Reasoning from the Old Testament that Yeshua was the Savior

Let us reason together:

“Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

(Acts 18:4)

Like Paul, I will try to persuade you using Scripture
(The Law of Moses and the Prophets)

“… he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving …”

(Acts 17:2)

11 / 03 / 07
(NIV used)

FIRST THOUGHTS:

Paul was NOT trying to persuade the Jews and Gentiles to stop obeying God, but to realize that they don’t have to obey in order to gain salvation (which was never possible, anyway). Paul was NOT trying to prove that the Scriptures (Laws of Moses and The Prophets) were nullified, but that Yeshua (Jesus) WAS the Messiah they had been waiting for. How did he do this? By using the “Old” Testament!

Did you know that any time “Scripture” is used in the “New” Testament, it is referring to the “Old” Testament? The Books of Moses and Prophets are God’s breathed words to man. The fact is, the books of the New Testament were decided on (or canonized) in 200 A.D.. It was not until 405A.D. that the first complete Bible was even put together (called a Latin vulgate and done by St. Jerome). Question: So what did the believers use as Holy Scriptures until then? God’s Word, of course. The New Testament isn’t anything new, it just testifies about the Messiah. It HAD to line up with the “Old” Testament. If a book (or letter) contradicted something in the “Old” Testament, it as not considered truth, and was not included as Scripture. Anytime we “think” that something in the “New” Testament changes what God has already said, we are reading it with an incorrect interpretation, or from a western view point. So, why do so many today try to pin the “New” Testament against the “Old” Testament? Why do so many today try to start a proverbial brawl between the Son and the Father (As if the Son came up with His own rules or way to be saved)?

Examples:

- If any writer / preacher actually states that we no longer have to obey God’s Law … he or she is a false prophet, and therefore, the author of false writings. (So we know that Yeshua (Jesus) AND His followers did not preach such rebelliousness): “That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, BECAUSE he preached rebellion against YHVH your God.” (Deuteronomy 13:5) The end-times prophesy now makes sense in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 … “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” Make sure that you are not deceived like I was and follow anyone who preaches that we no longer need to obey God’s laws. (That is law-less-ness, or rebellion).

- Some believe that the Law of Moses was just for the Jews, and that we Gentiles have “Christ’s Law”. This is false. It is shown to be false in both the “Old” and “New” Testaments: “The same Law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you.” (Exodus 12:49) and John 10:16 … “I have other sheep that are not part of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd.”

- Some say that the Laws of Moses are too hard and were impossible to obey. This is false. Deuteronomy 30:11 … “Now what I am commanding you today is NOT too difficult for you or beyond your reach.” and 1 John 5:3 … “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are NOT burdensome.” (Hint: It is our flesh and sinful nature that keeps us from obeying them … NOT Christ, the Son of God! Why would the very Son of God keep us from obeying God the Father? Have you ever tried to obey God’s Laws?)

- Some say that taking pagan days and making them “God centered” is giving glory to God, and that He is pleased with such days. This, too, is false. “You must not worship YHVH your God in their way.” (Deuteronomy 12:4) and again in Deuteronomy 12:31 “You must not worship YHVH your God in their way, because in worshipping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things YHVH hates…” (Yes, these are the Words that Yeshua (Jesus) told Moses to say! Why do many do what HE, the Son of God, told us NOT to do?)

Below is proof that the “New” Testament believers obeyed God’s Laws from the “Old” Testament. The “Old” Testament was their guideline for truth! Without this base, man becomes his own “law maker” and decides what God desires. The “New” does NOT contradict the “Old” Testament … EVER!:

- “He (Paul) writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:16) (Again … when was the New Testament added? Hundreds of years later than this writing! So Peter is talking about the book of Moses and the Prophets. So when people say that “Paul says we don’t have to obey God’s Laws anymore,” they are the ones who are distorting Paul’s words and are being ignorant and unstable.)

- “However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets…” (Acts 24:14) (This is Paul’s testimony! This backs up the passage above about those who claim that Paul says we no longer have to obey the Law. They are distorting Paul’s words … but they do it to their own destruction … as they do to other Scriptures.)

- “When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the Law.” (Acts 21:20) (It’s funny, but this passage continues about a false report about Paul. People were saying that Paul was preaching to turn from the Law of Moses … Paul, of course, quickly put an end to that rumor. What ignorant and unstable people would to that, eh? Oh … I used to be one of them.)

- “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11) (If Paul said to stop obeying the Law … he would be a false prophet and the Christ that he preached would be a false Messiah, as well. Let us stop and think about what we are doing against the faith that saves us!)

- “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do NOT believe what he (Moses) wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” (John 5:46-47) (Many do not believe what Moses wrote; Many actually say that what Moses wrote is all done away with. Do they really believe what Yeshua (Jesus) said, then? Not according to the words of our Savior!!)

- “They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the Law.” (Acts 6:13) (If these were false accusations about Stephen, what is the truth about him then? Fact: He spoke in favor of the holy place AND obeying the Law of Moses.)

- “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law OR the Prophets; I have NOT come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, WILL BY ANY MEANS DISSAPEAR FROM THE LAW until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18) (His work on the cross may be finished here on earth, but everything is definitely not accomplished. Satan is still roaming around, is he not? The heavens and earth are still present, are they not? The man of lawlessness is sure being exposed, though! I am going with my Savior on this one and continuing to obey the Laws that HE gave my brethren back in the desert. I will AT ALL TIMES trust in HIM for my salvation.)

Let us put this knowledge into practice:

Some say that the Laws of Moses were the “walls of hostility” spoken of in Ephesians 2:14-15. … “… the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.” Now based upon the “Old” testament writings found in Psalm 19:7 … “The Law of YHVH is perfect and 2 Samuel 22:31… “The word of YHVH is flawless.” and, my favorite found in Psalm 119:151-152 … “Yet you are near, O YHVH, and ALL your commands are true. Long ago I learned from your statues that you established them to last FOREVER.”. Now based upon just these three “Old” Testament passages, the passage in Ephesians seems to contradict Scripture. Actually, based upon the rule of taking them back and comparing them to the “Old”, it does not line up. Since it is already in the “New” Testament, we KNOW that it must line up. Since a true believer wants to defend the Law of Moses and the Prophets (like Yeshua (Jesus), Paul, and the rest did), let us find out the truth: After a word search in Strongs on the words “commandments and regulations”, we can find out that it was, in fact, the man made laws that separated the Jews from the Gentiles that were considered hostile. We all know that the Laws of Moses were NOT hostile! If they were, then God, Himself, is hostile … and if God, Himself, is then so is His Son. For He is the word made flesh.

As I say in all my devotions … just think about it … before we make false accusations against the Son of God and His Spirit.

Day of Atonement and the Sabbath

The command / Law:

“Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as YHVH your God commanded you.”
(Deuteronomy 5:12)

What would it be called today?
What would this law look like lived out?
How does one keep this command / Law today?

10 / 06 / 07
(NASB used)

FIRST THOUGHTS:

Okay … not so fast. Read the verse above again, and truly answer the questions before you continue this study.

Even as my family has been practicing obedience to this command of God through our faith in His Son, this study has opened our eyes to just how much we have been satisfying our own flesh on the Sabbath. This study is NOT to condemn or judge anyone. My family and I, though, are making some changes in regards to our observance of Sabbath (The 4th commandment of the Ten Commandments … the day that God blessed and sanctified after the first six days of creation … the ONLY command that God said would be a sign between Himself and His children (“And also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am YHVH who sanctifies them.” Ezekiel 20:12) My friends, today I am going to concentrate on just how far we have to go to truly be like the Son of God. Please do not take me wrong, but even those who already observe the seventh day Sabbath like God says (like myself) may still be profaning His holy day. Some may have a checklist such as the following:

- on the seventh day (check)
- do no work (check)
- have a holy convocation (check)
- rest (check)

However, we can easily obey these without truly meeting with God or making the day holy. So this study is about attempting to allow the Spirit to control us instead of our sinful flesh. Continue reading Ezekiel 20 verse 13. Why was God so upset with our forefathers? “But the house of Israel rebelled against Me .. they rejected my ordinances … and My Sabbaths they greatly profaned …” Once we accept God’s deliverance through His Son, Jesus (Yeshua), we are covered by the blood of Christ and are children of the Most High God … but doesn’t it bother you when you find out what disappoints Him? When you find out what made Him angry in the past and then you find out that WE are doing the same thing? They were saved by faith too, but that doesn’t mean that they, or we, are permitted to continue to sin against God!

Let us start from the beginning and read about the very first Sabbath and see what God did:

“And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Gen 2:2-3)

BLESSED: To kneel, by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit). Its derived meaning is to bless someone or something. Brothers and sisters, God blessed the seventh day. He made this day the day to bless HIM and others.

SANCTIFIED: The Hebrew word “Qadash” means to be sacred, to be regarded as holy, to treat as holy, to seclude, set aside for use in the worship of God, withheld from ordinary or secular use, treated with special care as something which belongs to God. This day is to be different from ALL the other days. It is a day set aside specifically for the Lord to worship Him. It is all about HIM on this day. My friends, if we can’t give Him one day (at the least), then how are we going to spend eternity worshiping Him “24/7/365”?

Remember the check list above? I am guilty of keeping a check list like this. Although at face value I have been obeying the seventh day (no work, rest, and get together), my flesh has been in control regarding WHAT else I do on this day. I have made choices about what to do on this day based on my OWN desires. I have also allowed my flesh to turn my focus onto what I cannot do on this day. Instead, it should be a day in which I ask myself “what can I do to worship and honor the Lord, for it is HIS day”.

Let us read Isaiah 58:13-14. What we will find is a list that the Lord has put together that addresses this very issue about our flesh. If we are still allowing our flesh to do as it pleases, God does NOT have our hearts … especially on THIS day:

“If because of the Sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on MY holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of YHVH honorable, and shall honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure, and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in YHVH, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of YHVH has spoken.”

Did you see it? “Oh Lord, forgive me for desecrating your day by pleasing my flesh.” Friends, I am not going to list a bunch of things / activities that we were doing that had absolutely nothing to do with worshipping God. Oh, they were fun (and there is nothing wrong with fun in the flesh), but we have six other days to satisfy this “man within”. On the Sabbath, though, who is supposed to have fun? Our flesh or spirit? On the Sabbath it is time for my spirit to have fun, for my spirit Loooooooves searching for the face of God, singing to Him, worshipping Him, walking in His creation, blessing others, and this list goes on. Today is NOT a day for my flesh to rule!

God “blessed the seventh day and sanctified it” … His Son “blessed the seventh day and sanctified it” … Have we, His children / offspring “blessed the seventh day and sanctified it” ? (The same day and way God the Father and His Son did):

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:9-10)

Are we celebrating the Sabbath just like God did? He blessed and sanctified this day … the seventh day of Creation. Question: God is perfect, so did He make a mistake in choosing the 7th day? If He is perfect, then why would He change it later? In doing so (which He did not) wouldn’t that mean it wasn’t perfect on the 7th day? Let us stop making this day a burden by focusing on a list of what we can’t do. Instead, let us focus off of everyday common things, and on to worshipping and honoring God. THIS day is set apart and not to be used for common things!

Do these excuses sound familiar?

- “But my children need to have fun, and that is what matters.” (What are we truly teaching our children by allowing THEM to do as they please on God’s day?)
- “I finally have time to spend with my children / wife / friends. God would like that no matter what activities we do.” (Don’t assume what God would like and dislike. His Word is pretty clear that we are supposed to get together with them to worship God.)
- Many like to use this day as a “fun” day to do recreational activities (Just because it is fun, does not mean its worshipping God.) Oh, they may spend time in the Word, gather for an assembly and rest, but then they start the business of satisfying their own desires or the desires of their children. (This is sort of where my family was … I am sorry Lord)

One problem may be that we and our children may not truly know how to rest in the Lord and how to worship God. Again, we have six days for all that other stuff… God says to give Him one! As a way to accommodate all of what we desire to do with our children, souses, friends, or family, we may need to fit those activities into the six OTHER days of the week … instead of stealing time from the Lord.

Friends, on the Sabbath we are finally FREE from the world! We can put our phones down or even off;. Work and its stress is on hold. Husbands have time to help their wives so that they can enjoy this day, as well. We don’t have to worry about material things or our flesh anymore … We are FREE to worship God and search for His face, and rest. I cannot explain the delight and the true rest this is … to finally know what God is talking about!! “For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:10) and to “call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of YHVH honorable, and shall honor it.” (Isaiah 58:13)

“Lord, I am sorry that I have allowed my feet to do as they please on your Holy day. I am sorry that the words that I have spoken have been things regarding the world’s affairs. I am sorry that I have been desecrating YOUR day. Forgive me, Lord.”

LET GOD’S WORD SPEAK TO YOU, AS IT DID TO ME:

“For six days work may be done; but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; It is a Sabbath to YHVH in all your dwellings.” (Leviticus 23:3)

Again, the Sabbath remains today (the seventh day) as it did originally … observed just as His Son did. But let us read through to the ending of this passage in Hebrews … “There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.” (Heb.4:9-11)

Here is something to think about … is the day that we call Sabbath and what we DO on that day showing the world disobedience to God and that God will accept such behavior? Why would He? Well, many would say, because He is a forgiving God, of course. Isn’t that trampling and taking advantage of the blood that saves us? (Hebrews 10:29) Let us ALL start acting like the Son of God and bless the Sabbath and sanctify it. Set it apart from all the other days. My flesh may want to do all kinds of things, but on this day, my spirit is ruler of this body!!

Just something to think about … as we all may need to re-examine what we do on this holy day which belongs to God. We must stay moldable in the Maker’s hand … learning more each week of what pleases Him! We will be doing this forever with Him … and what a way to practice … by obeying the Sabbath.

