fully accepted YHWH as their God and Yeshua as their redeemer, then they can enter the covenant by the circumcision.

Paul did not say that circumcision would be a burden; rather, he said that forcing circumcision before the gentile truly came to faith would be a burden. Since circumcision is a "forever" covenant, Paul (and none of the apostles) had any authority to change that covenant.

The main problem is that Christians always refer to Paul as the be-all-end-all when it comes Scripture. Nobody seems to realize that Paul - a mere human - had no right to change ANYTHING YHWH commanded, or what Yeshua taught. (In all honesty, when the Bible is read through a "Hebrew" instead of "Greek" mindset, it becomes clear that Paul NEVER negated Torah - ever!)

And as was evident in this week's Torah portion, YHWH COMMANDED circumcision for "generation after generation."

This, by the way, was not just "For the Jews" as Christians are quick to point out. Avraham wasn't a Jew! Neither were the next two Patriarchs, Issac and Jacob. There were no "Jews" until Jacob had a son name Yehudah (Judah) where the name "Jew" was derived.

The bottom line is: Same God, same rules! See Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:13-16, Isaiah 56:6, Galatians 3:28 and Romans 10:12-13.

New to Torah and being harassed by your pastor or friends and family? Here are some pointers!

For those who are new to Torah (the first five Books of the Bible), and you are being harassed about it by your pastor, friends or family, simply ask them some pointed questions – questions that are thoroughly answered in articles on our website, The Refiner’s Fire!  For instance:

• “If we're all ONE in Christ, then why don't we do exactly as HIS people do, such as keeping the COMMANDED Seventh Day Sabbath – which is a SIGN between God and those who belong to Him? Where is the scripture to show that Jesus abolished the Seventh Day Sabbath and told us to meet on the “first day” (Sunday, on our Gregorian calendars)? ”
  

• “Why aren’t we keeping His commanded Feasts/Appointed Times - all of which foreshadow Jesus, who has thus far only fulfilled the first FOUR, with the next one being the so-called rapture?”

• “Where are “Christmas and Easter” commanded in the Bible?”

• “Where, exactly does GOD Himself say that, when His Divine Son dies, people will no longer have to adhere to His “forever” commands outlined in Torah?  (Such as the Seventh Day Sabbath, the Feasts, and eating only “clean” foods.)   After all, God commanded EVERYONE who accepts Him as their God, to do exactly as His people do!  (See Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:13-16, Isaiah 56:6, Galatians 3:28 and Romans 10:12-13.)”

Be prepared for the possibility of being inundated with endless questions and challenges from your pastor, family or friends, because they simply cannot comprehend the idea of Torah!  To them, Torah means “works” or that you are “trying to earn your salvation.”  They were taught that “God is love” and that a Torah-less God-man named “Jesus” came to bring grace and mercy and basically abolish YHW'H’s Torah so that Christians would have to do nothing except “Believe in Jesus.”!

Guaranteed, their responses to you will ALWAYS be, “But PAUL said….”  (And, as you now know, Paul’s writings often seem to NEGATE what God commanded in His Torah and what Yeshua taught.  However, Paul’s writings, when read in a Hebrew instead of Greek context, clearly reveal that he NEVER negated Torah, mainly because Paul – as a mere human – didn’t have that right!)

If you end up feeling overwhelmed by all the challenges you are certain to encounter, simply send your pastor, family or friends to our website, The Refiner’s Fire, and we will be happy to help them understand what Torah is…. 

Does 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “prove” that Christians are exempt from obedience to any Torah commands?

Many Christians attempt to use 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 to “prove” that Christians are exempt from obedience to any Torah commands.

But what is the reality?

Let’s take a look at that whole chapter in its original context as revealed in the original languages of Hebrew and Aramaic (basically, a dialect of Hebrew), which Yeshua spoke. (Yeshua, also written as "Y'shua" is our Messiah's actual, given Hebrew Name; a Name that means "YHWH is Salvation" in Hebrew) For your convenience, I’ve put in parenthesis in the following passages some of the English words you’re familiar with:

Here goes:

1 Thessalonians 4: . Wherefore, my Brothers, I entreat you and beseech you by our Master Y’shua that, as you have received from us how you should walk and to please Elohim, so you would make progress more and more. 2. For you know what command we gave you in our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach (Messiah).

3. For this is the will of Elohim, your sanctification; and that you be separated from all sexual sin 4. and that each one of you might know how to possess his vessel in sanctity and in honor 5. and not in the passion of lust, like the rest of the Gentiles who know not Elohim: 6. and that you dare not to transgress and to overreach anyone his brother in this matter; because our Master (Y’shua) is the avenger of all these, as also we have said and testified to you in time past.

7. For Elohim did not call you to impurity but to sanctification. 8. He therefore who spurns, spurns not man but Elohim who has given His Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit) in you. 9. Now concerning love to the Brothers, you need not that I should write to you; for your own Qnoma (inner being, core substance) taught you of Elohim (and) to love one another.{1]

10. You likewise do so to all the Brothers who are in all Macedonia: but I entreat you, my Brothers, to be exuberant: 11. and that you strive to be quiet and to attend to your own affairs; and that you labor with your own hands as we directed you; 12. and that you walk becomingly towards those without and that you be dependent on no man. 13. And I wish you to know, my Brothers, that you should not mourn over them who have fallen asleep, like other people who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Y’shua died and rose again, even so them who sleep, will Elohim, by Y’shua, bring with him. 15. And this we say to you by the word of our Master (Y’shua), that we who may survive and be alive at the coming of our Master (Y’shua), will not precede them who have slept.

16. Because our Master (Y’shua) will himself descend from heaven with the mandate and with the voice of the chief Messenger and with the Qarna (Trumpet/Shofar) of Elohim; and the dead who are in the Mashiyach will first arise; 17. and then we who survive and are alive will be caught up[2] together with them to the clouds to meet our Master (Y’shua) in the air; and so will we be ever with our Master. 18. And so, comfort you one another with these words. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Qnoma is a very important term that has been greatly diluted and misunderstood over the centuries. Through an exceedingly complex linguistic chain of events this word, meaning “an occurrence of a nature” got morphed and perverted into “person” in Greek.

As a result, the One Elohim (YHWH – English letters for the Hebrew Tetragrammaton comprised of the Hebrew letters Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, that God gave to Moses in Exodus 3:13-15) is represented in a pagan manner in the Greek New Testament as a “person” distinct and equal with “Elohim the Son” and “Elohim the Ruach haKodesh.” Instead, it is the oneness of YHWH that manifests in Mashiyach, not that Mashiyach’s divinity is separate from his Father’s.

However, in this case we are talking about humanity and not YHWH, and both of them have “natures” that cannot be seen, and yet are a root part of their being. Or, to put it another way, a “nature” is like a body hidden behind a curtain. For those in the audience, nothing of that nature can be seen.

