Feelin' Productive!

What an awesome day!  Even though we all slept in til 9am, I enjoyed such a good day! by noon, I had my Bible reading done, bread rising, 2 loads of laundry done, kitchen nice and clean and picked something up from freecycle!



It is now 4 pm, bread is in the oven, a huge garbage bag of toys is purged along with another garbage bag of clothes. The kids are happy, I am happy...what more can you possibly want??!!  Well, other than winning the lottery, but you have to actually buy lottery tickets to win...lol



 I was nervous this morning though and wondered what my day was going to be like...Malachi right from getting out of bed was literally running from one bad thing to the next, looking at me with a question in his eyes..."are you paying attention to me mom?"  yes...I was nervous indeed!  He's been a good little guy though with his new toys from freecycle! Yes this is why I purged a huge garbage bag of toys...lol to make room for more...but I DID get rid of more than I brought home! Yay me! lol



Off to make supper and brave the park later on!

A short and sweet explanation of things!

Yahshua
is the groom. Israel was the bride. They were married at Mount
Sinai. Did he throw away his bride and replace her with another? Or
did he remarry his bride? He REMARRIED his bride. I praise YHWH that I
am Israel! Through faith I am joined to his family and become his
bride. Who was the law given too? ISRAEL.. his bride.

Who's in Your Home?

This was on a blogger friends blog, she had read it in a newspaper

and it was submitted anonymously.



A few months before I was born

my Dad met a stranger who was

new
to our small town.

From the beginning, Dad was

fascinated with
this enchanting

new comer and soon invited him

to live with our
family.



The stranger was quickly accepted and was

around to
welcome me into the world a few months later.



As I grew up , I
never questioned his place in my family.

In my mind he had a special
niche.



My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me

the
word of God, and dad taught me to obey it.



But the stranger? He
was our story teller.

He would keep us spell bound for hours on end

with
adventures, mysteries and comedies.



If I wanted to know anything
about politics,

history or science, he always knew the answers about

the
past,understood the present, and even seemed to be able

to predict
the future!



He took my family to the first major league ball
game.

He made me laugh, and he made me cry.

The stranger never
stopped talking, but my Dad didn't seem to mind.



Sometimes Mom
would get up quietly while the rest of us

were shushing each other to
listen to what he had to say,

and she would go to her room and read
her books.

( I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to
leave.)



Dad ruled our house hold with certain moral convictions,

but
this stranger never felt obligated to honor them.

Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home...

not from us, our friends, or
any visitors. Our long time visitor,

however, got away with four
letter words that burned my ears,

and made my dad squirm and my mom
blush.



My Dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol

in the
home, not even for cooking. But the stranger

encouraged us to try it
on regular basis.

He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and
pipes distinguished.



He talked freely ( much to freely) about
sex.

His comments were sometimes blatant,

sometimes suggestive,and generally embarrassing.



I know my early concepts about relationships
were influenced

strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he
apposed the values

of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked..... and
never asked to leave.



More than fifty years have passed since the
stranger

moved in with our family. He has blended right in

and is
not as fascinating as he was at first.



Still, if you were to
walk into my parents den today

you would still find him sitting over
in his comer,

waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him
draw his pictures.



His name? We just call him T.V.



(I'm happy to say that when we move next month, TV will not be coming with us!)

Aaronic Blessing

Babys Prayer

Oh how I wish I could mother one of these babes!  I would open my home to anyone considering abortion and try to nurture their spirit and fill them with Yahweh's love.  And if by the end of their pregnancy they still don't want their baby, at least baby will have a loving home already!

What I Believe. I am still human tho, and still mess up. But this is my statement of faith.

I desire to encouraging the believers of Yahshua (Jesus) to show their love for Yahshua by being a light to the world by living the blessed Torah obedient life.

I believe that Yahshua the Messiah is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. That Yahshua was crucified, buried and raised from the dead, ascended to Heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the intercessor and will again return as the Reigning King.

I believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Yahshua HaMashiach of Nazareth alone and that no one is justified before YHWH by keeping the Torah.

I believe that receiving YHWH blessings comes through obeying the Commandments given on Mount Sinai to Moshe.

Deu 11:26 ‘See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse:
Deu 11:27 the blessing, when you obey the commands of יהוה your Elohim which I command you today;
Deu 11:28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commands of יהוה your Elohim, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other mighty ones which you have not known.


I believe that neither fear of hell nor hope of salvation is the motivation for keeping the Torah but love for YHWH alone is the reason we keep the Torah.

I believe that all have sinned and come short of the esteem of YHWH and that repentance is commanded of G-d for all and necessary for the forgiveness of sin.

I believe that all gifts of the Spirit are vital to the body of Messiah and should compliment the fruit of the Spirit evident in the life of the believer.

I believe in G-d the Father (YHWH), the Son (Yahshua), and the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) the creator, redeemer, sanctifier and sustainer of heaven and earth are One (Echad).

I believe in water baptism by immersion (Mikvah) and all who repent should be baptized in the name of Yahshua HaMashiach. Acts 2:38

I believe that there is only one true Elohim, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

I believe in keeping the feasts of YHWH. Lev, 23:1-44

We believe that the sign of the renewed covenant between YHWH and His people is the Shabbat. Keeping Shabbat shows our love for the Mashiach. Exodus 31:16, Isa. 56:6, Luke 6:5

I believe that Torah, YHWH's teaching and instruction, reveals the heart of YHWH and therefore is the expressed image of YHWH. Keeping the Torah is freedom from legalism and dogma of man.

I believe that Yahshua is the manifested Word of YHWH. Obeying Torah is the same as obeying Yahshua. Gen. 1:1, John 1:1

I believe that YHWH gave the Torah in written form through Moses to the Children of Israel, as recorded in the scriptures.

I believe in the restoration of the two Houses of Israel and the prophetic teachings about it. Jer. 31:31, Ezek. 37:15-22

I believe that Yahshua HaMashiach came not to destroy the Torah but to give it full meaning and substance. Matt. 5:17

I believe YHWH wants us to turn from a Torah-less lifestyle to a Torah obedient lifestyle and become His holy, precious & peculiar treasure.
I set before you Life & Death....choose Life! Deut. 30:15, 1 John 2:3-6

Deu 30:15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil,
Deu 30:16 in that I am commanding you today to love יהוה your Elohim, to walk in His ways, and to guard His commands, and His laws, and His right-rulings. And you shall live and increase, and יהוה your Elohim shall bless you in the land which you go to possess.

1Jn 2:3 And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His commands.
1Jn 2:4 The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5 But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected1 in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

I keep all eight Moadim (Festivals of G-d) which are commanded to be obeyed. (am in the process of this)

One is repeated weekly, called Sabbath while the other seven are annual.

1. Pesach (Passover), which commemorates the final judgment upon Egypt and the beginning of our freedom from slavery. As New Covenant believers, we also see our Messiah Yahshua as the fulfillment by being the Passover Lamb, passing us from death to eternal life.

2. Hag Ha Matzot (Unleavened bread) is, in conjunction with and following Passover, a seven-day Moadim, when we do not eat leavened bread, only unleavened bread. Leavening is a symbol for malice and wickedness. We are to remove leavening from our lives.

3. Bikkurim (Feast of First Fruits) . It commemorates the resurrection of life from the ground (both seeds that are planted, and The Messiah Yahshua). Yahshua was the first fruit of many brethren.

4. Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) is the day following seventh weekly Sabbaths from the Feast of First Fruits, and on this day we observe Shavuot (commonly called Pentecost).

5. Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah) (Feast of Trumpets - also called Yom Teruah) is in late summer. This is the day we blow shofars (trumpets). This is the Jewish New Years.

6. Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) falls ten Days after Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah). This is a day of fasting and humbling prayer.

7. Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) is an eight-day Moadim. This final festival concludes the annual teaching cycle of the Torah and is observed by dwelling in temporary booths (such as tents or light campers) Yahshua was born during this festival.