The command / Law:

“On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you (Gather together for worship), and you shall humble your souls (Fast / deny yourself) and present an offering by fire to YHVH. You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before YHVH your God. If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. (We must not say that “He doesn’t really mean that. Surely we won’t be cut off from among His people.” Funny, because that is exactly the tactic Satan used on Eve, “Surely He doesn’t mean that you will die for just eating that apple.”) You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places (It is to be done forever no matter where we are). It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your Sabbath. (Confirmation that God ordains that a day begins and ends at sunset … evening to evening)”

(Leviticus 23:27-32)

What would it be called today?
What would this law look like lived out?
How does one keep this command / Law today?

09 / 22 / 07
(NIV used)

The Day of Atonement is today (09/22/07) and many are celebrating it out of faith. It is one of eight appointments God makes with His children. These days are not Jewish, nor are they only for those who lived before the Savior came. They are for Israel, God’s children, … us (Both Jew and Gentile who live by faith in His Salvation … Jesus / Yeshua).

We like to celebrate in order to remember what has happened to us. For example:

- We celebrate July 4th to remember our nation’s independence.
- We celebrate birthdays to remember when people were born into the world.
- We celebrate Memorial Day to remember those who have gone before us to gain our freedom.
- We celebrate Labor Day to …. Well, I suppose, to take another day off … You get the point.

We also like to practice things before they happen. For example:

- We do “dress rehearsals” before a wedding (to try to make it perfect)
- We practice before playing any games. (You know, “practice makes perfect”)
- Even in golf, many will go to driving ranges to make sure that once they get on the real course they do not make a fool of themselves in front of others.
- If leading a business meeting or giving a speech in school … we practice. We will even write down what we are going to say on a piece of paper and read and re-read it … over and over again … so that when the time comes we know what we are going to say.
- We even train for jobs and spend thousands of dollars on schooling so that we are ready for the “perfect job”.

Why do we celebrate so many worldly events that have happened, or practice for so many things that in the end, mean nothing, but refuse to celebrate and practice God’s appointments? Let us recap some of God’s appointments which many have missed. They can all be found in Leviticus 23.

- Passover: To remember what His Son did for us on the cross (1 Corinthians 5:7)
o The New Testament believers celebrated it (1 Corinthians 5:8), but Rome changed it to another day around 350 AD and called it Good Friday.
- Unleavened Bread: To remember that His Son was buried, died and confronted Satan. (Even Paul continued to celebrate it after the Messiah’s death and resurrection … Acts 20:6)
o Not celebrated by many of God’s children today.
- Firstfruit: To remember that His Son was the first to be raised imperishable. He is the first of many. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
o Again, the New Testament believers celebrated it, but Rome changed it to another day around 350 AD and called it Easter.
- Pentecost: To remember that His Son sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within ALL the children of God. (To deal with sin where it starts … in the heart). (Again, we find our brother Paul celebrating it after the Saviors resurrection … Acts 20:16)
o Although hard to believe, the giving of the Spirit is not celebrated by many of God’s children, as well.
- Trumpets: To practice for the return of His Son. Our forefathers in the New Testament celebrated it, and we should be too.
- Day of Atonement: This is today (This year it lands on 09/22/07). This is the day of judgment that has yet to occur. We are commanded to observe it (practice until it comes … then, possibly celebrate it to remember?). Although we have the blood of our Savior for our atonement, we still have to present the “ticket” to the “Conductor” (Stand before the one who created us). For those who are saved this day WILL be a Day of Redemption / Atonement. It still remains a solemn day, though, for it is on THIS day that we are to give an account of our lives to God. It is on THIS day that we ALL will truly realize who we really are before God.

ABOUT THE DAY OF ATONEMENT:

As we “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling…” (Philippians 2:12), let us return to God and meet with Him on HIS appointed days. Let us realize that those in the New Testament WERE obeying God’s appointments. So in a way, all we are doing is correcting what man has destroyed over all these years with doctrines and traditions.

It is on this day (The Day of Atonement) that MANY will find out that their faith without obedience was dead … “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day (The Day of Atonement), ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23) Yes, this may be why God wants us to “humble our souls” (Fast) on this day … to humble ourselves, for it is NOT on our merits that we will enter Heaven, but on His Son’s. It is on this day that we stand before our maker and give an account of ALL that we have said and ALL that we have done in the flesh:

- “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12)
- “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” (Matthew 12:36) On what day? The Day of judgment for some, the day of Atonement / Redemption for God’s children!! What a humbling day this is, I tell my flesh to “sit down and be quiet” today (by fasting and contemplating life and eternity).

“… For we will ALL stand before God’s judgment seat.” (Romans 14:10) Can you see that this day has not yet come? Why are we not practicing it and obeying God?

It will be on THIS day that many will finally realize the Holiness of God; the awe of His being; The error of their thinking … Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) Yep … on the Day of Atonement, many will truly know and see.

Let me ask you, since the following is true, when do you think we have to give this account? “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13) Hint: On THE day we stand before our Creator (The Day of Atonement), that is when we will give an account.

Let us think about who is holding God back from judging now … since He is ready: “But they will have to give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Peter 4:5) Hint: Most likely, it is on the Day of Atonement that we will have to give this account. Praise God for our Savior’s Spirit who is holding back this Judgment!! “For the secret power of lawLESSness is already at work; but the One who now holds it back will continue to do so till He is taken out of the way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7) Can you see the power of Law-LESS-ness today? Can you see that those who say “We do not have to obey God’s Laws” are actually part of the “lawlessness” that is already at work … even back then?

IN CLOSING …

Remember that Matthew 12:36 spoke of everyone having to give an account on “… the Day of Judgment …”? It is on the Day of “Judgment” that believers will stand with Ephesians 4:30 … “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” This day, for those who truly have His , will be a Day of Redemption / Atonement. It is on THIS day that we will be able to pass through the proverbial “metal detector” or have the “Spirit” ticket to board the plane to heaven. It is also on this day that many will be found without their ticket, the Spirit. Instead, they will realize that they sold their ticket for a lie. My friends, a sin is a sin, and sin is still based upon God’s Laws and everything that proceeds out of His mouth. “Everyone who sins breaks the Law; in fact, sin is law-LESS-ness.” (1 John 3:4)

Oh, do you want more proof that our forefathers (Those our Savior personally taught) continued to obey this Feast of the Lord? “Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast.” (Acts 27:9) Yep, you guessed it … today is “the Fast” that the New Testament believers were obeying. It was the ONLY day that we are commanded to fast, thus it is called, “The Fast”. My friends, what is being revealed in these last days is NOT a new denomination or a new teaching. It is a teaching that we had from the beginning but has been lost over time.

God makes appointments with us, yet many refuse to meet with God on HIS days. They are either too busy or have been brain-washed (like I was) into believing that we no longer have to obey God’s Laws. (As if God changed His mind.)

Just something to think about … before the real day is here.

Oh, by the way, the next of God’s appointment is this Thursday (09/27/07) – the final in His schedule of yearly appointments.

- Tabernacles: We are to be practicing being with God forever – to “tabernacle” with God!! Isn’t THIS what we are hoping for and have faith in? Then why are many not practicing it until it comes. (Out of faith, of course.) Again, we find many examples in the New Testament of this Feast being celebrated:

o John 7:37-38 (Tabernacles is an 8 day feast … the last day being the greatest!)
o Luke 2:7 talks about Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles was one of three feasts where they had to pilgrimage to Jerusalem … thus: “there was no room in the inn.”
o 2 Corinthians 5:2-6 … yes, this is the day that this passage comes true and we will be clothed after being found faithful and obedient: “those who obey God’s commands AND hold to the testimony of Yeshua (Jesus).” (Revelation 12:17) Which side of the war will you be on?

Again, the final Tabernacle has not happened, but we are told in Zechariah 14:16-19 that we will be celebrating it in the end times … practicing it when He comes.

Feasts of Trumpets and New Moon

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS

“These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of YHVH,
which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies”

(Leviticus 23:2)

09 / 27 / 08
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis are mine)

FIRST THOUGHTS:

When a king is ushered in or is anointed, isn’t there a trumpet sounded?” (2 Kings 9:13 and 1 Kings 1:34 … “There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’”)

Isn’t a trumpet used to wake people up or to warn them?” (Ezekiel 33:6 and especially Joel 2:1 which says, “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of YHVH is coming. It is close at hand”).

Isn’t the Son of God the King we are living for and are going to be ushering in? Aren’t we to be sounding the horn of the coming kingdom?

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS IS COMING (And so is the King!?):

Although this week might be another dress rehearsal, are you ready to receive the King if it isn’t? Are we not to be preparing ourselves to be with the One we love? “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)” (Revelation 19:7-8)

Note: Our righteous acts are our obedience to God’s commands. We are commanded to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets. Recall from last week that sin is disobeying God’s commands.

THIS IS AN ACTUAL APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED BY GOD!

Original command: found in Leviticus 23:23-35 (verse 24 shown): “…On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.” (This is speaking of the seventh month on God’s timetable, not man’s seventh month of July.)

Spiritual meaning: God uses His appointments to reveal Himself. The Spring Feasts have already passed:

- Passover (The chosen Lamb)
- Unleavened Bread (sinless and the single kernel buried)
- Firstfruit (Overcoming the grips of death and being the first to rise)
- Pentecost (the giving of the Spirit to help us obey God’s Laws)

Although much of Christianity disregards God’s appointments and instead celebrates the man-made holidays of Easter and good Friday (and many simply ignore the giving of the Sprit), these appointments are eternal and cannot be changed (“All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” – Psalm 119:160). The above are the Spring feasts, but what about the Fall Feasts? Are we not waiting for His return? Are we not waiting for judgment Day? Are we not waiting to be with Him forever? These things are yet to come and are all closely tied to the Fall Feast days, yet the modern day church has ceased from celebrating them! The Fall feasts reveal what the Messiah is going to do in our lives and in Israel (His family)! Since the Feasts are determined by the new moon, I will let you know when the new moon is spotted (setting the cycle of Feasts). The first of the Fall feasts is Trumpets. In short, it is a day in which we are commanded to blow the trumpet (shofar), get together as a body of Believers, and do no work. My friends … that is it! Blowing of the trumpet (shofar) and celebrating the Messiah! Can you see the symbolism of blowing the trumpet? Many believe it will be on this day that our Lord returns! We should be celebrating the feast of Trumpets out of a child-like faith (God said it – we do it). We celebrate this Feast in anticipation of His return (out of faith). Can you see the sound getting louder each year as more and more believers walk in the truth? One year, it will no longer be a dress rehearsal, but the actual performance.

New Testament findings: What did Yeshua (Jesus) do? Our Messiah celebrated this, as well as His followers … so why aren’t we?

- Matthew 24:31: “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Isn’t this what we are all hoping for? Will you be celebrating and blowing the trumpet (shofar) on this day? Or will you be, like many at His first coming, simply going about your business on this day and doing the “routine” of life? Will you miss the Messiah? Can you imagine, while we are blowing our trumpet (shofar) He may actually return?)

- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52: “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (Because many of us have been raised NOT to obey the Law and appointments of God, we all know the part of the phrase that says, “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye” as well as being “raised imperishable” – but have no idea about the trumpet call!)

- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (All I know is that my family and I (along with many others) will be celebrating and have already sent in our RSVP to the invitation. I guess there is limited seating: “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14). We should all desire to be found in obedience when He returns at His appointed time.)

- Revelation 1:10: “On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,” and again in 4:1: “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’”

WHEN IS THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS THIS YEAR (We will have to wait until the new moon is spotted):

This year’s Feast of Trumpets will be on Wednesday (beginning the evening of 09/30) or Thursday (beginning the evening of 10/01), depending upon when the new moon is seen in Israel. Again, there are many who go by the calendar and man’s scientific guess, but what joy and anticipation there is in doing it the way God set up and the way our Master did. I admit it may be more of a “hassle” to do it this way, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy. God is NOT about our convenience in the flesh. Quite the opposite. Are we ready for His return or are we not? Are we really anticipating His return or just going through the motions? Waiting for the actual moon to be cited is very exciting and fulfills Matthew 25:13 which says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” regarding His return. So if we go by the calendar, we DO know the day and time. In actuality, though, we do not know until it is spotted. For it is also written that His return will not surprise those who are obedient to His commands: 1 Thessalonians 5:4 … “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. “ We anticipate His return on this day, but simply do not know when it is until the new moon is spotted.

God’s word says that “The moon marks off the seasons (the Hebrew word for seasons is mô‛êd which means an appointment, or specifically a festival)” (Psalm 104:19). His word also says that the beast in the end times will “speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws.” (Daniel 7:25) These verses deserve some close attention and meditation.

Enjoy the day off this coming feast and let the sound of the horn get louder and louder each year. (Note: Let me know if you would like to be notified when we receive word of the new moon sighting in Israel where our Savior will be returning one year. (Zechariah 14:3-4 … “Then YHVH will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.”) Maybe it will be this week!

God wants us on HIS timetable, not fitting Him into our busy schedules. He doesn’t give a lot of advance notice, so we must always be alert and ready to change our plans for His:

- A day is determined by the sun setting on the horizon. A day to God is evening to evening, or dusk to dusk. This was set at Creation as written in Genesis 1:1-2:3 (and verified with Leviticus 23:32 speaking of the Day of Atonement: “It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your Sabbath.”)

- A month is determined by the first sliver of moon after the moon has been darkened due to the point of conjunction which occurs each month. Although tradition has us looking at man’s wisdom to determine when the new moon is (the dates on our calendars are based on scientific calculations which are good estimates of when the new moon will be spotted, but can be off 1 or 2 days each month.). We are now able (since 1948 when Israel occupied the land, again) to sight the new moon in Israel, again. (Think about it. By using the calendars, or man’s estimate, we are saying it is “close enough”. When our Messiah comes back, it will be according to HIS time using HIS method and not by man’s scientific guess.)

