DON'T ALLOW YOUR "OLD NATURE" TO HAVE ITS WAY!

Galatians 5: 13 For, brothers, you were called to be free. Only do not let that freedom become an excuse for allowing your old nature to have its way. Instead, serve one another in love. 14 For the whole of the Torah is summed up in this one sentence: “Love your neighbor as yourself”;[a] 15 but if you go on snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other!

16 What I am saying is this: run your lives by the Spirit. Then you will not do what your old nature wants. 17 For the old nature wants what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is contrary to the old nature. These oppose each other, so that you find yourselves unable to carry out your good intentions. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not in subjection to the system that results from perverting the Torah into legalism. [*]

19 And it is perfectly evident what the old nature does. It expresses itself in sexual immorality, impurity and indecency; 20 involvement with the occult and with drugs; in feuding, fighting, becoming jealous and getting angry; in selfish ambition, factionalism, intrigue 21 and envy; in drunkenness, orgies and things like these. I warn you now as I have warned you before: those who do such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God!

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.

24 Moreover, those who belong to the Messiah Yeshua have put their old nature to death on the stake, along with its passions and desires. 25 Since it is through the Spirit that we have Life, let it also be through the Spirit that we order our lives day by day.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (CJB)

* NOTE: The idiomatic expression “under the Torah” refers to a false teaching that has never been true. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm that this phrase “under the Torah” refers to strict religious halacha, not obedience to Torah itself. Torah has not at any time saved anyone! YHWH saves when His people demonstrate a sincere obedience to His Righteous Instructions (Torah).

Blind ritual (or religion) alone without the love of YHWH profits nothing. YHWH is “the Spirit” of the Renewed Covenant that writes Torah upon the heart.

A LITTLE REMINDER FOR THOSE WHO HATE THE JEWS

When we were led into the gas chamber, YOU said nothing.

When we were forcibly converted, YOU said nothing.

When we were thrown out of a country just for being Jews, YOU said nothing.

When we now defend ourselves all of a sudden, YOU have something to say.

How did we take our revenge on the Germans for their Final Solution?

How did we take revenge on the Spanish for their Inquisition?

How did we take revenge on Islam for being Dhimmis?

How did we take revenge on the lies of the Protocols of Zion?

We studied our Torah.

We innovated in medicine.

We innovated in defense systems.

We innovated in technology.

We innovated in agriculture.

We made music.

We wrote poetry.

We made the desert bloom.

We won Nobel prizes.

We founded the movie industry.

We financed democracy.

We fulfilled the word of Hashem by becoming a light unto the Nations of the Earth.

So World, when you criticize us for defending our heritage and our ancestral homeland, we the Jews of the world do exactly what you did, we ignore you.

You have proven to us for the last 2,000 years that when the chips are down you don’t care.

Now leave us alone and go sort out your own backyard whilst we continue our 5784-year-old mission, enhancing the world we share.

--by Howard Klineberg, in the Jerusalem Post of February 2, 2015.

A QUICK COMMENT FROM CARMEN:

On October 7, Hamas terrorists not only perpetrated their usual harassment of Israelis; but, they actually started an outright WAR with Israel when they viciously forced their way into the Land and killed at least 1,200 innocent people, and brutally took many hostages.

And now, when Israel has FINALLY had enough and began to defend itself in earnest, much of the world has turned against her.

Those who are protesting and yelling the loudest, and even suggesting a "two-state" solution, in my humble opinion, are a bunch of brainless, clueless Troglodytes; aping the liberal powers-that-be who don't know the history of the Land given to Abraham by the Creator of the Universe Himself: YHWH, ADONAI ELOHIM!

The Land belongs to Yahweh's Chosen People. God gave the Land to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 15:18-19. Abraham bought a large burial site at Hebron (Genesis 23:1-20); David bought the Temple Mount (1 Chronicles 21:25).

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

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

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

SO HERE IS A DIRE WARNING: ELOHIM is in charge - NOT you; not anyone else, except HIM! Go up against YHWH, and guess who will win...

AN IMPORTANT MINI-TEACHING ON HEBREWS 8:

In Parasha 19 we learn about the design of the tabernacle and dimensions of the ark, and the shape of the menorah – which hold absolutely NO meaning for those who don't realize their significance.

Most view these things as "Old Testament" which - according to our pastors – is full of interesting history, but they supposedly in no way pertain to New Testament teachings, because Jesus has supposedly "fulfilled" it all. The only thing that is really of any consequence for us today, the pastors insist, is our "belief in the shed blood at the cross"...

