Thursday, February 25, 2021

Ever noticed how some people will like you – until you say “No?”

Ever noticed how some people will like you – until you say “No?”

Well, it happened to me recently, when I refused to agree to post a guy’s “Go Fund Me” page on my Facebook wall and in my groups. Even after a lengthy explanation as to why I don’t post ANY prayer requests, “Go Fund Me” pages or anything of that nature (as I know from experience that, once I do it for one person, I’ll end up receiving hundreds more …) the man became so abusive that my husband stepped in to put a stop to his harassment.

The bottom line to this whole, sordid story was that instead of just dropping the subject and hitting up other ministries with his request (which I doubt he did!) he sent me a long, sarcastic diatribe outlining all my shortcomings. Here are a few, select snippets:

“I was asking for you to post a gofundme page. If you have a problem with people asking you to help, especially when you are not under any financial burden to do so, that is unfortunate. You could easily throw up a second page for endorsements, not a big deal. You have power to help through influence but you choose to dismiss people outright and do nothing. Wow!...”

So – this stranger I’ve never met and never will meet, who has never taken my 12 week yeshiva course, nor ever bought any of my books, nor bothered to comment on any of my Facebook teachings, or join the hard-working people in my Weekly Torah Study group, “Awakening to Torah”; nor has ever commented on any of the approximately 600 articles on my Messianic Apologetics website that my husband and I have spent 20 years building, nor knows ANYTHING that goes on “in the background” of my ministry … that man had the gall to suggest that I am NOT DOING ENOUGH for the Kingdom, and should create a special “page” just for his and other “endorsements”…

He went on to say:

“Yeshua said, Mat 11:30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” If it’s that stressful, maybe you should reconsider what it is you’re doing, just a thought…

Well, to that I say, Yeshua’s burden IS light, which is why I’ve spent all my waking hours for more than two decades, working HARD to reveal the Truth of YHWH/Yeshua/Torah to the whole world! 

The “burden” comes from sarcastic people like this guy who obviously thinks I’m not doing enough for God …. never mind that HIS OWN Facebook page rarely, if ever, mentions God or His Word, because he’s too busy posting photos of himself constantly kissing his wife and smooching, and having fun hiking and generally goofing off….

Anyway, to drive home his point about how “worthless” I am, he closed with the following scriptures, apparently designed to educate me on “my place as a woman”…

“Luke 6:30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back…

This guy has no clue WHAT all I’ve “given” over the years – both monetarily and of my time, which included five years of hard teaching and counseling in a women’s prison ministry!

“Mat 23:8 But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all [equally] brothers…”

Hmmm. Perhaps this guy should have read one of the myriad footnotes I helped to write as editor of the Aramaic English New Testament, which explained that the focus of Yeshua's instruction had to do with desiring praise of man for self-exultation, rather than being a true servant who keeps in mind that YHWH is God, Yeshua is His Messiah, and we are simply passing along what Yeshua our REAL RABBI taught!

Yeshua ALSO told his disciples not to call anyone "father.”  Was this to be taken literally? Is it really wrong to call someone "father"? After all, it is written, "Honor your father and mother.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are the patriarchs of our faith and often referred to as "fathers" in the Scripture.  Paul referred to Abraham as "our father" in Romans 4:1. He even went so far as to call the Corinthians his sons and his own role as father in 1 Corinthians 4:14-17.

Was Paul contradicting Yeshua's teachings? No, because this is what the prophets were called by their students! 2 Kings 2:12 shows that Elisha called Elijah "My father." The king of Israel also called Elisha "My father" in 2 Kings 6:21.

There are other examples but hopefully this illustrates the point. Is it NOT wrong to call someone "father" or "rabbi" in a spiritual sense if they "fathered" you in set-apart instruction.

In fact, YHWH gives, "some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." Is it wrong to be called "teacher" since Yeshua is our Teacher?  No!

What we are doing is merely paying respect to a learned person's office to honor his devoted years of training and dedication. One needs to read the Bible in context and not pick and choose certain scriptures as "proof" to support their own ideas, philosophies or phobias concerning titles.

As “icing on the cake,” this illustrious, arrogant and extremely sarcastic “man of God” who saw fit to berate me because of my refusal to post his “Go Fund Me” page, then added this final scripture designed to intimidate me to the very core of my being:

“1 Tim 2:12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. “

Well, to that I say:

I am not exercising authority over ANYONE by teaching Scripture! People have the CHOICE to read my teachings and view my videos, or not. And let’s not forget that, unlike every other Messianic teacher, I don’t charge a DIME for ANY of my work!

And, oh, by the way, if there were more good MEN around who would actually TEACH the Word instead of concentrating on their own exalted opinions, then YHWH wouldn’t have to commission WOMEN to do the job!

Sunday, February 21, 2021

Just when you thought TV shows couldn’t get any weirder…

Oh, I’m so confused! My husband and I recently watched a TV “doctor” show, that featured a transexual woman who was in the process of changing her gender to “male” because she wanted to be, and live as, a “gay” male.

Looking and acting very much male (beard and all) “he” was admitted to the hospital for brain tumor surgery; but during an exam, it was discovered that “he” was pregnant by his male fiancĂ©, and now the pair had a dilemma: whether or not to terminate the pregnancy, or stop the testosterone treatments….

Nobody – and I mean NOBODY in that hospital batted an eye over ANY of this. The whole scenario – handled, in part by one of the “gay” doctors - was treated as perfectly normal.

Yes, indeed – I am SO confused! My main problem is, you can hardly find ANY shows today that don’t contain similar themes….

That particular series was one of our favorites. But, lately, their writers seem to be working overtime to present "in-your-face" topics, and we're guessing that series will soon go the way of other series we've had to chuck.

1 Corinthians 6 9 Or don't you know, that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of Elohim? Make no mistake! Neither sexual sinners, nor idol-worshippers, nor adulterers, nor the corrupt, nor men who lay down with other men, 10. Nor the oppressors, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of Elohim. (AENT)

How do I reach a mean-spirited Christian

QUESTION:

How do I reach a mean-spirited Christian who makes fun of my Messianic faith and puts “laughing” emojees on my Facebook posts?

OUR RESPONSE:

Easy!  Give them three choices:

Warn them that you intend to continue living your Torah observant faith, no matter what “their” opinion is; and if they wish to continue being your Facebook friend, they either (1) need to back off and leave you alone and respect YOUR choice to live according to God’s Divine Instructions (Torah); or (2) keep reading your posts so you can respectfully discuss your faith, and they can learn from you; or (3) they WILL be blocked. 

Nothing says you have to endure endless harassment at the hands of someone who has clearly never read the Bible from cover to cover, yet feels compelled to engage in endless arguments with those who have found YHWH’s TRUTH!