- A year is determined by the barley being ripe in Israel (called “Abib” which means the barely is ripened to the point of being able to be parched in fire and eaten.) This is God’s way of letting His people know when the year is ending and the new one is beginning. When the first crop of barley in Israel is “abib”, the following new moon is the 1st month of the year. In Exodus 13:3 it says, “Today, in the month of Abib (the barley being at the above defined state), you are leaving.” This passage is speaking of when they were leaving Egypt. In Exodus 12:2 the word for month in this passage is “Chodesh” which literally means new moon, and so should read: “This new moon is to be for you the first new moon, the first new moon of your year.” (Many of our translations have “month” in place of “new moon”). Thus, we see that when the barley is “abib” … the next new moon is the new year and begins the Appointment cycle of our God. Awesome! God determines it all!

Some notes on our study regarding the New Moon (Are we to “Sight it” or follow man’s calendar?”)
God’s calendar is clear and was given at the beginning and throughout Scriptures:

Genesis 1:14 … Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasonsH4150 and for days and years;

Psalm 104:19 … He made the moon for the seasonsH4150; The sun knows the place of its setting.

Leviticus 23:4 … ‘These are the appointedH4150 timesH4150 of YHVH, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the timesH4150 appointedH4150 for them.

H4150 is mô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh
mo-ade’, mo-ade’, mo-aw-daw’
From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose);

H3259 is yâ‛ad
yaw-ad’
A primitive root; to fix upon (by agreement or appointment); by implication to meet (at a stated time), set (a time).

Where is the New Moon and the sun set for times? In Genesis 1:14, Psalm 104:19 and Jeremiah 33:25-26 … “This is what YHVH says: ‘If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’”
When is God’s New Month? The New Moon sightings tell us when the month begin. The New Moon gives us the dates of the Moedims (appointments).

When is God’s New Year? When the sun ripens the barley to the Aviv state, this signifies which New Moon begins the New Year. When they spot the barley being in the Aviv state, the following New Moon signifies the New Year. So, the sun determines the year and the moon, the month.

There is confusion, though, on “what is the New Moon” since “New Moon” is an unused Biblical term. Let us see what some say:

o Astronomers dubbed the point of conjunction to be the “New Moon”. This is when the sun is behind the moon, so no part of the moon (from the earth’s perspective) can be seen. Thus, “New Moon” = “No Moon”
o The Biblical “New Moon”, however, is the first sliver of light seen after the days of a dark moon (a dark moon, or the astronomers point of conjunction) can last between 1.5 to 3.5 days during conjunction. So, after having “No Moon” for a few days, the “New Moon” appears for the first time. This is also called the crescent moon. Why is the first sighting of the moon the Biblical way? “Hodesh” (New Moon) means to “make new” or “renew”. The Crescent New Moon is called “Hodesh” because it is the first time the moon is seen anew after being concealed for several days at the end of the lunar cycle.

- Each New Moon starts a month (Us Greeks have named the months like we named the days of the week). Actually, God’s Word has it “the third day of the second month” … meaning, “the third day after the sighting of the second moon since the barley was aviv.”

Verses that put new moon equal with the Sabbath and the feasts:

Nehemiah 10:33 “for the showbread, for the continual grain offering, for the continual burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the New Moon, for the appointed times, for the holy things and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.”

Psalm 81:3 “Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;”

Isaish 1:13 “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New Moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies– I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.

Isaiah 66:23 “‘And it shall be from New Moon to New Moon And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down before Me,’ says YHVH.” (Note: this passage is speaking about the end days. Mankind will be celebrating the New Moon and the Sabbath)

Amos 8:5 “saying, ‘When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?’” (We use this verse to say that we do not buy or sell on the Sabbath, yet, we do not recognize the new moon. This passage continues by stating that they were waiting to use dishonest scales, as well. That is why they wanted the new moon and Sabbath to be over)

Colossians 2:16 “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a New Moon or a Sabbath day”

Let us search if we should use man’s predetermined way of determining when the New Moon is … OR … wait on God’s timing and actually sighting it.

- Those who walk in the Feasts, as our Lord and Savior did, have come to know and love the New Moon. But not using God’s way of deciding the new moon, but rather by using man’s way (a prediction). We simply have not thought about it and continue as it “always has been in our life time”

- Let us first investigate why using man’s way even started in the first place. In 359 AD, Rome issued a proclamation abolishing the Sanhedrin (The Sanhedrin were the governing body who declared the “New Moon” sightings and who governed Israel at that time). There is a question on whether the Sanhedrin is even “Biblical”, but we do have the 70 elders of Moses, as well as a need for a governing body. We will leave it at that. The Jews were being scattered throughout the world. Before they were scattered, a final convening of the Sanhedrin took place to establish the Hillel II calendar for use while they were not in the land. It was to be temporary until the Messiah returned and restored them to their land and rebuilt the temple … etc… This was a good estimate of the new moon, but is typically off by 1 or 2 days each month. It uses calculations for the average point of conjunction to predict the New Moon.

o Why the Sanhedrin? The commandment of identifying and declaring the New Moon was addressed only to Moses and Aaron (Exodus 12). If it were to be addressed to the whole community, the determination of the calendar would be arbitrary and subject to all sorts of discrepancies. For that reason, this commandment has always been regarded as a function of the governing body or a leader (The Sanhedrin and their Hillel II calendar is a man-made tradition. Although a good one, it should not keep us from obeying the commandment the best we know how). I am fine with having a governing body sighting the New Moon, but I will not keep the lack of it to keep me from obeying.

Regarding the leaders during the time of Yeshua (of which the Sanhedrin were part of):

Peter and the apostles were brought before the council and were questioned by the high priest. They had been told not to continue teaching in the name of Yeshua. Acts 5:29 says, “But Peter and the apostles answered and said, ‘We must obey God rather than man.’” So, if any rulers (i.e. Sanhedrein or any other leader) tell us to do something that goes against God’s clear word, then we must disobey the rulers and do what God commands. Peter and the apostles didn’t even tip-toe around this issue with the high priest. Peter and the apostles did not even compromise and to both (man’s way and God’s … just to “keep the peace”). When the Spirit reveals a truth, we must walk in it. We are not to accept both versions (If so, then Christmas would be okay, as long as we do the Feast of Tabernacles with it). Once we know the truth, have studied it, have discussed it, have prayed about it, we should stop doing what we used to do (no matter how large the crowd who disagrees).

There are some people that say they agree that we should go by the sightings of the moon, but for the sake of the “community” and for the sake of the “larger body of Israel” we should ignore what the Spirit reveals and stick with the majority and their traditions. I would cite Exodus 23:2 … “You shall not follow a multitude in doing evil…” (Anything that goes against God’s Word is evil.) What would I have done before Israel was a nation again and came to this truth? I would have actually looked for the New Moon myself … where I am at. THAT would have been closer to obedience than following man’s way.

The Hillel II calendar, I believe, was an attempt to obey the New Moon citing while away from Israel … but … we cannot ignore our ability to site the New Moon in Israel because the Sanhedrin didn’t authorize it again.

- Luke 12:11 says, “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and authorities, do not be anxious …” (This verse is Yeshua speaking about the religious leaders calling them rulers and authorities – now look at Colossians 2:15 which uses the SAME words.) Colossians 2:15 … “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him (lit. the cross).” (This verse shows that by His death on the cross, Yeshau made a public spectacle of their teachings and triumphed over them. This does not sound as though, there was a high opinion of them from the Son of God (or Paul). It also said that Yeshua disarmed them – would that mean that He took away their power? Why are we giving it back to them? I am NOT against leaders and direction. But it is clear that if there is a way to obey the command, then we must do it, no matter how many may disagree.)
- Matthew 15:2-3 … “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread! And He answered and said to them, ‘And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?’” (The tradition of the elders that we are dealing with today is the Hillel II Calendar. Should we follow that tradition or follow God’s command as best as we can?)
- Matthew 23:2-3 in the Shem-Tov Hebrew Matthew reads as follows: “saying, the Pharisees and sages sit upon the seat of Moses. Therefore, all that HE says to you diligently do, but according to their reforms and their precedents do not do, because they talk but they do not do.” (In other words, do what Moses says and do it diligently. But as far as the Pharisees and the sages, even though they have placed themselves in Moses’ seat, do not do their reforms and precedents. Some say that the Hebrew Matthew comes after the Greek. In both cases, we must simply continue to read the passage. Yeshua followed by blasting the Pharisees and sages for their actions and wickedness. That alone would tell us that Yehsua is NOT complimenting them simply because THEY sat themselves (God did not) in the seat of Moses.

- In 1948 Israel became a nation again. Today, Israel has the largest Jewish community in the world. Yet, they have not gone back to the Biblical calendar of spotting the New Moon. They continue using the “traditional way” of the Hillel II calendar. About 20 years ago, some people began using the Biblical methods, again. So we do have a source … just not the Sanhedrin.

Questions:

- If we have the means to do it the way God intended … then why don’t we?
- Many say, “for the sake of the majority and uniformity, let us use what they majority uses … the Hillel II calendar. Funny, if we were to care about the majority and uniformity, then why wouldn’t we stay in the church doctrines? Are we not to forsake man’s traditions to obey God?
- We know that God’s appointments and times are set on the New Moon. Question: Would Yeshua return on Trumpets based on the man-made time table or on the actual sighting of the New Moon? I believe His return would be based upon the sighting and not on a calendar.

As mentioned, we have those sighting the New Moon and the internet to declare it throughout the world within seconds. In the past (we have documentation how they declared the New Moon) they lit fires on mountain tops.

Like all the Laws … we do the best we can (not for salvation, but to please God and show Him we love Him). We are confidant that the new month starts with the sighting of the New Moon, but now we are struggling with “when” to start celebrating it. At Israel’s sighting or the coming night in our land (knowing that it has already started in Israel). We are saved by faith!

The feast days are specific appointed days God gave to His children and they knew when they were based on the New Moon as sighted in Israel. (Although the children were scattered outside of Israel, it was based on Israel’s sighting.) This is God’s calendar for His children. When the Moon was first sighted by enough witnesses and it was declared, then the word would go out (via fires on top of mountains).

If the New Moon is not sighted on day 29th (due to clouds or some other conditions that God alone allows) it is automatically day 30th. For it is never more than 30 days.

If the barley is not Aviv by the 13th new moon, THAT determines the leap year!! NOT man’s calendar!

Is it harder to plan ahead? YES it is! But when your life is centered around God, then changing it to please HIS calendar is that much easier.

We must start obeying God His way. We should not care what others are saying or doing … we must follow God the best we are able!

Conclusion:

o a day is determined by the sun going down
o a week is determined by the Sabbath
o a month is determined by the sighting of the New Moon
o a year is determined by the barley being Aviv

Misunderstood Verses

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
(Galatians 4:4-5)

04 / 11 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

There was a reason why I picked the above passage to open with for this week’s “misunderstood passage”. Mary was born under the Law. Was that bad? Of course not. To be considered “under the Law” simply meant that they were children of God waiting for the Messiah to come. Let me ask you, did God send His Son to redeem everyone, regardless of if they ever accept Him? Of course not (Do not misunderstand this … This gift is available for all men, but ONLY His true children will be redeemed). So God sent His Son, born of a woman (of Israel) to redeem those who will turn to Him (Israel) that we might receive the full rights of sons, having been redeemed by grace through faith. It was a good thing at this time to be called “under the Law”. Let us examine this week’s passage with eyes and ears that are ready to learn more of what pleases God:.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

Notice that this verse does NOT say that the LAW will not be your master, but sin (sin is determined by the Law – “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4)). The simple question posed by this passage is, “Who are you under?” Recall my opening thought that BELIEVING ISRAELITES (whether a Jew or a Gentile) were known as “Those under the Law”. This is NOT a negative designation as many see it today. Instead, this usage of the word “under” means as a tutor. The Law being spoken of in this tense is “on stone”. It was their tutor, or counselor, until the LIVING Tutor, Yeshua (Jesus) came with His Counselor (the Spirit). The way the term “under the Law” is used here is to identify those who were saved by faith because He gave His law to His children who were saved by faith by putting the blood on their doorposts so that the “death angel” would “Pass over” them.

Still need more proof? Examine Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:20, when he was explaining that he will be all things to all people. Here, he mentions THREE groups of people: The unsaved Jews, the saved Jews (of which He is one), and Gentiles: “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.” I know, I know. If you are checking out your Bibles, most have Paul claiming that “though I myself am not under the law”. This simply did not make sense, though, because Paul follows this up with “though I am not free from God’s law”. If we think about it, Paul should have said he was part of the first group … since he was a Jew. BUT, he “became like a Jew” and then follows up after those “under the Law” as saying: “This is my group, since I still have to tell them about the Messiah has come.” When this did not make sense, I decided to dig for truth and found that the word “NOT” ISN’T IN THE ORIGINAL TEXT! It was actually added by the translator who, of course, had his or her own doctrines and beliefs. Now that we know this, we see clearly that Paul is identifying himself with THIS group … those living by faith and obeying the Law out of that faith.

