Hebraic Roots of Christianity Revealed

My Bible Must Be Missing a Few Pages

2011-05-25T03:07:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, I truly love reading YHWH's (G-d) Word. But, for some reason, it draws criticism.

For instance, recently I read how

Those who love the Savior keep the Torah. (Jn 14:15,21)
YHVH’s Torah is pure. (Ps 19:8)
YHVH’s Torah is spiritual. (Rom 7:14)
YHVH’s Torah is holy. (Rom 7:12)
YHVH’s Torah is just. (Rom 7:12)
YHVH’s Torah is perfect. (Ps 19:7 and Rom 12:2)
YHVH’s Torah is immutable. (Dt 4:2)

Well, you get the picture. By the time I go through all those wonderful verses I can't help but get excited.

So I put together a letter, or I get on a Christian forum to share this great joy with those I feel will be as blessed as I am.

But something strange happens.

The response I get comes back all wrong. It's like the Twilight Zone where I opened somebody else's mail and none of the words make any sense.

"You're trying to take us back into bondage under the Law."

"Paul had tough words to say about your kind trying to rob us of our freedom."

"You're a legalist and a Judaizer."

So here I sit trying to make sense of all this.

These are Gentiles I wrote to. None of them were Jewish, Which means that even if I agreed that the "Law" was a bondage, none of them even had a clue about Biblical Laws or obeying the Scripture before they got saved.

I mean, picture this...the town druggie spending his day bemoaning the fact that some "Judaizer" was keeping him in bondage to G-d's Law. C'mon.

What's more, it's especially confusing to me when that same Scripture tells me YHVH’s Torah is freedom, and a delight, not bondage. (Ps 119:44-45,47)

Well, something is wrong. The righteous should mourn when the Torah is not kept. (Ps 119:136), but what I experience is just the opposite. The "orthodox" Christian community seems to come out in attack mode when the Torah is kept.

Not to be one who can't admit when he's wrong, I decided to get to the bottom of all this and look up "Legalism" and "Judaizer" in my Strong's Bible Concordance and New Ungers Bible Dictionary. I thought maybe that would give me a few clues to where I've gone wrong.

Whoa, I didn't know what other big surprise lay in store.

I can't find any form of the words "Legalism" or "Judaizer" in any source. And yet, I know it must be there since I've heard these terms bantered around for years.

Anyway, I've come to the conclusion my Bible translation must be defective or missing a few pages. I'm pretty sure I've narrowed down the reason. It's because I don't have one of the original infallible King Jimmy versions.

Yea, that must be it.

And doggone it, I had one a long time ago. My grandmother gave it to me when I was about nine years old. It sure was nice looking, all covered with a big mosaic picture of Jesus. Too bad I don't know where it went.

Because my GrandMa gave me that Bible, I tried for years to read it, but places like the part about suffering the little children left me bewildered. Guess that's why the first time I read a Good News for Modern Man I ended up getting saved.

You know, come to think of it, I didn't realize at the time that it was the Law I was being saved from - like those people who write me say. Somehow I thought Jesus died so I could be forgiven my sins and start living a righteous life.

Hmmm, but to live a righteous life I can't disobey G-d, so...I have to do what He says. But if I do what He says then I'm a Judaizer. And Judaizers are bad. Why, judging from what I've heard, alcoholics, prostitutes, and thieves are more welcome in church than a Judaizer.

Oh well, I should contact one of those King Jimmy only people to get this figured out. I bet they're experts on Legalism and Judaizers.

I Have a Question About the Sabbath

2011-05-21T18:15:00.004-04:00

I have a question to ask that may land me in hot water.

Well, actually, I have lots of questions to ask, but I'm going to risk it with only one for now. And when I say risk it, I am well aware of the story of Aristotle.

For those of you who may not remember Aristotle and his dilemma let me recap. He was a wise guy (I mean that he possessed wisdom, although his neighbors may have labeled him just as this sounds). And with that wisdom he began to question many of the traditions and habits of his fellow citizens.

This made the people mad.

They didn't like so many questions, especially if those questions caused some people to...uh, also ask questions.

The questions Aristotle asked touched upon many of the basic assumptions about their core values as a society. No one wanted to even consider that their way of life, its structure, or its leaders were not sacrosanct and above reproach.

In some sense it would be like someone today questioning the Scriptural validity of Christmas or Easter. Imagine that!

In the end, poor Aristotle had to be quietened. He was an irritation to the ruling powers so they had him killed.

Now you see why asking questions can put you in a precarious position. In this case I'm the one who's risking being flamed, blocked, virus attacked, or deleted from the entire internet world - or worse, labeled a heretic. But I must ask it nonetheless.

If you will, allow me a few more moments to build up to the question.

Many of you know the Scriptures plainly states

"...six days you shall work and on the seventh day you shall rest."

You may also know I have waited for a decade for anyone to show me even one verse where that was changed by YHWH (G-d) to the first day - and I'm still waiting.

Anyway, whether the Sabbath is on the seventh day or the first day is not the issue this time, so put that out of your mind.

It's a little more fundamental - if that's possible.

I want everyone reading this to assume for the moment that the Pope really has the authority to change the Sabbath to the first day of the week - Sunday. That means, I want to bypass the discussion of when the Sabbath occurs.

So I'm willing to frame this as though the Sabbath really is on Sunday.

To get to my question, let's look first at what YHWH (G-d) says in the Scripture regarding the qualities of the Sabbath.

Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day G-d ended His work which He had made. And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.
Genesis 2:3
And G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He had rested from all His work which G-d created to make.

OK, the points to notice here are:

It was the seventh day (but ignore this for the moment)
YHWH rested and did no work
YHWH blessed it and sanctified the day

We should also note that YHWH considers the Sabbath important enough to put it smack dab in the midst of the big Ten Commandments (you can find that in Exodus 20).

Not long after the Ten Commandments He speaks about the Sabbath again,

Exodus 31:16
Therefore the sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant.
Exodus 31:17
It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever.

The things we should notice here are that:

This is a command to the sons of Israel
It is an everlasting covenant
It is a sign between believers and YHWH forever.

Before I go on, I'm sure someone reading this has said, "Ah, see that was for the Israelites. We're the church."

Yet believers -whether Gentile or not- are of the seed of Abraham (a descendant) thereby an Israelite in Christ

Gal 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

So the Scripture applies to us today. After all, unless you have different sense of time than I do, forever hasn't passed yet.

One final item I want to point out before I ask the question. After the end-time judgment has come upon this earth and a new heaven and a new earth is established, we read in Isaiah 66:23 that the Sabbath shall still be kept.

Isa 66:23 And it will be, from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, all flesh will come to worship before Me, says Jehovah.

Quickly now, let me recap what YHWH has said about the Sabbath...

It is a day of rest
It is a day we should not work
It is a blessed and holy day (very special)
It is a covenant that lasts forever
It is a sign between the Almighty and true believers
It will still be observed in the coming Kingdom

Despite the above, my recurring observation over my 39 plus years as a believer has been that the Modern Church does not observe the Sabbath whether the seventh day or the first day. I have queried many pastors about the Sabbath observance and received no firm guidance.

Today, I know I can go to almost any merchant and find professing believers working on the day they claim to be the Sabbath. Churches themselves are not exempt, as I know from first hand experience they buy and sell on their Sabbath - often times within their own buildings.

OK, then may I ask the churches and professing believers at large this question...

Is there any day in the entire year you consider important enough - or that you consider YHWH put enough emphasis upon - to actually cease from work and set that day aside as holy?

In other words, what will it take to get you to keep the Sabbath?

Warning on the dilemma of a false prophet

2009-06-27T13:06:00.000-04:00

Many years ago the famous theologian Snoopy in a Charlie Brown cartoon strip made a powerful statement that should start us all to thinking. Snoopy was sitting on his dog house typing away at his ancient typewriter. Charlie Brown comes up and asks what he's doing. Snoopy said he was writing a book on theology. It was entitled, "Have You Ever Considered You Might Be Wrong?"

Don't you find that an intriguing question?

I do. Yet in my experience everyone gives the same predictable answer.

"No. I'm not wrong. Those others are."

What is your reaction? Is it any different?

This brings me to the point of this letter:

Do false prophets know they are false prophets?

Think about it. Consider the most outrageous TV evangelist/self-proclaimed prophet...do they think they are wrong? Of course not. I speak not about those deliberate shysters only concerned about money, but the rest who actually think they are speaking the "Word of the Lord."

Consider for a moment the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses. Openly declared as false prophets by literally everyone else, they don't consider themselves to be in error. Even with all the many missed prophecies concerning the Messiah's return, the JW's still consider themselves to be orthodox.(Don't get sidetracked here and think I'm presenting a case for the Mormons and JW's. I use them just for illustration.)

However, Yahshua (Jesus) made it plain that many in the last days will think they are doing wonderful things for Him, but in fact, He doesn't know them as His own. The people He describes are not Muslims, Buddhists, or New Agers. He describes these people as having done many wonders and prophesied in His Name. That makes them among the Christian fold. (Matt: 7:21-23)

I find that pretty sobering if not scary. There are a lot of apparently dynamic fellow believers who aren't on the pathway to heaven. Yahshua will reject them. They could be pastors, worship leaders, Sunday school teachers and more.

The ancient Israelites who witnessed the greatest outpouring of YHWH's (G-D) power in bringing them out of bondage in Egypt didn't last very long before they went astray. Time and time again we read how they disobeyed the Scripture and listened to false prophets.

Somehow we can read those accounts and still remain aloof as though it can't happen to us. I hear some who say that YHWH has preserved His church and it has progressed continually growing from glory to glory. Yet as I look around I see a continuous pattern of falling away from the faith...growing more and more apostate each time.

Notice in Matthew 24:11 how Yahshua warns us of false prophets who will rise up and deceive many.

Let me re-emphasize how tough this is and how diligent we must be.

Yahshua warns us there will be false prophets

who perform miraculous works (they look like they have the power of YHWH)
who speak prophecy in His Name (they talk like they have the Words of YHWH)
who deceive many (they have the power to get large multitudes to believe them - perhaps even having mega church empires)
who are deceived themselves

Are you listening to false prophets? Would you know it if you were? Are we unknowingly acting as false prophets?

We need to be extra careful that what we believe and teach is really Scriptural.

It reminds me of the movie about Apollo 13. After all the problems caused by the explosion in the spacecraft, they were critically low on resources. They had one chance to slingshot around the moon and re-enter earth's atmosphere at precisely the right angle. Too steep and they would burn up. Too shallow and they would shoot off into space. There was a very narrow pathway back to the safety of earth. The calculations had to perfect. There would be no second chance.

Likewise for us the pathway is straight and narrow. Our calculations have to be correct. There is no second chance.

Why Ya'akov and not Romans?

2009-03-28T15:51:00.004-04:00

I could've titled this topic as Someone Scrambled the Scriptures!

Most copies of the New Testament today follow this order:
Gospels
Acts
Pauline Epistles
Jewish Epistles
Revelation

However the original manuscript order of the books was:
Gospels
Acts
Jewish Epistles
Pauline Epistles
Revelation

This was testified to by the ancient fathers in the faith.

Athanasius (296-373 CE) Bishop of Alexandria gives the order of books as “the four Gospels; the Acts of the Apostles; the seven Catholic (universal) Epistles; the fourteen epistles of St. Paul; and the Revelation of John”. Leonitus of Byzantium gives this order as well.

Philastrius, a fourth century Church Father also argued that the Catholic (Universal) Epistles must precede the Pauline epistles because Gal. 1:17 has Paul referring to the Emissaries of the Jewish Epistles as coming before him.

Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem also maintained the original manuscript order as did the Council of Laodicea.

But, in the Latin Vulgate we see this order rearranged by Rome. The Pauline epistles dominate first place with the Jewish epistles following.

Why would they do that? What was wrong with the original that the church felt that had to change it? I don't know about you but I get suspicious when I discover that men have tinkered with things like this.

You may ask, "does it matter?"

Yes, the original manuscript order was significant. It was the natural outgrowth that the message was to go to the Jews first. Then it was to go to the Gentiles. It also aligns with the concepts that Ya'akov, Kefa (Peter), and Yochanan (John) were emissaries that came before Paul (Gal. 1:17), and who served as three pillars of authority upon which Paul's message was built (Gal. 2:9) - not the other way around.

The reader of the Brit Hadassah was intended to read the "Jewish" epistles first, then read the Pauline epistles - after understanding the Jewish epistles. This way the new believer would've read Ya'akov's admonition concerning faith and works. They would also be warned through Kefa (Peter) about Shaul's (Paul) teaching being hard to understand and often twisted (2Kefa 3:15-16). This would ground them in Scripture before ever attempting to understand the writings of Paul.

At the least this rearranging of the order of the Scriptures (actually it occurs in the Tanack as well) de-emphasizes the Jewish epistles. As a result Shaul's epistles are given an almost superior position of importance. Certainly it begs the question why the Roman church directly influenced this change.

Unfortunately, Shaul's teachings today seem to take center stage in theological disputes. It matters not your position on an issue whether it's predestination or free will, both sides tend to rely heavily on Shaul to prove their case.

Martin Luther almost eliminated the book of Ya'akov entirely. He claimed it was a 'book of straw.' Of course he also labeled the Jews as 'Christ killers' and wrote sermons against them. Hitler borrowed heavily from his thoughts. All of this makes Luther a prime example of how misunderstanding the Jewish nature of the Scripture can have disastrous effects.

Let's hope that by looking at Ya'akov ourselves we can regain a balance upon which to build a reliable understanding of Scripture.