It's a true dilemma!  We who obey YHWH’s Torah get it from “all sides” and the root of the problem is that MOST (and I say that with conviction after 20+ years of being heavily involved in Messianic Apologetics), have never even READ, let alone STUDIED the Bible from cover to cover, in sequence.

Most Christians I’ve ever encountered were mired in that last FIFTH of the Bible called the "New Testament" (which many have never actually read....). Nothing else matters to them, except "going to church" for their weekly social event, so they can have their ears tickled for an hour by NT-only, grace-only fluffy stuff.

They don't know what the Bible says, and they don't care! "Looking religious and holy" is a whole lot more important to the lost souls of this world, than actually taking the time to find out WHOM they are worshiping, what “holiness” is, or trying to live/walk out one’s faith according to SCRIPTURE instead of OPINION....

So, all you can really do is to simply provide some pertinent scriptures designed to show that "Jesus" didn't come to bring a new religion, and that the ONLY thing his atoning death changed was the need for animal SIN sacrifices - and that, when he returns, he will be "vomiting out" all the lukewarm (Revelation 3:16).  If they still continue to argue, then just say a little prayer for them and let 'em go and leave 'em alone, and simply turn them over to YHWH, because you’re wasting precious time.

Scripture warns us that the "antichrist" (which actually includes ANYONE who speaks against Torah, since Yeshua came to proclaim the Kingdom of YHWH and His Torah!) "will speak words against the Most High and try to exhaust the holy ones of the Most High" by doing what?  Attempting to alter the seasons and the law;  (Daniel 7:25)

At that point, you can at least rest in the knowledge that you have sown some seeds, and person will either begin to question their own belief, OR continue to remain lost in their religiosity … never even realizing that, on Judgment Day, they WILL get to stand before YHWH to explain why they dared ignore His Divine Instructions in Righteousness AFTER being presented with His Torah Truth....

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

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

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

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

....So much for the Christian idea of Jesus coming to abolish all his Father's Divine Instructions!

Saturday, February 20, 2021

We live in a fallen world where bad things happen to good people – so don't be discouraged!

We live in a fallen world where bad things happen to good people – so don't be discouraged about the awful things happening all around you.

Keep focused on ADONAI, and you'll notice how, even during hard times, HE IS with you - and that knowledge alone will help you to endure, and allow you to see that proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel.”

The truth is, the Bible amply warns us that SIN is the reason our world has been falling apart at the seams. Humanity has been straying from YHWH's Divine Instructions (Torah) since the Garden of Eden - and whether "the world" chooses to believe it, or not, we are STILL suffering the ripple effects!

As a matter of fact, we are now paralleling the violence and decadence of Noah's day (Genesis 6), when YHWH decided to wipe out the entire earth (except for the righteous Noah and his family) and start all over again.

Unfortunately, men keep on abusing the privilege of "free will" (Genesis 2:16-17; Proverbs 16:9; John 1:12-13) and gravitate toward “evil” – which is exactly WHY YHWH told man he could “eat of every tree of the garden … but NOT of the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ … for ‘if you do, you shall surely die’.”  (Genesis 2:16-17) 

And so, here we are again! We’ve once again reached a point where YHWH is clearly showing humanity that HE is in charge - just as He kept reiterating throughout the entire Torah – those first five Books of the Bible that perfectly outline who YHWH is and what He has always expected of His people. Torah details how to live a holy, set apart life for Him – which is a commandment He gave us.

Why live that holy, set apart life for Him? Because it’s the ONLY way to retain “eternal life!” Our life here on earth is simply the prelude – an introduction, an overture – on what’s to come, once we are out of these “earth suits.” That is why it is so very important to learn all we can about the Holy One who created us and even saw fit to provide us with a blueprint for moral, holy living!

If you don’t bother to prepare, learn and grow while you still have a chance, then WHOM are you really worshiping?

Simply accepting YHWH as your God and His Divine Messiah, Yeshua (which, in Hebrew, means, “YHWH is Salvation”) as the One who redeemed you, WILL change your life! It is the ONLY way to gain “Eternal Life” (John 3:16; 5:24; 17:3).

And so, in closing, I leave you with these passages to ponder during these awful, trying times we are experiencing on every level:

1 Peter 3: 14. But if it should occur that you suffer on account of righteousness, happy are you. And be not terrified by those who would terrify you, nor be in uproar: 15. but sanctify Master YHWH the Mashiyach, in your hearts. And be you ready for a vindication before everyone who demands of you an account of the hope of your faith 16. in meekness and respect, as having a good conscience; so that they who speak against you as bad men may be ashamed for having maligned your good conduct in the Mashiyach.

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.*

21. And you also, by a like figure, are made alive by immersion (not when you wash your bodies from filth, but when you confess Elohim with a pure conscience) and by the resurrection of Y’shua the Mashiyach 22. who is taken up to heaven and is on the right hand of Elohim and Messengers and authorities, and powers are subject to him. (AENT)

NOTE: “Alive in the waters” points to the waters of the Mikveh, the complete immersion (baptism) into living waters after a soul has repented of their sin and agreed to walk in the newness of life (the Kingdom) as offered through Mashiyach.

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (ESV)

Galatians 5: 22. The fruits then of the Spirit are these: Love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faith, 23. Meekness, self-control. Against these there is no instruction put in place. 24. And those who are of Mashiyach have put to death their flesh with all its passions and lusts. 25. Let us therefore live by the Spirit and surrender to the Spirit. 26. And let us not be of vacant glories that cause us to ridicule one another and envy one another. (AENT)

Thursday, February 18, 2021

A mini-lesson in "letting go of self"

Country singer John Anderson has a beautiful song entitled, “Let Go of the Stone.”  It’s lyrics go like this:

You shouldn't wade out in deep water When you don't know how to swim
He told you it was over and like a fool you followed him
Into a whirlpool of emotion a pinning out of control
It's killing you, but you won't let him go

REFRAIN:

Let go of the stone If you don't want to drown
In the sea of heartache that's draggin' you down
It's pulling you under and you keep hangin' on
If I'm ever gonna save you Let go of the stone

Oh don't you realize the danger and the hurt you're headed for
Put your arms around me And swim with me to shore
Just let go of that ol' mem'ry, I know it's hard to do
But I'll be here Holdin' on to you

REFRAIN:

Let go of the stone If you don't want to drown
In the sea of heartache that's draggin' you down
It's pulling you under and you keep hangin' on
If I'm ever gonna save you Let go of the stone

“Let go of the stone.”  Wow!  An easy concept that is hard to follow sometimes…

For those of you who know me, it should be no great surprise that the moment I heard those lyrics, they immediately reminded me of YAHWEH and His Divine Messiah, Yeshua.