Being “under the Law” simply means that they were given the Law on stone to obey. The Law on stone was their tutor, or supervisor. They were commanded to put this Law in their hearts, themselves. They did not have the Spirit to do this since the Spirit had not yet been given: “… Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Yeshua (Jesus) had not yet been glorified.” (John 7:39) But now that the Spirit has come and through FAITH dwells within us, He (the Spirit) is writing the SAME laws on our hearts, so we are no longer “under” the Law (written on stone): “Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the Law.” (Galatians 3:25) This does NOT mean that the Spirit was not at work in the lives of believers before this time. It was just in a different capacity. This understanding is further explained in 2 Corinthians 3:3: “… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” The SAME Law is being spoken of, but with different applications. The Law of God as given through Moses and the Prophets was perfect and just. As I stated previous, that is why Paul concludes when speaking about being like a Gentile to win them over in 1 Corinthians 9:21: “To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.” I believe that Christ’s Law is that the Jews and Gentiles are ONE in Him (the members of Israel) and that we are to love each other (a Jew is to love the Gentile believer, and vice-versa). Many do not realize that THIS was one of the reasons He came.

1) “He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Yeshua (Jesus) would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together AND MAKE THEM ONE.” (John 11:51-52)
2) “HIS PURPOSE was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (Ephesians 2:15-16) The Jews (with all their laws and regulations that they added over time) were hostile to the Gentiles who desired to know the true God. God’s Laws were NEVER hostile to the believing alien that sojourned with them. On the contrary, the Laws of Moses were compassionate to those who were not physical descendants of Jacob, yet lived by faith. As we see, Yeshua’s purpose was to create in Himself, ONE new man out of the two.
3) This is why, when a believing Jew carries the burden of a believing Gentile (or vice-versa), they have fulfilled the Law of Christ: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

The Law of Moses is eternal (“All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” – Psalm 119:160) and one of the problems has always been man’s disobedience to it. (“the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” – Romans 8:7) That is what sin is: living without the Law: “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” – 1 John 3:4. Therefore, God is going to help us. He, through the blood of His Son, is going to send the Spirit. The job of the Spirit? To write the Laws on our hearts and minds (“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” – Hebrews 8:10) so that we understand and obey. THAT is sanctification and how He takes the sins away. Are you willing to let Him do His job? If not, you are not part of the “under Grace” crowd but still part of the those “not having the Law” group.

05 / 16 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, for it is written in Psalm 119:160 … “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”)

To find the subject being spoken of in this misunderstood passage, we must begin with Romans 10:3 which explains, “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” Many do not realize that God’s Son IS the example of righteousness and how to obey God’s Laws! Many will say, “We cannot obey the Law perfectly” and I say back, “It never says we have to.” The people spoken about in the above passage were establishing their own righteousness apart from God’s Laws. They were the Jewish leaders at that time. Over time, they had added so many other laws to God’s that they were “seeking to establish their own” righteousness (obedience) instead of using God’s Laws as the guideline.

So now that we know we are not to seek our own righteousness apart from God’s Laws. What is verse 4 speaking of? If we say that He is “ending the Law so there will be righteousness”, then aren’t we doing the same and not submitting to God’s righteousness? We are zeroing in on the problem. We know that the Law remains and they are God’s righteousness, as it is written: “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” (Romans 2:13) So, the problem seems to be in the way the translator stated that “Christ is the end of the law…” The truth can be found in the meaning of the word “end”. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, The word “end” was taken from the original Greek word “telos” and is defined as:

To set out for a definite point or goal; the point aimed at as a limit.

(And yes, one of the meanings way down the list is ‘end’. But it is not the end that most are thinking of. When you shoot at a target with an arrow, the arrow stops … ends … at the goal – the target. Christ is the target we are to aim at when shooting to obey the Law! When we hit the bull’s-eye, we have come to the fullness, or end of our aim.)

In general, the original definition of “end” means “point aimed at” or “goal”. So the meaning of Romans 10:4 should actually read, “For those who believe, Christ is the point aimed at, purpose or goal of the law so that there may be righteousness.” To those of us who believe, we will look to the example of the sinless Lamb that was sacrificed. Thus, if we want to know how to obey the Laws of God for our righteousness, we need only look at Christ, our goal to shoot at, for our example. If we use Christ as our example of how to live out the Law, we will be living a righteous life like He did. Thus, “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Yeshua (Jesus) did.” (1 John 2:6)

06 / 20 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” (Titus 3:9)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, for it is written in Psalm 119:160 … “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”)

When told that God’s eternal laws still apply to Christians, today, some respond with this passage in Titus 3:9. They think that anyone who believes this is promoting foolish controversies and quarrels about the Law.

When this was written, many of the leaders in Israel were puffed-up and often argued about which Laws were better, which ones were holier, what pleased God the most, etc. They also quarreled about how to live out God’s Laws. Read Titus 3:9 again. It does NOT say that they are arguing if the Law applies or not, but “about the Law”. Many of these arguments about God’s Word (or Laws) were unprofitable and useless. For example, we know from Scripture that the Sabbath is on the seventh day (Saturday). Let’s take a look at two conversations and see which is Biblical and which is controversial or quarrelsome:

- “Brothers, let us reason it out. We know that Yeshua’s (Jesus) followers continued to honor the Sabbath on the seventh day (just like God did). I pray that you consider your ways and turn to God with all your heart as you read these passages …” (This way is Biblical and is never foolish: “… remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5:20; also, Galatians 6:1: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.”)

OR

- “I cannot believe that you went there on the Sabbath! You are such a sinner, brother. What? I don’t care if we don’t see it specifically in God’s Word, it is obvious that this is the way God intended us to obey the command. What? Well, maybe if you stop hanging around that certain person, maybe you could see clearly that what you are doing is against the Law.” (This way is Non-Biblical and is a controversy about how to live out the command.)

The Laws of Moses and the Prophets are the standard by which we determine what sin is. We must be careful, though, not to be foolish when we discuss it. When we speak, it must be profitable and useful and out of love for our brothers. We must seek guidance about how to live out God’s Laws from His Word which contains the examples of our Savior, as well as those who followed Him. We must sincerely pray for God’s wisdom. Once we are convicted of how to live out a command, we must be careful not to impose our own convictions on others if what we are doing is not found in Scripture specifically.

CLOSING THOUGHT:

Who are the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? Those who practice the Law and teach it to others: “but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19) We must teach in love and mutual respect, though. We must make sure we are firm about God’s written commands, but realize there is room for personal conviction as to how each one is lived out.

06 / 13 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:3-5)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, for it is written in Psalm 119:160 … “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”)

Many people quote 1 Timothy 4:3-5 in isolation. If read simply by itself, it may seem as though we can eat anything, as long as we pray over it, first. Is that what is truly being said here? We must remember that the Biblical definition of “food” includes only CLEAN foods which God defined in Leviticus 11. God is not a liar, nor does He change like we do.

Let us see what is truly being addressed here. In order to do so, we must look at the BEGINNING of the passage in verses 1 and 2: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” We can now see that this is referring to abstaining from certain (clean) foods, and not to the animals forbidden by God for human consumption. For if it were saying that we can eat even the animals God had forbidden, it would also be calling God’s Laws ‘things taught by demons and deceiving spirits’. This is not good! This passage is not addressing God’s Laws, but false doctrines which were contrary to God’s Word. For example, when did God EVER forbid us to marry? These false teachings being addressed were regarding forbidding certain foods and also forbidding marriage. This is further proof that the verse is NOT about God’s Laws, but doctrines of demons and deceiving spirits. We can’t be so easily entangled in what our human nature desires so that we jump to conclusions about the meaning of a verse. If we reject EVEN ONE of God’s Laws, then we put ourselves in the place of God. Some religions have even preached that we must abstain from certain foods on certain days of the week. We must ask: Is this a Law of God? Of course not! There are some religions which also forbid their leaders to marry. IS this a Law of God? Of course not! It is NOT God’s Laws that are being addressed in this passage, but man-made laws.

CLOSING THOUGHT:

If we take the last part of the passage and say, “nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving”, so we no longer have to follow God’s dietary Laws (saying it is no longer a sin for us), we are on a slippery slope of logic. For it could also be said, then, that adultery is no longer a sin as long as the adulterer does his or her act with prayer and thanksgiving. Let us not change God to fit into our mold. Let us allow HIM to fit us into the ONLY mold He has for His children… that of His Son. (Romans 8:29 “For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”). We are to love and obey … just like His Son did.

07 / 11 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, and it is written in Psalm 119:160 … “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”)

Matthew 5:17 is the passage most often used to justify a life of disobedience to God’s laws. People often tell me, “Kyle, Christ fulfilled the Law.” The traditional view of what the word “fulfill’ means in this passage would make our Savior out to be talking foolishness. We must take the time to find the original context, meaning of the words, and compare our interpretation to the rest of Scripture to make sure there is no contradiction. So, let us examine this passage more closely. No … REALLY CLOSELY.

First of all, Yeshua (Jesus), Himself, is very clear that He is NOT abolishing the Law and that we are not even to think this way. The word “fulfill” in this passage does not mean to do away with, eliminate, abolish, cancel, etc. If it did, the passage in Matthew 5:17 would mean something such as: “I have not come to abolish them but to eliminate them”. Silly, isn’t it? Additionally, if “fulfill” means to abolish, then we need only carry another’s burdens once. We would have fulfilled the Law of Christ and would no longer need to do it again. Galatians 6:2 … “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” So let us reason this out.

The word fulfill in Matthew 5:17 is “pleroo” in Greek. This word actually means: to satisfy, execute, finish, make replete, verify. There are MANY parts of the Law that spoke about the coming Messiah. Moses even said that there would be one like himself coming and that the people must listen to him. These types of prophesies are what he fulfilled or satisfied and executed. How else would we know that HE is the Messiah unless He satisfied the prophecies about the Messiah?

With this mindset, let us take a look at some of the prophecies Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled as stated in Matthew 5:17. These prophesies about the coming Messiah were just as much a part of the Law as the commands regarding how to live. Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the portions of the Law that wrote about Him. For example, the following passages were written in the Law about the Savior and have all been fulfilled, satisfied, and finished. THESE are the things that were fulfilled in the Law:

- “… They hated me without reason.” (John 15:25)
- “… He will be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:23)
- “These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of His bones will be broken.’” (John 19:36)
- “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:22-23)
- “… I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 13:35)

The following passages also confirm the meaning of the word fulfill:

- Luke 22:37 says, “Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
- “…Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (Luke 24:44)

Read Matthew 26:54 very carefully: “But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” If there were no prophesies about the Messiah and what He would do and say, then how would we know that He is the One? We are positive about two things: He IS the Messiah and the Law is not abolished, but is our righteousness for all who believe. He is our perfect example of how to live a life of obedience to God.

“Haven’t you read this scripture:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;’”
(Mark 12:10)

04 / 25 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

Sadly, many Christians today would have to answer “no” to the above question from our Savior. I have been told by some that the only command that we have today is “to love each other”. If people would just find out what pleases God, they would know the truth. This is why I chose the passage at the top, the stone is Yeshua (Jesus) and the builders who rejected the stone were the Jews. The mainstream Christians have done the same. Let us read this week’s misunderstood passage and reason it out.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)

Let me ask you, before Yeshua (Jesus) came to earth, didn’t God’s people have to love each other? (I will not give you all the love passages in the “Old Testament” … here is just one: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHVH.” (Leviticus 19:17)) Let’s think this through, friends, for we know that Satan is a deceiver and if he can change the truth, he has succeeded. Let us look with open eyes at what is being said regarding a “new command to love one another”. Apparently children of God had to love each other in the past, so didn’t Yeshua (Jesus) know the Law? The command was to “love your neighbor” (i.e. your fellowman and brothers). Obviously, the Son, who could do NOTHING without the Father’s approval, knew that they were ALWAYS commanded to love one another. A clue is found in 1 John 2:7-10 … “7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.” It is CLEAR that the command to love is NOT new. So the key to understanding why it is “new” must be found in the participants. Before Yeshua (Jesus) came, we Gentiles were simply called the foreigners among them. One of the purposes of Yeshua (Jesus) was to make the Jewish believers and the Gentile believer ONE. We are now brothers through Him! (Note that the Jewish leaders made up laws that kept the Gentiles at bay. These laws, which were not of God, were considered to be hostile to the Gentiles):

“11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)–12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (Ephesians 2:11-16)

We need only go to the Laws of Moses to find out that a believing Gentile was always the “alien among them” or called a “foreigner” … never totally equal with the natural children. Note though, that the same Laws that were given to the Jews (the natural children of Jacob) were to be obeyed by the “aliens” and “strangers”: “The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.” (Numbers 15:16). Let us also note whose mouth this is from: “YHVH said to Moses,” (Numbers 15:17) … did God just all me an alien?

Another problem that hinders understanding is that many do not know what the gospel is. They do not know the covenant that was made in the Garden (they have heard it, but do not understand it). Read the covenant that was given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: Genesis 28:14 (here it is to Jacob) … “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring,” THAT is the gospel! Yeshua the Messiah IS that seed that will bless ALL peoples. That is the gospel which is defined in Galatians 3:8 … “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’” That is the gospel … that through their seed, a savior of the world would come and call ALL nations … Yeshua (Jesus) IS that seed that makes ALL men who believe equal in the family of God. Read carefully: “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16) This is why even God no longer call us Greek believers “aliens among them,” but BROTHERS with the Jews! The Jews are no longer to consider us less than themselves and we, likewise. THAT is the purpose of Yeshua (Jesus) coming (along with being our Sacrificed Lamb that unites us to YHVH). “In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” (Romans 9:8) That is the gospel … Yeshua (Jesus) IS the seed that was spoken about in the garden of Eden to Satan: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”” (Genesis 3:15) Yeshua (Jesus) is the offspring spoken of here and through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Knowing this, that we were always told to love each other … the “new command” is WHO to love. Before Yeshua (Jesus) came, a “neighbor” or “brother” was limited to their fellow Jews and a small minority of foreigners among them … or so they thought. This is why the Jews were being told to carry the Gentile’s burdens and vice-versa. This is also the Law of Christ: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) “Each other” is referring to Jews and Gentiles. They are to “love one another” and carry each other’s burdens. We are ALL brothers and sisters in the Messiah. This does NOT negate the Law and our need to obey it! But even with our obedience, we are to do that out of LOVE for God and man. Even Paul was CLEAR that He was NOT free from God’s Laws, but was also adding Christ’s Law (Remember, They are the same God) to it. “To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.” (1 Corinthians 9:21) Paul is saying that He is a witness to the Gentiles who do not know the Law (they were not given the Law … only Israel was given it). BUT, Paul is emphasizing that he was careful not to sin when he became like them. He was displaying the “new commandment” to love both Jews and Greeks.