We also observe two other festivals that are not commanded, The first was celebrated by Yahshua our Messiah and recorded in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament). Next we remember the salvation of the Jews by Queen Hadassah (Esther).
1. Chanukah (Feast of Dedication)
2. Purim (Feast of Lots)

Voice For The Voiceless, Hope For The Hopeless (Bring Our Troops Home)

Combating Rape.....one woman's invention!

South African doctor invents female condoms with 'teeth' to fight rape

By Faith Karimi, CNN

June 21, 2010 6:15 a.m. EDT

Dr. Sonnet Ehlers shows a spiked female condom, whose hooks she says stick on a man during rape.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Doctor distributes anti-rape female condom during World Cup
• Jagged rows of teeth-like hooks attach on man's penis
• Device can only be removed by a doctor
• "It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on," doctor says

(CNN) -- South African Dr. Sonnet Ehlers was on call one night four decades ago when a devastated rape victim walked in. Her eyes were lifeless; she was like a breathing corpse.
"She looked at me and said, 'If only I had teeth down there,'" recalled Ehlers, who was a 20-year-old medical researcher at the time. "I promised her I'd do something to help people like her one day."
Forty years later, Rape-aXe was born.
Ehlers is distributing the female condoms in the various South African cities where the World Cup soccer games are taking place.
The woman inserts the latex condom like a tampon. Jagged rows of teeth-like hooks line its inside and attach on a man's penis during penetration, Ehlers said.
Once it lodges, only a doctor can remove it -- a procedure Ehlers hopes will be done with authorities on standby to make an arrest.
"It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on," she said. "If he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter... however, it doesn't break the skin, and there's no danger of fluid exposure."
Ehlers said she sold her house and car to launch the project, and she planned to distribute 30,000 free devices under supervision during the World Cup period.
"I consulted engineers, gynecologists and psychologists to help in the design and make sure it was safe," she said.
After the trial period, they'll be available for about $2 a piece. She hopes the women will report back to her.

It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on. If he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter
--Dr Sonnet Ehlers

RELATED TOPICS

• Sexual Offenses
• South Africa

"The ideal situation would be for a woman to wear this when she's going out on some kind of blind date ... or to an area she's not comfortable with," she said.
The mother of two daughters said she visited prisons and talked to convicted rapists to find out whether such a device would have made them rethink their actions.
Some said it would have, Ehlers said.
Critics say the female condom is not a long-term solution and makes women vulnerable to more violence from men trapped by the device.
It's also a form of "enslavement," said Victoria Kajja, a fellow for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the east African country of Uganda. "The fears surrounding the victim, the act of wearing the condom in anticipation of being assaulted all represent enslavement that no woman should be subjected to."
Kajja said the device constantly reminds women of their vulnerability.
"It not only presents the victim with a false sense of security, but psychological trauma," she added. "It also does not help with the psychological problems that manifest after assaults."
However, its one advantage is it allows justice to be served, she said.
Various rights organizations that work in South Africa declined to comment, including Human Rights Watch and Care International.
South Africa has one of the highest rape rates in the world, Human Rights Watch says on its website. A 2009 report by the nation's Medical Research Council found that 28 percent of men surveyed had raped a woman or girl, with one in 20 saying they had raped in the past year, according to Human Rights Watch.
In most African countries, rape convictions are not common. Affected women don't get immediate access to medical care, and DNA tests to provide evidence are unaffordable.
"Women and girls who experience these violations are denied justice, factors that contribute to the normalization of rape and violence in South African society," Human Rights Watch says.
Women take drastic measures to prevent rape in South Africa, Ehlers said, with some wearing extra tight biker shorts and others inserting razor blades wrapped in sponges in their private parts.
Critics have accused her of developing a medieval device to fight rape.

"Yes, my device may be a medieval, but it's for a medieval deed that has been around for decades," she said. "I believe something's got to be done ... and this will make some men rethink before they assault a woman."