Since the day ADONAI ELOHIM created humans, He has been reaching out to His people (which includes ALL who believe in Him and recognize that Yeshua shed his own precious blood on our behalf); giving them chance after chance to come ever closer, and thus gain a true relationship with Him.  The entire Torah (first five Books of the Bible) is replete with His efforts to get us to understand who He is and what He expects of those who are His…

Yet, most simply don’t heed.  Many wish to cling to their baggage as if it were a pet; feeding and nurturing it because they cannot recognize that “letting go” would bring freedom … freedom from hurt, anger, rejection, pride issues, and all manner of negative emotions that have either destroyed their relationships or caused them to remain “stuck in a rut” with no hope for the future – and which can and may eventually make them physically ill, or even kill them.

We humans do tend to “hold onto our baggage”; in large part, because it is familiar.  To let go might bring discomfort in some way, or serve to make us “feel empty” somehow, as it (the baggage) eventually becomes a part of us. To chuck it means we would lose a part of “who we are.”

And so what do we do?  We make excuses designed to reassure us that we CAN’T let go!  And, since we CAN’T let go, that means we get keep that “stone hanging around our neck” – Halleluyah!  It must be God’s will for me…

They don’t realize that HE is NOT “the stone” that’s pulling them under!  His entire Torah is proof that “things will go well for you IF you …” do things according to HIS Divine Instructions.

Unfortunately, humans are complicated creatures who tend to cater to their own emotions.  It’s simply easier to tell ourselves that the problems of life are “God’s will” or someone else’s fault.  “My parents didn’t love me; they taught me to hate!”  “Nobody wants to hire me because I’m not beautiful/handsome or never went to college.”  “I drink and/or do drugs because I can’t win; my life is constantly going nowhere!”

If our particular baggage/stone is “ego”, narcissism or general “self-importance” then our excuses might look something like this:  “God doesn’t love me, or else He would have done this or given me that …” “I never get hired for the great positions because I’m over-qualified/too smart/overly-educated/better looking than the boss’s spouse; they don’t really want somebody who knows how to get things done and is able to work without supervision; or the interviewer simply recognized that I’m smarter than he/she was”…

BOTTOM LINE:  Excuses of all kinds are like stones:  They WILL bring you down and pull you under.  NOTHING will change unless and until you actually humble yourself enough to just sit quietly and tell God you are “broken” and in need of HIS help and advice!  Don’t tell God what you want, or what He ought to do for you.  Just be quiet!  Say nothing except “God, I need You.  Please show me what am I doing wrong!”

The following passage is a wonderful example of the kinds of people ADONAI expects us to emulate:

Luke 18: 9 Also, to some who were relying on their own righteousness and looking down on everyone else, he (Yeshua) told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Parush (Pharisee) and the other a tax-collector. 11 The Parush stood and prayed to himself, ‘O God! I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, immoral, or like this tax-collector! 12 I fast twice a week, I pay tithes on my entire income, . . . ’

13 But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God! Have mercy on me, sinner that I am!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home right with God rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.” (CJB)

Friends, this is a great lesson in holiness! Every once in a while, we must stop in our tracks to ask ourselves: 

“Who am I, really? Am I full of self-importance or ego? Do I ever remind myself that I can do nothing of my own? Do I ever ask for forgiveness for something I might have said or done that was displeasing to ADONAI? Do I truly WANT to change any “bad” habits that might reside within my soul?

“What is holding me back from succeeding in life? Abba, WHO AM I? Am I pleasing you? If not, please convict me and teach me … cause me to become a true reflection of YOU! I pray this in the Mighty Name of Yeshua haMashiyach, Your Divine Messiah! Amein!”

So, in closing, if this article has touched you in some way, and you truly know you need, and wish to make a change in your life, please consider “letting go of the stone.” ADONAI can’t and won’t do anything with you until you’re humble enough to do so.  He’s waiting just for you…

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Some pointed questions for the “Pagan Police”

When you make a doctor's appointment or have to go on a job interview, do you force the receptionist to give you an appointment on "the fourth day of Nisan/Yiar/Tammuz (or whatever) on the sixth hour?"

Or do you (when you can sense that the receptionist is about to hang up on you) simply give in and go along with the names of the days of the week and months listed on that Gregorian calendar (which is used in most countries of the world)?

And if you do give in, do you feel you are guilty of worshiping some pagan god, thus paving a freeway to hell? (I bet you don't, because you KNOW you're not "worshiping" something or someone else!)

See how ridiculous it can get when you try to find paganism under every rock? Why is it so hard use to use some common sense these days, and just leave people alone about things that, in the grand scheme of things, don't matter?

If someone wants to have "Thanksgiving" dinner with their family to give thanks to YHWH/Yeshua for His bounty; or if they want to give their sweetheart a card and a bouquet of roses on "Valentines Day," it's not up to you to stand there, screaming "PAGAN!" They are NOT worshiping satan or some demonic creature by doing these things, so deal with it and get over yourself!

Certainly - encourage people to NOT do Halloween or become caught up in the decadence of "Mardi Gras" or other worldly "holidays" that openly push decadence and demonic activity. But it's simply NOT biblical of you to go around around trying to police everybody on the planet, according to YOUR understanding of Scripture!

Unfortunately, many (if not most) who discover Torah, suddenly have this overwhelming tendency to go overboard on everything!

Yesterday, some new-to-Torah-holier-than-thou anti-vaxxer Facebook armchair expert attempted to tell me that I needed to check the Torah to see what ingredients in vaccines would or would not be considered "clean or unclean." (Implying that, (1) I don't know Torah, and (2) if I take vaccines of any kind, then I'm doomed to Hell - because they (the armchair expert AND their friends who also tried to jump all over me) learned about all those nasty vaccine ingredients from some conspiracy theory YouTube video....)

SIGH!

Honestly, if people want to get radically "biblical" about every little thing and live according to how people lived 4,000 years ago, then we all need to move to farms to grow our own food, kill the animals we personally raise, and make our own clothes - because practically EVERYTHING in today's world can be considered "unkosher!"

Oh, and we should also stop watching TV or using computers or cellphones because we are constantly being bombarded with "worldly" things there that YHWH strictly FORBIDS in Torah. AND, let's also quit driving cars or using public transportation, as those things are polluting the world HE made....

And while we're at it, perhaps we shouldn't be wearing socks, either, since there is absolutely NO mention of sock wearing in the Bible! (I mean, if we graze the Internet long enough, we're sure to find SOMEBODY who has discovered the "pagan origin" of socks!)