Let us continue reading 2 John 5-6 with this “new command” in mind: “And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.”

It is clear that love has ALWAYS been part of and the reason for: God’s Laws! Read the above again … the Gentiles and the Jews are ONE within Israel through the blood of the Messiah. We are each other’s brothers and sisters and we are COMMANDED to love each other. This is a command that we have had since the beginning … all the way back to Moses, yet for God’s purpose, the Gentiles were separated at that time for His purposes.

CLOSING THOUGHT:

1 John 3:10-11 … “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. 11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” Did you catch that? You have heard it from the beginning … to love one another! Yet, God is now defining who is part of the family of Israel. Same Laws, same God, same salvation. So preach the true gospel: Yeshua (Jesus) is the promised seed spoken of through whom all nations will be blessed.

OPENING THOUGHT TO THIS WEEK’S STUDY (Read carefully, for Isaiah is speaking about the end times and what the wicked will be like and what they will be doing when Yeshua (Jesus) returns):

“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ 2 (This is the Gentile believers … He revealed Himself to us) All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations — 3 a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick; 4 who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat; 5 who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me, for I am too sacred for you!’ Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.” (Did you catch the last part? They think that they are religious and saved … yet they are smoke in God’s nostrils!)

(Isaiah 65:1-5)

05 / 02 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

Why did I pick the above passage as my opening verse to this week’s “misunderstood passage”? It is speaking about the end times and what many will be doing. One of the actions that seem to upset our Creator is what the wicked will be eating. Since this passage is about a time yet to come, we must look closely at the implications. God clearly commands His children not to eat certain things which our society considers to be good food. Many Christians claim that these laws were done away with. If that were the case, then why are they still in effect in the end times? Could it be that God and His perfect Law does not change and that many Christians are disregarding and disobeying God’s laws by eating what He has forbidden? We notice that the obstinate people whose ways are not good and continually provoke God to His face are eating anything they want and still saying, “I am holy” (By definition, being holy means to be set apart for sacred use … not doing what everyone else is! So, I think they are self-deceived.)

God’s Word is truth. His Laws and commands are perfect (not just two, not just 10, but ALL of His Word). We must realize that God’s Word does not contradict itself. When people use a New Testament passage to prove that something in the Old Testament is done away with, we must realize that it must be our interpretations that are wrong. God does not change and His Word is perfect. Even Peter says concerning Paul’s words, “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (1 Peter 2:16) We must not be like these people, but strive to be like the Bereans of whom it is written, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11) The Scriptures they examined were the Old Testament Scriptures, because the New Testament was not compiled until hundreds of years later. We MUST keep these truths in mind when we read God’s Word. If everyone on earth was committing adultery, would that justify that it is okay before God? Of course not. So, if everyone on earth is eating unclean meat, does that justify that it is okay before God? Not only will it not be okay, He calls those people who do, obstinate people who are a smoke in His nostrils. So now, let us read today’s misunderstood passage.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.’ 27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, ‘This has been offered in sacrifice,’ then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake — 29 the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:25-31)

Wow … a lot is being said here. Does this really say that we can eat anything as long as we praise God for it? At first glance it may seem to, but that would mean that God changed His perfect laws. If that were the case, then why will those who consume unclean meat be like smoke in His nostrils in the end times? If it were true that we can eat unclean meats as long as we praise God for them, then by this logic, we could commit any sin such as adultery or murder as long as it was done to the glory of God. If I praise the Lord while I lie to you … it must be okay? This is obviously untrue and absurd, so let us look a little deeper. We must reason this out before we quickly jump into sin. Why? For we must find out what pleases God (“and find out what pleases the Lord.” – Ephesians 5:10) and then do it (“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” – James 1:22)

Did you know that in China, dogs are considered meat? How about you? If I come over to your house and ask you, “Where’s Fido?” (your dog). I would not expect you to respond, “Oh, Fido? He is on the menu tonight.” Most modern- day Christians somehow feel that what they eat is out of the realm of God’s concern. They have adopted the culture of the pagan society in which we live. What is worse is that many assume that Paul and the rest of the disciples ate whatever they wanted to, as well. These modern-day Christians never consider what God allows or forbids them to eat. When asked about it, they point to the Son of God and say that He and His followers say that it is okay to eat anything. This is a sin no matter how you look at it! Our Savior is NOT an accomplice to sin (advocating sinful practices IS, in itself, a sin.). So what is this passage all about?

The issue being addressed in this passage is “clean meat” being sold in the market that had been OFFERED UP TO FALSE GODS IN SACRIFICE. How do we know it is about clean meat? We know because the word “meat” is never used to refer to unclean animals in Scripture except where it is clearly denoted as being unclean. Unclean animals are not, by God’s definition, meat or food. By the same token, you would never dream of me bringing my slaughtered dog’s meat to the barbeque when I say I will bring the “meat”. The market was filled with sellers who were selling the meat from the sacrifices offered up to their gods. These animals may have been clean, but they had been dedicated in a worship ceremony to a false god. What is Paul’s conclusion? If you are not told that it has been sacrificed to an idol, then don’t worry about it. Their gods are dead and nothing has been done that has made that clean meat unclean … it is God’s food for you and He created it! BUT if they TELL YOU that it has been sacrificed to an idol, then do not eat it. For if you eat it, they may take that to mean that you approve of their god. Kind of like getting into a conversation and having someone blurt out a very inappropriate joke. If we laugh with the others, they assume that we are okay with it (that is why we are to be set apart … holy). If we continue to eat the meat that we were told was sacrificed to a false god … they assume that we are okay with their god, too.

Nowhere in the passage did it refer to clean and unclean meat. The issue at hand was “meat” that had been sacrificed to idols. Remember what Paul said in verse 28 above, “But if anyone says to you, ‘This has been offered in sacrifice,’ then do not eat it.” He did NOT say, “But if anyone says to you, ‘This food is unclean,’ then do not eat it.”

If I served you some food that you were not used to eating or that looked unfamiliar, wouldn’t YOU ask, “Ahhhh, what is it? It keeps slipping off my fork.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t put anything into my mouth any more if I don’t know what it is and that God approves of it.

Just something to chew on, I mean, to think about!

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,
which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
(Colossians 2:8)

04 / 18 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

This week’s “misunderstood passage” (shown below) refers back to verse 8 of the same chapter (above). We can usually get a more accurate idea of what is being spoken about in the middle of a passage IF we read the entire passage. Many people think that Christ nailed the Law to the cross. We see that this passage is speaking about HOLLOW and DECEPTIVE PHILOSOPHY, which depends upon HUMAN TRADITION and the basic PRINCIPLES OF THIS WORLD. Wow … when has God’s Law ever been hollow and deceptive philosophy? When has God’s Law ever depended upon human traditions and the basic principles of this world? Those who say that this is speaking about God’s Law had better look again.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

The verses in question are Colossians 2:14-17. We will start with only 2:14 … “… having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Let’s think this through with common sense.

When have God’s Laws (as given through Moses) EVER been against us or opposed to us? Are they not life for us as Deuteronomy 32:46-47 clearly states: “…Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this Law. They are not just idle words for you – they are your life…” When God gave us His Laws through Moses, didn’t He also say: “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.” (Deuteronomy 30:11)? Have you ever tried to obey them? Have you ever taken the time to find out what the Laws of God are? The Word of the One True God tell us in Psalm 19:7 … “The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” and flawless in Proverbs 30:5 … “Every word of God is flawless …”.

We know that God’s Laws are not what is being spoken of in Colossians 2:14. Instead, the question should be: What “written code” and “regulations” WERE being spoken of? The original Greek word for “written code” in this week’s verse is “dogma”. Some translators, though, even chose the word “law” as being nailed to the cross in some English version, while others chose the word “decrees”. This word dogma means: an opinion (a public) decree, a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical), an ordinance. What our Savior took away and nailed to the cross were these MAN-MADE LAWS. They were NOT part of the Laws as given through Moses! By doing so, the leaders (or the powers and authorities of that time) were being made a public spectacle by the Son of God. He was proving that THEIR added laws were not to be binding as if from God. Many of these added laws were in regard to the details of eating, celebrations (such as the Feasts, New moons and the Sabbath), and life within Israel.

Not only were these new believers trying to sort out God’s truth from the man-made laws, but they also were making changes to their lifestyles. With that in mind, let us continue reading Colossians 2:15-16: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.” We must realize that this does NOT say that we are no longer to DO those items listed, but that we should not let anyone JUDGE us for the way we are practicing them. Paul was speaking to the new Gentile believers who were most likely being judged by two sides of the fence:
1.) their family and friends who did not like the new changes in lifestyle they saw in their loved-ones
2.) the leaders (powers and authorities) who were judging them by the man-made standards of how to obey them

My friends, the Laws of Moses were given by the breath of God, and our Master IS the substance of them. They are all a shadow of HIM (He is the Word made flesh). Thus the conclusion of Colossians 2:17 is speaking of what we eat or drink, the religious festivals, New Moon celebrations and Sabbaths … “which shadow come, substance Christ.”

Please note that in the above verse I did not use the filler words that are usually needed in our English language. These are only the words which correspond to the original Greek words from the original text. Notice that “WERE” does not appear in the original text, but is inserted into the NIV translation. Understand that ALL translations have some margin of error because they are all translated by men. In this case, the NASB translates this passage more correctly by writing, “things which are a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” We can confirm this rendering because Paul has a similar conclusion in 1 Corinthians 5:8 (about keeping the Passover Festival): “Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.” What Paul is saying is “the substance belongs to Christ.” We must live in obedience to our Father’s commands, keeping our minds on Christ and His example as our goal.

06 / 27 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE? (Well … it really is not a passage, but a way of thinking):
“Through the blood of Yeshua (Jesus) we are no longer slaves to the Law.” This thinking is based upon a few Scriptures which reveal that through Him we are no longer slaves, but free men. Funny, but the first thing many people think of is a freedom from the Law. So, what are we really free from?

LET US EXAMINE THIS “THOUGHT”
One of the biggest problems is that many Christians do not read much of the Old Testament (except for the familiar stories of Noah, Joseph, etc.). By not studying the Old Testament, we do not get a full understanding of what upsets God … it is disobedience. What is not understood is that God is helping us to obey through the sanctifying work of His Spirit … helping us to become more like His Son. We have been set free from SIN! Our master is no longer “sin”, but “righteousness” (shown by our obedience).

Let me ask you: Do you want to obey God? Do you desire to live as HE commanded you to live? Although we are forgiven of our sins when we truly repent, do you really want to continue in the same sin that you have been forgiven of? If you continue to sin, then you a slave to that sin, and not to God. The question is: How is sin determined? It is the transgressing of God’s Laws (NOT the man-made ones). Be it the Ten Commandments, be it the appointments, be it anything else that comes from His Breath! … “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4) Clear, right? This verse clearly shows us that sin is the transgression of any of God’s Laws.

Knowing the definition of sin, let us go back to the issue of what we are free from. When we attempt to obey God’s Laws, we are showing that Yeshua’s (Jesus) Spirit is living within us and sanctifying us. When we obey a certain Law, we are showing that we are no longer a slave to that particular sin … we are now free. We just read in 1 John 3:4 what sin is. Let us continues with 3:5 and what our Savior came to take away: “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.” This is why those who claim to be in Yeshua (Jesus) are to walk like HE did (1 John 2:6) … living a life of obedience (when we practice the Law, we are showing that the Spirit is within us and sin is no longer our master).

Let us look at passages about being slaves (we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness)

• “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7) He died to take away our sins (NOT the Laws which determine what sin is). If you have died with Him, you are free from sin, meaning that you are now able to obey the Law. We CAN obey the Law because the Spirit of the One who had no sin is in us, too. Let us not forget, God said they are NOT too difficult for us (Deuteronomy 30:11).
• “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16) THAT is the freedom His children have. A true child of God DESIRES to obey Him. If someone rejects God’s Laws, that person is actually proving that the Spirit is NOT doing His job … sanctifying them. (2 Thessalonians 2:13 … both faith and obedience working together) But, if we have died to our old self, then we are no longer slaves to sin, but to righteousness and we are practicing obedience to God’s eternal Laws.
• “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” (Romans 6:22) When we obey God’s Laws, we are holy (meaning set apart for God). Just something to think about next time we have the urge to say that we are “free from obeying His Laws”.

08 / 01 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. (Romans 14:1-23 … verses 1-2 shown)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, and it is written in Psalm 119:160 … “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”)

Let me start out by asking you, are God’s commands disputable? Of course not! These people to whom Paul writing regarding were passing judgment on disputable matters. Translations may vary (NIV, KJV, NASB, etc..) and we can look up the meanings of the original Hebrew and Greek words … BUT … we do know that God is the ultimate authority and that His words are not for us to judge. So, in order to understand Romans 14:1-23, we must understand what the passage is about. Again, the topic being addressed was regarding disputable matters, and not to judge those whose faith is weak about things that are simply an opinion. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.” God’s Word/ Laws are NOT up for negotiation, nor are they disputable matters, so what is this passage talking about? In this passage we find the NEW believers at odds against the ELDER believers. The older believers were being accused of sinning because they ate meat (clean meat, of course.) THAT WAS THE SUBJECT! Let us not read more into it.