Let’s examine the actual Hebrew context of a small part of this passage:

Hebrews 8:8. For he rebukes them and says: Behold the days come, says Master YHWH, when I will complete with the family of the house of Israel and with the family of the house of Yehuda, a renewed covenant;[1] 9. not like the covenant which I gave to their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt; (and) because they continued not in my covenant, I also rejected them, says Master YHWH.

10. But this is the covenant which I will give to the family of the house of Israel after those days, says Master YHWH: I will put my Torah in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts; and I will be to them a Elohim, and they will be to me a people.

11. And one will not teach his son of the city nor his brother, nor say: You shall know your Master YHWH: because they will all know me, from the youngest of them to the oldest. 12. And I will forgive them their iniquity; and their sins will I remember no more. 13. In that he said a Renewed (Covenant), he made the first old; and that which is old and decaying, is near to disappearing.[2] (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Paul makes reference to the Renewed Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) nine times in this letter.

[2] The context is Jeremiah 31:31-34, what is "near to disappearing" is the sinful nature of man that breaks Torah, not the standard of Torah. Remember that we broke Torah, not YHWH. YHWH (“the Father) did not drop the standard of Torah because Israel chose disobedience; rather, He installed a Renewed Covenant to write Torah upon the heart through the work of the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit), according to Mashiyach (Messiah)!

The fact of the matter is that in Mashiyach, YHWH raised the bar; He magnified Torah (see Isaiah 42:21). Because mankind broke Covenant, YHWH required complete renovation on OUR part, not HIS part of the Covenant.

This verse in its twisted form, became one of the "crown jewels" of Christianity, which teaches that Torah is decaying and is near to disappearing. NOTHING could be farther from the truth!

So, is there any GOOD news?

WARS, TERRORISM, HATRED, UNREST AND GENERAL EVIL, ALONG WITH UNTOLD NATURAL DISASTERS. Our world reeks of these things!

So is there any GOOD news? YES!

The Bible tells us that, no matter what happens in this fallen world, believers in YHWH/Yeshua/Torah will receive eternal life with YAHWEH! Halleluyah!

First, however, we must endure many issues:

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

The Bible also warns us of the revival of the old Babylonian spirit in the last days, described in the 17th and 18th chapters of Revelation. In the passages below, we find a perfect description of the very condition of the days in which we are now living:

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

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

(In other words, all the "stuff" we covet means nothing. We can't take it with us; and it won't matter, because we will ALL be equal in YAHWEH's eyes, and will be concentrating ALL our efforts on Him.)

Revelation 20:4 - Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them received authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for testifying about Yeshua and proclaiming the word of God, also those who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands. They came to life and ruled with the Messiah for a thousand years.

(NOTE, those had been BEHEADED (yikes! - who are the ONLY people on the planet who still perpetrate "beheadings?) for testifying about Yeshua , and those who had NOT worshipped the beast or its image, or received "the mark of the Beast," are the ones who come to life and rule with Yeshua during the Millennium.)

BACK TO ALL OUR TRIALS JUST PRIOR TO YESHUA'S RETURN:

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

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

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

BY NOW YOU SURELY GET THE DRIFT! (Please read Ecclesiastes 9:1-17 for more.) It's clear that we will continue to experience "tribulations" around the world. The disasters are coming faster and faster. The Bible tells us that, in the end times, there will be so many that we can't even recover from one disaster before the next one hits....

WHEN THINGS GET REALLY BAD, we suddenly receive a false "savior" disguised as a very charismatic man. Loved by all, he will be attractive and charismatic and highly intelligent (Rev. 13:18; Dan. 7:8); stronger than most (Dan. 7:20); a gifted communicator (Dan. 7:8); politically savvy (Dan. 9:27 and Rev. 17:12, 13, 17); a military genius (Rev. 13:4; 17:14; 19:19).

HOWEVER, while charming, his corrupt character will be revealed after three and a half years as he works to persecute the Jews and destroy our Messianic faith. A hater of YAHWEH's Torah (2 Thess. 2:8), he will blaspheme (Rev. 13:6); be consumed by selfish ambitions (Dan. 11:36, 37; 2 Thess. 2:4); attempt to change Biblical prophecies by twisting Scripture (Dan. 7:25); AND he will ultimately pretend to be God and demand to be worshipped (Dan. 11:36; 2 Thess. 2:4).