Then, all of a sudden, a hand and part of an arm appears through the veil. While we know there is a body attached to that limb, the limb is all we see. Furthermore, that arm moves with full force, will and agreement of the mind that controls the body. For the viewers, the arm appearing out of the curtain is the qnoma (occurrence) and the hidden mind behind that limb’s movement is its kyanna (nature).

As the centuries moved along, the ancient meaning of qnoma as “occurrence of a nature” devolved by Aramaic assemblies who compromised with the Byzantine Empire. Gradually, “core substance” became the common definition; at first it closely paralleled its Greek counterpart, hypostasis.

More time passed and Greek redactors changed the meaning of hypostasi, taking it further from the original definition of qnoma. Qnoma/hypostasis became equivalent to “person” to line up with Greek passages that used this meaning in the form of the word prospon.

In Greek, “person” implies a physical presence as opposed to Aramaic where body metaphors like “I will set my face towards” are very common. The revision began at the beginning of the Third Century when these same “westernized” Aramaic Christians began to proffer up readings in their “Peshitt-o” versions of Acts 20:28 and Hebrews 2:9 that were meant to align with the Byzantine majority Greek.

However, the original eastern “Peshitt-a” escaped these revisions as it was in the rival Persian Empire. Aramaic, as in this verse, retains the original meaning of qnoma. It is NOT the external “person” that teaches someone about Elohim, but the Ruach (Spirit) working through their “inner being.” The idea of “person” in Greek, unfortunately, does not address the neshama (spirit) of a person as the likeness or “image of Elohim.”

[2] The Rapture Theory was invented by Jesuits in the late 1500’s. Protestants were pointing to the Vatican as the harlot beast system of Revelation. Several Futurist movements sprung up in Europe suggesting that the book of Revelation was entirely future and that Rome could not be the harlot, as this was a future event.

The Jesuits also peddled the Rapture Theory that “the saints” would not be on Earth during the time of tribulation; thereby, taking pressure off of Rome. However, Rav Shaul (Apostle Paul) clearly teaches that the first resurrection and the “catching up” will occur at the return of Mashiyach, which will be around the same time that the Earth will be going up in smoke (2 Peter 3:10-12) at the end of Jacob’s Trouble.

Anyone who wishes to see more information on this issue may check out my website’s article – which is based on an an excerpt from my book, "And there was War in Heaven."

Pope Francis endorses same-sex civil unions …

Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time as pontiff while being interviewed for the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which premiered Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival.

If "the world" wishes to promote same-sex unions, fine. But it is NOT okay for Believers to do so!

Unfortunately, church leaders will do anything to keep the tithes coming, because their LOVE FOR MONEY (which is the root of all evil - 1 Timothy 6:10) outweighs their FEAR OF GOD!

Leviticus 18: 22 - You are not to go to bed with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.

Deuteronomy 22:5 "A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.

Romans 1: 22 Claiming to be wise, they have become fools! 23 In fact, they have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for mere images, like a mortal human being, or like birds, animals or reptiles! 24 This is why God has given them up to the vileness of their hearts' lusts, to the shameful misuse of each other's bodies.

25 They have exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, by worshiping and serving created things, rather than the Creator - praised be he for ever. Amen.

26 This is why God has given them up to degrading passions; so that their women exchange natural sexual relations for unnatural; 27 and likewise the men, giving up natural relations with the opposite sex, burn with passion for one another, men committing shameful acts with other men and receiving in their own persons the penalty appropriate to their perversion.

28 In other words, since they have not considered God worth knowing, God has given them up to worthless ways of thinking; so that they do improper things. 29 They are filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and vice; stuffed with jealousy, murder, quarreling, dishonesty and ill-will; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God; they are insolent, arrogant and boastful; they plan evil schemes; they disobey their parents; 31 they are brainless, faithless, heartless and ruthless.

32 They know well enough God's righteous decree that people who do such things deserve to die; yet not only do they keep doing them, but they applaud others who do the same.

2 Peter 2: 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for a person is slave to whatever has defeated him. 20 Indeed, if they have once escaped the pollutions of the world through knowing our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah, and then have again become entangled and defeated by them, their latter condition has become worse than their former. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the Way of righteousness than, fully knowing, to turn from the holy command delivered to them. (CJB)

1 Corinthians 6:9-10: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3: For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality....

1 Corinthians 6:18-20: Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Ephesians 5:11-13: Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.

1 Timothy 1:9-11 - 9 We are aware that Torah is not for a person who is righteous, but for those who are heedless of Torah and rebellious, ungodly and sinful, wicked and worldly, for people who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral - both heterosexual and homosexual - slave dealers, liars, perjurers, and anyone who acts contrary to the sound teaching 11 that accords with the Good News of the Glorious and blessed God.

Revelation 3:15  "I know what you are doing: you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold not hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth!

Revelation 22:14-16: How blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they have the right to eat from the Tree of Life and go through the gates into the city! 15 Outside are the homosexuals, those who misuse drugs in connection with the occult, the sexually immoral, murderers, idol-worshippers, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Are you ready for a “mega-disaster?”

Recently, my hubby and I began to watch a TV series called “Mega Disasters” and so far, we’ve watched one about the growing dangers of volcanic activity around the world; and another about the power of tsunamis (which are caused by underwater disturbance usually associated with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean; volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, and coastal rock falls).

It is a proven, scientific fact that both of these phenomena have worsened over the years, to the point where the “the big ones” may not be that far off.

So, why am I telling you this?

Because the Bible tells us that 2/3 of our earth will be destroyed “by fire” this time (as opposed to flood)…  (See Zechariah 13:7-9; Isaiah 51:6; 2 Peter 3:10; Malachi 4:1; Luke 12:49). 

Let’s examine some scripture passages:

Zechariah 13: 7 I will turn my hand against the young ones. 8 In time, throughout that land,” says ADONAI, “two-thirds of those in it will be destroyed — they will die, but one-third will remain. 9 That third part I will bring through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined, I will test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is my people’ and they will say, ‘ADONAI is my God.’” (CJB)

(In these verses in Zechariah, the word for “fire” in Hebrew is “ba’esh” and means “burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.”)

While watching the Mega-Disasters series, it became clear to me that the fires caused by these various mega-disasters may be what YHWH will use to destroy a great part of the earth and wipe out much of humanity.

Bear with me as we take a look at the following:

2 Thessalonians 1:6. And since it is a righteous thing with Elohim to recompense trouble to them that trouble you:  7. and you who are the troubled, he will resurrect with us at the manifestation of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach from heaven, with the host of his Messengers;  8. when he will execute vengeance with the burning of fire on them that know not Elohim, and on them that acknowledge not the Good News of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach.  9. For these will be recompensed with the judgment of eternal destruction from the presence of our Master (Y’shua) and from the glory of his power… (AENT) 

NOTE:  Some, of course, believe that YHWH will not send “real fire” in the future; they believe this to be “spiritual fire.” (Deuteronomy 32:22; Ezekiel 28:18; 38:22; Joel 2:30; Isaiah 34:8, 9; Zephaniah 3:8; Psalm 11:6) 

However, YHWH sent the real thing before, against those who hardened their hearts (the rain of fire in Genesis 19:24).  A valuable history lesson is still available near the Dead Sea, next to Masada where it is possible to find rock samples containing small pellets of sulfur.  The sulfur burned into the rock and preserved the history of how Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed. 