Seriously, people, we live in a fallen world, where it's up to each of us to do our best to remain as "holy" as possible, despite the "cards we’ve been dealt," thanks to Adam and Eve who are THE REASON we're all in this predicament.

But, instead of constantly mouthing off and correcting everybody else, let's just start READING and KNOWING the Bible, from cover to cover, and using our intellect and common sense while doing our BEST to live a Torah observant life.

It's truly no wonder that many Christians don't want any part of becoming Torah observant believers in Yeshua! The endless restrictions many of you attempt to force on others are just too daunting.

1 Corinthians 5:12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Isn’t it those who are part of the community that you should be judging? 13 God will judge those who are outside. Just expel the evildoer from among yourselves. (CJB)

Colossians 4:5 Behave wisely toward outsiders, making full use of every opportunity — 6 let your conversation always be gracious and interesting, so that you will know how to respond to any particular individual. (CJB)

If a wordly “holiday” doesn’t try to masquerade as one of YHWH’s Holy Days, then don’t sweat it or spend the day brooding…

I see so many Hebrew Roots types railing against "Valentines Day." Well, since as it doesn't masquerade as one of God's Holy Appointed Times (it doesn't pretend to be the birth, death or resurrection of Yeshua or mention YHWH, or prompt people to worship satan), what difference does it make if someone wants to give their loved on a gift on that particular day? They're not "worshiping" some man-made "god" by doing that.

You should only worry about a certain man-made "holiday" IF it (1) masquerades as one of YHWH's Holy Days (i.e., Christmas and Easter); or (2) IF it promotes evil (i.e., Halloween, which pays homage to goblins, ghouls, ghosts, the dead, and even satan himself ... in other words, "the dark side".).

Use some common sense, people! Stop believing and blindly following all the "wannabe Torah teachers" out there...especially those who find paganism under every rock!

And by the way, I'm not telling people that they should or shouldn't do Valentines. It's your choice.

What I'm trying to say is that Christmas and Easter both claim to be holy days for "Jesus"; Valentine's doesn't. It's your choice to do it or not, but if you do it, it doesn't mean you're worshiping some other god! What I’m getting at is the fact that, if you wrap yourself around the axle about every little thing you encounter, you might as well stay in bed and never get up.

Same thing goes for the names of the days of the week and months. Most of the world goes by the Gregorian calendar, and I challenge those who sit around complaining about the "names of pagan gods" in the calendar to try to make a doctor's appointment sometime on "the fourth day of Nisan/Yiar/Tammuz (or whatever) on the sixth hour." See how ridiculous this can get?

Monday, February 15, 2021

Comment from a “Jesus-rejecter”: “Prove me wrong!”

Comment from someone who has rejected YHWH’s Divine Messiah and “crossed over” to join the Jewish “counter-missionary” Rabbis and their converts – and now spends his time trying to convert others:

“I no longer believe in the New Testament or your Jesus!  There is NO PROOF Jesus ever existed, or that any of the NT writings are real.  There is only the Torah and the rest of the Tanak.  PROVE ME WRONG!”

OUR RESPONSE:

First of all, Messiah’s Name is Yeshua.  Secondly, how about YOU proving yourself to be RIGHT by answering some pointed questions!  Go ahead, "prove" everything and explain exactly WHY you believe the following!

1. God created the entire universe and everything in it, including man whom He made from the dust of earth.  (Were you personally there to witness that?)

2. God flooded the earth, killing everybody except Noah and his family – who started mankind all over again. (Were you personally there to witness that?)

3. Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt, and later on, Lot's daughters got their father drunk so they could have children.  (Were you personally there to witness that?)

4. God sent ten plagues who show Pharaoh who was boss; and then he caused the sea to part, allowing only the Israelites to pass through, while basically wiping out all the Egyptians who followed in hot pursuit.  (Were you personally there to witness that?)

5. God supernaturally clothed and fed six million people wandering in the wilderness for 40 years – all while leading them via pillars of cloud and fire. (How was THAT possible, and were you personally there to witness all that? Did YOU eat any of the manna or place any items into the Ark?)

6. God saved from a fiery furnace thee men who went INTO the furnace (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and a fourth person “who looked like the son of man”).  (Were you personally there to witness that?)

7. Elijah ran faster than a chariot and was fed by Ravens. (Hmmm … was that even kosher?)  (Were you personally there to witness that?)

8. Jonah spent 3 days and nights in a whale’s stomach and lived. (Were you personally there to witness that?)

I could list TONS of other examples, but since you insist there is no proof for YHWH’s Messiah or any of the NT texts, then explain WHY you BLINDLY believe all of the above - just because these stories were "handed down" by word of mouth...

There are literally TONS of other examples, but since you insist there is no proof for YHWH’s Messiah or any of the NT texts, then explain WHY you BLINDLY believe all of the above - just because these stories were "handed down" by word of mouth...

Truth is, there is no PROOF; there is only FAITH.  You weren’t there “in the beginning” to personally witness ANYTHING, so ALL you really have is what was passed down by MEN!  ALL you have is what we Torah observant believers in Messiah Yeshua have: FAITH – a faith that changed lives in ways someone like you could never imagine, because you are too busy trying to limit God by “putting Him into that proverbial box!”  

Clearly, you never had that FAITH, because YOU allowed yourself to be talked out of the "rest of the story" ... ALL you have now is what you've been TOLD by the counter-missionaries (mere MEN) whose eyes have been blinded because they have all dared to blaspheme the Ruach haKodesh and thus committing an UNFORGIVABLE SIN by rejecting some of YHWH’s accomplishments and basically calling Him a liar when it comes to His Son, the MESSIAH you are guilty of not only rejecting, but endlessly bashing and trashing! 

Shame on you!

Matthew 12: 30. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever did not gather with me, scatters. 31. Because of this I say to you that all sins and blasphemies will be forgiven to the sons of men, but blasphemy that is against the Spirit will not be forgiven to the sons of men. 32. And anyone who says a word against the Son of man, he will be forgiven, But anyone who will speak against the Ruach haKodesh, he will not be forgiven - not in this world or in the world that is to come. (AENT)

And since you have abandoned the New Testament to our own peril, here is something from the Tanakh for you to ponder:

"For Adonai is speaking. 'I raised and brought up children, but they rebelled against me. An ox knows its owner and a donkey its master's stall, but Isra'el does not know, my people do not reflect.' Oh, sinful nation, a people weighed down by iniquity, descendants of evildoers, immoral children! They have abandoned Adonai, spurned the Holy One of Isra'el, turned their backs on him!" (Isaiah 1:2-4, CJB).

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Let’s discuss vaccines and dispel some of the myths!