Discerning True Faith - the Wisdom of James

2009-03-28T14:55:00.002-04:00

We are 2000 years removed from the faith as delivered to the apostles. The instructions in our possession came from a Jewish culture, written by Jews, concerning a Jewish Messiah. Yet most who read this can not imagine any thing other than a modern gentile Hellenistic mindset. In fact a large number don't really know what a Hellenistic or a Hebraic mindset is. The best way I can think to help gentiles to begin to grasp the difference is to attend a local Jewish synagogue. That will at least open your eyes a bit.

Suffice it to say that the abandonment of our Hebraic roots is responsible for much of the decay in the congregations today through translations and interpretations that are for the most part anti-Semitic. Even some translators who are not anti-Semitic still reflect the overwhelming consensus of their Christian church upbringing.

Much of what we hear as Gospel has been filtered over the centuries through the mesh of antisemitism. It is an anemic version of the original flavor and energy of the message. You can compare it to the difference between buying orange juice with all the pulp or the variety with all the pulp removed. One is full of vigor and strength reflecting the original orange, while the other is similar to colored sugar water.

Some will immediately object - as I once did out of ignorance - that there is any antisemitism in our translations of Scripture. I'll make only two points on that for now.

One is that there is no Scriptural basis for imparting infallibility or inerrancy to those who have translated our modern versions for the last 500 years. It is wishful thinking or human reasoning alone that has brought many to that belief. We are all biased to some degree and the translators were no exception. Often they made decisions of translation based on their personal theological understanding of what the particular verse should say. Some of the sources I use candidly admit doing this by interjecting their understanding of Hebraic/Jewish roots to add the pulp back to the colored sugar water.

Secondly, a prime example is in the title the Book of James. A quick look in Strong's concordance will reveal that the author of this epistle is not named James. His name is the same as that used elsewhere in the Old Testament (Tanack) as Jacob in English. Considering that names can't be translated - only transliterated to sound similar - the name should have at least had a "Y" beginning. That's because there is no "J" sound in the Hebrew. More correctly the name should be transliterated as Ya'akov.

Why the change of the name? Why the inconsistency? The answer is not clear, but the result is the same. We are given an anglicized version that removes any Jewish flavor of the name. The same double standard can be seen in the name of Mary, the mother of Yahshua (Jesus). In the Old Testament (Tanack) the same name is Miriam.

In any case, this is not really a commentary,or a devotion, or a new translation, but a discussion. The sources used here include four Messianic Jewish, or Hebraic roots versions of Scripture along with the New King James version. That will explain why you may see alternate words in parenthesis in the verses to reflect any diverging translations.

In this discussion it is my purpose to exhort, encourage, and enlighten others. I am especially aiming at new believers or teen agers trying to get a practical grip on how to live out their new-found faith and to taste the message with the "Jewish pulp" included.

From this point forward I will use certain conventions in labeling or naming.

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Hebraic Roots Version NT (HRV)
The Scriptures (TS)
Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition Study Bible (RSTNE)
New King James (NKJV)

Old Testament (Tanack)
New Testament (Brit Hadassah)

Jesus (Yahshua)
God (Elohim, Master)
LORD (YHWH, Yahweh)
James (Ya'akov)

In Awe of the 9th of Av

2007-07-22T23:43:00.000-04:00

In Awe of the 9th of Av

By the time you read this, it may be too late. Another piece of the prophetic end-time puzzle may have already begun. If so, then Israel's probably in another war. And this time it may be worse than anything they've experienced before.

That is, if this is already Monday evening, the 23rd of July by the time I'm able to get this letter out to you, or either you've delayed reading it.

Now let me clear one thing up quickly. I am not a prophet.

I am a probabl - et. Based on the preponderance of events that have happened in the distant past as well as recently, new catastrophic happenings are very probable.

Nonetheless, as I've explained before, Pope Gregory's calendar hanging in your kitchen is of no use in determining significant events on Yahweh's time table. Sadly, those of us who claim to be followers of the Hebrew Messiah, adopted into the family of the Hebrews, and descendants of Abraham, are so happily immersed into gentile culture that we are oblivious to many signposts placed in our way.

Dare I say that maybe we are like Balaam and the donkey? Balaam was so focused on his own efforts to get a blessing out of his religious efforts, he couldn't see the danger which was obvious to his donkey.

Anyway, Monday evening at sunset the 23rd of July begins the 9th of Av, which probably means nothing to you right now. But, on the Creator's calendar this day has been host to some very tragic times in the history of Israel. As a result, Jewish people worldwide remember this day as a day of mourning.

From a variety of Jewish and secular sources, here are the reasons this day represents only misery and suffering...

According to the Mishna ( the Jewish commentary) the people rejected the faithful spies and believed the report of the evil spies and turned against Moses on this night. It marks the beginning of the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.
Destruction of the 1st Temple occurred in 587 BC with 100,000 killed beginning on the 9th of Av.
Destruction of the 2nd Temple occurred in 70 AD on the 9th of Av. Over 2,500,000 Jews die as a result of war, famine and disease.
The Roman army plowed Jerusalem with salt in 71 AD on the 9th of Av.
The revolt of Simeon Bar Kochba against the Romans was crushed in 135 AD on the 9th of Av. Over 100,00 were killed.
The first Crusade declared by Pope Urban II - which killed over 10,000 Jews in the first month alone - began in 1095 AD on the 9th of Av. Crusades bring death and destruction to thousands of Jews and totally obliterate many communities in the Rhineland and France.
500 Jews were killed when the rich stormed a castle in York, England in 1190 AD on the 9th of Av.
England expelled all the Jews accompanied by pogroms and confiscation of books and property in 1290 AD beginning on the 9th of Av.
Spain expelled the Jews beginning 1492 AD on the 9th of Av.
World War I was declared in 1914 on the 9th of Av.
Russia launched persecutions against the Jews in Eastern Russian in 1914 AD on the 9th of Av.
The Germans began deporting Jews to extermination camps in 1942 AD on the 9th of Av.

After Yom Kippur, Tischa b'Av (the 9th of Av) is the most important fast day in the Jewish calendar. Five things are forbidden on this day. They are: eating, drinking, washing, wearing shoes made of leather, and sexual relations with your spouse.

In the synagogues the Book of Lamentations will be read.

The destruction of the Temples is especially mourned, yet the sages of Israel gave instructions that even on joyful occasions there should always remain a remembrance of the devastation of Jerusalem and the Temples.

For instance, when a house is built or restored, there should be left a piece in the wall that is not painted. At weddings the new couple will crash a glass to the floor as a sign of the mourning of Jerusalem.

The bitter remembrance is not forgotten even in the midst of the sweetness of the occasion.

So for the Jewish people the 9th of Av brings on a sense of dread...which leads me to the 'probable' about this 9th of Av.

To explain, allow me to give you a little history of the Middle East.

When the mandate was given after WWII that carved out a piece of land for the Jewish people, the Arabs immediately declared war on Israel. But before they invaded, instructions were given to the Arabs living in Israel to abandon their homes and head to the Arab countries. They were told to do this so they wouldn't get in the way of the invasion. The Arabs were also told they could return home shortly after Israel had been destroyed and thereby claim the homes and property of the Jews.

Well, of course, their plans didn't turn out as they hoped. Israel defeated the Arab invaders. But the point to take note of is that shortly before the invasion the Arab population disappeared.

Now, reports coming from the Land indicate a similar occurence has happened.

It is the end of the harvest season. In the Arab agricultural areas in the Jordan valley the fields should be filled with Arab workers, the roads packed with Arab travelers, and the road-side vegetable stands doing a brisk business. Yet, it is strangely quite. Despite that this is a crucial time for planting the next crops, the fields are empty, the roads deserted, and there are no road-side stands.

Nothing happening can be a powerfully ominous warning of impending disaster.

Is something about to happen? Have the Arabs been warned? Is Israel on the brink of another disaster? Only time will tell.

Let me conclude with the few thoughts on the likelihood of the events of the past ocurring on the 9th of Av in the first place.

The odds of two events occuring on the same day are 1 in 365.

The odds of the five major calamities ( the spies, the two Temples, the destruction of the Bar Kochba revolt, and the salting of Jerusalem) occuring are

1 in 17,748,900,625.

But the odds of all 12 of the above events happening to the same people, the same country are

1 in 15,318 billion times a billion times a billion, or

15,318,685,820, 000,000,000,000,000,000.

Do I need to tell you that those odds signify an impossibility?

Yet, there it is.

Now you know why the Jews are in awe of the 9th of Av.

We, who are in the Messiah and therefore descendants of Abraham, should be in awe as well.

Remember this day. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Four Days with the Lamb

2007-05-20T16:21:00.001-04:00

In Exodus 12:3 Yahweh gives a simple instruction to the Israelites,

"In the tenth of this month they shall take to them each man a lamb for a father's house, a lamb for a house."

Little did the Israelites realize at the time that Yahweh had given them a picture of the Messiah as the Passover.

And little does the Church today know that the key to knowing when Yahshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) was crucified is also found in those simple instructions.

There are numerous chronologies put forth by well meaning believers to understand this event. They are usually quite complicated. I have yet to see but one that takes into account the simplicity of the Scriptures surrounding the crucifixion. Oddly though, they all agree on Palm Sunday.

On the day now called Palm Sunday, Yahshua rode into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey in fulfillment of a prophecy from Zechariah 9:9. This was his announcement as the coming King.

It was also the day the lambs were chosen for Passover.

In fact, Yahshua probably came riding in either behind or in front of the procession of the lamb for the Temple sacrifice.

It was the 10th of Aviv.

Then Yahweh follows up with another simple instruction,

"And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month."

For four days Israelite families were to observe the chosen lamb. On the fourth day, the lamb was to be slaughtered for Passover.

For four days Yahshua was in the city teaching - being observed. He filled His role as the Passover Lamb.

Four days with the Lamb.

What does that lead us to?

Well, since the Jewish reckoning was to count part of the day as the whole, it looks like this:

Day One : Palm Sunday
Day Two : Monday
Day Three :Tuesday
Day Four : Wednesday

The crucifixion was on Wednesday.

Yahshua died at 3:00 pm - just as the lambs for the Passover were also being sacrificed.

He was the Lamb without blemish.

His legs were not broken - in fulfillment of Scripture.

Just as the Israelites in Egypt were saved by the blood on the door posts and lintel, so are we saved by the blood.

But, notice this:He who called Himself the L-rd of the Sabbath did not rise on Sunday morning.

In fulfillment of the sign of Jonah - three days and three nights, it looks like this:

Day One : Wednesday - day and night
Day Two : Thursday - day and night
Day Three : Friday - day and night

The Messiah had to be raised on what we label Saturday - before sunrise.

The Messiah resurrected on ...

the Sabbath.

Getting Back to Basics

2007-04-10T11:38:00.001-04:00

The legendary Green Bay Packers coach, Vince Lombardi, never had a losing season. His accomplishments in football could fill the page.

Is there something we can learn from him that applies to our pursuit of Truth?

Yes.

Every season he began his training with the basics. In fact, it was so basic that at first you may be inclined to say it was ridiculous.

To his team of veteran players he would hold up a football in one hand and say,

" Gentlemen, this is a football."

Vince Lombardi knew the importance of getting the basics right. If you mess them up, the rest of the game falls apart.

Obviously he was right. To this day, no one disputes the superior results of his training.

You can apply this same principle to building a house. Without a firm foundation, the walls will crack.

Remember the leaning tower of Pisa?

When you ignore the basics, you don't notice it at first. But later your building begins to crumble or fall.

In regard to studying Scripture, it is my firm conviction that some of our inherited foundations are built on shifting sand. Some crucial basics were ignored.

However, from the perspective of our tiny slice of history everything appears in place - until you compare it with where we were before the tower began to lean.

One of those basics is the issue of the calendar. It seems so trivial as to be ridiculous, doesn't it?

But, as we shall see, the rejection of our Hebraic heritage has led us to make gross errors which influence the congregations of believers to this day.

It's worse than that. Some of our "basic" doctrines of the modern church are built without the perspective of a Hebraic viewpoint. Indeed,in one case, an element of faith we follow was formed out of a deliberate attempt to distance the church from our Jewish heritage.

Last post I discussed the Scriptural New Year. If you haven't read that yet, it would be a good place to start to learn the basics.

Next time we shall go on from there to an often ignored event -
Four Days with the Lamb.

When Do You Celebrate the New Year?

2007-03-24T17:48:00.000-04:00

In Exodus 12:2 a strange event occurs.

Right in the midst of putting the strong arm on Pharaoh to persuade him to let the Hebrews go, Yahweh initiates the starting point of the new year for the Israelites.

"Yahweh said to Moshe and Aaron in Egypt, this month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year."

Picture this: The Israelites were still in Egypt. They had been there for several hundred years.

Yet, at this particular time right before the tenth plague, Yahweh tells them this is the beginning of the year for them.

It was the time of the Aviv - a stage of ripeness of the barley. In later verses Yahweh calls this month Aviv. The Israelites were to physically observe the aviv barley as the signal to the new year. The new moon after the aviv barley sighting would be the first day of the first month of the new year.

Very simple.

It falls in line with what Scripture says in Genesis 1:14,

"And G-d said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to divide between the day and the night. And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years."

So, why does Yahweh start the new year at this particular time?

Well, we know He does nothing arbitrarily like we do. When He starts something it has eternal significance. He is about to begin a series of prophetic signposts to guide the rest of Israel's history. Indeed, even all of mankind's history.

Then why do so many ignore Him?

Maybe you think I speak of others, certainly not born-again believers?

To answer that for yourself, ask around your fellowship or church. Find out how many in your congregation see the moon as a nightly reminder of the Creator's clock ticking down to eternity?

It would be interesting to hear your results.