Those who disagree with literal fire and destruction coming upon the wicked have no legitimate reason to complain, as each soul has experienced the gift of life and responded to YHWH according to their own free choice…

Anyway, here is why I believe the fires will be due (at least in large part) to volcanic activity of “biblical proportions” which will, for days on end, darken the sky as if it’s nighttime.  (See, for instance, Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7 and Joel 3:15

Exodus 10:21-23 discusses the plague of “darkness” that fell over Egypt, driving people crazy with fear and worry. I ask you:  aren’t WE also basically “in Egypt” here in this lost world of ours that doesn’t know YHWH and commits all manner of paganism against YHWH?

And please take some time to read Isaiah chapter 13 which perfectly outlines what happened in Babylon!  Aren’t WE in our own “Babylon” today, living in paganistic, rebellious, self-centered and arrogant societies?

Read also 2 Peter 3 which says, in part:  3 First, understand this: during the Last Days, scoffers will come, following their own desires 4 and asking, “Where is this promised ‘coming’ of his? For our fathers have died, and everything goes on just as it has since the beginning of creation.”

5 But, wanting so much to be right about this, they overlook the fact that it was by God’s Word that long ago there were heavens, and there was land which arose out of water and existed between the waters, 6 and that by means of these things the world of that time was flooded with water and destroyed. 7 It is by that same Word that the present heavens and earth, having been preserved, are being kept for fire until the Day of Judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. (CJB)
 
The Book of Revelation reveals the following:

Revelation 6: 12. And I looked when he had opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black, like sackcloth of hair; and the whole moon became like blood.  13. And the stars of heaven fell on the earth as a fig-tree casts its unripe figs, when it is shaken by a strong wind.  14. And the heavens separated, as a scroll is rolled up: and all mountains and islands were removed out of their places. 

15. And the kings of the earth, and the nobles, and the captains of thousands, and the rich men, and the men of valor, and every servant and free man hid themselves in caves, and in the clefts of the mountains;  16. and they said to the mountains and to the clefts, Fall over us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:  17. For the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand? (AENT)

Revelation 16: 8. And the fourth poured his cup upon the sun: and it was permitted him to scorch men with fire.  9. And men were scorched with great heat; and men blasphemed the name of Elohim who has authority over these plagues; and they did not repent, to give glory to Him.  10. And the fifth poured his cup on the throne of the beast of prey; and his kingdom became darkness; and they gnawed their tongues from pain;  11. and they blasphemed the Elohim of heaven on account of their pains and their ulcers, and did not repent of their deeds.   (AENT)

(See also Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 3:15; Matthew 24; Mark 13:24; and Revelation 8:12).

Now, most are probably sitting in the comfort of their own homes right now, thinking these things won’t happen in their lifetime.  But here’s the thing:  Read Matthew 24 and the Books of Daniel and Revelation with an open mind and allow the prophesies to sink in.  Have we not been experiencing all kinds of horrific natural disasters bombarding us, one after the other – fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. - all getting ever worse? 

Have we not been witnessing mankind, as a whole, becoming more and more evil, decadent and unruly? Have we not been witnessing Muslims “beheading the infidels” (anyone who doesn’t believe their god, Allah)? These things are ALL outlined in Scripture, which tells us that the end times will be “as in the days of Noah” when YHWH destroyed the earth by water!
Take a look:

Matthew 24: 27 For the Son of Man’s coming will be just as it was in the days of Noach. 38 Back then, before the Flood, people went on eating and drinking, taking wives and becoming wives, right up till the day Noach entered the ark; 39 and they didn’t know what was happening until the Flood came and swept them all away. It will be just like that when the Son of Man comes.  (CJB)

Matthew 24: 27. For as the sunshine comes out from the East and is seen even in the West, thus will be the coming of the Son of man. 28. Wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles gather. 29. And immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not shine its light. And the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. 30. And then will be seen the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the land mourn, when they will see the Son of man who comes upon the clouds of heaven with great power and glory.

31. And he will send his Messengers with a large trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. 32. Now from the fig tree learn a parable. As soon as its branches become tender and bring forth its leaves, you know that summer has arrived. 33. Thus also when you have seen all these things, know that it has arrived at the door. 34. Truly I say to you, that this tribe will not pass until all these things happen. 35. Heaven and earth may pass, but my word will not pass. 36. About the day and about the hour no man knows, not even the Messengers of heaven, but the Father alone.  (AENT)

Folks, all the hoarding of food, water and weapons will not save you during some potential “mega-disaster!  (Over the last two decades, we’ve been experiencing LOTS of disasters that killed myriads; so try to imagine a “mega-disaster!”)

Look, people: nobody is “guaranteed to survive” the Great Tribulation!  Your ONLY and BEST defense is to preserve your soul by “getting yourself ‘right’ with God” who promises eternal life to true Believers!

What is eternal life?

John 17:2-3And eternal life is this: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah."

And how do we get to know YHWH and His Messiah?  By studying His original Word in what’s called the Torah…

While what I’ve written is extremely scary, it is also realistic.  NONE of what I’ve written has been a big secret; it’s all perfectly outlined in the Bible.  Wise people will start thinking about what lies ahead, and make sure they are “right” with God NOW!

Actually Jesus did NOT wash our “intentional” sins away….

I recently saw a great little Christian article on the agonies Yeshua endured while shedding his innocent blood on our behalf.  One of the things that bothered me in the article, however, was the comment that read, "He did so that your sins may be "washed" and carried away. All of them, without exception!"

That is actually an untrue statement!

Yeshua offered his divine blood to remove our PAST sins, not our deliberate future ones. We can't continue to live a sinful life and expect to have the Holy Spirit remain within us. Take a look at the following scriptures:

Numbers 15: 30 "'But an individual who does something wrong intentionally, whether a citizen or a foreigner, is blaspheming ADONAI. That person will be cut off from his people. (CJB)

Hebrews 6: 4. But they who have once descended to immersion and have tasted the gift from heaven and have received the Ruach haKodesh 5. and have tasted the good Word of Elohim and the power of the world to come, 6. cannot again sin and a second time be renewed to repentance; or a second time execute him on a stake and insult the Son of Elohim.

7. For the earth that drinks the rain which comes often upon it and produces the herb that is of use to those for whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from Elohim. 8. But if it should put forth thorns and briers, it would be discarded and be approaching closely to a curse, and its end would be a conflagration. (AENT)

NOTE: Huge contrast between Aramaic and Greek. The Greek reads: "once having been enlightened..." This "enlightening" seems logical until we look at Aramaic: "But they who have once descended to immersion..."