An often-heard comment is:  "I will not ever get a vaccine. Vaccines have aborted fetal cells, aluminum, mercury, animal dna (unclean animals), and formaldehyde."

Well, the bottom line is, that is wrong. Here’s why:

Charge 1: "Vaccines have aborted fetal cells."

Response: No they don't. SOME vaccines are developed in a line of fetal cells which are from a line of fetal cells harvested in the last century. No aborted babies are used for vaccine development today. The vaccines which are developed using the fetal lines are ONLY: Varicella (chickenpox), Rubella (the “R” in the MMR vaccine), Hepatitis A, and one preparation of Rabies vaccine. These are all made by growing the viruses in fetal fibroblast cells. But again, these are laboratory-grown fetal fibroblast cells, not from aborted fetus'.

And, the resultant vaccine does NOT contain thefetal fibroblast cells!

Charge 2: Aluminum.

Response: Aluminum is used as an adjuvant. (An adjuvant is vaccine component that boosts the immune response to the vaccine.) Aluminum adjuvants are used in vaccines such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, diphtheria-tetanus-containing vaccines, Haemophilus influenza type b, and pneumococcal vaccines, but they are not used in the live, viral vaccines, such as measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and rotavirus.

If you don't want to ingest any form of aluminum, then don't cook in aluminum utensils, don't eat with aluminum knives, spoons, or forks, don't drink any beverage from a can which is aluminum, and don't TOUCH anything aluminum! This "fear" is nonsense!

Charge 3: Mercury.

Response: Another baseless fear. Mercury is a naturally occurring element found in the earth’s crust, air, soil, and water. Two types of mercury to which people may be exposed - methylmercury and ethylmercury - are very different.

Methylmercury is the type of mercury found in certain kinds of fish. At high exposure levels methylmercury can be toxic to people. In the United States, federal guidelines keep as much methylmercury as possible out of the environment and food, but over a lifetime, everyone is exposed to some methylmercury.

Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative that has been used for decades in the United States in multi-dose vials (vials containing more than one dose) of medicines and vaccines. Thimerosal contains ethylmercury, which is cleared from the human body more quickly than methylmercury, and is therefore less likely to cause any harm.

Thimerosal is added to vials of vaccine that contain more than one dose to prevent growth of germs, like bacteria and fungi. We should be grateful. Thimerosal does not stay in the body a long time so it does not build up and reach harmful levels. When thimerosal enters the body, it breaks down to ethylmercury and thiosalicylate, which are readily eliminated.

Charge 4: Animal DNA.

Response: Without a specific citation, this is nonsense. No viable DNA is found in ANY vaccine whether the vaccine is developed in human or animal cells. Flu vaccines, for example, are made in chicken eggs. But the mistaken assumption is that somehow chicken DNA is IN the vaccine. Nothing could be further from the truth. Chicken eggs are only used because a medium is needed so the inactivated virus can be replicated in it. It turns out that the flu virus can be replicated in an egg culture or a human culture. The egg culture is convenient and causes no harm to humans. The resulting vaccine is purified and has no animal DNA in it.

Charge 5: Formaldehyde.

Response: Formaldehyde is used in the production of many vaccines because it kills viruses or inactivates toxins during the manufacturing process. The amount of formaldehyde remaining in a vaccine is so small, it is hardly measurable. If you are worried about formaldehyde then please don't drive or be near household furnishing such as carpets and upholstery.

Reader asks how we know the woman caught in adultery was actually guilty as charged…

READER QUESTION:

I was just reading your article regarding Bible versions, and have some questions about your paragraph regarding the woman supposedly caught in adultery, where you say "The woman was, in fact, guilty as charged but according to these scriptures her sin was dismissed without consequence."

How do we know she was actually guilty as charged? My understanding is that she may not have actually committed adultery but may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time and being that in the culture of that time women were pretty much considered as "property" and just did what they were told to do (especially by Pharisaical leaders), she was simply taken by them (perhaps not even knowing she was to be accused of anything, until they charged her in front of Him) to "test" Yeshua to see if they could charge Him with anything. Who knows...they could have simply told her "You, come with us!" and she obeyed as women did in that culture.

There was a specific protocol for bringing such charges (you mentioned both parties must be brought) and Yeshua was NOT the one to whom they should have brought her. The parties were to be brought before the judge or High Priest (which was not Yeshua), and evidence given by two or more actual witnesses who - if they bore false witness - would themselves receive the punishment due the accused. Knowing their guilt in bearing false witness and in breaking Torah, they all fled, so there were no accusers. No accusers = no charges.

The leaders of the time were the guilty ones...acting with total hypocrisy, which Yeshua repeatedly railed against them for doing. Scripture tells us ALL have sinned, and though we attempt with full integrity to walk out our deliverance with fear and trembling...we still fall short and need to teshuva and hear hear said again "Go and sin no more!"  Whether or not the story was added later, if studied in context with Torah and with regard to how precisely Torah dictated such matters were to be handled, it can be a good learning opportunity for us today.

OUR RESPONSE:

You asked "How do we know she was actually guilty as charged?"

Two references: 1st, verse 3 says she was "caught in adultery", this suggests she was indeed "caught" in the act; and 2nd, verse 11 says that Yeshua concluded she had sinned because he said "go and sin no more." But Yeshua knew full well that to be judged required two witnesses yet no husband was present and no witnesses were present yet Yeshua supposedly said "go and sin no more" instead of "Go, for you have committed no sin."

You wrote "My understanding is that she may not have actually committed adultery but may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time...". I note you provided no scripture to support this understanding.

You wrote "The parties were to be brought before the judge or High Priest (which was not Yeshua)...".

Yes, we agree in that. But the verses begin with 8:1-2 which indicate that Yeshua was in the Temple court teaching at that time. How convenient it was since he was a known "aggravator" and the P'rushim did not like him so it is likely they would stop at the Temple court to ask him his opinion since it was known who he claimed to be. Verse 6 even says "They said this to trap him" so they would have grounds to bring charges against him. This reveals the dilemma that proves the story is false.

The story implies the woman was guilty, but Yeshua, in agreement, let her go without consequences. But we know that the Torah obedient Yeshua would NOT have recommended letting her go if the story was factual. He would have followed Torah. If she had committed adultery, she would have deserved punishment. If she was not guilty then Yeshua would have simply acknowledged that. But he would NOT have said "go and sin no more"! Inadvertent sin is one thing, intentional sin is quite another.

You conclude "Whether or not the story was added later, if studied in context with Torah and with regard to how precisely Torah dictated such matters were to be handled, it can be a good learning opportunity for us today."

Ouch! So we are to believe a story which violates Torah, should be learning opportunity? What, then, do we make of Deuteronomy 4:2 & 12:32?

