“God is love, and that’s all the matters”….

Many people keep insisting "God is love, full of grace and forgiveness," and that's all we need to know. Truth is, that’s just partially true! Here’s a little example that will hopefully get the point across:

A father teaches his toddler, among many other things, to look both ways before crossing a road. The father does that because he is full of LOVE and all that it entails for that child. He knows that rearing, guiding and teaching a child is not an easy task, and children DO tend to forget things – and that is why constant vigilance, guidance, patience, and reminders are needed.

One day, when the father’s mind is preoccupied, the little boy manages to slip outside and, without thinking, he happily heads toward the busy highway near his house. He finally gets to be independent, with nobody telling him what to do – yay! He’s not afraid, though, because he can feel his father’s love deep inside his soul, and it makes him feel very safe. Nothing can hurt him, because Daddy is with him in spirit.

High on the feeling that he is safe, no matter what, he forgets to check for traffic as he steps out into the street … where he is promptly hit by a semi-truck.

So, did his father's LOVE save that child? Of course not! But that is exactly how some view the love of God. They are under the erroneous assumption that God’s all-encompassing love means they can stray from his Divine Instructions whenever they choose because, hey, He knows they’re “only human” and He "knows their heart."

After all, the sins they occasionally commit aren’t THAT big a deal, are they? Sure, the “Old Testament God” used to have people stoned to death for committing those same sins, but hey, the “New Testament God” is pure love. And besides, all those old commands were just for the Jews….

The Truth is, those who have read the Torah (first five Books of the Bible that contain all of God’s “do’s” and “don’ts” for ALL who have accepted Him as their God – See Numbers 15:13-16) know that the excuses used by some (i.e., “God is grace, love and forgiveness) are just smoke screens designed to give them permission to sin.

God NEVER gave anyone permission to stray from His commands! As a matter of fact, He is very adamant that those who obey His commands are blessed, and those disobey them are cursed. (See Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 27:26; 28:1-30; etc.)

Loving God includes obeying His rules, because they are our ONLY blueprint for moral, holy living. Stray away from those rules and you will get smashed by that proverbial semi-truck!

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

Biden wants to “reset moral compasses”

I’m falling off my chair, laughing! Joe Biden - urging the Democrats to get to the polls and vote - said earlier today: “We have to reset moral compasses."

Er...let’s see, the Democrats are FOR homosexuality and abortion. WHAT moral compass is Biden referring to?

In God’s eyes homosexuality and murder are sins!

Responding to the drivel of a typical “counter-missionary”

This pawn of the Jewish rabbis truly seems to think highly of himself. Take a look at the screen shot above and ponder the hateful things he wrote - things that reveal how very little he actually knows when it comes to the New Testament!

Since he asked "What are your thoughts?" I'll just take a moment to provide mine:

This "Bible scholar" wrote: "...and Jesus said, "my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Actually, Mr. Hall, Yeshua never said, "Why have you forsaken me?" He said, "Why have you spared me?" These words are straight from the Aramaic English New Testament (AENT) which is a translation of a copy of the oldest NT ever discovered, the Khabouris Codex which was written in all Aramaic - no Greek in sight! Here's the scripture along with its footnote from the AENT:

Matthew 27: 46. And about the ninth hour, Y’shua cried out with a loud voice and said, My El! My El! [Lemana shabakthani] Why have you spared me?

FOOTNOTE:

"Y’shua was not necessarily quoting Psalm 22, although the imagery of the Psalm is certainly intended by Matthew. Greek is transliterated Eli, Eli lama sabacthani, but Peshitta and Psalm 22 read: Eli, Eli lama azbatani.

"Many Bibles read "forsaken" from which came a false teaching that the Father left Y’shua destitute (Marcionite thinking). Isaiah 53:4 indicates that "we" reckoned him smitten of Elohim, but it is not YHWH who tortured His own son, but men motivated by religious tradition. Psalm 22 references those who scorned Y’shua for his Faith in YHWH and called him a worm (detested), but Father YHWH does not forsake the righteous, nor does He at any time "forsake" His own Son – see Psalm 9:9, 10; 37:25; 71:11; Isaiah 49:14-16.

"Y'shua says "Eli" (my El). He is in great physical pain after being brutally tortured; those around him were confused about whether he was saying "Eli-yah" or "Eliyahu". If Hebrew eyewitnesses were not sure of what he was saying, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Greek transliteration was also wrong, putting "lama sabacthani" rather than "lemana shabakthani".