The difference is acute, since baptism is clearly a subject being introduced just two verses earlier. The reason for the Greek redaction to "enlightenment" may well have been due to early Gnostic influence that stressed Messiah's knowledge over his actual power and incarnation of Deity.

Hebrews 10: 26 For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but only the terrifying prospect of Judgment, or raging fire that will consume the enemies.

The above Scripture is not referring to those unclean bondages that dwell in our flesh but to the conscious choices believers make. It refers not to our unintentional sins but to those we pursue knowingly and willingly.

2 Peter 2: 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for a person is slave to whatever has defeated him. 20 Indeed, if they have once escaped the pollutions of the world through knowing our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah, and then have again become entangled and defeated by them, their latter condition has become worse than their former. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the Way of righteousness than, fully knowing, to turn from the holy command delivered to them.

How many of today's believers behave in a way they know is sinful and yet they go ahead and do what they feel like doing, anyway?

That's because they mistakenly believe Divine grace covers intentional sin. That is a huge misconception! Divine grace has made wonderful provision for unintentional sin. But there is no provision for intentional sin. The Bible actually does tell us so.

Why was Cain's offering not accepted?

SOMEONE RECENTLY ASKED A GREAT QUESTION ABOUT TORAH PARASHAH 1. The question was this:

Why was Cain's offering not accepted? He specialized in crop cultivation and his offering should come from the fruits of his field, right?

RESPONSE:

The very plain and simple answer to your great question is that YHWH handed down all kinds of commands for humans, right from the beginning – commands that weren’t mentioned in Torah (because if everything that happened during those thousands of years, the pages of the Torah would circumscribe the earth several times over).

But we can surmise they WERE given, as we see in the case of Cain and Abel.

YHWH must have, at some point, told the humans alive at the time that they were to offer the blood of an innocent animal as a SIN offering. Grain does not cover sin. Cain’s grain offering might have been accepted IF he has also brought the blood offering required to forgive his sins….

Scripture tells us that blood, the stuff of life without which we would die, is extremely important to YHWH (i.e. in Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 7:26; 17:12-14; 19: 26, etc.) … It is so important that, innocent blood (the life of an innocent animal) has to be used to atone for one’s sins. Basically, it’s one "soul" for another!

Leviticus 17:11 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for yourselves; for it is the blood that makes atonement because of the life.’ 12 This is why I told the people of Isra’el, ‘None of you is to eat blood, nor is any foreigner living with you to eat blood.’ (CJB)

YHWH even explained the importance of blood back in Genesis 9, after He told humans that it was okay to eat animals (which is the reason why animals started fearing men!).

Genesis 9: 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; just as I gave you green plants before, so now I give you everything — 4 only flesh with its life, which is its blood, you are not to eat.

5 I will certainly demand an accounting for the blood of your lives: I will demand it from every animal and from every human being. I will demand from every human being an accounting for the life of his fellow human being. 6 Whoever sheds human blood, by a human being will his own blood be shed; for God made human beings in his image. (CJB)

Cain’s grain offering (a type of "thank" offering) was invalid because it was not preceded by a blood offering, acknowledging sin. Torah tells us that ONLY BLOOD atones for sin, because "life is in the blood." Cain was basically "approaching the Throne" without a covering for his sin.

Explaining “the sons of God” in Genesis 6:2

READER COMMENT:  Could you please explain who were "sons of God," in Genesis 6:2

I have a problem with the concept of Nephelium. Angels can't procreate. I can't imagine that Yahweh would've given fallen angels that ability.

Thank you in advance Shalom

OUR RESPONSE:

The identity of “the sons of God” in Genesis 6:2 is commonly regarded as one of the most difficult interpretive cruxes in all of the Tanakh. Many have tried but there are 3 main interpretations:

(1) Views which assert that “the sons of God” were members of the blessed line of Seth (Genesis 5:3) who presumably married ungodly “daughters of men” (possibly from the line of Cain).

(2) Views which hold that “the sons of God” were dynastic rulers who may have been considered semi-divine and who acted in wickedness by marrying of “the daughters of men” “all which they chose” (Genesis 6:2), which is taken to mean that polygamy was rampant.

(3) Views that maintain that “the sons of God” were fallen angelic beings who, cast to earth became mortals, and took to themselves human wives and bore offspring.

While angels can't procreate, if YHWH sent them to earth and made them human, then it seems it is possible they were fallen angels.

It's a terrific, head-scratching question.

Did Yeshua really preach to those souls which were detained in Hell?

READER QUESTION:

What does 1 Peter 3;18-19 mean?  It says Yeshua preached to those souls which were detained in Sheol ( Hades) 20... which were formerly disobedient in the days of Noah when the long suffering of ELOHIM commanded an ARK to be made….

Does that mean that they had a chance to repent and will end up in Heaven?

OUR RESPONSE:

Let’s examine this verse a little more closely:

1 Peter 3: 17. For it is profitable to you that you suffer evil while you do good deeds, if this should be the pleasure of Elohim; and not, while you do evil deeds.  18. For the Mashiyach also once died for our sins, the righteous for sinners; that he might bring you to Elohim. And he died in body but lived in spirit.  19. And he preached to those souls which were detained in Sheol (Hades)  20. which were formerly disobedient in the days of Noah when the long suffering of Elohim commanded an ark to be made, in hope of their repentance; and eight souls only entered into it and were kept alive in the waters.  (AENT)

One of the biggest problems is, Greek Bibles left out the words “in hope of their repentance.” You see, those people in pre-flood days had 100 YEARS to repent - and they didn't.  So, to put it bluntly, Yeshua's “preaching” to them consisted of reprimands about their failure to repent and return to YHWH.  SINNERS who deliberately rejected YHWH and His teachings, simply do not end up in "Heaven."  Scripture is clear about that.

To clarify a bit about the huge mistake the pre-flood people made by NOT turning to YHWH during those 100 years, we must remember there is an “age of accountability.”

Children are not held accountable to God until they have completed their bar and bat mitzvahs - “coming of age” ceremonies at age 13. (“Bar” for boys and “bat” for girls mitzvah.)  Tradition holds that this is when they become “responsible” for their own actions, according to Torah, and have grown up enough to make up their own minds via a CONSCIOUS decision about whether or not accept YHWH and live by His Divine Rules. (See Deuteronomy 1:3, Isaiah 7:16, Proverbs 20:11, Proverbs 22:6, Luke 2:42-46.)

In Isaiah 14 we read of those who were brought down to Sh'ol. Verses 15-22:

Isaiah 14:15: Instead you are brought down to Sh'ol, to the uttermost depths of the pit.
16  Those who see you will stare at you, reflecting on what has become of you: 'Is this the man who shook the earth, who made kingdoms tremble,  17  who made the world a desert, who destroyed its cities, who would not set his prisoners free?'

18  "All other kings of the nations, all of them, lie in glory, each in his tomb. 19  But you are discarded, unburied, like a loathed branch, clothed like the slain who were pierced by the sword, then fall to the stones inside a pit, like a corpse to be trampled underfoot.