But, the evidence is overwhelming that Christendom is ignorant of Yahweh's calendar. This evidence is hanging on our kitchen and office walls - the pagan Roman calendar revised by a Pope about 400 years ago.

The pagan calendars use the names of pagan deities for the days and months. For instance, in Roman mythology, Janus was the god of gates, doors, beginnings. Hence the first month of the Roman calendar is January.

Isn't that the first month on your church calendar?

As for the days we have Moon day. Then Tiu's day. Tiu was the Norse god of war, the son of Oden. Wednesday is Woden's day, a Teutonic idol with skills in magic. Thursday is Thor's day, the Celtic god of thunder and son of Woden. Friday is Frigga's day, who is the wife of Woden. Satruday is naturally Saturn day, the Roman deity of agriculture.

In opposition to that, the Creator's calendar is the anchor point for a series of prophetic events such as Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost), and Succot. They tell us the story of redemption.

Pagan calendars have no correlation with any Scriptural events.

Ah, but some would say that the pagan calendar tells us when Lent, Easter, and Christmas are.

Yes, they do.

Lent is mirrored after the 40 days fast and weeping for Tammuz - the son of Nimrod born on December 25 according to the Julian calendar. In Exekiel 8:14 you'll find Israelites weeping for Tammuz thinking they honor Yahweh. He calls it an abomination. Lent is not found in Scripture.

Easter is the pagan reincarnation of Nimrod being born again in a giant egg. The first thing he does is turn a bird into an egg laying rabbit. The pagans used to sacrifice their three month old infants and use the blood to dye eggs red. One major "Orthodox" group still dyes eggs red to this day. I hope you didn't think egg-laying rabbits were in the Scripture somewhere.

As for Christmas on December 25, it is the birthday of numerous pagan deities such as Ra, Tammuz, Crishna, Osiris, Horus, Hercules, Bacchus, Buddha, Zeus, and others. Do you really think this is the the day the True Creator picked for the birth of His Son? If so then maybe it would help to read an earlier post entitled "Guess Whose B'day Was Not December 25."

There's a saying in business about three kinds of people.

The first kind are those who make things happen.

The second kind are those who watch what happens.

While the third kind are those who don't know what happened.

Does that apply to Christian believers as well?

Think of it this way, if you are among a team of US Marines on a covert mission that depends on precise timing, but your watches aren't synchronized, how are you going to co-ordinate your activities? What is likely to be the result?

Someone is going to be at the wrong place at the wrong time which could spell disaster and death.

Obviously, we have to learn to function in this pagan world. We have already proven how adept we are at that.

What the modern church needs is to keep an eye on the Creator's calendar. The end times are hinged around the Fall Festivals but the modern church acts as those things don't exist.

Can we find even one Scriptural justification for renouncing or ignoring Yahweh's calendar?

Beware. To be part of the effort to perpetuate this pagan world system could place us in the position of opposing Yahweh's will.

That would really be a disaster.

Dare I ask the question?

Do we find ourselves in the third group of people described above who wonder what just happened? I am not referring to the popular "left behind" scenarios.

I am talking about now, this past week.

The Scriptural New Year began the evening of Tuesday the 20th of March - on the pagan calendar. It marked Aviv 1, on Yahweh's calendar. According to the Astronomically and Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew calendar, it also marked the beginning of the year 6007.

Did you know anything about it? Why not?

You could blame your assembly, but you, as an individual, are responsible to study the Scripture for yourself.

Living in this world we often have to order ourselves by the pagan reckoning, but we should always keep in mind what "time" it really is according to the only Person that matters.

You can't avoid the question.

When do you and your church celebrate the new year?

Are You a Serious Student of Scripture?

2007-03-03T21:04:00.000-05:00

Do you describe yourself as a student of Scripture?

Do you believe the written Words in your Bible are the very words of Yahweh?

Are they really important to you?

There is something curious...no where in Scripture are we told to read the Scripture.

But, we are told to study it. Read 2 Timothy 2:15.

OK.

Let's take an impromptu test...

Quick, name the 10 Commandments in order and the Scripture reference where they are found!

Hurry up, it should only take you a moment. I'll wait...

Finished?

Now, be honest. With yourself, that is.

Did you miss any? Do you know where they are found?

Are you aware that there are really 613 commandments in the Tanak (Old Testament)?

Many people say the Tanak doesn't count anymore. So, did you know that Yahshua gave 1024 commandments in the Renewed Covenant (New Testament)?

He also said something very crucial in this context regarding our qualifications as disciples.

He said,
"If you love me, keep my commandments."

This comes from John 14:15 - in the "New Testament."

Yet, Yahshua was quoting His Father from the Tanak. Read Deuteronomy and you'll see how loving Yahweh is tied to obeying His commandments.

Nonetheless, for those who automatically discard what the Tanak says because they think it's outdated, listen to what John goes on to say. Again, this is in the "New Testament." It is found at 1 John 5: 3 NKJV

"For this is the love of G-d, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."

Hmm... we better be careful. If we can't even name all of the big 10, how can we say we are diligent to obey this verse. And notice, the word commandments is plural.

I've been told that to insist we should obey the "Old Testament" is to put us back under the burden of the Law. That's because we've been so erroneously indoctrinated. Read the last part of verse three in 1 John again.

"...and His commandments are not burdensome."

Be aware. Anyone who tells you Yahweh's commandments are burdensome is calling Him a liar.

BTW, look in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 for the answers to the quiz.

When the Did the "Church" Begin?

2007-02-24T19:55:00.000-05:00

When the did the "Church" begin?

There is a popular teaching today that says the "church" started at Pentecost.

Restated, it says Yahweh's chosen people originally were the Israelites, but since Pentecost, His chosen people are the "church."

Is this right?

Is the "church" a new dispensation?

What does your Bible say?

The King James Version - considered by many to be the only inspired version - settles this question.

Look at the following Renewed Covenant (New Testament) reference. You won't even have to replace the term "church" with its Hebrew definition to discern the meaning.

Acts 7:38 KJV

"This is he (Moses), that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers who received the lively oracles to give unto us"

Well, what do you know...

the "church" was

in the wilderness,
with Moses,
at Mount Sinai.

The "church" isn't something new.

It is something as old as Mount Sinai.

The "church" at Mount Sinai was a congregation of Israelites with a few tag along gentiles. Those gentiles, in order to receive the blessing of Yahweh, had to adopt the ways of the Israelites - even to the point of being circumcised.

Today, gentile congregations with a few tag along Jews - who are expected to adapt the ways of the gentiles - claim the name of "church."

Perhaps the problem is that the "church" of the 21st century is not like the "church" described at Mount Sinai or in the "New Testament".

Sounds to me like the modern "church" needs to re-discover its Hebraic roots.

Traditions of the Elders are Good, Right?

2007-02-17T19:51:00.000-05:00

In an earlier letter I asked if we were guilty of placing our church traditions above adherence to Scripture.

We didn't finish answering the question.

Many want to know, "What's wrong with tradition? Are traditions bad? Or, are they good?"

First of all, think of traditions like a tool - such as an automobile. It can carry a family to the store to buy food. Or, it can carry thieves to a bank to rob it.

In itself, tradition is neutral. Neither good or bad.

It is a vehicle that can be used to convey truth to future generations. Likewise, it can convey falsehood to those same generations.

Most of the time we inherit traditions without the knowledge of how that tradition got started and what truth or error it may contain.

Without a doubt, traditions can bring good into our lives. That is,as long as they convey truth.

It is when traditions are harbingers of error that we have to be wary.

The danger is that we accept so many traditions on face value without verifying the message they carry.

That's why it is easy to fall into a tradition of error.

If you've seen Fiddler on the Roof ( a great movie, by the way) then you have a basic point of reference to the subject of tradition. Trevya, the father, sings a solo about it.

He admits they do many things because of tradition and it's these traditions that help his village know who they are. The traditions provide their cohesiveness as well as their identity.

Yet at the same time he confesses he doesn't know how some of them got started, or why they are important. One of the traditions is that the men always were their hats - but he doesn't know why.

Here's a story that makes the point as well.

A young girl watched as her mother prepared a ham for dinner. The mother took a big sharp knife and cut off about 1/3 of the ham, then put the rest in a pan and place it in the oven.

"Why did you cut off a big chunk of the ham, Mama?" the girl asked.

Her Mama replied, "Well, cause that's the way my Mama always did it."

"But, why did she do it?" the little girl persisted.

"Honestly, I don't really know. Why don't we call and ask her?"

They get grandma on the phone and ask her about the ham. Granny replies that she doesn't know either. She always did that because her mother did it. She thought maybe it tasted better that way.

Finally, they get great grandma on the phone. What was her reply?

"Oh honey. I cut the ham because the little oven I had was too small for a full sized ham. I had to cut it to make it fit."

Did you catch the moral of the story?

We can do things for generations without knowing why.

We just assume it must have a good purpose because we have faith and confidence in the people who taught us.

Yet, we have to ask, who taught them?

Then again, where did their teachers learn it? If we are persistent, eventually we will find the source of the teaching. The discovery we often make is that much truth was lost down through the ages.

In some areas, it doesn't matter. Traditions can be fun and a source of family unity. But, for those of us pursuing Scriptural Truth, the result could be devastating.

That's because concerning many of our traditions, our faith in them is a blind faith. They do not deserve our devotion.

If the truth were to be told, few if any, living shepherds of the flock really know what lies beneath the trappings of the traditions practiced in the modern church. Few have actually asked the tough questions that challenge the tradition's existence.

And, if anyone does ask penetrating questions, they could be labeled a kook or even a heretic and shunned from the group. This has the effect of reinforcing the status quo and immutability of the tradition.

With all that in mind, let's look at a specific example.

Decide for yourself whether we have the Scriptural authority to use this tradition.

Use of the word "church"

Did you know it was the King James Version that popularized the word "church"? For some unknown reason, the translators coined this word to replace the correct word. The Greek word is "ekklesia" a "calling out" which is the equivalent of the Hebrew for "assembly or congregation".

This same term is used to describe the children of Israel in the wilderness.

Earlier Tyndale uniformly used "congregation" throughout his translation. So whether it was a reference in the Tenak (Old Covenant) or the Renewed, the term congregation applied to both.

In fact, Tyndale only used the word "churches" in Acts 19:37 to represent heathen temples!

The root of "church" traces back to "circe". "Circe" was the goddess/daughter of Helios, the Sun deity. You will recognize the many related words such as circle, circus, circuit, etc. Originally, Circe was a Greek goddess whose name was written as "Kirke"- and pronounced as such. You can see this form in Scotland as Kirk, in German as Kirche, and in Netherlands as Kerk.

So, our use of the word church is another way trappings of sun-worship have become mixed with true Messianic belief. It subtly leads you to erroneously believe that the congregations in the Renewed Covenant were somehow different from those in the Tenak.

Not only that, but if you take Exodus 23:13 seriously where Yahweh prohibits His people from even uttering the names of other deities, then this is a problem.

Still, you may be among those who think because it's been a long time, and no one remembers the true meaning, then somehow it's alright.

You might consider this problem with that kind of thinking:

Yahweh remembers.

One last point to ponder:

The "church" building today is filled with so many unregenerate sinners who attend for social reasons. Since the word church today has come to mean a building or a place (rather than a people), isn't that a further reason to go back to what Scripture really says?

Wouldn't the truth of the Gospel be more clearly defined to the lost if truly repentant believers named themselves "Congregations of the Called Out Ones?"

What do you say, maybe we could start a new tradition?

Why do We Favor satan Over Yahweh?

2007-01-15T19:54:00.000-05:00

Why do we favor satan over Yahweh?

There are a number of excuses given by born-again, Bible-believing, washed-in-the-blood, standing-on-the-promises, dedicated, heaven-bound, truth-seeking, evangelical Christians as to why we don't like to use the real Sacred Names of our Creator Yahweh and His Son, our Savior, Yahshua.

If you write me I'll give you a list of excuses you can have handy in case of an emergency. That way you won't get caught off guard when someone like me approaches you.

In the mean time, please consider our double standard. We readily, easily, and daily use the correct name of mankind's biggest adversary and diabolical destroyer of our souls, satan. And we do so without excuse.

Yes, that's right. The word s-a-t-a-n is a transliteration of the Hebrew word. In other words, when you say 'satan' it is pronounced the same in Hebrew (although, most people pronounce it say'-tan when it should probably be sah-tawn').

In other words, we balk at using the True Name of Yahweh even though it's in Scripture over 6000 times, while, in the same breath, we have no problem using the name of satan which is mentioned less than 40 times. Not only that, we insist on giving satan respect by capitalizing his name!

How can this be? We offer excuses why we don't like the real Names of the Father and the Son who loves us, Who sacrificed Himself for us, Who was tortured for us, Who died for us, but we have no reservations and no hesitations about proclaiming the real name of him who hates us!

Where is the sense in all this?

Let's review some of the characteristics of this satan.

He is a liar and the father of lies. There is no truth in him. He is a murderer from the beginning. He is a deceiver. He is a destroyer. He is the accuser of the brethren. Plus, he leads a swarm of other evil spirits just like him. He comes as an angel of light. He wants to divert our worship from Yahweh to himself.

Hmmm...as you look at satan's traits, can you begin to see that perhaps Revelation 12:9 applies not just to others, but to us as well?

"And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent called devil, and satan, who deceives the whole world..."

Are we too arrogant to say that we have been at least partly deceived as well?

You should take note, in the above quotation I got straight from a popular Bible program, it had the devil and satan capitalized. But, you can't even find the name of Yahweh or Yahshua anywhere!

Here's something "coincidental" to think about.