Some who were weak in the faith (young believers) were accusing those who ate meat (the elder believers) of sinning by eating clean meat. Where did they come up with this accusation? According to Genesis 1:29: “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.’” THAT was the argument. The conclusion and exhortation to the elder believers was that eating only vegetables (Romans 14:2) is NOT a sin (of course). BUT if they, the elder believers, condemn their younger brothers for the sake of their knowledge, then they are in sin.

What constitutes food was, is and always will be based upon how God defines it (HE told us what to eat … HE created us. He does not lie or change His mind … do you agree?). The point of Paul’s exhortation is that in EVERYTHING we must speak gently in love and concern for one another. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1) God’s Law is eternal and perfect. His Laws are part of His Word and His holiness. They are HIS standards and HIS character. In short, the topic of discussion in Romans 14:21 is whether or not to eat meat (vegetarianism) or drink wine (temperance) … both based upon the opinion of the weaker brother. Both (not clean meat and not drinking wine) of which are NEVER forbidden by God. Note: If I invited you over tonight for dinner and told you that I was going to have some meat, do not assume that I am speaking of anything but meat (that which God gave us to eat). Same with Paul’s writings and others, meat was not what the pagans considered food.

- We know what was considered food before Yeshua (Jesus) came to dwell with us … right? (It was based upon God’s description given in the Law of Moses: Leviticus 11:3-23)
- We know what was considered food during Yeshua’s (Jesus) reign on earth … right? (Because for Yeshua / Jesus to eat unclean food or teach that we could … would have been a sin. Yeshua / Jesus was without sin: “but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.” – Hebrews 4:15)
- We know what is considered food after Yeshua (Jesus) left to be with His Father … right? For Isaiah describes what the wicked (or disobedient) will be eating in the end days: “who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat;” – Isaiah 65:4

Conclusion: Either God gave us Laws regarding food, took them away (after His son left), only to give them back to us again … OR … they have never stopped being the standard set by God. I am going with a God who knows best and is all-knowing; who does not change or lie; and who sent His Salvation (Yeshua / Jesus) to show us HOW to live out His Laws. I will eat ONLY what God told me I could.

OPENING THOUGHT TO THIS WEEK’S STUDY:

3 “YHVH your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 “It is YHVH your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep (this word is “shamar which means to put a hedge about, guard, and protect) his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against YHVH your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way YHVH your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you..”

(Deuteronomy 13:4-5)

03 / 28 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

Why did I pick the above passage as my opening verse to this week’s “misunderstood passage”? God’s Word is truth. His Laws and commands are perfect (not just two, not just 10, ALL of His Word). If Paul, Peter, or today’s Pastors and Priests preach rebelliousness to God’s Laws, we are to avoid their teachings at minimum (Since God says to kill that false preacher … so at least let God condemn them). So, when I hear anyone say that there are no more Laws to obey except to love, or that there are only two, ten or even a certain percentage … I am hesitant to believe anything else that person may have to say. Let us examine this week’s passage with eyes and ears that are ready to learn more of what pleases God:

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ 14 ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’” (Acts 10:9-28 … 12-15 shown)

At first glance (just like many verses that need more attention), we may like to use this passage to satisfy our craving to eat anything we desire. However, we need to read the WHOLE passage. For instance, verse 10 that says that Peter was very hungry when He fell asleep. If we watch a scary movie before sleeping, we will probably have a nightmare. If we are stressed, like Peter was about eating, we tend to dream about that subject. Many who read this passage quickly conclude that God changed His mind, and now we can eat everything that moves, swims, or flies. We must overcome our flesh and know that God does not lie or change His mind. Let us look at a couple of other facts that many glance over:

- Peter has this dream many years AFTER Yeshua (Jesus) went to be with His Father. So, either Peter did not listen to the teachings of the Son of God, OR our Master never taught his disciples that we no longer have to abide by the laws regarding food as many people today assume: ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ Up until this dream, Peter had eaten only what his Creator told him to.
- Many do not realize that Peter did NOT eat any of the unclean animals in the sheet. It did not say, “Peter then pulled up a chair and ate of the animals on the sheet.” Peter DENIED the command … in obedience to God. Isn’t that what we should be doing? Instead, many say, “Yippie, a pork festival!” and then claim that God said it was okay.

So, let us read the ENTIRE passage to find out what the dream was about. We immediately find that even Peter, the one who HAD the dream, knew that there was a different meaning behind it. Peter knew that God does not change, so he KNEW that this vision could not be about what food he could and could not eat. As mentioned, let us not forget that the sheet of unclean meat was removed and Peter never ate of it. In fact, this dream puzzled Peter greatly, for he knew that God was trying to reveal something to him:

- “While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision …” (Acts 10:17)
- “While Peter was still thinking about the vision…” (Acts 10:19)

In fact, we have to wait until Acts 10:28 to find out what that dream was all about: “… But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.” So, this misunderstood passage is NOT about food. It is about people that God can, and does, MAKE CLEAN THROUGH FAITH IN HIM! We would know this if we knew that in the temple the Holy Oil and spring made things clean. The mystery, that the Gentiles and Jews now had equal citizenship in Israel through the blood of our Savior, was the topic of the vision. The added laws of the Jews had pretty much eliminated contact with the Gentiles, but God was saying, “Do not call anything impure THAT I HAVE MADE CLEAN.” God is clear that it is HE that makes any of us clean.

Just something to chew on!

07 / 04 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE? (Well … it really is not a passage, but a whole book!):

THE BOOK OF GALATIANS

LET US EXAMINE THIS “BOOK”

When preaching repentance and obedience to Laws out of our faith, I am often told, “You obviously haven’t read Galatians.” My friends, the premise for the entire book of Galatians was to refute false teachings being proposed by certain groups of religious leaders. We must realize a few things about Paul:
1.) If Paul was preaching that the Law was done away with through the Messiah, the Bereans would have declared Paul’s message to be false. “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11) So we know that whatever Paul’s message was, it lined up with the Old Testament teachings.
2.) Paul’s words are hard to understand. Many will take Paul’s words out of context and distort them to satisfy their own desires (Our flesh does NOT want to obey God): “(Paul’s) letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.” (2 Peter 3:16-17). We must examine our beliefs to see if they line up with the Old Testament, as the Bereans did. OR, do our beliefs include the error of Lawless men? Do we accept God’s Laws as given in the Old Testament, or do we discard them as irrelevant for today and live a life without those Laws (“lawless”)?
3.) Paul is the SAME writer who also wrote, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” (Romans 3:31) Paul is clearly stating that we are NOT saved by obeying the Law, BUT out of faith, we are to uphold the Law (obey it).

I have a chapter by chapter study on Galatians which I compiled last winter, but this will just be a quick over-view. If you are interested in receiving the whole study, please let me know and I will get that to you. The letter to the Galatians is actually tied to the book of Acts and the council meeting about the Gentiles (Acts 15). We MUST understand what the Gentiles were being told by some of their leaders, that in order to become a true member of the believers, they MUST be circumcised. This, of course, is a false teaching and is what is being addressed for most of the book of Galatians. Paul is clearly telling the Galatians that they do NOT have to obey the Law in order to merit salvation. Paul NEVER says that the Law is abolished or no longer needs to be obeyed! Instead, Paul is addressing the issue that salvation is by faith alone and cannot be earned by obedience to the Law.

Another tidbit that we must understand when reading Galatians (and others similar) is that our English Bible translations often use the same word, Law, to mean all of the following:

- dogma laws (man-made laws)
- sacrificial laws (laws regarding temple worship)
- the first 5 books of the bible
- the specific laws God gave to Moses for His children to obey
- the actual stone tablets containing the Laws of God

In order to have a true understanding of a passage using the word “law”, we must find out the original meaning being conveyed and which definition of law is being addressed. If we get that wrong, we will not have the true meaning of the passage.

So, what is the book of Galatians really about?
- We are saved by faith alone (Refuting the argument that we must be circumcised and obey the entire Law in order to be saved. Paul even calls the leaders who promote this “false brothers” in Galatians 2:4)
- The proof that we are saved and have the Spirit of God within us, is that the Law is no longer outside the heart (on stone tablets), but inside (written on our hearts to be obeyed out of love).
- We (both Jew and Gentile believers) have equal access to the Spirit. Therefore, we have the wisdom to know how to obey God’s eternal Laws.

CONCLUSION:

I am passionate to make sure that EVERYBODY understands this. NO ONE can be justified by observing the Law. The Laws of YHVH are simply telling us what is right and what is wrong before God. The Law will declare that we have been unrighteous! We stand condemned unless we can somehow be declared righteous (on our own merit, this is impossible … we are sinners as declared by the Law). We must understand the difference between justification and sanctification.

- We are justified to stand before God – saved by faith in the only name that saves us: Yeshua / Yehoshua … meaning: YHVH’s Salvation. Our salvation is from YHVH only. He is the One true God.
- We are sanctified as we become Christ-like. Christ obeyed perfectly … Christ loved perfectly. NEITHER can be done perfectly by us. He is our example of how to love and obey. The more we practice, though, the more we become like Him. That is the proof that we have the sanctifying work of the Spirit within us!

If someone was a murderer prior to his / her salvation … can he / she remain the same, a murderer? It is impossible, according to God’s Word (Hebrews 6:3-6). Did that person receive justification because He stopped murdering or while he was a still a murderer? It was while he was still a murder (Romans 5:8). Are you still with me? However, if that person murders again and again, after his profession of faith in Yeshua (Jesus), we do not see any indication that his / her heart has been filled with the Holy Spirit.

God’s Laws are eternal … ALL of them. His Son is simply an extension of who God is. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (Hebrew 3:1) We have all sinned and have fallen short of the glory. One at a time, the Spirit will write the Laws of YHVH on our hearts. When a Law is written on our heart, that is when we realize that we have sinned, for we understand the Law. We repent and we are forgiven (He remembers that sin no more). When we obey that Law … that is when the Lamb has taken away the sin!

That is what the book of Galatians is all about.

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians,
for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures
every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
(Acts 17:11)

03 / 21 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

The magnitude of this opening verse speaks volumes. What Paul was preaching HAD to line up with the Old Testament (which was the Scriptures spoken of, since the New Testament was not compiled until approximately 350 years later). Sadly, many people today take what is spoken by those behind the pulpits or what they read in Christian books and deposit it in the bank. Read that verse again. Comparing to the Old Testament Scriptures is HOW the Bereans KNEW what Paul was saying about Yeshua (Jesus) was, in fact, true. We must learn to do the same! This is how WE know that Paul never spoke against obedience to the Laws of Moses out of faith … the Bereans would have stopped him. Over the next few weeks I am going to address some passages that have been taken out of context or have been used to disregard obedience to God’s Laws.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“So, because Yeshua (Jesus) was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted Him. Yeshua (Jesus) said to them, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” (John 5:16-18)

Does this really nullify the Sabbath? Does this really mean that it can be any day of the week? We often assume that the Jews knew and were obeying God’s Laws perfectly – So their accusations must have been true – Wrong! What many do not realize is that the mainstream Jewish religious system (synagogue) back then did the same as the mainstream Christian religious system (church) of today … they changed God’s Laws. (The Jews added to them … the Gentiles took away from them.) Do you really think that the Son of God was breaking the Sabbath? If you do, then you are accusing the Son of God of sinning. May it never be! So, when we read passages like this and see what Yeshua (Jesus) was being accused of (breaking the Sabbath), we must be careful … VERY careful.

Although Yeshua (Jesus) was not breaking any of God’s Laws by what He did on the Sabbath, he was accused, nonetheless. Many people today who honor the Sabbath on Saturday according to God’s Law have also been accused of sinning by being “legalists” and “refusing the grace of God”. In both cases, we see undeserved persecution for doing what is good and right.

Many people today do not know God’s Law and therefore, do not know that the things that Yeshua (Jesus) was being accused of were NOT part of the Law given to Moses. Many, today, are quick to judge because they do not know the Laws of Moses. They do not understand that the laws being spoken of were the religious leaders’ man-made laws that they had intertwined with God’s Laws. Thus, they THOUGHT that He was breaking the Sabbath. Hence, the accusation! In fact, our Savior is our High Priest and it is written: “Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.” (Matthew 12:5-6) Yeshua (Jesus) IS the High Priest and is greater than they. He, too, was simply ministering on the Sabbath. This fact, in no way, means that Yeshua (Jesus) is nullifying the Sabbath or is giving us a license to disregard it, either. That is why Paul is clear for the children of God in Hebrews 4:2-11:

“2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, ‘So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: ‘And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.’ 5 And again in the passage above he says, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ 6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’ 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.”

It remains clear that the Sabbath cannot be changed by men in robes assuming a righteous position. We must honor the Sabbath “just like” God did when He rested from His work … on the seventh day. Paul is clear that we must combine ALL of our obedience with faith. Faith is what drives a true believer to find out the will of God and attempt to please Him. May we never accuse the Son of God of sinning by breaking the Law or by teaching others not to obey it either.

05 / 23 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“‘Are you so dull?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.’ (In saying this, Yeshua (Jesus) declared all foods ‘clean.’)” (Mark 7:18-19)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, yet it is written in Leviticus 11):
- 3 You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.
- 9 Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales.
- 13 These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable: …
- 20 All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. 21 There are, however, (well, we won’t get into that one!)

I must agree that with only a quick examination, it appears that God changed His standards. It appears as though Yeshua (Jesus), who said that He does nothing without His Father’s approval (John 5:19), overruled His Father and changed the Law.