20  You will not be joined with those kings in the grave, because you destroyed your own land, you have brought death to your own people. The descendants of evildoers will be utterly forgotten.

21  Get ready to slaughter his sons for the iniquity of their fathers; so they won't arise, take over the earth and cover the world with their cities."  22  "I will arise against them," says Adonai-Tzva'ot. "I will cut off from Bavel name and remnant, offshoot and offspring," says Adonai."

Do we not see in this prophecy those who died in the flood so many generations before Isaiah?  Those who died in the flood were not buried, they did not join those "kings" who were buried.  These people of the flood were the prisoners of Satan.  Satan can bind only those who are bound to sin. 

But Yeshua HAD preached to those who died in the flood. Yeshua WAS the "WORD" and they had the WORD, (though not yet in the form of Yeshua), but they chose to ignore it.  Those who had not yet died, just before the flood, had plenty of time to repent, but they did not. Remember, at that time, only Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8).  All others (except Noah's wife, his sons and his son's wives) had rejected YHWH.

Peter, in his letter goes on:

1 Peter 4:3-6: "For you have spent enough time already living the way the pagans want you to live — in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, wild parties and forbidden idol-worship.  They think it strange that you don't plunge with them into the same flood of dissoluteness, and so they heap insults on you.  But they will have to give an account to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.  This is why he was proclaimed to those who have died; it was so that, although physically they would receive the judgment common to all humanity, they might live by the Spirit in the way that God has provided."

So it seems the point is that the dead had the opportunity. They had the WORD and they could have lived by it, but they chose not to.  So the problematic verse, 1 Peter 1:19, is not describing an ACTIVE effort of Yeshua to those who died in the flood, rather, it is saying that they, too, already HAD the WORD and could have lived by it, and could have been spared.

For those new to Torah, here are a few basics

For anyone who is brand new to the idea of Torah, here are some basics about the Bible:

As you know, there is more to the Bible than just the “Old” and “New Testaments. The Bible is comprised of 66 “Books”, each designed to open our eyes to the wonders of our Creator, YHWH (the English phonetic letters representing the Hebrew letters Yud, Hey, Vav, Hey - יהוה - most likely pronounced "Yah-way” – see Exodus 3:13-15).

The "Old Testament" (which is the "Tanach" in Hebrew) is comprised of three sections. In fact, the word “Tanach” (or “Tanakh” is an acronym consisting of: the Torah (also known as the Pentateuch), the Nevi'im ('Prophets'), and the Ketuvim ('Writings').

“Torah” (the first five Books which reveal the Creator of the universe and present an overview of the history of the Hebrews) literally means "teaching, doctrine, instruction." This is why the Torah is the most important part of the Bible!

Written down by Moshe (Moses), who was instructed by YHWH Himself (Exodus 34, Deuteronomy 31:24), the Torah contains the ACTUAL WORDS and commands of YHWH, designed to introduce God to mankind and provide instructions on how to live a "holy" life on earth and prepare us for “the world [Kingdom] to come.” Without those instructions, we would have NO blueprint for moral, holy living!

The "New Testament" on the other hand, simply consists of the GOSPELS, the Acts of the Apostles, the Letters, and the Revelation of John (or Apocalypse). The Gospels tell the story of YHWH’s Divine Messiah, Yeshua (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John); the Acts are often misunderstood as the “history of the Christian Church”, but since the Messiah did not “bring a church”, this is not at all true.

Instead, the book of Acts is simply a record of the acts of the Apostles to begin the spread of the Good News of the Kingdom of YHWH. The LETTERS (or epistles) - written by various teachers to provide guidance for the earliest congregations and to try to overcome false teachings which were already spreading in the first century CE. And Revelation which is a letter to the 7 assemblies regarding the future as revealed to John, the author.

It is unfortunate that Christianity decided to refer to the Tanach as the "Old Testament” because the term carries the implication that God’s original Divine Instructions to mankind are outdated and no longer pertinent. Concentrating ONLY on “Jesus” (whose actual, given Hebrew name is “Yeshua” which means “YHWH is Salvation”), Christianity is guilty of teaching that Messiah came to abolish his Father’s Divine Instructions and introduce “grace and mercy” and spreading the false message that the need for “obedience to Torah” was “done away with” by the death of the Messiah.

According to Christianity, “Torah is only for the Jews.” HUGE MISTAKE! (See Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:13-16, Isaiah 56:6, Galatians 3:28 and Romans 10:12-13 which ALL emphasize the need for humanity to OBEY YHWH’s Divine Instructions!)

Somehow, (and this is important), it has escaped Christian scholars that the “New Testament” is mainly commentary about the “Old Testament.” It is merely a collection of early literature written by the Apostles and a few others that basically comprises the last FIFTH of the Bible ... which, in reality, DISCUSSES and CONSTANTLY refers back to the “Old Testament” because the “Old” contains ALL of the original “thus saith the Lord” and the “I am YHWH your God and here’s what I expect of you” passages….

So, the bottom line is that the Bible does NOT begin with Matthew! It begins with the Torah readings, from Genesis through Deuteronomy. In order for us to truly KNOW whom we serve, it is imperative that we constantly study TORAH, while systematically making our way through the entire Bible, all the way to Revelation. Only then can we come to a full understanding of YHWH and what His Messiah did for us.

Animals, birds, fish and insects of the world do exactly what YHWH designed them to do; but humans rebel….

Every morning over breakfast, Bill and I usually watch a "nature show." This morning we watched a documentary about the unity and collective mindset of birds, animals and insects that work together "as a unit” to survive. They “just know” what to do!

A few examples:

· Certain birds will form “murmurations” (wheeling and darting through the sky in tight, fluid formations, to confuse predators, and protect each other them).

· Over 1 billion North American and southern Canadian monarch butterflies have been reported to travel thousands of miles to spend the winter months in the same oyamel fir forest of Mexico, despite the fact that none of these monarchs had ever traveled there before.

· Ants (and bees) with special communication techniques will do whatever it takes to protect their queens while migrating, including the killing and burying of any insect (i.e., a centipede that might run across their migratory path and attempts to eat them). They will do ANYTHING to keep their destiny location clear of impediments, even if it means some will have to sacrifice their life.

· The four-foot tall Emperor penguins of Antarctica, will form enormous, tight huddles comprised of thousands of individuals to keep warm during brutal winter conditions – all the while, constantly shifting to give the outer-most exposed individuals a chance to make their way toward the middle to warm up.

Those birds, animals and insects do exactly what YHWH designed them to do. They know how to live together and survive all kinds of adversity - BECAUSE they work together for the common good!

Isn't strange that humans can't seem to do that? Humanity has been at war, basically, since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23-24).

HaShem gave humans free will (Genesis 1:26) so that we could have “dominion of the earth and the animal kingdom; to CHOOSE our own path in life; to CHOOSE to be exactly who He created us to be; to CHOOSE to do His will and therefore, live long and prosper (Deuteronomy 28); and to CHOOSE to just generally, belong to Him. Or not....