The passage below reveals how this will come about and then abruptly end:

Daniel 9: 26 Then, after the sixty-two weeks, Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing. The people of a prince yet to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, but his end will come with a flood, and desolations are decreed until the war is over. 27 He will make a strong covenant with leaders for one week [of years]. For half of the week he will put a stop to the sacrifice and the grain offering. On the wing of detestable things the desolator will come and continue until the already decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator."

(IN MY OPINION, the day we hear of someone making a seven year peace treaty with Israel, we'll be able to count exactly seven years until Y'shua's return.)

IN THE MEANTIME - while all this sounds very scary, the Bible warns us NOT TO WORRY OR FRET or even be sad - because the BEST is yet to come: Eternal Life with YAHWEH!

1 Thessalonians 4: 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.

(In other words, the dead Believers in Messiah will rise first, and then we who are alive will follow.)

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) 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 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)

Isaiah 2:2 In the acharit-hayamim (latter days/end of days) the mountain of ADONAI's house will be established as the most important mountain. It will be regarded more highly than the other hills, and all the Goyim (Gentiles) will stream there. 3 Many peoples will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of ADONAI, to the house of the God of Ya'akov! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of ADONAI from Yerushalayim.

4 He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades and their spears into pruning-knives; nations will not raise swords at each other, and they will no longer learn war. (CJB)

HALLELUYAH!!!!

Micah 4:1 But in the acharit-hayamim it will come about that the mountain of ADONAI's house will be established as the most important mountain. It will be regarded more highly than the other hills, and peoples will stream there. 2 Many Gentiles will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of ADONAI, to the house of the God of Ya'akov! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of ADONAI from Yerushalayim.

Revelation 20: 11. And I saw a great white throne and Him who sits upon it; from whose presence the earth and heaven fled away, and this their place was not found. 12. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is (the book) of life. And the dead were judged from the things written in the books, according to their deeds.

13. And the sea gave up the dead in it; and death and Sheol gave up the dead in them. And they were judged, each one according to his deeds. 14. And death and Sheol were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death (namely,) this lake of fire. 15. And if any one was not found enrolled in the book of life, he was cast into this lake of fire. (AENT)

So, YES, that IS the good news … for BELIEVERS!

Atheists and "religion hoppers" and the "lukewarm" and anyone who didn't accept THE Creator, YHWH - the ELOHIM of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - are facing eternal separation from Him! It will be as if they never existed. (See 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15.)

Unfortunately, most people today don't seem to be concerned with the "hereafter"; let alone YHWH or His Word. Even many Believers don't know the meaning of the word, "wholehearted" - and, as a result, they will NOT be taking that narrow gate that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14).

Micah 4:3 He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for many nations far away. Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades and their spears into pruning-knives; nations will not raise swords at each other, and they will no longer learn war. 4 Instead, each person will sit under his vine and fig tree, with no one to upset him, for the mouth of ADONAI-Tzva'ot has spoken. 5 For all the peoples will walk, each in the name of its god; but we will walk in the name of ADONAI our God forever and ever. (CJB)

PASSOVER - ONE OF OUR "YEARLY DATES" WITH YHWH - IS ON THE HORIZON!

This year, Passover starts on the late afternoon of March 24; the Unleavened Bread begins right after sunset – and it is a High Shabbat which we must take off from work.

(NOTE: Calendar “aficionados” - Before you try to stone me on this matter, please understand that this is another one of those crazy years where most calendars don’t match. We The Refiner’s Fire Ministry celebrate ALL the Shabbats (both the weekly Seventh Day Sabbath, and the seven commanded Feasts) according to the sun, moon and stars, and so we will be doing Passover on late afternoon of March 24 this year. Please see our article of explanation.)

Regardless - no matter which calendar you decide to use this year, it’s getting close to the time when you need to start cleaning out all the “chametz” - leaven - from your homes, as “leaven” represents “sin.” All leaven is to be removed from your homes before Passover starts!
(Some people insist you are to clean out your “yeast” before Passover, but this is not true. There is no way to get rid of all yeast, because yeast spores are everywhere, including in every breath we take. Please see our article.)

EXPLANATION OF PASSOVER:

Passover, celebrated near evening on Nisan 14 on the Hebrew calendar, marks the beginning of a seven-day period during which the eating of leavened Bread is forbidden as leaven is a symbol of sin (I Corinthians 5:6-8; see also Exodus 23:14-16; Romans 6:4 and II Corinthians 5:21).