It has only been the last 400 years or so that we started using L-rd, G-d, and Jesus in place of Yahweh and Yahshua. What event happened about 400 years ago? The Protestant Reformation. In an effort to derail the Reformation, could it be that satan deceived translators into thinking they were doing the right thing by replacing the names of the True Sacred Names with the names of pagan deities?

It fits his method of operation, does it not?

He comes as a trusted angel of light. He deceives mankind. He seeks to divert worship away from the Creator Yahweh and Yahshua.

Imagine for a moment how it must have happened. If you're quiet you can almost hear that slimy snake's silky smooth voice hiss in the background as it dripped its poison into an unwary translator's ear.

"Nobody speaks Hebrew these days. It's such a hard language. Surely, the people will better be able to worship when the names are ones that are familiar to them.

I hate to say it, but those names are so...Jewish sounding. People know the Jews are the ones who killed the Son. You'll turn people off from coming to church. You don't want that just because you insist on using the Hebrew, now do you?

No, you must not let their worship be laced with ill thoughts - which they surely will if they are constantly reminded of those awful Jews. Plus, word will spread in the communities that those who use your translation are Jew lovers. That will cause unrest and people could get hurt both financially as well as physically.

All this concern is so unnecessary.

Simply use the names L-rd and G-d. They are already commonly known to the people as deities. It will be easy enough to make use of them. Why, it may even seem like an open door to the many who would otherwise shun the church.

Besides, this is an accepted and proven method of evangelism. The church did something similar with Christmas and Easter by adopting traditions and celebrations in use by the general populations of the heathen, thereby making it easier to bring all them under the umbrella and the loving care of the church.

In a short while, you'll discover that the worshipers will readily take the names of L-rd and G-d into their bosom. Indeed, I dare say, there will come a time when they will fiercely reject any attempt to deprive them of the use of those names once they have become endeared to them."

Remember, about this same time satan used deception in the Catholic church to promote widespread murder in an attempt to stop the people from reading the Scriptures for themselves. Satan managed to have savage torture and murder proclaimed as a doctrine of the church.

Let's stop to see if we understand this correctly.

On the one hand, we love to give our children Hebrew names such as Aaron, Joshua, Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Joel, Adam, Sarah, Samuel, Ruth, Naomi, Micah, Zechariah, Ezra, Esther, Amos, and David to name a few.

Yet, on the other hand, we won't use the Names Yahweh and Yahshua because of the flimsy excuse we don't speak Hebrew, or "G-d understands English," or simply "I feel close to Him when I use the fake names."

Well, He does understands English, but He spoke in Hebrew. If we remove the false names our English speaking translators gave us as substitutes, this is what we'd hear directly from the mouth of our Creator,

“I am Yahweh, that is My Name, and My esteem I do not give to another, nor My praise to idols." Isaiah 42:8

The Name of Yahweh is something satan doesn't want to hear, and he doesn't want us to hear it as well. So far, he's got a lot of believers feeling the same way.

The Christian world is more comfortable with the name of their adversary satan than they are with their Creator's True Name.

Tell me this isn't straight from the pit of hell.

Do you think like a Christian, Humanist, or Marxist? Find Out...

2007-01-10T17:05:00.000-05:00

You've heard the saying, "If it walks, acts, and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck." Well, an increasing number of people on church membership rolls "walk, act, and quack" like the world. You can't tell the people on the inside of the church apart from those on the outside.

Are you any different?

Do you know if your view of the world and life is Biblical?

Would you like to find out?

Worldviewweekend.com has developed a test to rate your world view (how you apply your religious beliefs to the world around you) in eight different areas to compare how it lines up with Scripture. Those areas are:

law,
economics,
civil government,
religion,
social issues,
sociology (family issues),
education,
and science.

Remember, this measures your thoughts and opinions in these areas. It's not necessary to have special training in say, law or economics. After you've taken the test, you will get an instant score. Your world view will be rated as either:

Strong Biblical World view Thinker,
Moderate Biblical World view Thinker,
Secular Humanist World view Thinker,
Socialist World view Thinker, or
Communist/Marxist/Socialist/Secular

Along with your score, you'll get a report on how your world view compares with others in your age category and those with a similar background. You will also receive an overall world view score and rating.

The results of this report thus far are very alarming.

Only 53.9% of those tested demonstrated a strong Biblical world view!

Over 21% have a Secular/Humanist or Socialist/Communist world view!

This is depressing, especially when you consider that the majority of readers of the worldviewweekend.com web site are what we might normally label as very conservative believers.

This test reveals how you "walk, act, and quack" no matter what flavor Christian you claim to be.

Can you handle the truth?

It is all confidential - none of your information is released to me. I will only know how many took the test and the percentages in each category. So, I encourage each of you to complete all of the pre-test background questions.

This test will take you between 25 to 35 minutes to complete. Please take your time.

My goal is that this test will encourage and challenge you to develop an even deeper biblical world view.

Here's what you do:

First, cut and paste the web address in your browser, then press enter.
http://www.worldviewweekend.com/test/register.php?testid=WORLDVIEW&groupreg=6822cff9

Next, Register and take the test. It's simple.

By the way, since many think I am out there somewhere, I'll tell you my score was 100%, which is in category One.

It is my opinion that most who read this blog are earnest Scriptural believers. I'm guessing there should be a lot who score above 90%. Let's find out.

Errors of Tradition, wrong turns taken...

2007-01-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

"The biggest mission field in America is professing Christianity".
John MacArthur

OK, a few clarifications and definitions to answer questions like,
"What does that mean? Why did you use that word?"

G-d = Elohim. Elohim is a term used for greatness, strength, or deity. G-d is derived from pagan deities. It's not a good thing to call the King of the Universe by the name of some false deity. See Leviticus 23:13

Why do I put a hyphen in the word g-d? To prevent any kind of glory being given to a false deity.

The L-RD, or the L-rd = Yahweh (YHWH). When the Psalm writer says (in our English translations) "Blessed be the name of the L-ORD" we remain ignorant of just what His Name is. YHWH are the four consonants of His Name. There is some discussion over just which vowels are between the consonants, but most scholars agree it should be Yahweh.

What we do know for sure is that His Name is NOT L-RD. L-rd is also derived from pagan deities, so it falls into the same category as G-d. Besides, there are many pagan L-rds such as the thousands you'll find in Hinduism.

George Harrison of the Beatles fame sung of "My Sweet L-rd." He was not referring to Yahweh, but a Hindu deity. Sorry if that bursts your bubble.

Sadly, "My Sweet L-rd" probably is sung in some worship services today. It's not hard to believe, since so many "Christian" rock/worship groups simply re-record old classic rock songs. It amazes me now how we could sing so many "worship" songs that never even mentioned G-d directly at all. I could've been singing to, or about, anybody.

Old Testament = Tanak, or the the Torah of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms as Yahshua referred to them in Luke 24:44

Testament = Covenant. The Scriptures version quotes Dr Bullinger in The Companion Bible, Appendix 95:

"The word Testament as a translation of the Greek word diatheke (which means covenant), has been nothing less than a great calamity; for, by its use, truth has been effectively veiled all through the centuries; causing a wrong turn to be taken...errors of tradition have usurped the place of important truth. The word Testament as a name for a collectionof books is unknown to Scripture. It come to us through the Latin Vulgate."

Testamonium was a Roman "omen of death." Therefore, we should say Old Covenant at least.

New Testament = Renewed Covenant. See previous blogs for this explanation.

Jesus = Yahshua. Yahshua is the Hebrew name of the Jewish Messiah

Christ = Annointed = Messiah = Moshiach in Hebrew.

Names that begin with "J" = Names that begin with "Y"

Joshua = Yehoshua
Joel = Yo'el
John = Yohanan
Joseph = Yoseph
Jude = Yehudah
James = Ya'acov

Y'all understand that? (Sorry, had to throw that one in. That's southern Hebrew)

Did you notice James in the list? Yep. The Book of James is actually Ya'acov. It's not even close is it?

Another name that needs to be corrected:
Mary = Miriam

One more,
Paul = Sha'ul

Looking at the names of Mary and James certainly brings up a question.

Why are the true Hebrew names for both of these used repeatedly in the Tanak, yet when we get to the Renewed Covenant they are changed to an name form which hides their Jewishness?

Is this intentional? Many say it is, that it betrays an underlining antisemitism in modern translations. In any case, it is certainly a subtle way of influencing and prejudicing our understanding of Scriptural matters.

Law = Torah. While law is the closest English word to convey the Greek word nomos, the Hebrew word Torah is much broader in meaning. Such meanings include "to teach"and "to instruct." Torah refers to the first five books of Scripture, also known as the Law of Moses.

No, Virginia, this is not the same as the movie, "Tora, Tora, Tora" about the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor.

The Greek word may also represent ideas or meanings other than Torah from time to time. Some times it refers to a body of rules or system of behavior that may be man made. This is part of what leads to so much confusion regarding the writings of Sha'ul. Just which set of laws is he referring to at any given time?

Perhaps this is one of the reasons Peter (Kefa) warns us that the writings of Sha'ul are difficult to understand and easily twisted.

Are you aware Rabbinic Judaism considered their own writings and commentaries on Torah to actually supersede the written Torah?

"My son, be careful concerning Rabbinical decrees even more than the Torah...the Torah contains prohibitions...but anyone who violates Rabbinical decree is worthy of death." Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 21b.

Most, if not all, of the Scriptures used as proof texts to show the Law is done away, come from the writings of Sha'ul. Keep in mind that Sha'ul was a Pharisee. He knew all about the Rabbinic decrees. He had probably taught them himself before his encounter with the Messiah.

It is clear to me now that when you finally grasp the understanding Sha'ul refers to more than one "law", it will go a long way toward clearing up the confusion about Yahweh's Torah. Hopefully, you'll begin to realize that it was the man-made laws that needed to be done away - not the loving instructions a loving Elohim gave to His children.

A long time ago, the forces of evil sought to devour the Land...

2006-12-05T05:14:00.000-05:00

At this time of year there is much talk of Christmas, yet there is another story…

(I wrote this originally for a home school presentation. As I read this in my best James Earl Jones type voice, my daughter played the Star Wars theme in the background on her violin. Maybe if you try hard enough you can hear the sound effects as you read. Just thought you should know so you can set the proper mood.)

It is a time long, long ago in a far away distant land…

It is an age of darkness and despair.

The Evil Empire rules all of the ancient land of Syria.

Anxious to expand the Empire, the merciless Dark Emperor sets his eye on devouring Egypt.

However, Israel stands in the way and must be dealt with first.

Spies for the Emperor inform him there may be one among the Hebrews who, for a price, will convince the people it is futile to resist the Emperor’s will.

That man is Yahoshua.

Eager for personal gain, Yahoshua bargains with the dark emperor to make him the High Priest. In return, he signs a treaty giving the evil empire rule over Israel and adopts the name Jason in the language of the Emperor’s home world Greece.

Now with the Jews under control, the emperor leaves to declare war on Egypt.

But Jason has his own plans. He secretly seeks total control of Israel for himself.

The emperor learns of his treacherous plans and returns to unleash his wrath. Thousands are murdered by the Emperor’s storm troopers. The Temple of Yahweh – the one true God of the Hebrews - is partially destroyed and its sacred vessels of gold are looted.

The Dark Emperor learns that it is recorded in the Holy Book of the Jews called the Torah, that the God Yahweh declares the pig to be unclean - unholy for food or sacrifice.

The sinister emperor places a statue of a Greek god that looks like himself in the Temple where he slaughters a pig and spreads the blood. He makes a swine broth, pours it on the Torah Scrolls, and then burns them.

The emperor declares the pig as the only sacrificial animal allowed. The Hebrew language is outlawed. Circumcision is banned. Families are slaughtered for the crime of owning a Torah scroll.

Treacherous priests bend to the will of the dark side and lead the people to accept the new laws.

But Rebellion brews in the hearts of a faithful few.

So a commander is sent to force the people to sacrifice a pig and to eat the pig meat.

Disobedience is certain death.

A faithless priest steps forward to perform the sacrifice.

As he begins, a rage swells in a loyal priest called a cohen. His name is Matityahu. In an instant he slays the corrupt priest with a sword. The commander tries to strike back, but the cold steel of Matityahu’s sword is too fast and crunches its way to the hilt. Matityahu’s sons rally and defeat the storm troopers who came with the commander.

The Emperor is outraged. The Evil Empire strikes back, but the rebellion is strong.

Yahudah the Macabee leads the small band of rebel cohen warriors who return again and again. For three years they fight an elusive hit and run war against superior forces. Finally, the Empire retreats and the cohen warriors regain Jerusalem and the temple.

With the evil forces gone, the priests immediate task is to clean The Temple of the Emperor’s filth and restore worship to Yahweh.

The Menorah – the symbol of Yahweh’s light in the Temple – is broken. A single vial of holy oil is left - enough to light the Menorah for only one day.

A priest can sanctify more oil, but first the priest must be consecrated. That takes seven days.

What can they do? They light the Menorah with the one-day’s supply of oil.

The next day a messenger runs declaring, “The Menorah, The Menorah… it still burns!” The people stir in amazement.

The second day, and the third, and the fourth…the Menorah still burns…

“Can it be true?”

Praise is given to Yahweh.

Indeed, it is the miracle of the oil. The Menorah stays lit eight full days.

The dedication of the Temple to Yahweh is performed. In the Hebrew tongue it is called Hanukkah.

**************

So, now you know. 160 years before the birth of the Messiah, a great miracle happened called Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights.

For the celebration, The Hanukkiah is used. Unlike the Temple Menorah with seven lamps, the Hanukkiah has nine lights. One, called a shamash or servant, is used to light the others.

Today, the Shamash should serve to remind us of the Messiah as the Ultimate servant.

Evidence is strong that the Messiah Himself was conceived during the Festival of Lights. How many are aware Scripture records He honored the feast with His presence?