Unfortunately, judging by the ample evidence, it's clear that humanity has chosen to NOT be what we were created to be, way back in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve were made in the perfect Image of God, and could personally commune with Him … which is why the "separation of sheep and goats" is now in full swing!

Beginning in Genesis 6, YHWH had decided to destroy the entire earth by flood – but he spared the righteous Noah and his family, who were then tasked with starting humanity all over again…

I wonder who will be found “righteous” when Yeshua returns … righteous enough to help him rule and reign for a thousand years before Judgment Day arrives? How many will he find who have actually OBEYED God’s Divine Instructions in Righteousness, and are qualified to teach God’s Holy Ways to those lucky few who have made it through the Tribulation period when much of the earth will be destroyed by fire, war, famine, drought, diseases, etc.? (See the Books of Daniel and Revelation!)

My guess is, those who will be caught up in the air to meet Yeshua upon his return will be very few in number, because most are NOT bothering to Sh’ma (hear and do) YHWH’s Divine Instructions to live a holy/set apart life for Him. (See 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Matthew 24:40, John 5:28-29)

YHWH gave mankind the choice to do things HIS way, or not. There is no “gray area.” The time is short and so far, it appears FEW have found that “narrow gate that leads to life” – the “narrow gate” called Torah! (Matthew 7:13-14).

Challenging the teachings of “Chosen People Ministries”

 

I recently took this “screen shot” from the Facebook wall of Olivier Melnick, Training Director of “Chosen People Ministries.  This ministry comes across as being Messianic; but is, in fact, Christian - with an agenda to lead Jews to reject YHWH’s Torah (Divine Instructions in Righteousness).

 

 

When I first saw this, I was gripped by a plethora of emotions, that ranged from extreme sadness for the LACK of Bible knowledge this teacher has; to outright anger over the fact that his ministry comes across as “Messianic” and pro-Israel when, in reality, it is Christian in disguise, with an agenda of leading people (be they Christian or Jewish) to their “New Testament only” theology!

Here is an excerpt from their Mission Statement:

“Chosen People Ministries serves in eighteen countries across the globe. Our outreach programs include evangelism and discipleship, Messianic Centers and congregations, equipping the local church for Jewish evangelism, digital evangelism through our ‘Isaiah 53 Campaigns’ and ‘I Found Shalom’ videos, and benevolence work. With your help, we will continue proclaiming the Good News through Jesus the Messiah to Jewish people around the world.”

FIRSTLY: The “Good News” was never the Gospel by itself! While certainly the most important person in the history of humanity WAS Yeshua (the person Christians call “Jesus”); he was NOT THE ONLY “Good News.” 

The “Good News” consisted of the things he taught: The Kingdom of YHWH (Luke 4:43), and to advance Torah (Matthew 5:20) as our standard for living. Without Torah, we cannot be righteous and there would not have been any need for Messiah Yeshua, for he would not have had anything to teach! Yet, “the church” keeps on teaching the destruction of Torah with their insistence that it was “just for the Jews” and never pertained to the Gentiles….

In other words, what Christianity is inadvertently teaching is that God expected only the Jews to be holy!  They are teaching that Christians are already holy “because Jesus died for us.”  If they would only study the Torah and read the words of both Yeshua and Paul in their proper Torah contexts, they would discover that there is more to “being holy” and “being saved” than mere “belief in Jesus!”

SECONDLY: NOBODY ever said that ALL had to keep those 613 Laws (which, by the way, MAN numbered). You won’t find that ANYWHERE in the entire Bible – not ANYWHERE!  MOST of those rules were originally for the Levite priests; while some were only for men and some only for women, yet some are for all.

(For instance, there would have been NO reason for MEN to obey the niddah/”live outside the camp for 7 days” rules concerning menstruation! Simple common sense, right? Yet, somehow the simplest things have escaped the Christian “scholars”….)

Do you see what I’m getting at? Mr. Melnick is teaching that Torah means nothing; that it was BAD and abolished at the cross. Look at the last sentence of the screen shot. “…The Mosaic Law (for Jews and never for Gentiles) continues to be a good measuring stick….but it has ceased to enslave those who trust Messiah Yeshua as its fulfillment.”

Whoops – what? “Mosaic Law?” Did Moshe/Moses make up these rules on his own? NO, they were YHWH’s Rules! Moshe simply wrote down EVERYTHING YHWH commanded him to write! See for yourself:

Exodus 24: 1 To Moshe [ADONAI] said, "Come up to ADONAI - you, Aharon, Nadav, Avihu, and seventy of the leaders of Isra'el. Prostrate yourselves at a distance, 2 while Moshe alone approaches ADONAI -the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him." 3 Moshe came and told the people everything ADONAI had said, including all the rulings. The people answered with one voice: "We will obey every word ADONAI has spoken."

4 Moshe wrote down all the words of ADONAI. He rose early in the morning, built an altar at the base of the mountain and set upright twelve large stones to represent the twelve tribes of Isra'el. 5 He sent the young men of the people of Isra'el to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings of oxen to ADONAI. 6 Moshe took half of the blood and put it in basins; the other half of the blood he splashed against the altar. 7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it aloud, so that the people could hear; and they responded, "Everything that ADONAI has spoken, we will do and obey." (CJB)

Referencing Melnick’s comment that this “law” was “for Jews and never for Gentiles”: If that’s true, then why did YHWH allow the pagan Egyptians who followed Moshe out of Egypt in the Exodus, to be absorbed into the 12 tribes, and instruct them to do exactly as HIS people did?

Why did YHWH reiterate FOUR TIMES IN A ROW the need for ALL who accept Him as their God, to be Torah observant? (I’m not making this up!  See Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:13-16, Isaiah 56:6, Galatians 3:28 and Romans 10:12-13.)

One of the most disgusting phrases that Melnick wrote is that the “Mosaic Law…continues to be a good measuring stick….but it has ceased to enslave those who trust Messiah Yeshua as its fulfillment.”

REALLY? So, YHWH’s Divine Instructions to mankind were created to ENSLAVE men? So, YHWH rescued the Hebrews from Egypt so He could ENSLAVE them with His “silly Torah commands” – the very commands that made the people HOLY and offered them eternal life? Those very same SILLY laws (instructions/teachings) that YESHUA used to teach?

Give me a break!  What a kick in the faces of YHWH and Yeshua! What blasphemy!!! SHAME on people who teach such blasphemy!

Even this comment of Melnick’s is ridiculous: “The early church was so Jewish that its leaders didn’t know any different, but Gentile and Jewish inclusion came by faith through God’s grace as it still does.”

It was “so Jewish?” Well, pardon us, Mr. Melnick, but YHWH (THE CREATOR of the entire universe!) commanded the Tribe of Judah to take Torah into the world and safeguard and preserve it (Genesis 49:10, Micah 4:2)! He was VERY adamant about HIS people being HOLY.