"Perhaps the reason Y’shua says "why are you sparing me" is because he has proven his commitment by laying down his life and has already endured about six hours of the execution! So, it’s not a matter of being "forsaken" but that he literally means, "Father, I'm ready, why can’t we finish this?" In a matter of moments from saying this, he dies, which fully supports this interpretation".

Moving on to Hall's next comment that Messiah Yeshua "came to the realization that he failed." Is that so, William? Try pushing aside your own hateful agenda while checking out the many prophecies he fulfilled - and try to view them from GOD's perspective for a change: https://therefinersfire.org/accurate_messiah_prophecies.htm

Next comment: "The Messiah was supposed to have a long life AND have children...." Here's a SCRIPTURAL response for ya! https://blog.therefinersfire.org/2018/10/challenging-one-of-jewish-counter.html

And as for William Hall's final comment, "btw, Messiah does not mean "savior" - well, that's what he gets for viewing YHWH's Messiah - the ANOINTED one - through "Greek" eyes. Too bad for him, because by rejecting YESHUA, he has lost his salvation!

Yochanan 14:6. Y’shua said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except by me. 7. If only you would have known me, you would have also have known my Father. And from now on you know Him and you have seen Him.[*] 8. Peleepos said to him, “Our Master, show us the Father and it will satisfy us.”

9. Y’shua said to him, I am with you all this time and you do not know me Peleepa? Whoever sees me sees the Father, and how do you say, “Show us the Father?” 10. Don’t you believe that I am in my Father and my Father is in me? These words that I speak, I do not speak of myself but He who dwells in me, my Father does these works.

11. Believe that I am in my Father and my Father is in me; otherwise believe even because of the works. 12. Amen, amen I say to you that whoever believes in me, these works that I do, he will do also, and more than these he will do because I go to the Father. (AENT)

FOOTNOTE: Y’shua is the Way; the Hebrew Derek (way) is first mentioned in Genesis 3:24, as the “way to the Tree of Life.” Throughout Torah and the Prophets “Ha Derek YHWH,” the Way of YHWH, is presented as keeping the Commandments of YHWH, living a righteous Set Apart life, walking in humility and service to YHWH and His Creation.

FOOTNOTE:

Y’shua exemplifies “Ha Derek YHWH” by demonstrating solidarity and obedience to Torah, through his extravagant love and obedience to his Father, and by serving YHWH’s people according to the ministry of the Ruach haKodesh.

Y’shua is the Truth; the Hebrew Emet (Truth) is first mentioned in Scripture when Abraham’s servant Eliezer worships YHWH because of His Mercy and Truth. Through walking in “the way” (of YHWH) he was divinely led to his master’s brethren where he found Rebecca, Genesis 24:27. Truth leads us to the Master of the Universe and to live among and be part of His called out people.

Truth reveals the cause and effect of our choices each day; as we walk in Truth we see the beauty and importance of the Way of Life. Y’shua said, “He who desires to do His will (walk in Truth) can comprehend my teaching, if it is from Elohim,” Yochanan 7:17. Y’shua is the Life. The Hebrew Chai (life) is first mentioned in Genesis 1:20, when Elohim first created living creatures.

Hebrew reveals many elements of “life,” however Y’shua’s teaching is more focused on spiritual life according to the Spirit of YHWH, the Ruach HaKodesh. This Spiritual life is described as the Spirit of YHWH, the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel, the Spirit of Might, the Spirit of Knowledge, and the Spirit of the Fear of YHWH (Isaiah 11:2).

This Spiritual Life-Force demonstrates fruits of the Spirit of YHWH as love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Parashah 5: Chayyei-Sarah (Sarah's life) Genesis 23:1 through 25:18

Shabbat shalom!  As always, a synopsis of this week’s Torah portion can be found on our website.

In this week's lesson we discover that Sarah has died and that Avraham - our first Patriarch, whom YHWH has blessed greatly for his obedience in becoming a "Hebrew" (which means, "to cross over") - is actually the first person we know of in the Torah to bury anyone.

We are told that he purchased a grave site from "the sons of Het" to bury Sarah's remains - and a huge deal was made out of his insistence that he buy the land, instead of accepting it as a gift. (Please note, although YHWH promised Avraham that all the land he walked over during his lifetime would be given to him and to his descendants forever (Genesis 15:18), by the end of his life Avraham owned only one small field at Hebron - a transaction that was recorded in Genesis 23:1-18.

Avraham lived to the ripe old age of 175 and he then took another wife, K'turah, who bore him more children (Genesis 25:-4). Before he died and was buried with his wife Sarah in the plot he had purchased from the sons of Het the Hitti, he bequeathed everything to his son Yitz'chak (Isaac), the son promised by YHWH in Genesis 18:10-15.