Walking as Messiah Walked:Guarding TORAH

Paralyzed by Grace....by Sombra Wilson

Paralyzed by Grace?

"In most churches we’re not

 only saved by grace, we’re paralyzed by it.  We’re afraid to do anything that might be a ”work.”  The funny thing is we will preach to people for an hour that they can’t do anything to be saved, and then sing to them for a half an hour trying to get them to do something…. People need to see that action is a receptacle for grace, not a substitute for it.  Grace is God acting in our lives to do things we can’t do on our own.  Grace is not opposed to effort; it’s opposed to earning.”(Dallas Willard, Interview, Leadership Magazine, Summer 2005, pge 23)

The gift of Grace is not an excuse to cease from doing – yes DOING
what we are commanded to do once we have received salvation. Grace
empowers us, sets us free so that we can step out of the ways of this
world and be God’s peculiar people, walking in His ways, not a
Christianized version of secular ways.  Read from Matthew 5 and see who
it is who is blessed. These are the righteous who are living by Torah,
and being persecuted for it. And the next part of scripture is the one
about salt not losing it’s saltyness. What is salt without flavour?
 It’s like a Christian who has no impact on this world because really,
he looks just like the world. But what about the fellow who believes in
Christ, and walks just as Christ did, as the Torah teaches us, wow oh
wow do we stand out from the world, and wow oh wow are we persecuted for
it, with words like “trying to earn your salvation” or “forsaking the
gift of grace”, persecuted for the way we look and the way we live and
what we believe and what days we keep.


No, I’m not paralyzed by grace, nor have I forsaken the gift of
grace, rather, I have been set free to keep the righteousnesss and
wisdom that is found in the Torah. Grace has set me free and I am DOING
the will of God. "



I love it when I find words from others that mirror my heart and thoughts!  Bless you Sombra!

Ergo Baby Carrier Giveaway!

http://raisingolives.com/2010/06/ergobaby-carrier-review/#comment-23635

I've not heard a bad thing about them yet!  I would LOVE one!

Ergo baby carrier giveaway!!!

http://raisingolives.com/2010/06/ergobaby-carrier-review/#comment-23635



Seriously!  This is awesome!  I've heard no bad reviews for an ergo yet!

The Shema

The children and I are learning The Shema. 





We will start with the first verse for now and learn the English words as well, since we don't know much Hebrew as of yet and it's important to know what we're saying even if we like how Hebrew "sounds"...lol

Serene's Soughdough Recipe

Will have to start this right after we move!  So excited to start this!

Very cool thread on facebook today!

So.. since the common theme of thought among the world is that Paul
taught the law was a burden, done away with, and taught against it..
lets make a collection of all the verses where he says the total
opposite of that. Just add one's you have on the top of your head to
the comment. :)

3 hours ago · Comment ·

Suzanne
McDaniel

Ro 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the
commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good
made death unto me? God forbid

In Romans 7 he goes into great
detail to tell us that the law is good and he doesn't die to it..
instead he dies to the law of sin and death.

3 hours ago ·

Suzanne
McDaniel

Ro 7:22 For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man:

The very next verse he tells us again that
there is ANOTHER law (the law of sin and death) and that is what he dies
to.

3 hours ago ·

Barbara Johnson
Sandefur

Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law
through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

3 hours ago ·

Suzanne
McDaniel

Ro 3:31 Do we then make void the law through
faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

That comes after
he tells them you are saved by faith, not works.. but just in case they
got the idea they no longer needed to follow the law he throws that
verse in to clarify.

3 hours ago
·

Suzanne
McDaniel

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:

(all scripture
being good for doctrine would certainly include the ONLY scritpures they
had at that time.. the old testament)

3 hours ago ·

Ken
Cagle

Do we then make void the Torah through
faith? Elohim forbid: yea, we establish the Torah.
(Rom 3:31)

3 hours ago ·

Christa
Stone

1Corinthians 5:8 Therefore let us KEEP THE
FEAST, not with OLD YEAST OR with yeast of malice and evil....