We all agree that the Messiah chose His words precisely using terms first century Hebrews would recognize. Therefore, does it not seem reasonable that when He declares Himself to be the Light of the World, He is referring to the Festival of Lights so familiar to His Jewish followers?

If you are careful to note the theme of Hanukkah, you'll see a direct contrast between this celebration and Christ - mass.

Hanukkah represents the struggle against the forces of pagan sun god worship. It celebrates deliverance from false worship.

Yet, Christ -mass is a celebration totally immersed in the trappings of sun god worship.

In any case, as the Shamash, The Messiah truly is light to a dark and evil generation.

Jesus and Matthew 1:21

2006-11-25T09:04:00.000-05:00

Have you ever read Matthew 1:21 and thought, "Huh?"

I hope you have because it makes no sense.

Let's read it now...

" And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. "

Here's what I mean when I say "Huh?"

The word 'for' begins an explanation why Joseph and Mary were to call Him "Jesus." It is tied to the fact He will save His people from their sins.

Yet, here's the problem. It's one everyone overlooks.

The word "Jesus" has no meaning.

No meaning in Greek. No meaning in Latin.

It's not even a Hebrew name.

Our Savior was Hebrew. The word "Jesus" should be a like a red flag alerting us to a problem.

Why?

Because all Hebrew names have meaning. But, Jesus has no meaning in Hebrew.

The word "Jesus" is a poor attempt at a Greek transliteration of a Hebrew name which is then further warped by forcing it into an English mold with the illegitimate letter "J".

Granted, today, "Jesus" does have a meaning in English. But that is simply because after 400 years of incorrect use, it now has a meaning applied to it.

Think about this. Don't you find it strange that we open our Scriptures to read about...

a baby of Torah observant Jewish parents,
Who was born in Israel,
Who lived and died as a Jew,
Who spoke Hebrew,
Who became the Jewish Saviour,
and was labeled at His death as the King of the Jews,

But, we - an English reading audience- now call Him by

the Greek/Latin hybrid, "Jesus"
which has no meaning in any language
along with the Greek title "Christ"
which could mean any one of the many Greek false deities?

In other words, to call Him "Jesus" in Matthew 1:21 is like forcing a square peg in a round hole.

On a side note, if you do even a little research and you'll find many modern scholars maintain that the name “Jesus” is the same in the Hebrew as the Old Testament “Joshua,” the son of Nun. Should not these names appear the same throughout our English Bible? If its Joshua in the Old Testament, why is it Jesus in the New?

Nonetheless, can we know what His real Hebrew name is?

Yes.

Here are our clues...

1) The Saviour said He came in His Father's name (John 5:43). The word 'name' can be either literal or figurative. The Father's name is Yahweh, sometimes shortened to Yah. ( As in Hallelu-Yah).

2) Matthew 1:21 connects His name with His function of salvation.

"Yeshua" is the Hebrew word which means "salvation, deliverance".

However, if you only use "Yeshua" then the Father's Name is not in the Saviour's Name. You are simply calling Him "Salvation."

"Yahshua" means "Yah's Salvation or Yah's Deliverance", which is exactly what the Messiah is. By using Yahshua, you use the Father's Name in the Saviour's Name. (In practice, it is difficult to distinguish the pronunciation of Yeshua from Yahshua).

"Yahshua" is a combination of a description of Who He is, as well as what He came to do.

Now, if we read Matthew 1:21 with the correct name, you can see how it all fits together.

" And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name Yahshua (Yah's Salvation or Yah's Deliverance): for He shall save His people from their sins. "

Isn't that better?

Hmm...how does all this reflect on our understanding of verses like Acts 4:12.

"And there is salvation in no other One; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Personally, I don't believe you can make a legitimate argument that you must be saved pronouncing the name Yahshua. The term here for 'name' can be 'authority'. Most everyone reading this was saved under the name "Jesus." We were saved under the authority of the one and only Saviour, the son of G-d (Yahweh).

However, a good case can be made that the name of "Jesus" robs the true Saviour of the Glory that is His. Plus, it steals from us - His children - the understanding that even Yahshua's name embodies the Father's Name and purpose to save us from our sins.

So, the choice is ours.

To put it in perspective, remember "Jesus" is a man made word. Yahshua is a Holy Spirit inspired Name.

Do we show the Saviour respect and honor by using the correct name? Do we honor the Father by using the Name He gave to His Son?

Or, do we follow Frank Sinatra?

In case you're too young to remember, one of his signature hit songs was

"I did it my way..."

Jesus and the Case of the Mysterious "J"

2006-11-01T09:14:00.000-05:00

Why Do We Call The Saviour by the Name Jesus?

How many of us have sung, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that name..." Perhaps we've made a remark like, "Sweet Jesus."

Christians for centuries have called upon the name of Jesus and have come to love that name. And why not? It's the name of our precious Saviour, is it not?

Well, that is the subject of our teaching today and it has me disturbed. I can not hide from you the fact that I am pulled at from two sides whether I should even bring this subject to the light.

On the one hand, I don't want to do anything to discourage the relationship you have with the Saviour. But, on the other hand, I am compelled to believe that the Truth will set you free.

I also have a fear.

That fear is that you will shoot the messenger.

I remember a discussion I tried to have with a deacon of a large Southern Baptist church. He cut me off by saying he did not want to know more if it meant he was going to have to think.

Which is it for you?

Are you going to shoot the messenger? Would you prefer not to hear something that will make you think? Or, do you want the Truth?

If you want to hear the rest of the story, then continue reading.

Here it is point blank:

There is no letter "J" in the Hebrew alphabet. There isn't one now and there never has been.

In fact, the "J" didn't come into use until the late 16th and early 17th centuries in any language. That's a little late for it to have been included in the original Scriptures, don't you think?

So, His Name could not start with a "J."

Our precious Saviour never heard the name "Jesus" in His ears while He was on earth. His mother Miriam and His disciples never called Him by the name "Jesus."

Sometime, about 400 years ago, believers began to call the Saviour by the wrong name.

How did this happen?

The answer to that can be a little complicated when you discuss transliteration and transcription. Therefore, this explanation is simplified: Somewhere in the transliterations from Hebrew to Greek to Latin and then English things got pretty messed up.

I don't know which translation it first appeared in, but it could have been Tyndale's. Certainly by the time of the King James translation the name "Jesus" came into use - along with some other incorrect name substitutions such as "god" and "lord."

One thing you should note is that names can not be translated. That's right, contrary to what even I was taught as a child in public school, my name is still George no matter whether I am in Russia or China. I am aware you will find references that say things like "George" in English equals "Jorge" in Spanish. But, my name is not "Jorge." "Jorge" is pronounced as "Hore-Hay" in Spanish.

My mother did not name me "Hore-Hay" and never called me that.

When a name is transliterated/transcipted you will hear your name in your ear just as you always have regardless of which language is spoken. A foreigner will pronounce "Bill" as "Bill" and "Tom" as "Tom."

In any case, we find ourselves in the rather embarrassing position of calling the Saviour of the world by the wrong name. If your name is Jenny, its like having an acquaintance who always calls you Alice.

I can imagine that most of us have encountered someone who continued to call us by the wrong name. And when we do, it makes us feel a little awkward doesn't it? I know when it happened to me I felt irritated. I couldn't help but think this person didn't really know me or like me much since they didn't bother to get my name right.

Fortunately for us, the Saviour is gracious - much more than I am.

What do we do now that we know the truth? The same we do when we err in anything. We change our behavior, of course.

But you say you like the name of "Jesus." And you don't want to stop using it.

I understand. I felt the same way. It's hard to break old habits - even when we know they are incorrect. How many people still eat the wrong kinds of foods despite what the medical consequences are?

And I feel with you that you were saved under the name of Jesus and have grown to think of your Saviour fondly by that name.

When I was first convicted I should start using His correct name, I rebelled.

"His real name sounds fake," I would tell myself. "It doesn't really matter, He knows my heart."

Yes, He knows my heart - and yours - that it is rebellious and self willed.

When I finally came to that point of surrendering my will to His, I realized that His real name did matter. Otherwise, why did He put it in the original Scriptures (not man's recent translations) so many times?

Yahweh (G-d) has not given me the authority to change or disguise what the Scripture says. How about you?

After you read Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18,19 ask yourself if you are willing to take responsibility for changing or disguising (adding to or taking away from ) what the Scriptures really say?

Well, what about the name "Christ?"

Sorry, but that is not a name. It's a title which means "anointed."

Unfortunately, while it may sound glorifying to our Saviour, it's not really. You see, it's a Greek title, a title used to describe any and all of their many false gods.

OK, that leads to the obvious question, "What is His real Name?"

I thought you'd never ask.

We'll discuss that next time.

Myth: We Don't Really Know When Yahshua (Jesus) was Born

2006-10-28T22:10:00.000-04:00

The statement that we don't really know when Yahshua was born is usually given to justify the use of December 25 as the date of Yahshua's birth. December 25th is often given because it's supposedly as good as any other date.

But, as we discussed before, there is strong reason to say otherwise.

In fact, as we progress, I think you'll see that the birth of Yahshua Ha Mashiach - as well as John the Baptist -is tied to and intertwined with Yahweh's (G-d's) prophetic calendar.

Let's start our discovery process with the Gospel of Luke. It's there we are given our first landmark for determining the timing of the Messiah's birth.

In this Gospel we find Zechariah fulfilling his duty as priest in the Temple when an angel appears to him. The angel announces that his wife Elizabeth would have a son. We know that this son - known as John the Baptist - was born nine months later.

Six months after the angel visited Zechariah, Elizabeth's relative Miriam (Mary) was told she too would have a son.

How does this help?

Well, get out your Scriptures and look at Luke Chapter one. It's here we learn some important clues that set the time. Look at verses 5-8.

Here in Luke we read that Zechariah "...belonged to the priestly division of Abijah..." and that "Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before G-d..." This tells us the angel appeared to him during the eighth division.

If we've been studying our Tanak ("Old" Testament) faithfully we should remember in 1 Chronicles where we are told that all priests in the order of Abijah were eighth in line for service in the Temple. You may also remember Nehemiah 10:7 and 12:4,17.

Zechariah was eighth in line to perform his duty. The counting of the weeks began at the head of the year which is two weeks before Passover. That corresponds to March/April on our Pope Gregory calendars. If we go eight weeks out, then add two more weeks for mandatory Temple service all priests had to serve during Unleavend Bread and Shavuot (Penetcost) we come to mid to late June.

Elizabeth got pregnant in late June. Nine months later is mid to late March which is the beginning of the season of Passover. In 3 BC Passover was on March 28.

Is there anything significant about Yochanan (John) that would tie his birth to Passover?

Well, ancient Jewish tradition says that Elijah must appear at Passover to announce the coming of the Messiah. Still today throughout the world, part of the Jewish tradition is to set a place at the Passover table for Elijah. During the meal one of the children is instructed to open the door to see if Elijah has come.

In Matthew 11: 10-14 Yahshua (Jesus) tells us that John the Baptist fulfilled the role of Elijah. This reflects the prophecies in Isaiah 40:1-11 and Malachi 3: 1-5.

Later in Luke 1:26,36 we see that it was the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy when Miriam is told by an angel she will conceive and have a baby.

An interesting connection to note is that this would be the month of Kislev. Kislev 25 is Hanukkah. Could it be that the "light of the world" was conceived on Hanukkah, the festival of lights?

Now let's do a little simple math.

When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, Miriam learned she was pregnant by the Spirit. Three months later John was born. At this time Miriam was three months along. So add six months to Yochanan's birth and we come to the birth of Yahshua.

Remember, John's birth was in the month of Aviv which is late March and early April - at the season of Passover. When we go six months from there we come to Tishri or September/October. This puts Yahshua's birth in Tishri.

Is there anything significant about Tishri?

Indeed. It is the time of the Festival of Sukkot (Booths) or the Feast of Tabernacles.

Here's how Avi ben Mordechai, a Messianic Jew who believes in Yahshua explains this connection in his book, Messiah: Understanding His Life and Teachings in Hebraic Context:

"The Greek word "dwelling" means a temporary booth or tabernacle. In a Jewish context this can only be a link to the Hebrew "sukkah" or booth. And according to Jewish Oral Law a "sukkah"could be constructed from an existing cattle stall which is also called a "manger" in the Tanak: see Job 39:9, Proverbs 14:4, and Isaiah 1:3 NASB."

We also know that this was a time of taxation. This was done at the same time as Feast days to reduce the burden of travel. Basically, you could say it killed two birds with one stone.

From this hopefully it should be easy for you to see the timing of Yahshua's birth with Sukkot. Here are the events:

Joseph and Miriam traveled to be counted for taxes. When they arrived the area was full of travelers so no accommodations were available. Joseph, being faithful to the command to stay in a sukkah for the week of the Feast of Tabernacles, would find somewhere to construct his temporary dwelling. Women were not required to stay in a sukkah, but since Miriam could find no other place, they both stayed in the manger/sukkah. It is here where Yahshua is born.

There is also good reason to believe we can pinpoint Yahshua's birth to the first day of Sukkot. As a male child he would be required on the eighth day to be circumcised (Luke 2:21). If He was born on the first day of Sukkot, then His circumcision would coincide with another important event.

The "coincidence" is that on this very same day - the eighth day of the Feast - is the day called Simchat Torah. It is a Festival day that commemorates the "joy in the Torah" when the yearly readings of the Torah have been completed.

Remember, Yahshua is the living Torah. Simchat Torah is a celebration of the rewinding of the Torah Scroll and beginning the readings again. It makes perfect sense since Yahshua was"... the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled in a sukkah) among us."