Matter of fact, He was SO adamant about keeping them away from paganism (such as is rampant in today’s churches!) that He used to command HIS people to go into pagan cities to KILL every man, woman and child – and even the poor innocent animals, as they had also been indoctrinated into living in paganism…. (See Genesis 7:23.)

It is extremely depressing to know that Christians are teaching this stuff – acting as if Torah was a BAD thing that shouldn’t exist! They are, in essence, suggesting that our ELOHIM was some dummy who didn’t know what He was doing, as His Torah was (according to Christianity) “enslavement” – and that, He ultimately sent His Divine Son to ABOLISH it.  In other words, Christians don’t have a clue as to WHY Yeshua actually came….

What Olivier Melnick wrote was spawned through raw ignorance of Scripture! May YHWH forgive him and open his eyes to HIS Truth, so that he (Melnick) can repent and correct himself and his wayward teachings.

Biblical proof that taking precautions against disease is necessary!

It seems the “mask/no mask” and “social distancing” fight perpetrated by “armchair experts” continues – with the “anti-maskers” yelling the loudest and telling everyone else that they are stupid for trying to obey common sense rules.

Well, we can’t help what the “lost” and “ungodly” of the world think, say or do; but perhaps it would interest Believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that ADONAI expects His people to use some common sense.

When He sends a pandemic designed to show Who is in charge, it is best NOT to “test” Him! Only a FOOL would dare laugh, joke about, make fun of, or dare to ignore the dangers of a pandemic of any kind! (See Proverbs 19:2-3; 22:3 and 27:11-12.)

Whether the “armchair experts” believe it or not, myriads have died of COVID 19 … and the threat is NOT going away BECAUSE of those who refuse to cooperate with the efforts to deal with the pandemic.  SHAME ON THE NAYSAYERS!

Believers SHOULD know that SCRIPTURE reveals the need to use caution and common sense when dealing with disease! Yet supposed believers (including some Hebrew Roots bigwigs and “wannabe’s”) are downplaying and challenging the authorities about C-19.

It seems they’ve never read Leviticus 13:36; 14:3 or Numbers 5:2, which says:

“Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Order the people of Isra’el to expel from the camp everyone with tzara‘at (leprosy) everyone with a discharge and whoever is unclean because of touching a corpse. ³ Both male and female you must expel; put them outside the camp; so that they won’t defile their camp, where I live among you.” ⁴ The people of Isra’el did this and put them outside the camp — the people of Isra’el did what Adonai had said to Moshe. (CJB)

I’m posting below, an excellent article by Ron Cantor, who asks the following questions:

Would Yeshua and the disciples wear masks issued by the Roman Authorities? If you believe that they would have, do you think that they would wear the masks in Synagogue while they read the Torah and worshipped? Would Yeshua have worn a mask also while he was healing the sick and raising the dead? Would the disciples have worn masks while preaching the good news of The Kingdom?

Theology over Opinion

I loved the question because he wasn’t asking, What is your opinion about mask-wearing, but instead, does the bible speak to mask-wearing. We have to look to the bible and not our ‘sense’ or ‘feelings’ for direction. Not surprisingly, many gave their opinions in online comments, some with scripture reference, some without.

Several said that God has given us authority, so we do not have to obey other authorities. One said this:

“Peter and the other apostles answered, ‘We must obey God, not men.’” Acts 5:29

But friends, this is not a valid answer, because Peter was being told to disobey God. Being asked to wear a mask to protect others, is not even close to being threatened with bodily harm for sharing your faith.

Another comment said it was the slippery slope to the mark of beast. It was stated as a fact, not an opinion. By this standard, being told to wear a shirt and shoes in a restaurant could also be a slippery slope to the antichrist. There was no actual data in the comment, to make the connection with the beast. And if it is, so what?

The gospel prospered under Roman oppression and religious persecution after the resurrection. Today the greatest revival in the world is in Communist China. I am not worried about the mark of the beast. I am concerned with bring people to Yeshua!

Another said, “NO. It hasn’t sat right with my spirit from the get-go. Neither has ‘social distancing’ or any of the nonsense our MSM pushes in the states.”

First, and this is fact, Israel was down to seven cases a day before opening up (which we had to do for the economy!). Now, we are moving quickly to 2,000 a day. Based on data—not the witness in my spirit—social distancing slows down the virus dramatically. This fact may not sit well with our spirit, but it’s just common sense: You are less likely catch an infectious disease if you are not around it.

But what about, “not feeling right in my spirit”? We don’t get to weigh in our spirits what laws we will obey and which ones we don’t. No one can light a cigarette in a restaurant and tell the owner, the ban on indoor smoking just didn’t sit well in their spirit.

Friends, we have the word of God; and while it doesn’t give us specific details for every current event, it does give us a guide on how to respond beyond what we feel in our spirits.

Here is my response with a few additions:

God Gives Governments Authority

Yeshua taught us to obey earthly authorities in matters where they have authority. Public safety is not a matter for the Church but the state. The Church, as a witness, should support the state in such matters. Whether right or wrong, contrary to what some have posted about the authority of the believer, God has given the government this authority.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. (Romans 13:1)

Listen to me, believer—God has established that authority. Your response in such matters is to obey. Anything else, is rebellion to God and His established authorities. Sure you can protest and speak out, if you disagree—the beauty of democracy—but you should obey. God said that. You think I am being too strong?

“Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13:2)

Some have posted about all authority being given to us, which is why we must look at the whole bible and not just “prooftext,” by taking a favorite verse out of context. If I take that verse out of context, I don’t have to pay taxes and can drive on the wrong side of the road! “Who are they to tell me how to drive, I have ALL authority.” Of course, that is contrary to Scripture and a misuse of the doctrine of the authority of the believer.

Yeshua Paid Taxes to an Ungodly Institution

Yeshua paid taxes to an extremely corrupt Roman system that oppressed multitudes, and he taught us to do the same. Surely, he was establishing a principle. Yeshua the revolutionary, God in man, a fearless human being, could have easily built a case to not pay the evil Romans. Imagine a society where believers refused to pay taxes because of evil regimes—what government isn’t corrupt?!

No, if we are going to look at the “all authority” passage of Matthew 28 in context, it is about reaching the world with the message of the gospel. It is as if Yeshua is saying, don’t fret over things like paying taxes and wearing masks. They are minor in comparison to the mandate I am giving you, which is to spread my message to the ends of the earth. 

And He even taught his disciples to literally go the extra mile for these evil people, as a witness.

“If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If [a Roman soldier] forces you to go one mile (it was the lay the carry a Romans soldier’s equipment for one mike), go with them two miles.” (Matt. 5:40-42)

What about my rights!?

Believers are fighting over their rights and Yeshua is saying, just do whatever they ask. I find it interesting that people who do very little sharing of their faith on a day to day basis, are suddenly screaming that the government wants to silence them. We have already silenced ourselves. I would to God that we were as vocal over trying to rescue people from hell as we are over exposing the great mask conspiracy.