Exodus 23:14-16: "Three times a year, you are to observe a festival for me. Keep the festival of matzah: for seven days, as I ordered you, you are to eat matzah (unleavened bread) at the time determined in the month of Aviv; for it was in that month that you left Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Next, the festival of harvest, the firstfruits of your efforts sowing in the field; and last, the festival of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in from the fields the results of your efforts." (CJB)

Passover/Unleavened Bread/Hag HaMatzot is one of ELOHIM’s commanded seven High Holy Days. During Passover week, we celebrate the deliverance of the slaves from Egypt. It is the story of redemption by the killing of the Passover Lamb, the blood of which was applied to the doorposts while the Israelites were still in Egypt, shortly before their Exodus.

Obedience to the command to take a lamb into their homes for a few days and then kill it for the purpose of spreading its blood on the doorposts ensured that their firstborn would be spared the Tenth Curse against Pharoah who refused to let God's enslaved Chosen People leave Egypt. When the Angel of Death passed through the land and saw the blood, he "passed over" those houses and spared the first born within (Exodus 12:1-13).

(NOTE: Today, we no longer required to kill an innocent lamb, because Believers in YHWH/Yeshua are covered by the Blood of Yeshua who martyred himself, shedding his Divine Blood on our behalf! More explanation to follow.)

Passover not only serves as a reminder of the events leading up to the Exodus from Egypt; but it is also the story of redemption through Messiah Yeshua, whose shed blood on the cross freed Believers from the slavery of earthly bondage to “the world!”

Yeshua fulfilled this event when he was crucified. However, please note, he was NOT “the Passover Lamb” per se! Why? Because (1) the original Passover lamb in Egypt was not a "sin “sacrifice”; it was a “substitute”, a “redemption”; and (2) the lambs were not sacrificed on any altar, and no one “sacrificed” Yeshua! He martyred himself to shed his divine blood on our behalf.

This is the whole connection:

Yeshua was our substitute, our redemption - and by believing and always following YHWH's Torah to help us to lower our tendency to sin and do our best to NOT sin anymore, we have the chance for eternal life! Halleluyah, praise his Holy Name!

(NOTE: In case anyone is interested, we offer a free downloadable haggadah (liturgy) for Pesach/Passover on our website. Just click on our Articles and Studies page, and scroll down until you see "Free calendars, Siddurs & Pesach Seder", and choose one of the final two links...

If you’ve never celebrated Passover, try it this year. You’ll be amazed at how blessed you will feel!

LET'S DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF "HELL" FOR A MOMENT....

Every once in a while the topic of "hell" comes up in a conversation, with some insisting "there is no such place," or attempting to describe it via their own opinions. Many have even tried to tell me that "hell" is simply a Christian idea which cannot be found in the Tanach (Old Testament).

If that's true, then what do we do about passages such as these?

Ezekiel 26:19 "For here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'When I make you a ruined city, like other uninhabited cities; when I bring the deep sea over you, and its mighty waters cover you; 20 then I will bring you down with those who descend to the pit, to the people of long ago, and make you live in underworld places like those who were ruined long ago, with those who descend to the pit, so that you will be uninhabited when I give glory to the land of the living. 21 I will make you horrible; you will cease to exist. People will seek you but never more find you,' says Adonai ELOHIM." (CJB)

There is no specific mention in Torah of "Hell", but Old Testament prophets repeatedly speak of a time when YHWH would have His "day" ("The Day of ADONAI") - a day of justice in which He would express His anger toward sin and visit judgment on sinners. (See Isaiah 2:12; 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 13:5, 30:3; Joel 1:15, 2:1,11,31; 3:14; Amos 5:18,20; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7,14; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi. 4:5).

Daniel 12:2 Many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and abhorrence. (CJB)

"Shame and abhorrence" are NOT what people in "heaven" experience!

What we can know for sure is that "Hell" seems to be "eternal separation from God, where one simply no longer exists." For instance, in Numbers 16, Korach and his entire family and all those who had sided with him against Moshe (Moses) were swallowed up into the earth alive.

Numbers 16:30 But if ADONAI does something new - if the ground opens up and swallows them with everything they own, and they go down alive to Sh'ol - then you will understand that these men have had contempt for ADONAI." 31 The moment he finished speaking, the ground under them split apart - 32 the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all the people who had sided with Korach and everything they owned. 33 So they and everything they owned went down alive into Sh'ol, the earth closed over them and their existence in the community ceased. (CJB)

The New Testament makes many references to "Hell" throughout its pages. "Hell" is:

(1) A place of physical agony, mental suffering, loneliness and emotional sorrow. Yeshua described it as a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.(Jude 6; Matt 8:12; Matt 13:42, 50; Matt 25:30;).