A mini-teaching on parts of Acts 3

(Use your own Bible versions for comparison, as the following passages came from the Aramaic English New Testament, and the words might not be familiar.*)

Acts 3: 6. Shimon said to him, “Gold and silver I have not, but that which I have I will give to you in the name of Y’shua the Mashiyach the Nazarene.[1] Rise up and walk!” 7. And he took him by his right hand and raised him up. And at that moment his feet and his ankles were established. 8. And he leaped up (and) stood and walked and entered with them into the temple while walking and leaping and praising Elohim.[2] 9. And all the people saw him (while) walking and praising Elohim. 10. And they recognized that he was that vagrant who would sit all day and ask for alms at the gate that was called Beautiful. And they were filled with amazement and wonder concerning the thing that happened.

NOTES:

[1] In the First Century there were many who made claims of being Mashiyach, and Y’shua was also a common name. By adding the name of the small village “Nazraya” (Nazareth) from where he resided, there was no confusion or doubt as to who was being referenced. Y’shua taught his followers that they were kept by the power of the Name of YHWH, not his own name (John 17:11). The name of Y’shua functions as an affirmation of faith that “YHWH is Salvation,” and that he is YHWH’s Mashiyach, and “from Nazraya” provides concise identity.

[2] Notice praise goes to Elohim (YHWH), because prayer and thanks is offered to YHWH through the vessel whom He chose to bring salvation. But salvation is ultimately from YHWH. No one believes they start the engine of their vehicle and it drives them to their destination; no one confuses whether a car or engine can do everything on its own merits. It is YHWH who provides Salvation, but it is Y’shua who is the “vehicle” whereby this is accomplished.

Continuing with Acts 3:

Acts 3: 11. And while he was holding Shimon and Yochanan, all the people ran while marveling to them to the porch, which was called Solomon’s. 12. And when Shimon saw (it), he answered and said to them, “Men, sons of Israel, why are you in wonder at this (man) or at us? Why do you stare at us you, as if it is by our own strength or by our authority we did this that this (man) might walk? 13. The Elohim of Awraham and of Yitz’chak and of Ya’akov, the Elohim of our forefathers[3] has glorified His Son. He, Y’shua, whom you delivered up and denied before the face of Peelatos after he saw it fitting to let him go.

14. But you denied the Set Apart and Just, and you requested for yourselves a murderous man to be given to you. 15. And that Prince of Life you killed whom Elohim raised from the dead,[4] and we are all of us his witnesses. 16. And in the faith of His name, this man that you see and know you, He has strengthened and healed. And the faith that is in him has given him this wholeness before all of you. 17. But now our Brothers I know that you did this in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18. And Elohim, according to that which beforehand He preached by the mouths of all the prophets, that His Mashiyach would suffer has fulfilled (it) in this manner.

NOTES:

[3] Exodus 3:6, 15

[4] Notice that ELOHIM raised Messiah Y’shua from the dead! This reveals YHWH is, and always was, in charge! This quote points to the human being side of Mashiyach, although the mark of him being Mashiyach is the indwelling of the Spirit of YHWH. The human side of Mashiyach or “Mari/Maran” refers to the human side of Y’shua that voluntarily submits to YHWH.

Continuing with Acts 3:

Acts 3:19. Repent, therefore, and be turned so that your sins be blotted out and times of rest come to you from before the presence of Master YHWH. 20. And He sent to you that which He had prepared for you, the Mashiyach Y’shua, 21. Whom it is necessary for Heaven to receive until the fullness of the times of all these (things) that Elohim spoke by the mouth of His Set Apart prophets of old.[5] 22. For Moshe said (that) A prophet will raise up for you from Master YHWH from your brothers. Hear him like me in everything that he speaks to you, 23. and it will be (that) every soul which does not hear that prophet, that soul will perish from his people.[6]

24. And the prophets, all of them, Shmuel and those who were after him, spoke and preached concerning those days. 25. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant, that which Elohim placed on our forefathers when He said to Awraham (that), In your seed all the tribes of the earth will be blessed.[7] 26. First appointed to you, Elohim sent His Son blessing you if you turn and repent from your evils.” (AENT)

NOTES:

[5] A continuum of Justice from the very beginning of time (of old) through the Tanakh; Jeremiah 28:8; Ezekiel 38:17 and into the Ketuvim Netzarim (writings of the Netzarim) is the prophetic authority of YHWH revealed to all who enter the Malchut (Kingdom of) Elohim (Luke 1:70; 1 Peter 1:10-12; Revelation 10:7). The office of Mashiyach has always been predominate in the Malchut Elohim and the prophets of YHWH hold the keys to understanding and discerning this very fact.

[6] Deuteronomy 18:15-16

[7] Genesis 22:18; 26:4

*The AENT is no longer in circulation.

Friday, February 12, 2021

Thinking of rejecting Yeshua because you've been hanging with the wrong crowd? Go for it, if you don't mind losing your salvation!

 

Thinking of rejecting Yeshua and the New Testament because the "cool crowd" you've found on Facebook (or elsewhere) has told you the virgin birth is a lie and that Paul was a false teacher, or some other sneaky nonsense, peppered with a lot of "Jewish wisdom?"

If so, then read every article on our Countering the Jewish Counter-Missionaries page BEFORE making the worst mistake of your life!

If, afterward, you still wish to believe that YHWH's Divine Messiah is a myth, and that the NT is a hoax, and you don't mind throwing away your ONLY salvation - at least you'll have done it from a more knowledgeable perspective.

It's all up to you. YHWH doesn't force anyone to believe HIS Truth! 
 

 

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

My short testimony!

It all started with the Apostle Paul … who wrote:

"Do, we then nullify Torah by faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish Torah." (Romans 3:31).

That is the very verse that caused me to realize "something was wrong in church" – in January 1995, just months after Abba opened my spiritual eyes to Him and HIS Truth!

I realized this because, I had tons of questions as I was reading my way through the Bible; but every every time I asked my Baptist pastor something (such as, "Since we're all one in Christ, why aren't WE keeping the Seventh Day Sabbath and Feasts?), his answers always included things like, “That was just for the Jews and the death of Jesus abolished all that.  Today we live under grace alone.  You need to realize, Carmen - it’s Jesus plus NOTHING!”

And then, he would send me to the writings of Paul, many of which seemed to negate "the law"...

I tried my best to believe my pastor, but some of the things he said simply didn’t “feel right” to me!  Paul wasn’t divine, and I wondered WHY he would have had the authority to change what Jesus had taught, or what his Father had originally commanded to be done "forever" and “throughout your generations."