Why was it so important for Avraham to OWN the plot land where Sarah was to be buried? Because YHWH had told him in Genesis 15 that one day the land would belong to Avraham's descendants! So, Avraham bought the large burial site at Hebron (Genesis 23:1-20); and eventually, David bought the Temple Mount (1 Chronicles 21:25). (By the way, the land Avraham purchased was a plot within the greater land area of Israel, but it is thought to be at/near Hevron, about 22 miles South Southwest of Jerusalem.)

Very important question:  Who was the Land ever sold to?  NOBODY!  This means the Muslims have no right to insist the Temple Mount belongs to them! The Land belongs to Avraham and his descendants. Period….

For more, please click on the link above.

We can’t have dogs or cats as pets, because they’re “unclean”?

Many, when they discover the beauty of Torah, tend to go ballistic in their thinking, and begin to make ridiculously radical changes in their life - all because they have misunderstood and "read into" the basics of Torah. To them, suddenly everything has become taboo and "pagan". They tend to "wrap themselves around the axle" so much, they completely miss the plain meaning (pshat) of the Torah commands.

For instance, we once had someone send us an irate email to admonish us for using our much loved and pampered Miniature Schnauzer, Dallas, as a "doggie model" for some of our memes. "God said dogs and cats are unclean, and that you shouldn't even touch them, much less allow them to live in your house!" the man's irate email said.

And, naturally, this man (who wasn't a doctor or scientist) espoused all kinds of “proof” - obviously stemming from personal opinions gleaned from the Internet - that people with house pets WILL end up with cancer and other diseases.

His Scripture references as "proof that God hates cats and dogs" (I kid you not; that is exactly what he wrote!) included Leviticus 11:24-31 which says "cats and dogs are unclean and you shouldn’t even touch them."

In all actuality, Torah commands us to not EAT "unclean" animals. It doesn't say we cannot "touch" them. The aforementioned Leviticus passages, READ IN CONTEXT, reveal that we are not to touch DEAD CARCASSES ... rather, if you've touched a carcass - which is sometimes necessary, (That's because in ancient times, people didn't have readily available hot and cold running water and soap with which to clean themselves.)

The animals listed in Torah that we are not allowed to EAT are "tamei" - impure. While eating them is forbidden, TOUCHING their carcasses makes YOU "tamei", impure, unclean.

There are generally 4 "categories" of "tamei":

1. The internal flesh of "tamei" creatures. See Leviticus 11:25

2. Dead bodies and animal carcasses. See Leviticus 5:2, 11:27-28, 31, 39; Numbers 19:11.

3. Human beings who have touched either of these things, or whose bodies have an issue of blood or other bodily fluids; Leviticus 7:21, 11:25, Leviticus 11:27-28, 31, 39; 12:2; 15:2-4, 7-8, 16-33; Numbers 19:11

4. Inanimate objects [esp. furnishings and vessels] touched by 1, 2, or 3. This is from Leviticus 11:32-38; 15:20, 26

The bottom line is, there is nothing wrong in having "unclean" animals as pets! Scripture tells us not to EAT them or touch their dead carcasses. Just use some common sense! You won't go to hell for removing a dead animal from the road, or taking your dead pet to the vet for proper disposal. Simply wash your hands afterward. Today, we have the means to cleanse ourselves.

But nothing is even implied that you cannot have an "unclean" animal as a pet. That is "reading into" Scripture! Eve did the same thing while talking to the serpent. Remember, she told the serpent God had said they were not to TOUCH the tree in the middle of the garden: Genesis 3 says she proclaimed, "We may eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden, but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, 'You are neither to eat from it nor touch it, or you will die.'"

What did God REALLY say?

Genesis 2: 16 ADONAI, God, gave the person this order: "You may freely eat from every tree in the garden 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die."

Nothing about "touching" the tree....

We must pay close attention to what YHWH says, and not add to, or take away from that, while we do our best to live in this lost world.

Is there dog poop in your brownies?

A father of three teenage boys had a family rule that the kids could not attend "R" rated movies. It just so happened that the boys desperately wanted to see one that was playing at local theaters.

So, they interviewed friends and even some members of their church to find out what was good, bad and/or offensive in the movie, in hopes of enabling them to make a list of the pros and cons to help convince their Dad to let them see it.

Grinning, the teens presented their Dad with the list, proudly proclaiming that they had discovered the movie contained just FEW swear words, and only a FEW violent parts … and well, okay, there were some sex scenes, but they weren’t too explicit. No big deal, really. Nothing they hadn’t been seeing on TV. Probably….