(2) A place of insecurity and fear. The Bible describes it as a bottomless pit, an abyss. (Revelation 20:1).

(3) A place of instability. It is described as a lake of fire. Hell is a place where every moment is lived in uncertainty (Matthew 5:21-23; Revelation 20:15).

(4) A pit of darkness; totally devoid of light. It is pitch black in hell; there's nothing to distract people from their suffering, sorrow, fears, insecurities, and instability. (2 Peter 3-5).

(5) A place of dissatisfaction. Yeshua described it as a fire; a fiery furnace. It may be a literal fire that creates a physical sensation of burning or just an overwhelming yearning for God, for love, for joy, for peace, for life that will never be. (Matthew 5:22; Matt 13:42 and 50; Matt 18:8-9; Matt 25:41; Mark 9:43, 47-48) .

(6) A place of eternal separation from YHWH. Each person who "goes to hell" will be separated forever from the source of life, the heart of love, the very One for Whom they were created.

(7) Hell is a place where your soul will be destroyed (Matthew 7:23 and 10:27-29). And since the soul/nephesh can die (Ezekiel 18:4, etc.) you will no longer exist - which seems to suggest there is eternal punishMENT, but not eternal punishING!

The bottom line is: Hell MAY OR MAY NOT BE a real "place"! We simply can't know for sure. What we DO know is that those who are rejected "in Heaven" (wherever that might be - either in another dimension or even right here on earth - Revelation 21:1-4) will end up "ceasing to exist"... which will certainly feel like "eternal punishment" to those who are rejected, in the moments before they are "separated from God!"

Regardless, here are some more examples describing "hell":

Matthew 11:23 - 23. And you Capurnakhum which has been raised to heaven will be brought down to Sheol (grave, or pit)....

Luke 16:23 - 23. And while he was tormented in Sheol, he lifted up his eyes and gazed from afar upon Awraham and upon Lazar at his bosom....

Numbers 16:31-33 - ...the ground suddenly split open beneath them. The earth opened up and swallowed the men...So they went down alive into [the grave]....

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 13:41-42 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 13:3...unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Christians–please stop telling us we are trying to “earn our salvation” by obeying Torah!

A THOUGHT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN TORAH KEEPING because, as they insist, "Torah doesn't save."

Of course, it doesn’t; nobody ever said it did! So, please stop the accusations!  We OBEY God’s Divine Instructions because we LOVE Him; because they teach us how to be holy and set apart; and because He appreciates those who recognize the fact that His Instructions are for EVERYONE who accepts Him and His Divine Messiah - who TAUGHT those Instructions. (So did the Apostles, by the way…)

TRUTH IS: Neither YHWH nor Yeshua nor any of the Apostles or Disciples ever suggested that "Torah saves!" Only the blood of Yeshua does. However, his death never negated our need to OBEY God's Divine Instructions in Righteousness which are found in the first five Books of the Bible called "Torah" (which Christians refer to as "Pentateuch").

If you haven't done so, I would encourage you to re-read ALL of the Bible without prejudice, via the "Hebrew" instead of the "Greek" mindset, so you can better understand what is being said.

To begin with, YHWH ELOHIM commanded ALL who accept Him to be Torah observant. (See Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:13-16, Isaiah 56:6, Galatians 3:28 and Romans 10:12-13.) He never once suggested that the death of His Son/Messiah would negate His Divine Instructions.

It is imperative to understand that nobody is expected to adhere to ALL of the original 613 commands, as most of them were directed at the Levite cohens (priests); some were only for men; some only for women; and some were only for a certain time frame.)

But some were meant to last FOREVER - and those are the ones that believers must pay attention to.

Let's examine some passages that reveal the nuggets one can find in the Bible when it is read in context:

Proverbs 4:2 "I give you good instruction: Do not forsake my Torah!" (CJB)

Proverbs 28:9 If a person will not listen to Torah, even his prayer is an abomination. (CJB)

YHWH said HE would send a prophet who was to do everything He ordered him to do; see Deuteronomy 18:15-18.

Yeshua said he came to do HIS FATHER's will; not his own! He never said he was coming to earth to start a new religion called Christianity!

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

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

Here's Yeshua himself telling us what his mission was:

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."

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

Has "everything happened that must happen?"

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. (AENT)

And here is Paul AFFIRMING Torah:

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.