Jesus himself had even said so in Matthew 5:17-20, via certain phrases that smacked me square in the face in the realization that “everything that must happen" had NOT happened yet; and that "heaven and earth had NOT yet passed away”…

The bottom line was that one day, I finally admitted to myself that my beloved pastor – with his Masters in Divinity and decades of pastoring - had clearly been MISUNDERSTANDING something! 

And so, I began to a little "church hopping" to see what other pastors had to say, and to find out how THEY would answer my questions!  But, their answers weren't much different.  SOMETHING seemed to be "missing" in ALL the churches I checked out!

Despondent, I came home one Sunday and literally threw myself face-down onto the floor, begging God to SHOW me exactly why I kept having this nagging feeling about the things being taught in churches.  I was sick and tired of having pastors tell me I should stop trying to "put myself back under the law!"

I mean – WHAT was supposedly WRONG with God’s LAWS???  WHY would He suddenly reverse everything He had commanded and allow “Christians” – just because they were non-Jews – to NOT obey His “forever” commands?  WHY would God have sent His Messiah to give different rules to Christians? 

It dawned on me that Adam and Eve weren’t Jews!  Neither was anyone else until the third Patriarch, Jacob had a son named Judah (where the term “Jew” originated!)  Yet, THEY ALL had rules to follow….Yet, Christians were somehow so special that THEY didn’t need any rules and were to simply “just believe in Jesus plus nothing” as pastors were insisting?

I did NOT buy that!

Well … God didn't respond immediately (which was very disappointing); however, for approximately six months, I kept hearing this little voice in my head, telling me to sell all my possessions and move to a certain place in another State!  (Trust me - I did NOT want to move - much less, be forced to sell my house and all my possessions!  The words,"This CAN'T BE FROM GOD!” kept reverberating in my mind.)

But, it WAS from God (and down deep, I KNEW that), and so I finally gave in, sold everything I owned, except my car, my clothes and some personal items - and moved. 

Unfortunately, He caused me to wait a a whole YEAR for “something to happen” to let me know I had really heard that voice … but … NOTHING.  No job, no new friends, nothing.  I was super unhappy – even despondent and left wondering if perhaps I was just crazy, believing that God would actually tell me to sell everything, leave all my friends, and move...
 
But one day, just like that - BAM! – everything changed!  Through some really unexpected circumstances, YHWH caused me to end up working in a place I really didn’t care for, but where I clearly needed to be, because it was there I met a guy who opened my eyes to the idea of Torah and caused me to end up in a Messianic Torah study led by a Rabbi who taught things I had never heard before, basically negating many of the things I had learned in Christian churches!

Around the same time, YHWH also caused me to meet my future husband in that same place I didn’t care for – a man who accepted YHWH/Yeshua/Torah and married me in April of 2000.

What I wish to convey with my very condensed testimony is that, when you KNOW YHWH is speaking, pay close attention!  Do NOT ignore Him, no matter how “odd” His Plan might seem or feel to you!  I am pretty sure that, had I chosen to ignore Him all those years ago, He would have left me right where I was, never really learning or growing – much less having the privilege of being a preacher of His WHOLE TRUTH!  Halleluyah!

Saturday, February 6, 2021

So, we don’t “trust God” if we see doctors or take vaccines?

Honestly, the myriad "Bible experts" who accuse us of not "trusting God" when we see doctors or take vaccines, etc., clearly don't know what the heck they're talking about, or else they would think before opening their mouths! Truly - they're no different from those kooks who attempt to handle poisonous snakes to prove their "faith in God!"

WHY is it wrong to use the brain ADONAI gave us to become doctors and nurses, etc., who are able to save lives? WHY is it wrong to accept help from them, or to take a vaccine that serves to put an end to some horrific, crippling or deadly disease?

I guess - according to all these "Bible experts" - Yeshua didn't have any faith in God, either, because he didn't jump off the "highest point of the temple," while satan was trying to "tempt" him in the desert. Take a look and pay special attention to verse 7:

Matthew 4:5 Then the Adversary took him to the holy city and set him on the highest point of the Temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “jump! For the Tanakh says, ‘He will order his angels to be responsible for you...They will support you with their hands, so that you will not hurt your feet on the stones.’” 7 Yeshua replied to him, “But it also says, ‘Do not put Adonai your God to the test.’” (CJB)

The sad thing about many of the comments of these loudmouthed “experts” speaking of fears about vaccines is that (1) many get their information from discreditable sources; and (2) when a credible source is used, the information provided, while entirely accurate, is not properly understood, and is consequently misused …  and so the “expert” (3) spreads fear by their misunderstanding of the technology.

Example:  Many claim that COVID vaccines contain fetal cells, just because they"heard" that somewhere. COVID vaccine do NOT contain fetal cells!  No fetal cell lines were used to manufacture the vaccines, and no fetal cells are inside the injection you receive.

What credible doctors ARE saying is that the laboratory-generated decedents of fetal cells collected in the last century are used to make varicella (chickenpox), rubella (the “R” in the MMR vaccine), hepatitis A, and one type of rabies vaccine, Zoster (shingles), and Adenovirus Type 4 and Type 7. The COVID vaccines are none of these!  COVID vaccines are NOT made from fetal cells!

The truth is that (according to creditable doctors and other experts), though there is some "remnant" of RNA in those vaccines made from fetal fibroblast cells, the vaccines are processed such that no DNA from the fetal cells remain in any meaningful form in the final purified vaccine. In other words, the vaccines do NOT contain fetal cells. Period.

Vaccines also DO NOT alter your DNA. That is nonsense. Vaccines work on the outside of the nucleus of your cells and your DNA is on the inside the nucleus of your cells and is not modified in any way.

Here's a recommendation: Instead of fretting and worrying about the safety of vaccines, consider getting on your knees and thanking God that He provided us with vaccines that can keep us from suffering from deadly diseases we face on this earth!

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Passover is on the horizon. So, do we rid our homes of "yeast" or "leaven?"


With Passover on the horizon (it begins in the afternoon of March 27), we need to start thinking of "ridding our homes of leaven" - which prevents the need for last-minute panic where it must be discarded all at once.

Many will attempt to tell you to rid your homes of "yeast" but that is not exactly true.  We breathe in millions of "yeast" spores with our every breath, so it's impossible to "get rid of yeast."

YHWH says no "chametz" is to be in your house (Exodus 12:19 & 13:7), and that you are not to eat food with chametz in it (Exodus 12:20 & 13:3).

What is "chametz?"  Our indepth article, Yeast or Leaven? explains.

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

About the Passover lamb’s bones being broken…

READER COMMENT:

The matter of the Passover lamb ... 'none of its bones should be broken', does that apply to the lamb slaughtered as the 'official' lamb only? Which was ultimately a foreshadow of Messiah. I am thinking, today when you buy lamb at the local butcher to prepare in this case, it hardly adheres to that instruction, for Passover specifically.