Christian commentator Matthew Henry states: "It is supposed by many that our blessed Saviour was born much about the time of this holiday; then He left his mansions of light above to tabernacle among us, and he dwelt in booths. And the worship of G-d under the New Testament is prophesied of under the notion of keeping the feast of tabernacles, Zec 14:16."

We will discuss at a later time how this Feast of Tabernacles is not only significant in the birth of the Messiah Himself, but is also a prophetic shadow picture of His return.

I know you've read the verses discussed above many times before. But, if you are like I was for 30 years, you read through them without actually "hearing" much of what they were telling you.

Many of you read Christian books and commentaries. Why not read Jewish extra-biblical sources as well?

By ignoring or downright discarding Jewish works - as has been the rule for much of Christian history - we have left ourselves handicapped. We Westerners with our Gentile/Greek mindsets have tried to comprehend the Hebrew Scriptures without the aid of an Hebraic perspective.

What folly.

Perhaps, as a side benefit of this study, we may also learn that those details in Scripture we previously skipped over do have a purpose.

Because of our lack of thorough study of the very words Yahweh Himself has given us for our spiritual benefit, we often judge some of His words as meaningless or useless. Shame on us.

May we be forgiven.

In conclusion, let us take note that instead of Yahshua's birth being on a date dedicated to the worship of pagan deities, His birth - indeed His whole life - fit perfectly into Yahweh's calendar of appointed times and Festivals.

However, when the Gentile Christian world long ago abandoned its Hebraic roots, it also began to declare that these Feasts of the L-rd were no longer relevant. As a result, generations of believers have been sold on cheap substitutes such as Christ- mass.

May we rise up out of our spiritual anemia and once again regain the spiritual strength that comes from preaching "the full gospel."

Insights from Early Christmas Traditions

2006-10-21T23:22:00.000-04:00

What were some of the earliest Christmas traditions like? How did the disciples and the earliest church celebrate Christmas - the birth of the Messiah? Are there some lessons we can learn to enhance our holiday season this year?

If your desire is to be more like the "New" Testament church, then this message is for you.

After all, if it was good enough for them it must be good enough for us, right?

So, it may shock you to discover that Jews in the first century did not celebrate birthdays at all.

That's right. None, Nada, Zip.

Birthdays were a gentile excuse for a party.

The only time birthdays are mentioned in Scripture is in association with death, such as when John the Baptist was beheaded.

Never is a birthday given as a reason for a celebration in Scripture.

As a Jew, Yahshua (Jesus) never had a birthday party. Miriam, his Torah faithful Jewish mother, would never allow such an occasion in her home. The disciples, as Jewish followers of Yahahua, would never entertain the thought of having a birthday celebration.

The early church - up to the time of Constantine - never had celebrations of Jesus' birth.

Only with Constantine - who was a sun worshipper - did the 4th century Roman church begin to accommodate the pagans in this way. In order to satisfy those who worshipped Mithra on December 25th (and to bring them under the his control), Pontifex Maximus renamed the pagan celebration and incorporated it into church practice as Christ - mass.

What do you have if you take a pig, wash him, put cologne on him, and dress him in a new suit?

What you have is simply a dressed up pig. Nothing more.

Therefore, if we follow the traditions of the most faithful and earliest church, then there would be no celebration of Christmas.

However, today we find ourselves just like the Roman church of old. In order to satisfy those in our midst who love the pagan traditions more than the Scriptural ones, we have Christmas.

If you only knew what Christmas tree balls were meant to simulate!

Oh, that there were men and women of G-d again who had a hunger and thirst for the things of G-d. The Puritans were that way. They outlawed Christmas because they recognized it for what it was.

But, the lure of the world is strong. The Puritans are gone. Their ways ridiculed.

The odd turn of events is that we are now led to believe the Jewish Messiah came to do away with the Hebrew Torah (Law) and replace Yahweh's (G-d's) festivals with pagan ones.

Maybe this year you will begin to see that the pagan traditions we've inherited - no matter how much we've dressed them up - are cheap substitutes for the truly wonderful and eternally significant prophetic shadow pictures that Yahweh gave us in Scripture.

Sadly the Roman tradition of Christmas has taken control of the modern church- Protestant as well as Catholic. This season there will again be protests and even legal battles to keep "Christ" in Christmas.

But, the truth is, He was never there in the first place.

The only question left to ask is not whether we will follow a tradition about Christmas, but whose traditions will we follow?

Will it be those traditions of the modern gentile church,

or those of the first century disciples?

Guess Whose B'day Was NOT December 25

2006-10-14T21:40:00.000-04:00

Whose birthday was NOT December 25?

First let me give you a list of the false sun g-ds whose birthdays were on December 25th.

Crishna (Vishnu),
Osiris,
Horus,
Hercules,
Dionysys (Bacchus),
Indra,
Buddha,
Tammuz,
Ra,
Zeus,
Mithra,

Remember, Yahweh is the true and living Elohim (G-d).

He is not like the false g-ds. He is not just another deity on an historian's list of ancient beliefs.

He does not want to be treated like the false g-ds.

Deu 12:2 - 4 "You shall completely destroy all the places in which the nations which you shall possess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.

And you shall overthrow their altars and break their pillars, and burn their pillars with fire.

And you shall cut down the carved images of their g-ds, and destroy their names out of that place.

You shall not do so to Yahweh your Elohim (G-d)."

He does not want us to even mention the names of these false deities.

Exodus 23:13b "And make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth."

Now, can we honestly say the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth who gave His Son for our salvation was nothing but a copy cat of these false deities?

Can we say we honestly believe our Creator would allow His precious Son to be born on a day so completley given over to pagan sun worship?

Or, do we say that the date doesn't matter?

If it doesn't matter, then what Scriptural reason can be found to justify holding an event on the one day of the year totally identified with false sun worship?

Some say it doesn't matter because we no longer associate December 25 with sun worship and false g-ds.

An argument by ignorance. Because we are ill-informed that makes it OK.

Well, we are no longer ill-informed, are we?

Or are we saying Yahweh forgot for a moment in history what day December 25 represents?

Besides, dates do matter.

Just because the entire world of confessing believers neglects the Creators calendar in favor of a pagan one doesn't make it right.

Determining righteousness is not done by majority vote.

Why bring all this up in October?

Do you have your nativity scenes up now? You should.

I'll tell you why next time.

Yom Kippur? What's that?

2006-10-05T12:34:00.000-04:00

Yom Kippur? What's that?

Oh, not much...just the granddaddy of all Sabbaths, that's all.

A prophetic shadow picture of the coming Day of Atonement, also know as the Day of Judgment.

Yom Kippur passed a few days ago. It's one of Yahweh's (G-d's) appointed times on His calendar. He says that anyone who ignores it should be cut off from His people.

Yahweh calls it a holy convocation - as are all of His feasts.

The point to grasp is that the Hebrew word for convocation is pronounced mikraw. It means a rehearsal.

The Feasts of Yahweh are rehearsals for things to come. Which just points to one of the reasons it's poor theology to say these rehearsals have been done away. Rehearsals continue until opening night.

So, if you are not practicing the rehearsals, you can't fully understand what's happening when the curtain rises on the real Day of Atonement - an event we should see soon.

Here's my confession: I don't like Yom Kippur rehearsals.

It's a fast day which makes it a really lousy day for me. By the time it's over, I'm feeling rough, miserable and cranky.

But, of course, I believe that's the benefit of it. Because it's a rough, lousy day, it makes me face the reality of the Day of Atonement in a more concrete and up-close kind of way.

It's so easy to "believe" in certain theological concepts and still remain aloof from them. For instance, we can talk about being sinners, but deep down inside we all think we're really not so bad. It's all those other people who have sin problems - not us.

Am I not right?

When you practice the rehearsal of Yom Kippur, your discomfort gives you a hint of what the final Yom Kippur will be like.

The real Day of Judgment will be both a wonderful and a horrible day.

Wonderful for those written in the Book of Life.

Horrible for the hundreds of millions who are not.

The days of Noah are a shadow picture Yom Kippur as well.

For 120 years Noah and his sons prepared the Ark. The building process itself presented a huge opportunity to witness to the peoples. But none listened.

One day, Yahweh told Noah to get inside. Yahweh Himself then closed and sealed the door.
The time for repentance was over.

For Noah and his family it was a wonderful day because they were safe as the rains and the floods came. At the same time, it was a horrible day for those outside.

As the waters rose higher, you can imagine how the people must have screamed, wailed, and begged to be let in the Ark.

For days Noah's family heard all the pleas from the friends they left behind. They heard a scary new sound as rain pounded the ground for the first time in history. They felt the boat shake as it began to ride the waves.

No doubt they were stunned into silence as they witnessed Yahweh's awesome judgment.

On Yom Kippur we can begin to get an ephemeral taste of the frightening fate awaiting those not written in the Book of Life.

This should drive us to be all the more grateful for our salvation (our Ark) through the Messiah Yahshua (Jesus) and to renew our committment to living a life pleasing to Him.

Likewise, the thought of so many people lost for an eternity should compel us to be more fervent in our efforts to reach those who don't know the Saviour.

Actually, reading about the Day of Judgment in the Book of the Revelation is how I got saved. I was stunned as I saw the fate of those who were not His people.

I guess the question now to ask is, "What kind of day will the holy convocation of Yom Kippur be for you?"

As in the days of Noah, will it be simply another day of chasing after success in this lost world, or will you be among those whose hearts are prepared and ready to go?

The rehearsal of Yom Kippur is good for us - whether you and I like it or not.

After all, Father knows best.

A Phenomenon or Acres of Diamonds?

2006-09-27T14:16:00.000-04:00

Yahshua (Jesus) is set to fulfill the Fall Festivals when He returns.

These are the festivals of Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Succot (the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles) .

Yahshua told us we'll know the season. He also said we would not know the day or the hour.

To illustrate that point, a phenomenon occurred recently which gives partial and practical insight into His statement.

This phenomenon was silent. No one heard it. Few observed it. But it impacts the entire world.

What it revealed is amazing to think about...

Modern man can't decide what day today is!

Let me explain.

Most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar.

It's a Catholic calendar given to us by Pope Gregory XIII in 1578. He sought to revise and correct the drift of the ancient Roman calendar called the Julian calendar. He introduced it only to countries that were mostly Catholic.

What is curious is that the Protestant Reformation (sometimes called the Protestant Revolution) had already begun when Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, called for reopening of the debate on the sale of indulgences.

That was in 1517.

By 1536 the separation from Rome of the Church of England under Henry VIII was completed.

Notice the timeline.

Gregory's calendar did not appear until 42 years later - well into the heart of the Protestant Reformation - which supposedly rejected anything Roman Catholic.

Today, there's a 99% chance the calendar hanging on a wall in your house - whether you are Catholic or Protestant - is Pope Gregory's calendar.

( This is off the topic, but hopefully the Protestants reading this will see another example of how Protestantism of the 21st century is not that of the forefathers.

It has been re-absorbed or re-conquered by Catholicism - which was precisely Pope Gregory's driving purpose in life. Apparently he succeeded.

The practice of faith that once called for 'Sola Scriptura' -Scripture only- is so infused now with Catholic traditions it is more appropriately called "Catholic Lite." )

But, the Gregorian calendar adopted a solar cycle as it's basis. It abandoned any correlation between the moon cycles and the month which is the pattern of the Creator's calendar.

As a result, you'll find the Pope's calendar is no help when you want to determine Yahweh's set apart times.

However, if you want to know when all the man-made religious holidays are, such as Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, etc., then this calendar is right on the money.

The Scriptural calendar has no date such as September 24th for Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets. In fact, even trying to correlate the Scriptural calendar with the Pope's calendars is difficult because the Scriptural day begins at sunset - not at midnight.

So, while you may say it is Tuesday according to the Pope, depending on the time of day it may still be "Monday", or could be already "Wednesday" according to the Creator.

Of course, the Creator doesn't glorify pagan deities by naming days or months after them. In fact, if you remember, He is a jealous G-d and gets quite upset with any glorification of false g-ds.

In Scripture the only days named are the Sabbaths. The rest are simply numbered. The same is true for the months.

But the Pope's calendar is the most popular in the world.

Even the Chinese have adopted it as their standard business calendar.

Nonetheless, it is not the Creator's calendar.

But, wait! What about the Jewish calendar?

It was created by a Rabbi Hillel II in the fourth century in order to keep the Jewish people scattered outside Israel unified.

The strength of the Gregorian calendar is still evident here as well.

When you buy a Jewish calendar you will see that it uses the Gregorian as a reference point. Under the large numbers of what looks like an ordinary calendar are the numbered days along with the names of the months of the Hillel calendar.

Take a note that this calendar is calculated.

That means that the days of the new moon - which are fundamental to the integrity of the Creator's calendar - are calculated when they should appear.

This is the curious part.

Recently, according to the Hillel calendar, the new moon was on Tishrie 1, or September 22nd. This day was calculated as the first day ( the new moon ) of the seventh month on the Creator's calendar, which Yahweh says is the time for the Feast of Trumpets.

If you check the US Naval Observatory you can indeed verify that astronomically speaking the new moon did occur on September 22.

From this can we conclude that the Jewish Hillel calendar is correct?

Hardly. We're missing one major detail.

The new moon for fixing the days and months doesn't start when modern astronomers say it does.

It starts when the new moon is actually observed.

In ancient times watchers waited on high places around Israel. When the moon was sighted, a bright fire was lit signaling to waiting Temple priests that the New Moon had been seen and that the new month had begun.

Determining the month was simple even for a poor shepherd.

But recently the new moon was not observed in Israel until Sunday the 24th when Hillel's calendar says the new moon was two days old.