2 hours ago ·

Christa
Stone

Galatians 3:21 Is the LAW therefore contrary
to Elohim's promises? Absolutly not!

2 hours ago ·

Scotty Heidi
Fitzgibbon

Rom 8:4-9 "That the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us, who walk NOT after the FLESH, but after
the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do the things of the
flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For
to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life
and peace. Because the ... See Morecarnal mind is ENMITY against God: FOR IT IS
NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD, neither indeed can be. SO THEN THEY THAT
ARE IN THE FLESH CANNOT PLEASE GOD. But ye are not in the flesh, but
in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

The Spirit
will never lead a person contrary to the Torah of YHVH. Being led by
the Spirit = walking in the Torah, the perfect Word of YHVH.

2 hours ago ·

Suzanne
McDaniel

romans is certainly an eye opening book when
you learn to put it in context! In chapter 7 he tells us that the law
is good and holy and that is not the law we die to.. He then introduces
another law which is the law of sin and death and tells us THAT is the
law we die too. And then in that verse the previous poster put he tells
us WHO is not subject to the law (torah).. the CARNAL MINDED and those
who are at enmity with YHVH.

wow!

2 hours ago ·

Got a question for you!

Can
you prove what you believe from the old testament alone? That's all
Jesus and Peter and James and John and Paul had.

Just a question today!

Can you prove what you believe from the old testament alone? That's all Jesus and Peter and James and John and Paul had.

Fresh Starts...

They're really nice aren't they?  I find I need one every once in awhile.  Recently I deleted my facebook account, but found I really missed the fellowship of my TO friends!  So I rejoined. My handle there is the same as my blog, so go find me if you like!



The verse I posted above is a verse that is new to me....and hadn't realized (I have no idea why!) that word battles about Torah were wrong.  I would have people challenging something I posted on facebook and I always got caught up in the fight, in the desire to be "right"...it's not worth it.  I can only read Scripture and obey.  Others can (if they want to) learn from me by example, keeping in mind I'm human!!  I will try to spread the Word of God where ever I go because there are so many that are struggling to find meaning in life!  I MUST encourage them to seek God!  But to argue with other Believers is pointless and not godly!  Scripture speaks for itself.  I try so hard not to read it with man's doctrine in my head but because I was raised in it, it's hard to unlearn! I am a work in process....we ALL are!  I hope you will be blessed by the things I post, whether my own thoughts or others that I wish to share with you!

Studying the Scriptures

A nice teaching I read today.

 