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

So, while his death, burial, and resurrection are an important part of the Good News, it's not the whole story! YHWH isn't just in the business of "saving" people. As Creator and law giver, He is in the business of teaching us how to be good subjects in His Kingdom to come!

And how does one become a "good subject?" Through Torah obedience! Please ask yourself this:

If Messiah supposedly "abolished Torah at the cross" then why was EVERY believer completely Torah observant for one hundred years after Yeshua's death, including the Apostle Paul who was "caught" being Torah observant 29 years after Yeshua's death (Acts 21:23-24)! Was Paul a hypocrite, saying one thing and doing another; or were his teachings, perhaps, misunderstood?

If the Torah were "abolished at the cross," and no longer to be followed, then Yeshua, Paul, Matthew, and all the other Apostles and Disciples were liars, because they ALL taught what YHWH commanded, and what Yeshua taught!

Not to mention, without the Torah, there would not be a "New Testament" - which means, we would never have known YHWH or His Divine Messiah; which means, we now COULD "murder" and commit adultery, and lie and cheat, etc., because The Ten Commandments would be rendered null and void. Please think about that...

Also, please ponder this:

Matthew 7: 21 Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants (ie: Torah) 22 On that Day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?' 23 Then I will tell them to their faces, 'I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!' (ie: they did not keep Torah --- they were LAWLESS - WITHOUT THE LAW)

Does this sound like God's original teaching and instruction was abolished?

Yeshua's intent was never to abolish or weaken or emasculate the Laws of YHWH, revealed in the Old Testament, but to expand and magnify them to their full spiritual intent and conclusion; to show their full meaning, purpose, and relevance; to reveal their spiritual and supernatural nature and basis; to show that the commandments lead us by necessity to FAITH in him as the Messiah.

We do not earn salvation by works, but by Faith in Yeshua the Messiah, who died for our sins, and who now gives us his spirit to enable us to fulfill the righteousness of the Law (Acts 2:38; 5:32; Gal.2:20).

The Messiah did not replace the Law of YHWH with Faith alone, but rather gave us inward Faith, through his spirit, to enable us to observe the holy commandments of God! Yet, with the advent of Christianity, the "Old Testament", along with God's original teaching and instruction, basically became null and void because they mistakenly believe "Torah" equates to "law".

BIG MISTAKE!

So, Christians, I implore you to stop accusing those who of us who follow Torah, of "trying to earn our salvation!" You don't know what you are talking about....

I pray that all those reading this who insist the Torah was abolished at the cross and doesn't pertain to Christians will have their spiritual eyes opened to YHWH's Truth - which begins in Chapter 1 of Genesis, and ends in Revelation 22.

It is a grave sin to cherry-pick the Bible and teach that YHWH's Divine Instructions were abolished!

What, exactly, is “The Apple of God’s Eye?”

There are many Scripture references that refer to the “Apple of God’s Eye” – but what does that refer to, exactly?

Well, truth is, it is actually an ancient metaphor referring to the “pupil” of the eye, which is exactly how some Bible translations render it. The pupil of the eye is the most critical part of the eye with regard to vision, and is therefore the part that is most carefully guarded or protected.

Going a little deeper, the “apple” in the apple of the eye is a translation of the Hebrew word for “apple,” ishon, which is related to the word ish, meaning “man.” Etymologically, the ishon of the eye is “the little man of the eye.”  When one looks into a mirror, he can see an image of himself reflected in the pupil of his eye, which brings to mind the way in which YHWH originally created man in His own image.

Israel is now, and always has been “the Apple of YHWH’s Eye!” He first demonstrated this by choosing them as His own people, and later delivering them from their bondage in Egypt. He also provided food - such as manna and quails (Exodus 16) for them, and saw to their every physical need.

Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words, store up my commands with you. ² Obey my commands, and live; guard my teaching like the pupil of your eye. ³ Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. (CJB)

Psalm 17:6 Now I call on you, God, for you will answer me. Turn your ear to me, hear my words. ⁷ Show how wonderful is your grace, savior of those who seek at your right hand refuge from their foes. ⁸ Protect me like the pupil of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings ⁹ from the wicked, who are assailing me… (CJB)

Deuteronomy 32: ⁸ “When ‘Elyon gave each nation its heritage, when he divided the human race, he assigned the boundaries of peoples according to Isra’el’s population; ⁹ but Adonai’s share was his own people, Ya‘akov his allotted heritage. ¹⁰ “He found his people in desert country, in a howling, wasted wilderness. He protected him and cared for him, guarded him like the pupil of his eye, ¹¹ like an eagle that stirs up her nest, hovers over her young, spreads out her wings, takes them and carries them as she flies. (CJB)

(See also Zechariah 2.)