Therefore, Scripturally speaking, the Feast of Trumpets began Sunday evening and lasted until Monday evening of the 25th. It did not occur Friday as calendars everywhere said it did.

So, here's our problem.

The Gregorian calendar says it is 2006. It is no help determining the set apart times of Yahweh's prophetic calendar.

The standard Jewish calendar by Hillel says it is the year 5767 and it just missed the new moon by two days. A few years ago there was a controversy that offset it with another Jewish calendar by a whole month!

I should interject to my Jewish and Messianic friends that I realize you are likely to be upset with me for these statements.

As with the Christian church, you must come to admit how powerful tradition is. Its tentacles are everywhere. Sometimes the grasp it holds on people is almost insurmountable. It is very difficult to discard a tradition or even admit that your favorite tradition is flawed.

It's easy to admit someone else's tradition has problems - but not your own!

Anyway, to make this topic muddier, some groups claim that the sighting of the moon has to be local - not in Jerusalem. That could make a difference of up to 24hrs for the setting of the new month on the west coast of America.

Still the other Jewish calendar I mentioned says it is the year 6006. Is it correct? We'll discuss this calendar another time.

So, was the Feast of Trumpets on September 22nd and 23rd, Tishrie 1? Or, September 24th and 25th, Tishrie 3 depending on the time of day?

Is the year 2006, 5767, or 6006? The Chinese say it's 4704, but that's only measured from after the time of the flood.

To sum this up I hope you can see that while we can know the season, there is confusion determining which day is today.

And, while all this is an interesting phenomenon, it is not the worst part.

The worst part is the evidence is clear and revealing about us and the modern church. We are so busy making sure we succeed in this man-made world that we don't know what time it is on the Creator's clock and probably couldn't care less.

At the same time, we are well practiced making sure we fit in and can do business on time in this pagan world.

We have alarm clocks, beepers, cell phones, text messaging, and PDA's all just to make sure we are not late for an important business deal. Yet, we have no clue about and little interest in eternally significant prophetic appointed times Yahweh has set into Scripture.

Specifically, how many believers know the importance of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Festival of Tabernacles? They are all at our doorsteps and are prophetic shadow pictures of things to come given to us by the Creator.

Yet, most believers are totally unaware of these events.

I know I was. I spent 30 years studying Scripture. Like most I was pre-conditioned to dismiss all this "old" stuff.

It reminds me of a true story about a farmer in South Africa whose land was littered with black rocks. He tired of farming and sold out to go around the world diamond mining. He died penniless.

The tragedy of the story was that years later someone discovered those black rocks were actually coal-encrusted diamonds. He literally had acres of diamonds on his property that he sold for pennies on the dollar. He gave up the fortune under his feet to die among beggars.

How many of us are that way? We've discarded the riches of Yahweh's instructions to follow after things of the world.

As with the Gregorian calendar, the ways of the world are more popular than the ways of Yahweh.

Where are our priorities?

You have at your disposal acres of Scriptural diamonds. Have they become hidden by the hardened black rock of tradition?

Perhaps you should look around you. Don't step over an acre of diamonds to look for treasure elsewhere.

Think about it.

Surprise Fulfillment of Daniel 9:11

2006-09-20T09:38:00.000-04:00

There is much speculation concerning the events of 9/11.

Have you considered what Yahweh (G-d) says? Did He give us any Word in Scripture that can help discern the times in which we live?

When the children of Israel sinned and wouldn't turn back to Yahweh, He used heathen nations to bring the curse upon them. He used Assyria and Babylon to punish the people for their sins.

That's history.

There is a question we need to ask:

"Is Yahweh doing something similar again?"

Because of mankind's sin that we have forsaken and violated G-d's (Yahweh's) laws, is a curse poured out on the world?

Consider Islam.

Is it possible Islam and the terrorists are the curse?

Are they allowed to reek havoc on the world in order to drive people to repentance?

Could there be any connection between the events of 9/11 and Scripture?

Consider Daniel 9:11.

Daniel was a prophet who wrote concerning various end times events.

"Yea all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice, therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of G-d, because we have sinned against him."

Is Islam a fulfillment of this verse?

At your first look you may not see the connection. That's because most believers only read the English.

In the original Hebrew the picture becomes clear.

Before I tell you what it is, remember that Daniel wrote his words about 1100 years before Islam was founded. Of course, that means nothing to Yahweh, the Author of Daniel's words since He sees the end from the beginning.

In this verse the original Hebrew word translated as "curse" is:

allah.

Just in case you're new to this planet, allah is the false god of Islam.

There you have it. Scripture tells us that allah is a curse.

In light of the quickly unfolding prophetic events, the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, I thought you should know.

The Final Trumpet - September 24th ?

2006-09-19T09:50:00.000-04:00

Whether you believe in specific prophecies about the end times or not, I can say without a doubt that the prophetic sounding of the Trumpet of the L-rd (Yahweh) occurs September 24th!

Whoa! George, are you another of those misguided deluded people who think they know the date and time of the Messiah’s return?

No, not at all.

But, you may be one of the many Christian believers who have never been taught the powerful end time significance of the Festivals of the L-rd (Yahweh).

Note that I don’t say “Jewish” festivals. They are not Jewish festivals. They are Yahweh’s (G-d) festivals, which He appointed. And, they are shadow pictures of the things to come.

By ignoring these Festivals, we in the church have been left to our own devices in interpreting the end time events.

But, Yahweh did not leave us in the dark. He gave us details about what would happen in the end times.

Unfortunately, we believers think that only the unsaved stumble in blindness. Yet, we too, have been partially blinded.

This is an attempt to help you loosen that blindness and see the glory of Yahweh as it is written in Scripture for our edification through obedience.

Oops! I shouldn’t use that word obedience. It causes so many believers to have a knee-jerk reaction.

They are the ones who think that so long as you "believe in Jesus" you don’t have to do anything but sit back and enjoy the ride. I hope that isn’t you.

Be aware, even satan believes in Jesus. But he and his followers are distinguished by their lack of repentance. Their quiver is full of excuses why you shouldn't be obedient to this or that Scripture - especially the "Old" Testament!

Anyway, this is the Scriptural season of repentance. It began on the 28th of August and ends October 4th. It is a 40-day period of reflection, reconciliation, and repentance that ends on the Day of Judgment known as Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.

Indeed, the name for this season is called Teshuvah, or return, or repentance.

(How much I can teach here always depends on the time I can squeeze out to write to you. At this moment, it is 4:12 in the morning. I couldn’t sleep because this is such an important teaching.)

Between now and the 15th of October there are four different Scripturally appointed times you should know about. They are shadow pictures Yahweh gave to teach us of world shaking events which will unfold before us soon.

Actually the word used carries the meaning of rehearsal. When we celebrate these appointed times, our rehearsal helps us prepare for when the real festival takes place. Like actors in a play, we rehearse right up until the opening day.

So, let me focus first on Yom Teruah, known in English as the Day of Trumpets. Today it is known on the Jewish calendar as Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year.

In places where something is specifically Jewish, I will tell you. Jewish sources have a lot they can tell us. They can help us place Scripture in context and they can help swing the pendulum back from our purely Western and Gentile points of reference.

Besides, as we read in Romans 3:2 “…unto them (the Jews) were committed the oracles of God.”

That said you should find it interesting and prophetically significant that Jewish eschatology or end time teaching says that on the Day of Atonement after six thousand years are complete, the Day of the L-rd (Yahweh) will come.

On that day, the shofar (not a trumpet as in a modern jazz band) will sound and the righteous will be resurrected!

I bet you thought that was a strictly Christian idea.

Immediately it comes to mind that so much of this would become obvious if we professed believers in the Hebrew (G-d) Yahweh of the Hebrew Scriptures weren’t so insistent on clinging to all our pagan gentile culture.

What I refer to specifically is our system of time keeping – the calendar. Both the Jews and the Christians cling to man-made calendars.

What has the Creator of the Universe to do with that?

Didn’t He establish His own calendar?

In Genesis 1:14 we read, “And G-d (Yahweh) said Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons. And for days and years.”

Just the discussion of calendars alone can open our eyes to the truth of the Messiah’s statement where He said no man would know the day nor the hour of His return.

You see, the Christian world follows a Roman calendar system revised by Pope Gregory in the 16th century.

It uses the names of pagan gods for the names of the days and months. The date for “Easter” was deliberately fixed so it would not coincide with the Scriptural festival of Passover – for the anti-Jewish bias of not wanting any connection with “Jewish” holidays.

The Christian calendar says it is 2006.

The Jews follow a calendar system developed by a Rabbi named Hillel in the 4th century. It is a mathematically calculated calendar that worked well for a long time but has ceased to be accurate. It also incorporates a pagan deity for one of its months.

This Jewish calendar says it is the year 5767.

Both calendars have a similar flaw that requires them to insert leap years.

In recent years, since the return to the Land, there has developed another Jewish calendar which is slightly different from the previous. It is called the Astronomically and Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar. It is also devised by a Jewish Rabbi.

According to this particular calendar - it is the year 6006.

So, are we at the six thousand years mark?

I'll bring you the evidence as soon as I can and let you decide. You may be shocked to know just how late it is on Yahweh’s prophetic clock.

I’ll discuss that in another teaching, but for now let’s focus on the importance of Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets.

For 30 days prior to the Feast of Trumpets the shofar is sounded in Synagogues around the world.

This is to remind the people – and that includes each of us - to prepare. Jews begin a time of reflection and confess their sins, seek forgiveness, and fix mistakes made during the year.

Sounds like something we all should do. May I remind you that repentance is not a Jewish idea, but a Scriptural one?

During the Feast of Trumpets itself, a series of 100 shofar blasts are sounded. The shofar acts like a call to awaken the conscience.

Among other things, it is blown to announce the beginning of the ten days of Teshuvah, or the Days of Awe.

It is to warn us: Let all who desire to turn in Teshuvah (repentance) do so now. Repent and be saved. If you do not turn away from your sins, you will have no reason to cry injustice.

Kings do the same. First, they warn the people in their decree, and whoever violates the decree after the warning will suffer the consequences.

You can see this in the example of Noah.

For 120 years he preached Yahweh's message of repentance to the people while he and his sons built the ark. None listened.

Then the final day came. Noah and his family entered the ark - because they obeyed, they were saved. And King Yahweh closed and sealed the door. The rains began.

No doubt many began to proclaim their change of heart. But the time for repentance had past.

This is the theme Yahshua (Jesus) preached.

Matthew 4:17

“Repent for the Kingdom of G-d is at hand.”

It is the same message the disciples preached.

Mark 6:12

“And they went out, and preached that men should repent.”

This flies in the face of so much modern church teaching which avoids the use of the words sin and repentance. Today the emphasis is on “working through your problems to become a better you.”

Yom Teruah is Yahweh’s way of sounding the alarm. Just like we do with the horn on our car when someone is about to make a dangerous move with their vehicle.

It should get our attention!

Prophetic Scriptures of the end time involve the use of the shofar announcement.

As in Zephaniah 1: 14-16:

“Near is the great day of Yahweh, near and hurrying greatly, the noise of the day of Yahweh...that day is a day of wrath, a day of waste and ruin…a day of the shofar (ram’s horn) and alarm…”

Matthew 24:31

“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet (shofar) and they shall gather together his elect…”

1 Corinthians 15:52

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound…”

We could say that Yom Teruah is our wake up call.

On that note, it is a shame only a few within the body of believing Christians know what a shofar is, much less have actually heard one blown. I wonder how many will be expecting to hear the sounds of Louie Armstrong or Herb Alpert's trumpets?

At this point I know some of you are chomping at the bit to interject that we don't need to worry about all this because we cling to and trust in Yahshua the Messiah for our salvation.

Yes, it's true that Yahshua HaMashiach (Jesus, the Messiah) is our salvation.

But, the evidence of the validity of that salvation is manifested in our life changing repentance. We may come to salvation “just as I am” - but we’re not supposed to stay that way.

If we have truly repented, the evidence is that we bring forth fruit worthy of that repentance.

Let him who steals make restitution and steal no more. He who is mired in the cesspool of pornography, stop! Sin no more.

Repentance is an ongoing event.

We sin, we break fellowship. We repent, we restore fellowship.

Some preachers have an altar call every week urging you to repent and turn back. Yahweh - demonstrating His Grace and Mercy - built into His calendar each year a whole season specifically to urge us to turn back from our sins.

This alone should cause us to both fear and rejoice in the Feast of Trumpets.

We all deserve judgment.

Then we hear the warning of the shofar awakening us from our warm coziness with sin and we heed the message of Yahshua who said, “Repent”.

In place of judgment, we get mercy.

Ultimately, it should cause us to seek to live righteous lives - dare I say it, obedient lives.

It should also remind us of events soon to take place in Yahweh’s prophetic calendar.

The Spring Festivals of Yahweh were fulfilled in the first coming of the Messiah. The Fall Festivals will be fulfilled when He comes again.

Will the heavenly trumpet sound on September 24th this year?

I don’t know.

It depends on which calendar you look at. In fact, some of you who are currently following a Jewish calendar may notice a few days difference between the dates I used earlier and the ones found on your calendar.

But I do know that for almost 3400 years Yom Teruah has been a shadow picture of what is to happen in the last days.

Remember, Yahweh is the One who picked the date on His calendar. I don’t see any indication that He intends to change things now.

Don't you find it sad that most in the church are so comfortable with their gentile and pagan ways, that they won’t even notice there is such a thing as the Day of Trumpets?

Nonetheless, whenever the final Yom Teruah occurs we need to be fully prepared.

The prophetic Scripture of 2 Peter 3:9 gives us an appropriate final thought. Take careful note that this epistle is written not to the unsaved, but to believers!

“The L-rd is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Hallel Yah!