How Under Law and Under Grace Got Lost in Translation

Romans 6:14:
14For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Which of the 6-7 connotations of the word “Nomos” (translated “Law” in every instance) are we not under?
A. Are we not to keep G0d’s Law/Torah?
B. Are we not to try to be saved by keeping the Law/Torah?
C. Are we not under the temple system of sacrifice for sins?
D. Are we not under the penalty of breaking the Law, which is death?
E. Are we not under the “Law of Sin”, that is, we NOW in Christ have the ability to not sin (as Paul calls the inability to refuse sin the “Law of Sin” in Romans 7, and also mentions 4 other kinds of “Law” in that chapter).
F. Are we not under the Talmud and traditions of the Pharisees/the modern Church tradtions for salvation?
The next line in the verse is “Should we go on sinning so that grace may abound? Certainly not. For Grace ESTABLISHES THE LAW.” So once, again, which connotation of “Nomos” is used here.
A few questions to ponder as you read:
If sin shall have “no dominion” over us, and sin is breaking G0d’s Law in 1st John 3:4, then how could we live Lawlessly and claim to be “under Grace”? If Grace is why sin has no dominion over us, it therefore should not lead us into living lives controlled by sin (Law breaking). Changing the definition of sin doesn’t mean that it doesn’t rule us, just as renaming a slave an employee, doesn’t make him any less of a slave if he can’t quit and gets no reward for his labors. The semantics don’t change the reality.
Grace can’t establish something if Paul just said we are no longer under it. And since the word “but’ is used, we are being shown that this translation of the word “Law” used in “Not under LAW but under Grace” must be in contradiction to Grace. And in the next verse, “Grace establishes the Law” then a different translation of Law needs to be used, because Grace can’t establish something contrary to Grace.
Which connotation of “Law” is “established” by Grace? and which connotation of “Law” is “Contrary” to Grace? Which meaning would line up with the first 2/3 of the Bible, and the rest of Paul’s wriings for that matter, especially 2nd Corinthians 6:14 “What fellowship can Righteousness have with Lawlessness?”
Is Keeping G0d’s Commandments OUT OF LOVE AND OBEDIENCE contrary to the salvation system of Grace or established by the salvation system of Grace?
OR
Is keeping G0d’s Commands IN ORDER TO BE SAVED contrary to the salvation system of Grace or established by the salvation system of Grace?
Is the love inspired obedience to Torah (G0d’s instructions for our life) contrary to Grace or established by it?
Is legalism (earning one’s own salvation) contrary to Grace or established by it?
THE KICKER
Here is the kicker. Both Legalism and Torah are “Nomos” in Greek and translated as “Law” in English. But they are contrary ideas.
So the audience must have understood that 2 different things were meant in that verse, which are both translated as the English word “LAW” despite these being 2 different concepts.
An Analogy:
We could write a letter using the word “Love” several times, and then put the letter in a time capsule to be discovered by school children studying history centuries from now. First the capsule would be uncovered when our culture and religious climate have disappeared,then someone would put the letter into a language that had many words for love, all with different meanings, but sadly, that person who translated only used one of the many words for the idea expressed. If these school children studying us spoke Greek, the translators would have to use the Greek word for Romantic Love,or the one for Friendship Love, or the one for Undeserved Love. If just one word for love was used, the the meaning of the letter would be very different, with some very drastic implications about what the speaker meant and what he was saying.
If we wrote a letter in which we use the word “Love” in English several times, and in one instance we love our wives, the next we love our children, the next we love our best friend, then our morals, lifestyle, and intentions could be easily misconstrued by a bad translation.
Especially if someone took the whole paragraph and placed it into a different language, if the translator was using only the word for love that described romantic love (Eros), then they would assume we are all homosexuals because we “Love”(Eros) our best friend with the same word “Love”(Eros) that we love our wives, and we are pedophiles because we “Love” (Eros) our children the same way that we love our wives. So the readers conclusion would be that our religion taught pedophilia.
Now if the word “Philos” was used every time, implication would be that our religion taught that husbands and wives are merely to be friends and not lovers, and that parents should be buddies with their children instead of authority figures.
Now, if they used the proper word for love in each instance, the confusion and accusations of homosexuality and a lack of affection between husband and wife would disappear. If instead of “Eros” every time, regardless of context, they used (Eros-Romantic Love), Philos (Liking) and Agape, Unconditional Love, the way the orginal author intended, the meaning would change.
The letter could read. “We LOVE (Eros) our wives, and we spend time with our guy friends that we also LOVE (Philos), and we love (AGAPE) our children.”
How would those studying our letters in the future know what in the world we meant? They would have to study the bulk of our other writings and the writings of those from our culture, especially the writings we ourselves claimed to have drawn our morals from. Those reading in the future would have to use the translation that lined up with the rest of this individual letter, the rest of our writings, and the writings of those that we imitate (in Paul’s case, the Torah was what he studied and claimed to live by).
What is sin? 1st John 3:4 “Sin is Breaking the Law of G0d (Torah)”. So Grace (chesed) establishes the Torah.
God’s Grace (Chesed=loving kindness) in our lives, establishes the Love shown in His Law (Torah=the Father’s loving instructions to His children on how to have a blessed life).