Also, as you know, it was through the nation of Israel (specifically, through the Tribe of Yehudah/Judah) that YHWH sent His Son to redeem humanity from the penalty for its sin, and thus, make it possible for them to have eternal life with Him.

A SIMPLE EXPLANATION OF TORAH AND THE SEVENTH DAY SABBATH – for those who are new to the faith

For those who are new to the idea of Torah*, you will see us every Saturday posting the term “Shabbat shalom.” "Shabbat" is Hebrew for “Sabbath” and it refers to the Seventh Day Rest that God created in the very beginning.

On our Gregorian calendar, the "seventh day" happens to fall on "Saturday" – and it is our weekly “date” with our Awesome Creator – a complete 24 hours of REST/ceasing from work, which starts at Sunset Friday evening to sunset Saturday evening.

(*A QUICK NOTE ABOUT THE WORD "TORAH": For those who are new to the idea of "Torah", it refers to the first five Books of the Bible that contain all of our Creator’s Divine Instructions in Righteousness, without which we would have NO blueprint for moral, holy living.)

Anyway, the Seventh Day Sabbath is not only the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11), but also “a sign” between YAHWEH-ELOHIM* and His people (which includes ALL who accept Him and His Divine Messiah, Yeshua!)… See Exodus 31:16 -17; Ezekiel 20:11-12; Exodus 20:8-11.)

*A NOTE ABOUT YHWH: Before I go on, I need to mention that you will see me referring to the actual Name of God, which is, as mentioned above, YAHWEH, often seen written simply as YHWH, the Name He revealed to Moshe/Moses, as seen in the following passage:

Exodus 3: 13 And Mosheh said to Elohim, "See, when I come to the children of Yisra'el and say to them, 'The Elohim of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His Name?' what shall I say to them?" 14 And Elohim said to Mosheh, "I am that which I am." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Yisra'el, 'I am has sent me to you.'" (ISR)

NOTE: The Hebrew text reads: ’eyeh ’asher ’eyeh, the word ’eyeh being derived from hayah which means to be, to exist, but the Aramaic text here in v. 14 reads: ayah ashar ayah. This is not His Name, but it is an explanation that leads up to the revelation of His Name in v. 15, namely: .

Exodus 3:15 And Elohim said further to Mosheh, "Thus you are to say to the children of Yisra'el, ' Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Yitsh'aq, and the Elohim of Ya'aqob, has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance to all generations.' (ISR)

The English transliteration of the Hebrew letters "Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey" is YHWH. Thus, God Himself revealed His Name to us, and man has had access to it all along; but, ironically, traditional Jews refuse to utter his Name for fear of mispronouncing it or misspelling it, etc.; while, on the other hand, you'll never hear the Father's Name mentioned in most Christian churches as they are all concentrating on "Jesus" whom they erroneously believe came to replace the Father and abolish all his original Divine instructions/ teachings in the Torah.

NOW, BACK TO THE EXPLANATION OF THE SEVENTH DAY SHABBAT: YAHWEH our Elohim – the creator of the universe and everything and everyone in it - established the Seventh Day as a Holy Day of REST for all. It is a day to cease working and just relax, refresh and enjoy life, and glorifying Him.

This was never an option, but one of the Ten Commandments, something that Yeshua (whom Christians call Jesus) never abolished! (Yeshua’s Hebrew Name means “YHWH is Salvation.”)

We can see the Sabbath mentioned throughout the entire Torah and the rest of what is erroneously referred to as "The Old Testament." Take a look.  (All references are from the Complete Jewish Bible):

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them. 2 On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce.

Exodus 31:16 The people of Isra'el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the people of Isra'el forever; for in six days ADONAI made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and rested.'"

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

Exodus 20:8 "Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for ADONAI your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work -not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, ADONAI made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why ADONAI blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.

Isaiah 56: 2 Happy is the person who does this, anyone who grasps it firmly, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing any evil. 3 A foreigner joining ADONAI should not say, "ADONAI will separate me from his people"; likewise the eunuch should not say, "I am only a dried-up tree." 4 For here is what ADONAI says: "As for the eunuchs who keep my Shabbats, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant: 5 in my house, within my walls, I will give them power and a name greater than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that will not be cut off.

6 "And the foreigners who join themselves to ADONAI to serve him, to love the name of ADONAI, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples."