The pros, they told their father, were that it was a popular movie – a big name blockbuster with a good plot and fantastic special effects that “absolutely everyone” was raving about. Everybody who saw this movie was saying it would probably be nominated for several awards. “And Dad, many of our congregation members have seen it already, and they said they LOVED it!”

The boys figured, since there were more pros than cons, their father REALLY needed to reconsider his position about “R” rated movies .. at least for just this one, because they really, truly wanted to see it. After all, it wasn’t THAT bad!

The father quietly considered their list of pros and cons and asked them to return later in the day for his decision.

When they returned, he had a plate of freshly-baked brownies laid out on the coffee table for them. “Don’t start eating them just yet,” the father admonished. “I personally made these for you guys, but you need to know there are some pros and cons.”

The boys broke into raucous laughter. “What do you mean, Dad?” one of them asked jovially. “They’re brownies! There are no ‘cons’ when it comes to brownies!”

“There are in these brownies,” Dad replied. “You see, I made them, myself, from an award-winning recipe. I used the finest chocolate and walnuts, healthy goat milk, and other yummy ingredients. They are moist and fresh with a delightful chocolate frosting on top. Those are the pros.”

The boys looked at each other and shrugged, wondering what “dear ol’ Dad” was getting at.

“These delicious brownies,” Dad said after a pregnant pause, “contain only ONE con. I mixed in some dog poop.”

The boys gasped, staring at their father, eyes wide with shock. After several seconds someone snorted; and there was a loud giggle followed by a guffaw.

“No, really,” the father continued soberly, “I mixed in some dog poop. You guys won’t mind that, right? I mean, it’s just a tiny bit of poop; not enough to hurt anything. I mixed the dough well and, chances are, you won’t be able to taste anything weird. I baked these things at 350 degrees, so any bacteria or germs are surely destroyed.”

The boys continued to stare at their father in disbelief. “Why would you do that, Dad,” the oldest ventured when he realized his Dad wasn’t kidding.

“Well, son,” the father replied. “I guess, to teach you guys a lesson in hypocrisy. I mean, what’s the difference between eating a brownie containing dog poop, and being willing to allow your eyes to watch a cuss-word-riddled movie that contains ‘some’ sex and violence? Either way your body and soul are afflicted by things God never meant for human beings to expose themselves to. Am I right or wrong?”

Each boy’s gaze dropped to the floor when their father’s little lesson in hypocrisy began to sink in. Without another word, they looked at their father and then at each other; then quietly turned to leave the room.

(Author unknown; updated and edited by Carmen Welker)

Don’t lash out at those who hurt you; turn them over to YHWH

As hard as it is sometimes to NOT lash out at those who hurt us, Scripture insists we refrain from doing so, and allow YHWH to avenge us.

Deuteronomy 32:35 Vengeance and payback are mine for the time when their foot slips; for the day of their calamity is coming soon, their doom is rushing upon them.' (CJB)

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV)

Romans 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (ESV)

Romans 12:. 9. Let not your love be full of deceit: but be haters of evil things and adherers to good things. 10. Be affectionate to your brothers: and love one another. Be foremost in honoring one another. 11. Be active and not slothful. Be fervent in spirit. Be laborers for our Master (Y’shua). 12. Be joyful in your hope. Be patient under your afflictions. Be persevering in prayer. 13. Be communicators to the wants of the Set Apart believers. Be kind to strangers. 14. Bless your persecutors: bless, and do not curse.

15. Rejoice with them who rejoice: and weep with them who weep. 16. What estimation you make of yourselves do likewise to your brothers. And do not indulge in arrogant thoughts, but unite yourselves with the humble minded. And be not wise in your own estimation. 17. And repay to no man evil for evil: but let it be your study to do good before all men. 18. And if possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with every man.

19. And be you not avengers of yourselves, my beloved: but give place to wrath. For it is written: If you do not execute judgment for yourself, I will execute judgment for you, says Elohim. 20. And if your adversary be hungry, feed him: and if he be thirsty, give him drink. For if you do these things, you will heap coals of fire on his head. 21. Do not be overcome by evil; but overcome evil with good. (AENT)

FOOTNOTE:

D’varim 32:35; Psalm 94:1; Prov. 20:22 There are no directives from B’resheet/Genesis to Revelation which counsels anyone to take vengeance upon their adversaries. YHWH says, “vengeance belongs to Me”; He will judge and resolve all matters according to His Righteous Judgment. The idea of taking vengeance upon others, as in jihad or holy war against the infidels, is rooted in fear and heathenism by those who put their faith in self rather than in Elohim.

Hebrews 4:13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (ESV)

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (ESV)

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (ESV)