Our calling is not to fight for our rights but walk in love. What if I am asymptomatic and have coronavirus. Is it love for me to walk around putting others at risk? If course not.

Listen, I am not concerned about whether or not mask wearing is a trick of the devil or not. “You are not your own; You’ve been bought at a price.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yeshua owns us. My job is to share His message and not fret about minor issues like mask wearing (which might actually prolong the lives of the people I’m trying to reach!)

Of course, there are times to disobey. Look at Daniel who prayed despite the threat of death. Or his three friends who chose death over idol worship. On other matters like preaching the gospel the bible is clear, “We must obey God, not men.” (Acts 5:29). We were recently told by those in the Israeli government not to share our stories of finding Yeshua on our T.V. station Shelanu. We said, “No, that would be a repudiation of all that we believe.” They were surprised that we didn’t buckle and they kicked us off. (Now are on the internet at www.shelanu.tv)

The problem is people are comparing the bold stance of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to their refusal to wear a mask. The difference between the two issues is laughable. If someone in authority tells me that I cannot share my faith with others, I will not obey. If they tell me to wear a mask, something that takes little sacrifice on my part, to protect others and myself, I will obey with joy to be a good witness.

WWPD? What would Paul do?

I think if you asked Paul about this issue, he would have responded as he did to the elders in Ephesus:

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Yeshua has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Let’s be vocal about Yeshua!

So, and let me be blunt, if you are willing to take a stand on the mask issue, by not wearing one, but you are not seeking to bring people to Yeshua, your priorities are out of whack. Sorry. But that is just good old fashioned bible truth. Between the racial tensions and the virus, the Church should be front and center, seeking to reach people for Yeshua. Instead we’re on Facebook arguing over whether or not wearing a mask is a violation of our biblical freedoms—even the mark of the beast.

So yes, I do believe that if the Roman authorities asked their citizens, including Yeshua and the disciples, to wear masks to protect others in the midst of a plague, they would absolutely obey, and also go lay hands on those infected and heal them. If they obeyed the authorities in other areas, such as unbearable taxes and carrying stuff for Roman soldiers, why would they rebel in something so minor.

We have to get back to the task at hand, our sacred commission of sharing His message.

Ron Cantor’s article can be seen at: https://messiahsmandate.org/does-the-bible-speak-to-mask-wearing-yes/

Moshe and Joshua spoke some prophetic words about Israel’s future, and the importance of ADONAI’s Torah!

In our final Torah portions of the year we discover some prophetic words about Israel’s future and the importance of ADONAI’s Torah:

First, Moshe (Moses):

Deuteronomy 31: 24 Moshe kept writing the words of this Torah in a book until he was done. When he had finished, 25 Moshe gave these orders to the L'vi'im (Levites) who carried the ark with the covenant of ADONAI:

26 "Take this book of the Torah and put it next to the ark with the covenant of ADONAI your God, so that it can be there to witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and stiffnecked you are! Here, even while I am still alive with you today, you have rebelled against ADONAI; so how much more will you do so after my death?

28 Assemble for me all the leaders of your tribes and your officials, so that I can say these things in their hearing, calling heaven and earth to witness against them - 29 because I know that after my death you will become very corrupt and turn aside from the way that I have ordered you, and that disaster will come upon you in the acharit-hayamim (end of days/last days), because you will do what ADONAI sees as evil and provoke him by your deeds." (CJB)

NOTE:

What did Israel do? As we can see in the rest of the Tanach (“Old Testament”), the people kept straying. They had one king after the next – some good, some bad. One would lead people completely away from Torah; the next would revive Torah observance, and Israel would prosper again.

When YHWH finally caused the dispersion of the Israelites into the world (Jeremiah 39–43) He chose the Tribe of Yehudah/Judah/the Jews to take Torah into the world and safeguard and preserve it (Genesis 49:10, Micah 4:2).

YHWH returned the Land of Israel to the Jews in 1948, using what happened in the Holocaust as leverage (the world briefly felt sorry for the Jews and returned Israel to them, thus fulfilling TWO of Isaiah’s prophecies (Isaiah 66:7-8) that Israel would become a nation again, and that it would happen in ONE day).

Once the Israelites began to return to Israel, the barren desert Land began to prosper and flourish once more.

However, Israel made the huge mistake of allowing the Arab settlers to remain – settlers who were mostly criminals and outcasts from the Arab (mostly Muslim) nations … the offspring of Ishmael who was "...a wild donkey of a man. Whose hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him…” (Genesis 16:13-16).

HUGE mistake of Israel to allow the Muslims to remain, because they continue to try to take over the Land … and Israel has actually been giving in to them, little by little…. They even gave them the Temple Mount!!!!

And because Israel has been so lenient and tolerant (despite God’s constant warnings), there are now THREE major world religions in Israel – two of which clearly do not adhere to Torah: Judaism, Christianity and Islam…

All this has happened, AFTER YHWH amply warned them in ancient times, throughout the Torah, to STAY AWAY from pagans and their various religions!

Now, to be fair - Israel isn’t the only nation who has strayed completely away from YHWH. Just take a look around you to see what’s going on in the rest of the world today.

And why is that? Because hardly anyone bothers adhering to His Torah!

Let’s look at Joshua 8 (Joshua was Moshe's successor), which reveals the importance of REMEMBERING and LIVING a Torah lifestyle – which was pertinent to not just "the Jews" but to EVERYONE who accepts YHWH as their God. Even the "foreigners" who had come out of Egypt with Moshe were commanded to “do exactly as” His people did! (For a complete picture of this, check out Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:13-16, Isaiah 56:6, Galatians 3:28 and Romans 10:12-13.)

Joshua 8: 30 Then Y'hoshua built an altar to ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, on Mount 'Eival, 31 as Moshe the servant of ADONAI had ordered the people of Isra'el to do (this is written in the book of the Torah of Moshe), an altar of uncut stones that no one had touched with an iron tool. On it they offered burnt offerings to ADONAI and sacrificed peace offerings.

32 He wrote there on the stones a copy of the Torah of Moshe, inscribing it in the presence of the people of Isra'el. 33 Then all Isra'el, including their leaders, officials and judges, stood on either side of the ark in front of the cohanim, who were L'vi'im and who carried the ark for the covenant of ADONAI. The foreigners were there along with the citizens. Half of the people were in front of Mount G'rizim and half of them in front of Mount 'Eival, as Moshe the servant of ADONAI had ordered them earlier in connection with blessing the people of Isra'el.

34 After this, he read all the words of the Torah, the blessing and the curse, according to everything written in the book of the Torah. 35 There was not a word of everything Moshe had ordered that Y'hoshua did not read before all Isra'el assembled, including the women, the little ones and the foreigners living with them. (CJB)

And there you have it - it was recorded in Joshua: the immense importance of obeying and living by YHWH’s instructions. The blessings awaiting those who obey, and the curses awaiting those who act on their own. How could ANYONE EVER suggest Torah is NOT important to anyone who believes in YHWH?