Let us not be too quick to judge the Son of God as condoning lawlessness. (If Yeshua (Jesus) declared all foods (thus including unclean meats) as being clean, He would have sinned!) So let us examine this more closely. To find the truth, we must look back to the beginning of the passage which clearly shows us the topic of discussion is the eating of bread without hand-washing. Since many people do NOT know the Laws of God (as given through His servant Moses), they do not realize that washing your hands before eating bread is NOT a Law of God. Again, this is one of MANY man-made “dogma” laws that the Jewish leaders added. The topic of this passage is stated in verses 2-3, when the Pharisees and teachers of the law “saw some of His disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean”, that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders…)”. A similar modern-day example would be something such as: “Some of the church members were seen playing cards” You see, there are some churches which would consider this “sinful”, but it is not one of God’s commandments. So, the passage is regarding the fact that the followers of Yeshua (Jesus) WERE NOT WASHING THEIR HANDS BEFORE EATING BREAD. The Teachers of the Law were saying the bread was unclean BECAUSE they did not wash their hands. Our Savior plainly says that NOT washing your hands before eating does NOT make the bread or food “unclean”! (Oh, and by the way, the phrase: “In saying this, Yeshua (Jesus) declared all foods clean” is NOT even in the original text from which the King James Version was translated. Even if it were, though, “food” was not used to describe the flesh of unclean animals.

CONCLUSION:

Mark 7:9 is very clear in explaining that the question is about man-made laws and NOT God’s Laws (given through Moses) “And He said to them: ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions.’” So, in the end (of course), the Son of God declared that the food (bread) was still clean (it may be unhealthy not to wash your hands, but the food is still acceptable before God to eat!).

Study on Feasts, Sabbath, Sacrifices, Time, and Diet

STUDY ON:

- FEASTS (CELEBRATIONS)
- THE SABBATH
- SACRIFICES – For today
- TIME (DAY) – To God
- WHAT WE CAN EAT – God should know … He created us

INTRODUCTION

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis are mine)

As we enter the start of God’s yearly cycle (It starts with Passover … and ends with The Eighth Day Assembly), I cannot keep the joy within me silent. I need to share this amazing walk with our Savior. For some of you, this devotion may simply be a reminder of why we celebrate God’s Feasts: Because His Son did, as well as those who were with Him. For those desiring a closer walk with your Master, do not try to absorb this in one sitting. (Like your mother said: “chew your food before you swallow.”). Also, please take the time to look up each verse in your Bible. I pray that you do not discard it merely because it may go against what “we have been taught”. To do that would be holding on to the traditions of men. Remember, it is ALL about the Messiah’s work (what He has done and what He is going to do).

To best describe this, let me share with you a statement from First Fruits of Zion:

But of what value is it for us to profess that the Messiah fulfills the sacrifices when we know virtually nothing about those same sacrifices that He fulfilled? To simply dismiss it all by saying, “Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the sacrifices,” does a great disservice to the Word of God AND to the Master Himself. (end quote)

When you really think about it, what do some of these “New Testament” phrases mean?

- “For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7b)
- “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6b)
- “If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy.” (Romans 11:16b)
- “God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.” (Romans 8:3b)

Many in the church know absolutely nothing about God’s Laws and the above sacrifices. Let us examine WHO our Savior is and what He is all about. Before I begin … remember at ALL times … we can do NOTHING to gain our salvation. So, how do you show someone that you indeed love them? To show love for God, HE says: “Obey Me, earnestly seek Me, and to love Me with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength:

- “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) … side note: “all these things” were food and clothing (many have added to His Word to make it mean whatever their flesh desires).
- “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)
- “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
- Matthew 22:37 and Mark 12:29-30 (in New Testament) … is this a new summary of God’s Law? Of course not! See Deuteronomy 6:5 (in Old Testament)

So let us do so. Many are afraid to grasp on to what God gave our forefathers; Many are afraid because they have been taught that they no longer exists. The fact is: To truly know what our Messiah actually came to do, we must understand what God’s plea was in Ezekiel 18:29-32 (“29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 30 Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign YHVH. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign YHVH. Repent and live!”). If we do not walk through the Feasts each year, how can we adequately pass on to our children the depth of what the Messiah has done and is still GOING to do? If we don’t have guidelines, don’t we end up doing what please ourselves? Isn’t that what we have now? Read carefully the following description of each Feast. Once you see the Messiah, a light bulb may click!

Regarding God’s Feasts:

In the Feasts, we see the walk of a believer. What an example our Savior set! Let us walk through each one now and enjoy seeing HIM in each. Let us not forget who God’s children are (and always have been): Those who believe in the Promise (Both before and after the Messiah rose). His love for Israel is eternal (God does not lie or change His mind). The fact is: those who believe in the Messiah IS Israel (simply being a Jew does not get you in). God gave all these Feasts / Celebrations to the one He loves … Israel. (Maybe that is where the confusion starts … knowing who we are in Christ). Let us do a quick overview on God’s relationship to His children. Read the following verses and see that this love for Israel is “eternal”, “forever”, “always”! Israel is the name HE gave His family!

- “You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O YHVH, have become their God.” (2 Samuel 7:24)
- “so that it will be established and that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, ‘The YHVH Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!’” (1 Chronicles 17:22)
- “Because of YHVH’s eternal love for Israel,” (1 Kings 10:9)
- “With praise and thanksgiving they sang to YHVH: “He is good; his love to Israel endures forever.”” (Ezra 3:11)

He gave the following Feasts to celebrate to Israel. God does NOT have two families nor does He change His mind or lie. Therefore, if you are a child of God’s … these are for you, just like they were when our great-great-great (etc…) grandpa received them!

PASSOVER

Original command: found in Exodus 12:1-14 and repeated in Leviticus 23:5: “YHVH’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.” Remember, the dates of these feasts are based upon God’s calendar. So this is NOT January 14th being spoken of in the passage above. My friends, it takes time to break old habits. It took me years of searching and asking questions … but now, it is second nature and part of my life (as well as part of my children’s life and THEIR children). You WILL feel lonely at times, but so did many of the “greats” in the Bible!

Spiritual meaning: We are all called out of our bondage to sin. Prior to being saved, we stand condemned as sinners. When Egypt is mentioned in God’s Word, it usually represents the world and its sin. While in Egypt, they were slaves. Likewise, those without the Spirit are slaves to sin – they cannot stop sinning. Have you been called out of darkness? Have you left your sin behind? Have you been getting the “leaven” (sin) out of your “house” (heart)? This is the call for those who will BECOME children of God … to overcome the world and come into the light: 1 John 5:4-5 and John 3:19-21.

New Testament findings: What did Yeshua (Jesus) do? Our Messiah celebrated this Feast, as well as His followers … so why aren’t we?

- “Yeshua (Jesus) sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”” (Luke 22:8)
- “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.” (Yeast represents sin.) (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)

Man’s traditional way of celebrating this Feast: Mankind, to separate themselves from the Jews (about the time of 250 AD), created new Holidays. Actually, what they did was they took pagan celebrations and “made them God’s”. Passover was changed to “Good Friday” (actually, our Messiah was crucified on Thursday … another study). God is VERY clear that doing so is a sin. Let us look and see what God says about taking pagan days and making them His … or even celebrating His days on another day other than the day that HE says to celebrate them:

- “… be careful NOT to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” You must NOT worship YHVH your God in THEIR way …” (Deuteronomy 12:30b-31a)
- (Read this next one very carefully. Jeroboam tried to IMITATE God’s feasts … on another day. It was a sin and STILL is a sin if we do this.) “And this thing became a sin … He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, LIKE the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar … On the fifteenth day of the eight month, a month of HIS OWN CHOOSING, He offered sacrifices on the alter … So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.” (1 Kings12:30a, 32a and 330
- “Dear friend, do not IMITATE what is evil but what is good.” (3 John 11)
- “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do NOT learn to IMITATE the detestable ways of the nations there.” (Deuteronomy 18:9)

UNLEAVENED BREAD

Original command: found in Exodus 12:15-20 and repeated in Leviticus 23:6: “On the fifteenth day of that month YHVH’s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast.”

Spiritual meaning: AFTER we have been called out of our bondage to sin, we must die to self. If the old man is not buried, the new man cannot grow. In order for us to truly live for Christ, we must slay that old man (die to our sinful self). Have you done so? Are you still living in bondage to sin? Are you still a slave to sin, or do you desire to live in obedience through faith? If you have not put to death that old man, do it today! Galatians 5:24: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” This is also addressed in Romans 7:6, Matthew 16:24-25, and 6:5-10

New Testament findings: What did Yeshua (Jesus) do? Our Messiah celebrated this, as well as His followers … so why aren’t we?

- “But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.” (Acts 20:6) Paul and his fellow missionaries were STILL celebrating the Feasts of YHVH’s AFTER Yeshua (Jesus) went to be with His Father. What did Yeshua (Jesus) teach? Obedience to His Father.
- “On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Yeshua (Jesus) and asked, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?’” (Matthew 26:17 as well as Mark 14:12 and Luke 22:7-8)

Man’s traditional way of celebrating this Feast: There is none (Many have never died to self and, therefore, remain slaves to sin (Egypt))

FIRSTFRUITS

Original command: found in Leviticus 23:9-14. Yeshua (Jesus) is all of the offerings required. HE is the Lamb, the Single Grain and the New Wine!

Spiritual meaning: Assuming that we have left our sinful life (Passover) and put to death our sinful nature (Unleavened Bread), we can now rise up as a new creation IN HIS IMAGE! Yeshua (Jesus) was buried during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but He has risen. Therefore, He was the first fruit of MANY. The “Man” scattered the seeds on the ground … have you sprouted yet? Are you part of the harvest? Examine Mark 4:26-29 carefully: “He also said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain–first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.’”

New Testament findings: What did Yeshua (Jesus) do? Our Messiah celebrated this, as well as His followers … so why aren’t we?

- “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24) The original kernel fell. Now that it has risen up out of the ground, are YOU one of the seeds that it has produced? Are you going to be one of the first fruits in the coming Kingdom?
- “If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.” (Romans 11:16) This one is harder to see. Yeshua (Jesus) is the FIRST and if HE is holy, so are all that come after Him. We must know the past: If the Sin offering touched anything, whatever it touched BECOMES holy. That is why Yeshua (Jesus) was never unclean when He touched the dead, leper, or even the woman in her monthly time. (For further study, see “was Yeshua (Jesus) ever unclean”).
- “But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen — 23that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:22-23) Again, another study, but the “light” has always been obedience (Satan was disobedient and was called “darkness”.
- “For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.” (1 Corinthians. 15:16-20)

Man’s traditional way of celebrating this Feast: This is going to be a hard one to swallow for many: Easter is NOT when Yeshua (Jesus) rose from the dead. Actually, we can find Easter nowhere in God’s original words (Unless man changed it). Can you see, yet that Satan has attempted to distort God’s truth and cover our eyes to the truth?

PENTECOST

Original command: found in Leviticus 23:15-22 (verses 15-16 shown): “From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord.”

Spiritual meaning: As stated before, our forefathers did not receive the Law from God until AFTER they were already delivered from bondage (redeemed). So it is with us. We left our bondage (Passover), put to death our flesh (Unleavened Bread), rose a new Creation (First Fruits), well, here it comes: Next is the Law. How do we live as new Creations? In our example: Our forefathers, left Egypt, went through the water and came out new. It was AFTER they were new creations that God told them how to live. Instead of the Law on stone tablets, the Law is now on our hearts … THAT is the difference. The Law is no longer outside (sanctification done by the sacrifices), but inside (sanctification done by the Spirit of God). The Spirit of Truth was given on the Feast of Pentecost!

New Testament findings: What did Yeshua (Jesus) do? Our Messiah celebrated this, as well as His followers … so why aren’t we? The work of the Spirit is to SANCTIFY us. This work of sanctification is discussed THROUGHOUT the New Testament. The passages are too numerous to mention … it is the Spirit that teaches the believer how to obey God’s Laws (This is done, like the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, AFTER salvation). They are no longer on stone tablets, but are to be written on our hearts! It is the Spirit that opens the eyes to see and the ears to hear the truth.

- Acts 2:1-4 Do you realize that the same things happened at the giving of the Law on the stone tablets as did here? He is simply an incredible God! He is perfect and full of wisdom! He shows us in the physical realm what is to come in the spiritual, so that we can understand!

• Exodus 19:17-19 (the giving of the Law on stone tablets), there was:
o Thick cloud covered
o Thunder and lightning
o Loud trumpet blast
o The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace
o The whole mountain trembled
• Acts 2:2-4 (the giving of the Law on our hearts), there was:
o Loud sound
o Violent wind
o Filled the whole house where they were sitting.
o Tongues of fire

- “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Hebrews 8:8-11 … vs 10 written)
- “Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.” (Acts 20:16) Again … we find those who followed Yeshua (Jesus) still celebrating these Feasts after Yeshua (Jesus) left to be with His Father. So HE obviously did not tell them that they were done away with or to stop celebrating them.
- “I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost,” (1 Corinthians 16:7-8) Let me ask you: Why would Paul still be celebrating this feast? Especially since he was the apostle to the Gentiles! It is because that is what Yeshua (Jesus) taught!

Man’s traditional way of celebrating this Feast: Sadly, the mainstream church does not celebrate this festival. his is going to be a hard one to swallow for many: Easter is NOT when Yeshua (Jesus) rose from the dead. Actually, we can find Easter nowhere in God’s original words (Unless man changed it). Can you see, yet that Satan has attempted to distort God’s truth and cover our eyes to the truth?

TRUMPETS

Original command: found in Leviticus 23:23-35 (verse 24 shown): “…On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.”

Spiritual meaning: Although many things have happened on this day (as God uses His appointments to reveal Himself), this appointment and the following ones have yet to be fulfilled. So, why are we not celebrating them? Why have we discarded them? They reveal what Christ is GOING TO DO in our lives and within Israel (His family)! The Feast of Trumpets is simply a day we are commanded to blow the shofar (trumpet) and celebrate. My friends … that is it! Blowing of the shofar (trumpet) and celebrating Christ! Can you see the symbolism in the blowing of the trumpet in relation to the future events spoken of in Scripture? We celebrate this Feast in ANTICIPATION of His return (out of faith). Can you see the sound getting louder each year as more and more believers walk in the truth? One year, it will no longer be a dress rehearsal, but the actual performance.