OUR RESPONSE:

The prophetic meaning in that terminology of Exodus 12:46 "and you are not to break any of its bones" goes deeper than simply the command to not break its bones. The sages say that this is a reference to the dignity of which we are to hold in our Passover remembrance by considering ourselves, at our celebration as "free and wealthy people."

This is because in those ancient Biblical days, breaking the bones of of the animal to be consumed was done by the poor and peasants. That was the quickest way they could get the slaughtered animal on the fire, and the poor would consume as much of the animal as they could, and by breaking the bones they could get to the bone marrow.

So the sages write (in Sefer HaChinuch #16 for example, about Exodus 12:46): "For it is not honorable for the sons of kings and the advisers of the land to drag the bones and break them like dogs. Except for the impoverished among the people and the starving, it is not a proper thing to do this."

(Note also that it is the practice also at the Passover seder to "recline" while eating the seder meal. This, too, is said to be from the idea that his is how royalty and nobility used to eat (i.e., lounging while being served) while slaves would have to stand to eat. On Passover the people of Israel are entitled and privileged to conduct themselves like royalty, after all, they were slaves but no more.)

So, at Passover, when the lamb was prepared, whether it was the official lamb slaughtered at the Temple, or a lamb slaughtered at home (or a lamb which had been taken to the Temple and then taken home to eat for Passover), care would be made to not break the animal's bones. Today we, too, would not intentionally "break" the bones, but then again, we don't also put blood on our doorposts.

Buying cuts of meat in our time which are rendered by a butcher does not count as breaking its bones; for we are not poor and we are not going to eat every last scrap as the poor would have done in ancient times.

We can still carry the memory of that original exodus, but we don't have to establish the conditions of that original and only "pass-over." Thus the tradition in most seders, for hundreds of years, has simply been to have on the table a lamb shankbone which has not been cut or broken to represent the commandment.

Is there a difference between the Passover Seder and celebrating Passover?

READER QUESTION:

Is there a difference between the Passover Seder and celebrating Passover in your home? I was always of the opinion they are one and the same thing. Are they?  Thanks so much for guiding us in these small things as well.

OUR RESPONSE:

You are correct; they are one an the same. The "seder" is just a formal observance of the feast with a traditional liturgy and traditional meal. But the feast can be remembered and celebrated at home without the traditions. In fact, I believe most seders in Biblical time were in homes with friends and family rather than at community gatherings.

There is nothing in scripture mandating HOW Passover is remembered. We learn only that "When your children ask you, 'What do you mean by this ceremony?' say, 'It is the sacrifice of Adonai's Pesach [Passover], because [Adonai] passed over the houses of the people of Isra'el in Egypt, when he killed the Egyptians but spared our houses.' " (Exo 12:26-27, see also Exodus 13:3-8; Deuteronomy 16:1-8).

The time-honored seder is a wonderful, meaningful tradition, of course, and I am not diminishing it, rather, I'm just saying that it's up to us how we remember the beginning of the exodus and the pass-over.

NOTE:  Some read these verses and conclude that the celebration requires the slaughter of a lamb. But they don't realize that for the remembrance of Passover, when there was a Temple, there was only ONE lamb which was slaughtered as the "official" lamb to represent all of Israel.

All other animals were simply prepared as food as part of the annual remembrance. There is no requirement on us today to duplicate the conditions of the original pass-over (an event that happened only ONCE in all of history). Plus, we who believe, recognize that we have also a "one-time" sacrificial lamb whose blood spared us. Instead, we are to simply pause our lives and take the time to remember and feast as YHWH commanded.)

Monday, February 1, 2021

How can you “rule and reign with Jesus” for 1,000 years, unless you know, embrace, and have lived by his Torah?

Our Facebook Torah study group just finished studying Exodus 18:1 through 20:23, where we got to witness YHWH personally speaking the Ten Commandments to ALL the people assembled at the foot of Mt. Sinai!

This is the first time during the Exodus that we see YHWH allowing all to "hear" him. It frightened the people so much that in Exodus 20:19, they begged Moshe to put  things back the way they were where only Moshe could personally hear and talk directly to YHWH.
 
This whole episode was important because YHWH chose this moment to "solidify"  the fact that HE IS ELOHIM, and that the people could and should trust His chosen servant - Moshe.

One would have thought that this would cause the people to simply obey Moshe from that moment on, and stop the constant whining and giving him endless grief.  But no - people are people, and humanity has always tended to have a "short memory" - even after personally HEARING the Creator speak....

So, has anything really changed?  Are today's "educated" people more holy and attentive to the Word of God?  Are ALL "believers" OBEYING His Divine Instructions in Righteousness to the best of their ability in today's fallen world? 

The answer, of course, is no.  Back during Moshe's time, people didn't have YHWH's "written Word" (nor could they read or write); but we do, today ... and yet, MOST DO NOT READ IT!  (But they sure love to talk about it and discuss it with others who have also never read it....)

Today  - with YHWH's Word at their fingertips -  people are STILL whining, complaining and rebelling more than ever; and, consequently, our world is in huge turmoil.  EVERYTHING seems to be falling apart at the seams.  This is because we are IN the "end times" as outlined in the Books of Daniel and Revelation. 

(See also Matthew 24, which states, in part:  10 At that time many will be trapped into betraying and hating each other, 11 many false prophets will appear and fool many people; 12 and many people’s love will grow cold because of increased distance from Torah.)

Unfortunately, instead of truly seeking God and recognizing that the MOST IMPORTANT THING we could do for ourselves is to get INTO the Word to find out who He really is and what He expects of humanity, we IGNORE His Word and all warnings about what lies ahead!  YHWH has tried to reach and TEACH His people for thousands of years (it’s all in His Torah!), so that when His Divine Messiah returns to rule and reign for a millennium, he will find an INFORMED people who deserve to live under his reign.

But, alas!  What we have, right now, is an uninformed, bible-illiterate world that expects to be "raptured when Jesus returns" - and to "rule and reign" with him.  Most of them have never realized that, while there WILL BE a "catching up" of TRUE, and OBEDIENT believers (1 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17), those who have never bothered knowing YHWH and keeping His Torah commands will remain left behind.

Why?  Because, the truth is, you can't possibly HOW to "rule and reign" with Yeshua, when you have never even kept the commanded Seventh Day Sabbath nor know how to do any of the Feasts!  How can you “rule and reign with Jesus” for 1,000 years, unless you know, embrace, and have lived by his Torah?  (2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:4-6)

Yeshua won't be magically imbuing you with knowledge that you SHOULD have been learning during your years on earth....