Is the New Testament really "New" ?

2006-08-28T21:09:00.000-04:00

Continuing our discussion of how words can slant our understanding of Scripture, we have to ask, “Is the New Testament is really new?”

The caution to remember is that mere men chose the words we read in our English Bibles.

These translators often were faced with difficult decisions. For instance, how do you determine which single English word to use to convey a Hebrew word that may contain many facets to its meaning?

In some cases, it can be shown how the final choices are heavily influenced by personal theology. In other words, scholars translate Scripture in some instances based on what they already believe it should be saying.

To be fair, there may be no ill intent on behalf of those who do the translating, yet the result is the same as if they had done it purposely. In either case, we believers may be reading a word that prejudices our understanding of Scripture.

That said, let's look at the 'New' part of the New Testament.

In Jeremiah 31:31 it is written in the King James Version...

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a NEW covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah”

This verse is referenced in Hebrews 8:8...

“For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”

In traditional Christianity we have been led to believe that the 'NEW' covenant means something totally new replaced the old.

However, what does the Hebrew word actually mean?

The Hebrew word translated for us in English as 'New' is 'Chadashah' and contains the Hebrew word 'Chadash'. In Strongs Concordance this is the Hebrew number H-2319.

The meaning can rightly be 'new'.

But, since it comes from a Hebrew root word (number 2318) it also means 'repaired, refreshed, or renewed.'

The New Testament therefore does not necessarily mean 'new' as in the traditional Christian interpretation but in a deeper sense actually means the Renewed, or Refreshed Testament.

In another example, we can see the same nuances used concerning the 'new moon' (rosh chodesh). Is the new moon we see each month really a 'new' moon? Or has it simply been refreshed or renewed for the upcoming month after performing its function for the previous month?

Today there are a number of translations that use the term “Renewed” in referencing the “New” Testament. Some of these are the Hebraic Roots Version, The Scriptures, the Restoration Scriptures, and the Modern King James Version to name a few.

It is interesting to note that others believe Jeremiah was using the word Renewed - and they don't even believe in Yahshua (Jesus).

According to Eddie Chumley, an Hebraic teacher and disciple of Yahshua (Jesus), Jews who are not believers in the Messiah teach that Jeremiah 31:31 says 'renewed'.

In a newsletter Eddie quotes one such Rabbi's opinion. "The new covenant does not mean 'new' as in the traditional Christian interpretation but actually means 'renewed'."

So why is this important to us?

It helps us begin to understand how our thinking has been subtly lead astray.
The Covenant has not been discarded. It is not something "old" that had to be replaced with something "new". It has been renewed and refreshed.

Since it has been renewed and refreshed then

· the Law still exists.
· the "Old" Testament still is valid
· it is the foundation for our trust in the Messiah.

So, it is vitally important we study to understand our response to this Covenant that has been renewed.

We can no longer treat the "Old" as discarded. It is more than a collection of stories we read to our children about people and places that have no meaning for us today.

The law and the commanments are the very foundation upon which the convenant rests.

But, let's get rid of an obedience destroying myth immediately. The myth arises every time you mention keeping the commandments.

It is the myth that we're talking about earning our salvation through works. That is absolutely false.
Obedience to the commandments has nothing to do with salvation.

Simply put, our faithfulness to obey the commandments is the measure of assurance that our faith is genuine. Our faith in the Messiah is what saves us.

For instance, have you ever seen a tree you didn't recognize, whose leaves were unfamiliar to you?

My parents had a fig tree. When it was young and growing I could not tell what it was. But once it finally came of age and bore fruit, it was easy to see what type of tree it was. The fruit was the proof it was truly a fig tree.

Keeping the commandments is the fruit that bears witness to our profession of faith.

In the final chapters of Scripture, the Book of the Revelation, we see the continued emphasis that the true worshipper has to comply with two requirements:

· to guard the commands of Yahweh (G-d),
· and to believe in Yahshua (Jesus).

Rev 12:17
"And the dragon was enraged over the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. "

Rev 14:12
"Here is the patience of the saints. Here are the ones who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. "

Notice the direct tie betweeen keeping the commandments and faith in Jesus?

Unfortunately, the modern church is heavy on faith, but light on obedience. That is partly because of the teaching that the "old" has been done away.

Did you know that the Saints will be singing in the final scenes of the Revelation?

Guess what they sing.

Rev 15:2, 3
"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire. And those who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are Your ways, O King of saints."

The Song of Moses?

Isn't that found in Deuteronomy, along with all that "old" stuff we don't have to pay attention to any more? What's it doing here in the very final chapters of the “New” Testament?

It’s not so hard to understand if you can begin to grasp that the “Old” was not thrown in the garbage heap. Rather, it was renewed.

The Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb are part of the same hymn book!

Be careful of the words you use!

2006-08-13T11:15:00.000-04:00

Words are powerful.

Artfully crafted together they can make you...

laugh at a joke.
cry at the death of a fictitious character such as Old Yeller.
smell the freshness of the air after a thunderstorm.
taste the saltiness of oceanspray on your face.
feel the relentless craving for water as you lie on the desert floor baking under hot blasts of sand and burning heat.

The same is true for words we use in "religious talk."

There are a number of words in our vocabulary we should look at to determine how they effect us. It could be that certain words innocently prejudice our understanding, or their use could be a deliberate attempt to manipulate how we think.

Let's look at two of these words, or rather terms:

Old Testament
New Testament

What is curious is that the term "Old Testament" doesn't become prominent until around the fourth century. For almost 1400 years before the Messiah came, and for about 300 years after the Messiah was resurrected, the world of believers in the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - and later the followers of the Messiah - knew this collection of writings by other terms.

Those terms were simply the Torah (the Law), the Nebi'im (the Prophets), and the Kethubim (the Writings which includes the Psalms). Together they were referred to as the T N K, or Tenak.

In fact, in Luke 24:44 Yahshua (Jesus) said, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all have to be filled that were writtern in the Torah of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."

What event or events occurred around the fourth century that might be the catalyst for this shift to a useage of the term "Old Testament " ?

This was the time of the beginnings of the Roman church as modeled after Constantine. Along with it came the inclusion of a number of influences from the Roman Empire and the pagan cultures it contained. Also a long growing resentment against anything Jewish came to blossom.

With the new term of "Old Testament" was there a deliberate attempt to reduce the importance of the Scriptures of the Tenak? We may never know for certain.

Yet, we do know that the word "old " implies a meaning the Tenak does not.

What do you think of when you hear something is old?

If you had your choice between two items - one old and the other new - isn't it natural to want the new? None of us want an outdated reel-to-reel tape player as opposed to a new combo DVD/CD/VCR/Stereo cassette tape deck. Today people don't even want a computer that is more than a year old.

All this means that before we even crack the pages of the Scriptures themselves, we have a subtle prejudice against the "Old" and toward the "New". This silently leads our thoughts toward a theology that says the "Old" is done away - or, at best, is not very important.

Conversely, we can see the complimentary side of this with the use of the term "New" Testament.

This brings up a question.

When we 21st century technologically advanced westerners say that there is a new moon, do we really believe we get a "new" moon each month?

We'll discuss this next time and how this ties in with our "New" Testament.

There's also this question about the use of the word "Testament". Aren't these supposed to be books of the "Covenant" ?

Context, Context, Context

2006-08-12T19:55:00.000-04:00

It would seem obvious that when it comes to Scripture, we should keep things in context. Sadly, a great portion of Christian doctrine is formulated using a technique called "proof texting".

Began in the late 1590's, a group called the Protestant Scholastics took the teachings of the Reformers and systemized them according to the rules of Aristotelian logic. This view set the stage for the idea that you can lift a verse out of Scripture and it is true in its own right - regardless of context.

In the 1800's John Nelson Darby built a theology based on prooftexting. He is the one who gave fundamentalist and evangelical Christians a good deal of their presently accepted "orthodox" teachings - such as the Rapture.

Therefore, you can see that it can be a challenge trying to discern if modern Scriptural teaching is in its proper context. So, when you hear your favorite preacher quote verses, don't take it for granted. Look up the verses for yourself and read them in their context. You may find that you don't always agree with how they are used.

Still, there's more to consider...

Did you know you could do a word study in context of the verse, then do a verse study in context of the chapter, then do a chapter study in context of the book and still take it all out of context?

Happens all the time.

Imagine with me for a moment and see if this doesn't illustrate the point.

You are viewing a baby's face. In fact, you're so close all you can see is the baby's face. You can't tell even if it's a boy or girl.

Is the baby French or German? Is it at home or a hospital? Can't tell…

Let's back up a step. Now you can see you are looking at the baby through a four-panel window. What do you know now?

Well, at least you can see more of the room it's in, and you can judge that it's a colorful room, so the baby is probably at home.

Now you back up even more and you see not only the window but the whole side of the house. Yes, you were right, the baby is at home.

Can you tell if it lives in the city or country? What kind of house is it? Since you only see the house and not the surroundings, there's not enough info to answer.

Back up again and you see the whole house. It's old, very old. But, it's in good repair. The style is familiar and you want to say it's a moorish style. But, you can only see a few feet around the house, nothing of the neighborhood yet. Does this mean the baby is muslim?

Back up still more and you see that the house indeed has some islamic/moorish influences. Now you can see people but they are not wearing robes and turbans as you would expect if this was an Islamic country.

Back up again and you can see the entire community with the street signs in Spanish giving directions to…Madrid.

Now you know the baby is Spanish and lives outside Madrid, Spain.

Can you see how only by continuing to back up and see the bigger picture, are you able to put the whole story into its true context?

The same is true with Scripture, or at least it should be. Instead, most people stop when they look through the window. They end up describing the baby entirely wrong.

That's because if you don't put Scripture in context of a first century Hebrew, you don't have it in context at all. You can read what seems to be the plain meaning of the words and never know that their meaning is different from your 21st century, western, gentile perspective.

Sounds a little over simplified, doesn't it? You're probably thinking, "like, duh, of course you should take Scripture in context."

Yep.

But, that is not what's being done.

You're in the right place if...

2006-08-07T12:14:00.000-04:00

You're in the right place if you have ever asked yourself questions like:

How would a first century Jewish believer in Yahshua (Jesus) understand Scripture?
How can we know if the way we worship today is how YHWH (G-d) wants it?
What was the original faith of the apostles?
Where does it say in Scripture that the "ceremonial" laws were done away?
Why can't I find legalism or judaizer in my Strong's Concordance?
Who are the chosen people?
Who were the Nazarenes?
Are our church traditions valid expressions of faith? Certainly we aren't guilty of placing our traditions above Scripture, or are we?
What are the origins of our modern church practices?
Why did the Pilgrims in America outlaw Christmas?
If Yahshua (Jesus) was buried on Friday afternoon and rose Sunday morning, how does that add up to three days?
Does Scripture really say He rose on Sunday morning?
Or any other question about our Christian heritage.

Rest assured, this blog affirms the validity of Scripture. Nothing here is meant to cause doubt in the Elohim (G-d) of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac, nor in His Son, Yahshua HaMasciach (Jesus Christ).

Quite the contrary, this blog is meant to strengthen and establish your faith in those things which are true. I could quite easily interject the Apostles Creed here.

However, it has been my discovery that much of the Christian world inwardly believes that the faith they practice is flawless and pure.

Somehow we can read about the repeated sins of the Israelites who turned away again and again from obeying YHWH (G-d), yet we get insulted and defensive when it may be suggested that the modern church is guilty of the same sins. Unfortunately, we must have a bit of unconfessed arrogance to resolve.

It is my contention that the way the ancient Hebrews viewed and understood Scriptural teachings is often vastly different from the way we 21st century, western gentiles interpret the same Scriptures.

An illustration can easily be shown just in the difference between the Authorized 1611 KJV of the Bible and today's English. In the KJV we find the word "suffer" as in "suffer the little children to come unto me." Its meaning is to "allow", yet today that word means to endure pain.

In a matter of less than 400 years the meaning of words have changed within our own language.

Can you see how much more the meaning of words and illustrations could change over the period of 2000 years, especially from one culture to another?

Another illustration may be helpful.

Refer to Matthew 5:17. "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."

In several good online Christian forums I have seen this verse discussed for literally months at a time. There will be word etymologies, Greek derivations, etc, etc tossed back and forth until it all becomes very tedious and you can sense the anger rising.

Generally it is said the Law was fulfilled - it has no further use. Forum members extend great effort explaining how their (modern) definition of fulfillment does not destroy the Law even though modern teaching says we don't have to obey it any longer.

The question is, "How would the people standing there at that time understand what Yahshua (Jesus) was saying?"

It is really simple. This is an expression of the times.

When it was said that someone "fulfilled the Law" it meant that he taught it correctly.

When it was said that someone "destroyed the Law" it meant that he taught it incorrectly.

Taking His words in context of the first century, it is clear that this verse has nothing to do with discontinuing, annulling, or cancelling the Law. Yahshua was saying He came to teach the Law correctly, that His teachings were true and faithful to the full meaning of the Law.

So, you see, idioms or word expressions have their own meaning in context of the times and culture it's used, but may mean little to outsiders. Imagine 1000 years from now people trying to dissect our saying, "You're in a pickle."

The purpose of this blog is to stimulate you as a believer to think about your faith from a renewed perspective. Leave your western, gentile mentality behind.

Learn to adopt an Hebraic worldview and a whole new world of understanding the Scriptures will open up to you.

If you can grasp what I am saying,

If you want to go deeper into your faith than you ever imagined (while keeping it on layman's terms),

If you want your eyes opened to the trappings of paganism that choke the modern church,

If you want to grow spiritually more into the likeness of the Savior,

Then this blog will be of great interest to you.

Look for new posts about every 7 to 10 days.