New Testament findings: What did Yeshua (Jesus do)? Our Messiah celebrated this, as well as His followers … so why aren’t we?

- “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Matthew 24:31) Isn’t this what we are all hoping for? Isn’t this what we are trusting in? Will you be celebrating and blowing the shofar (trumpet) on this day? Or will you be, like many at His first coming, simply going about your business on this day and doing the “routine” of life? Please note that He is only coming to gather the elect! This is an awesome study (see study on “death” and the role of His priests, those who practice and teach the Laws of God)
- “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
- “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
- “On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, “ and “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”” (Revelation 4:1 and 1:10)

Man’s traditional way of celebrating this Feast: Again, it is sad, but the mainstream church does not celebrate this festival either. The very day that our Messiah comes to get His elect (Priests) is not celebrated. Why? They have been taught that it is “finished” and there no Law to obey (except, of course “to love”). This is where the mainstream church has failed. They stopped at Passover and never died to self. I do not want to offend anyone (really, I don’t), but many are missing the fullness of Christ by not celebrating HIS way.

DAY OF ATONMENT

Original command: found in Leviticus 23:26: “…The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the Lord by fire.” Fire represents the Spirit of God who is refining us. What offering are you going to be presenting to your Creator? What victories has He given you in your life that you can present to Him? I pray that none of us appear before Him empty handed.

Spiritual meaning: This day represents judgment day. Although our sins have been atoned for, this day has not yet been fulfilled. This, indeed, is a solemn day … a day in which many will find out that they actually did not TRULY believe. It is on this day that our Lord may say to those who THOUGHT they were saved: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23) “That day” appears to be the Day of Atonement … Judgment Day. The original Greek word meaning “evil doers” actually refers to those who transgress the law. Read it again and really think about it, this time. These people were NOT Buddhists, Muslims, or any other religion but those who “thought” they were Christians because they were calling Him “Master, Master”.

New Testament findings: What did Yeshua (Jesus) do? Our Messiah celebrated this, as well as His followers … so why aren’t we?

- “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) Just like the people who said, “Lord, Lord” … We will see clearly who the Lord is on this day!
- “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” (Matthew 12:36) This is Day of Atonement. We may be saved by faith, but by our words and actions we will be judged … “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”” (Mathew 12:37)
- “It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’” So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:11-12) Yes, it is on THIS DAY that we will have to give an account to God! How humbling that is … even for the children of God. Both the wicked and righteous will give an account, for every knee will bow before him on that day.
- “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13) There’s that accountability thing again! Many will find out that they should have obeyed God’s Laws out of FAITH. That is the proof that we truly love God – we obey Him: “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,” (1 John 5:3) and Nehemiah 1:5 … “Then I said: “O YHVH, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands,”
- “But they will have to give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Peter 4:5)
- “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30) Notice that the Day of Redemption is when we will find out IF we had the Spirit. Has the Spirit been teaching you the Law?
- “Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast.” (Acts 27:9) The Day of Atonement was also known as “The Fast” because we are commanded to fast for 24 hours on this day. So, it is VERY clear that even Paul was still celebrating the Feasts after the Messiah rose.

Man’s traditional way of celebrating this Feast: Do I sound like a broken record? Again, the mainstream church does not celebrate this festival. Possibly because many think that there is no longer any Laws … so what could they be judged by?

TABERNACLES

Original command: found in Leviticus 23:33-43 (verses 34-36 shown): “…On the fifteenth day of the seventh month YHVH’s Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present offerings to YHVH by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to YHVH by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.”

Spiritual meaning: We will be with Him, our Savior and King, forever! (The Priests will be with Him … the rest of the dead rise up on the eighth day. Some to salvation, some to everlasting death) What a day this will be! This, too, is what we live in the hope of! This is also the Feast during which many believe that Yeshua (Jesus) was born. This is a representation of the day that we will begin to spend eternity with Him. Will you be celebrating on this day? It is a day that is prophesied in Zechariah 14:16-19. Will you be there with me and many others? “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, YHVH Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Zechariah 14:16)

New Testament findings: What did Yeshua (Jesus) do? Our Messiah celebrated this, as well as His followers … so why aren’t we?

Regarding The Feast of Tabernacles (when God’s Priests are raised and spend 1,000 years with their Messiah):

- “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be PRIESTS of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6)
- “And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
- “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
- “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed– in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)

Regarding The Eighth Day Assembly (when Satan is released and the rest of the dead rise up to hear the truth and be judged):

- “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua (Jesus) stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.’” (John 7:37-38) This is the Eighth Day Assembly … the last day of the feast. Did you notice? Yeshua (Jesus) was present and celebrating it.
- “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2) This is when all others (those made for common purposes and those who never preached or practiced obeying the Law (they were blinded) AND the wicked) come to life. They will all hear the truth and either accept or reject it.
- “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out — those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” (John 5:28-29)

- “Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,” (2 Corinthians 5:2-6 … vs 2 shown) Either way, we are all clothed with a temporary covering (called flesh). The day we stop groaning is the day we will be with Him forever!

Man’s traditional way of celebrating this Feast: There are only two examples of people celebrating birthdays in the Bible (both are wicked). Think about it, celebrating our flesh comes from pagans (I am not saying it is a sin … just that God never tells us to do so). Remember that there was no room at the inn when Mary had Yeshua (Jesus)? It is believed that it was on THIS festival (Tabernacles means “dwelling” or “temporary dwelling” … God came to dwell with man … and during this feast, He will do so again). Christmas is NOT Yeshua’s (Jesus) birthday. He was born in the fall (awfully cold for those shepherds to still be out on December 25th, as well as many other traditional thinking). The Feast of Tabernacles was one of three Feasts where they had to all come together … thus: no room at the inn.

Regarding God’s Sabbath

Original command: found in Exodus 20:10-11 … “but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” The Sabbath is included as part of God’s Feasts in Leviticus 23:2-3, and it is the FIRST appointment that is listed!

Note: It was originally established at creation (and cannot be changed … it is fact) – Genesis 2:3

Note: It was given as the fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:10-11

Note: It is to be a sign between us and God: “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come so you may know that I am YHVH, who makes you holy.’” (Exodus 31:13)

Spiritual meaning: finding rest in God. What amazes me is that there are only 24 hours each week put aside for God. It is almost like practicing for eternity. It is great to worship Him on Sunday (even Tuesday and Thursday, as well as any other day). The sin, however, is that many are not meeting with God on HIS appointed day … the seventh day each week. They do as they please on His Holy day.

New Testament findings: What did Yeshua (Jesus) do? Our Messiah celebrated this, as well as His followers … so why aren’t we?

- What did Yeshua (Jesus) do? He taught on the Sabbath. We see this in Mark 1:21, “They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Yeshua (Jesus) went into the synagogue and began to teach.” (As well as Mark 6:2)
- Acts 13:14-15; 42, 44, 15:21, 18:4
- Hebrews 4:9-11 states that “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” It is very clear that we are NOT to follow the acts of disobedience of those who do NOT honor the Sabbath. The Sabbath is continually mentioned as an important part of life … just as important as eating and sleeping.
- Matthew 12:8 says that Christ is the Lord of this day! He is the reason for it and where we find this true rest spoken of!
- Don’t you want the following blessing for yourself and your family? “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and YHVH’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in YHVH, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.‟ The mouth of YHVH has spoken.” (Isaiah 58:13-14) Let me ask you: Whose day is it and who spoke?

Regarding God’s Sacrifices

First … let us examine the original offerings and their meanings:

- Burnt offering … Voluntary act of worship; atonement for unintentional sin in general; expression of devotion, commitment and complete surrender to God.

- Grain offering … Voluntary act of worship; recognition of God’s goodness and provisions; devotion to God.

- Fellowship (or Peace) offering … Voluntary act of worship; thanksgiving and fellowship (usually included with a communal meal). This is the only offering where all members are to share in the eating of the sacrifice. It was brought to celebrate the covenant out of a grateful heart. (As opposed to the sin offering which is done to mend a broken relationship of the covenant)

- Sin offering. This is a MANDATORY atonement for specific unintentional sin; confession of sin; forgiveness of sin; cleansing from defilement. (Sin against God!)

- Guilt offering … This is a MANDATORY atonement for unintentional sin requiring restitution; cleansing from defilement; make restitution; pay 20% fine. (Sin against your neighbor … which, in turn, was against God!)

- Drink (or wine) offering … This was the blood of the animal that was being sacrificed, or anointing oil, or in another case it is a “hin of wine”.

- Other offerings and sacrifices (or names we may hear of others) … Memorial offering, Fragrant offering, and many more.

I will not dwell on the sacrifices too long. But, my friends, they are still to be obeyed. Look at the meaning and what they stand for (we just needed to know their purposes).

- “Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a MEMORIAL OFFERING before God.” (Acts 21:26)
- “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a SIN OFFERING.” (Romans 8:3) Remember, this offering and the Guilt offering were the mandatory ones for unintentional sin. THESE two are the offerings that Yeshua (Jesus) was and STILL is!)
- “But even if I am being poured out like a DRINK OFFERING on the SACRIFICE and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.” (Philippians 2:17)
- “I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a FRAGRANT OFFERING, and acceptable SACRIFICE, pleasing to God.” (Philippians 4:18)
- “For I am already being poured out like a DRINK OFFERING, and the time has come for my departure.” (2 Timothy 4:6) (Wow! Our sweat, our spirit , sometimes even blood, are exhausted doing the work of Christ … a drink offering … pleasing to God.)

So … are we to continue offering sacrifices today?

- 1 Peter 2:4-5 (states CLEARLY that they are still to be obeyed spiritually by a child of God …) “As you come to Him, the Living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a SPIRITUAL house to be a holy priesthood, OFFERING SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES acceptable to God through Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ).”
- “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as LIVING SACRIFICES, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
- “Through Yeshua (Jesus), therefore, let us CONTINUALLY offer to God a SACRIFICE OF PRAISE – the fruit of lips that confess His name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

Regarding God’s time

(This is not an appointment, but how can we be on time for God’s appointments when we don’t know how to keep God’s time?)

Many Scriptures have been misunderstood because we simply don’t know God’s timetable. Our Savior and His followers knew that a day was from “evening to evening”. Do not misunderstand me … living according to our watches each day is NOT a sin. We must keep an eye open, though, to know when man’s timetable conflicts with God’s. Just like the Sabbath, it is okay to worship God ANY day, but there remains a Sabbath day for the people of God. Genesis 1:5 explains: “God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.”

The following verse is an example of how our misunderstanding of time can affect our interpretation of Scripture. Acts 20:7 … “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” Knowing that each day starts at sundown, let us walk through this verse with open eyes:

- They came together on the first day of the week which would be Saturday night, for it was a common practice to meet together to end the Sabbath at Sundown.
- Paul spoke until midnight which would be Saturday at midnight.
- Paul intended to leave the next day which would be Sunday.

So, when we prepare for the Sabbath, Feasts, or even New Moon, it is an evening to evening day that we must keep in mind.

Regarding God’s biblical diet

First let me ask you:

- Does God give us Laws/commands about how we are to treat our spouses?
- Does God give us Laws/commands about how we are to raise our children?
- Does God give us Laws/commands about how we are to speak to each other?

The answer to ALL of the above questions is: Yes. God desires us to live a certain way and to be holy. So He gives us an instruction manual (His Word). In the same light as the above questions, let me present to you God’s menu for His children. In this way, we will eat as our Master and His followers did: God clearly tells us what we can and cannot eat!

ANIMALS that were created for consumption: “You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.” (Leviticus 11:3)

FISH that were created for consumption: “… you may eat any that have fins and scales” (Leviticus 11:9)

BIRDS that were created for consumption: Well, actually God lists the birds that are NOT edible. Basically, birds that prey on dead matter (scavenger birds) were NOT created for consumption. (Leviticus 11:13-19)

INSECTS (Yes … insects! “Well, Father, you don’t have to worry about me disobeying this one!”): Leviticus 11:20-23. In short, any insects that walk on four legs are to be detestable … UNLESS … they have jointed legs for hopping (such as locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. (I’ll just go with the animals, fish, and birds for now!)

We Gentiles are so far removed that we don’t realize that the word “meat” as defined by God and used throughout His Word is only CLEAN meat per the above criteria! Let me give you an example. Let’s say that my family invited your family over for dinner and we asked if you could bring a salad. We then said that we would supply the meat and dessert. You come over and find out that we killed one of our dogs for the main course. Is that what you were thinking of when I said the word “meat”? Well, in China, dog IS part of their definition of meat. In the Bible, the word “meat” refers to clean meat – not pork or shellfish or anything else unclean. Just as you were not thinking about dog meat, the Bible does not refer to pig or any unclean animal as “food” or “meat”. Either God has “lifted the ban” on unclean food for a short time, only to reinstitute it later, or we have definitely misinterpreted His Word. Even scientists are realizing that many of the foods we eat are causing the diseases that we are experiencing. A pig is still a pig … no matter what we feed it! Read about the end times and what the wicked will be doing: “All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations – a people who continually provoke me to my very face … who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat.” (Isaiah 65:2-4) Again, speaking of the end times: “For with fire and with His sword the Lord will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by YHVH. Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things – they will meet their end together,” declares YHVH.” (Isaiah 66:16-17) It sounds pretty clear to me that God’s dietary Laws still stands for His children. It just makes sense. These Laws were obeyed in the past … they are required in the future … so they must still apply to us today. Our God does not change for a generation.

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