Isaiah 58: 13 If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, ADONAI'S holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them. 14 If you do, you will find delight in ADONAI - I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya'akov, for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken."

Isaiah 66: 23 And it shall be that from one New Moon to another New Moon and from one Sabbath to another Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord.

Jeremiah 17: 21 Here is what ADONAI says: "If you value your lives, don't carry anything on Shabbat or bring it in through the gates of Yerushalayim; 22 don't carry anything out of your houses on Shabbat; and don't do any work. Instead, make Shabbat a holy day. I ordered your ancestors to do this, 23 but they neither listened nor paid attention; rather, they stiffened their necks, so that they wouldn't have to hear or receive instruction. 24 However, if you will pay careful heed to me," says ADONAI "and carry nothing through the gates of this city on Shabbat, but instead make Shabbat a day which is holy and not for doing work;

...And YES, the Sabbath WAS mentioned throughout the New Testament as well. See Matthew 11:28; 12:1–14 and 23:4; along with Mark 2:27, to mention just a few.

“Judaism is a false religion”–really???

SOMEONE RECENTLY POSTED THIS ON MY FACEBOOK WALL: "Judaism is a false religion which is a part of Spiritual Babylon under the authority of Satan, but most TORAH observant believers follow the teachings of Judaism and observe a Sunset Sabbath on the Sixth Day instead of Sunrise on Seventh Day." (In his rant, he kept using the Enoch calendar to “prove” his points.)

Let’s get the lesser points of his rant out of the way first:

• The Bible does NOT support a “sunrise-to-sunrise” day! (See the explanation on our website. )

• How arrogant of someone who proclaims to be a “Torah teacher” to use the UNCANONIZED book of Jubilees, along with the Enoch calendar as “proof” to show that ADONAI’s “day” begins at sunrise. Well, here's our website article, replete with plenty of Scripture passages that reveal the error of the Enoch calendar!

NOW, LET’S GET TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER:

If you hate the Jews, you hate the Apple of YHWH’s EYE! (See Zechariah 2 and Deuteronomy 32:8-11.)

First and foremost – Messiah Yeshua was a JEW and all of his teachings were from a Hebrew (not Greek) viewpoint. His Father, YHWH, never attached the moniker of “Judaism” to His Divine Instructions (Torah); however, His Instructions eventually became known as “Judaism.” To call YHWH’s Divine Instructions “Spiritual Babylon” is blasphemy!

Just for kicks, let’s check out what HE said about HIS people … WHO FOLLOWED His Torah, and whose religion today is called “Judaism”:

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

Deuteronomy 7:6-8: For you are a people set apart as holy for ADONAI your God. ADONAI your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his own unique treasure. 7 ADONAI didn't set his heart on you or choose you because you numbered more than any other people - on the contrary, you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 Rather, it was because ADONAI loved you, and because he wanted to keep the oath which he had sworn to your ancestors, that ADONAI brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from a life of slavery under the hand of Pharoah king of Egypt. (CJB)

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

Note in the passage above that He LOVED them, and even referred to them as His own unique treasure! He loved them so much, He gave them a Land called Israel - His Holy Land! (He certainly wouldn’t have done that if He thought they were “Spiritual Babylon!)

The entire Bible is about HIS Torah obedient people and Israel – and yet, we have people such as that irreverent, opinionated “teacher” mentioned above, who dare to bash and trash YHWH’s Chosen and their belief system … all while proclaiming to be followers of the Torah observant Hebrew Roots faith (which is fractured just as badly as Christianity with its nearly 50,000 different “denominations).

Here are some more passages to show what our amazing Creator did from the very beginning with a people and their faith (which HE taught them through Moshe/Moses!) that is today referred to as Judaism:

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

Genesis 35:10-12 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel." So he named him Israel. And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you." (CJB)

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

Deuteronomy 34: 4 "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, 'I will give it to your offspring'"… (CJB)

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

(See also Numbers 34:1-15.)

No tribe or race in history has remained a distinct people group outside of a national homeland for thousands of years like the Jewish people! (Christianity is only 2,000 years old, while Islam is even less than that.) No people on earth have ever been repatriated after dozens of generations had forgotten their distinct language. No people, that is, except for Yahweh's people…

BOTTOM LINE: If you choose to hate YHWH’s people (who are blanketly known as “Jews”), that is your choice. You will get to explain your choice to HIM and His Divine Messiah (who was a JEW) on Judgment Day!

So ... beware of "armchair experts" and their "new" or "cool-sounding" revelations - because they CAN and WILL lead you astray, if you're not careful.