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Tags: "free from the Law", "fulfilled the Law", "under the law", blessings, bondage, commandments, covenants, deliverance, Grace, Greek, Hebraic Roots, holy, Jewishness of Scriptures, lawlessness, legalism, lost in translation, love, Messiah, Old Testament, Paul, sin, the Law, TORAH, Yehoshua, YHVH

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Andrea Bocelli and Abortion!

Woke up to this song going through my head!

Heart of Wisdom blogpost

A very good blogpost was written by Robin, who is the author of the book A Family's Guide to the Biblical Holidays as well as a bunch of other Heart of Wisdom curriculum!

I've been enjoying reading the blogs of others lately, and want to share some that speak my heart as well.
Shabbat Shalom!

Refiner's Fire

The Refiner's Fire is constantly bombarded by e-mails from well-meaning (and some not-so-well-meaning) Christians who try to inform us that Messianic Jews and Gentiles are "under the law". They INSIST we are totally "off the mark" and promoting "works" because we don't seem to realize that "Jesus nailed it to the cross". (These people don't seem to realize that, what has been "nailed to the cross" is our past SINS, not God's original teaching and instruction!) He nailed our certificate of debt for breaking the Law to the cross - not His Torah. Some have even called Messianic Judaism a "doctrine of demons" - while others have actually threatened to look us up in order to do us physical harm because of our belief....

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Let's Get Biblical!

People such as mentioned above obviously don't understand what Messianic Judaism is all about. They don't seem to realize that Yeshua was the FINAL SIN SACRIFICE who came to abolish the man-made, "rabbinical" teachings that had people bound up and confused about what God had actually said; not someone who came to abolish God's original teachings. God gave us a new Covenant through Yeshua, not a new Torah! Yeshua is the Living Torah who never, ever negated God's original teaching and instruction.

In order to help clarify this very important issue, we have compiled a list of questions every Christian should ask him/herself before sending nasty e-mails to The Refiner's Fire. We ask our opposition to read the following with an open mind; to verify in the Bible everything that is written here; and most of all, to push aside all malice and personal prejudices and allow the Holy Spirit to guide them:

PLEASE USE THE SCRIPTURES TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
(not personal interpretations or extra-Biblical, man-made writings)

1. Was Jesus a Jew or a Gentile?
   
   Yeshua was a Torah observant, tallit wearing, synagogue attending, Sabbath and feast-keeping, kosher Jew, who observed the Jewish holy days of Passover, Tabernacles, and Pentecost. Are today's Christians, for the most part, walking in Torah, keeping the Biblical feasts, or the seventh day Sabbath? Various sects of Catholicism and many Christians denominations claim to be the "true religion" that Jesus established. Yet, modern day "Christianity" has very little in common with the founder of their "faith"!
   
   
2. Why do Christians refer to the Jewish Messiah as "Jesus" when Yeshua was His given Hebrew name? It's not that hard to pronounce....(Please see How Yeshua Became Jesus.)
   
   The Jewish Messiah's given name was Yeshua. "Jesus" is the Hellenized-Anglicized form of "Yeshua". "Jesus" doesn't mean anything, while Yeshua means "Salvation". Yeshua never heard the name "Jesus" in His lifetime. Some people have said that this is irrelevant, but our question is this: If your name is "John" or "Mary", why would you answer to "Charles" or "Betty"? Yes, Yeshua knows who we are talking about when we call Him "Jesus", but it's a lot more rewarding to call Him by His given Name - the name that has a meaning....
   
   
3. Where in the Scriptures does God tell us to ignore the original, seventh day Sabbath - the day He Himself blessed and made holy (Gen 2:1-2)?
   
   You won't find anything in the Scriptures that references the changing of the Sabbath to Sunday. Some argue that it's because "Jesus rose on a Sunday" - but you need to ask yourself: Why would that, in itself, change the seventh-day Sabbath that God ordained "in the beginning"? (First of all, please see our article which proves that Jesus did NOT rise on a Sunday!) Some argue that Constantine was responsible for changing the Sabbath because he hated the Jews.
   
   No matter who instituted Sunday worship, in Yeshua's time, both Jews and Gentiles alike, regularly attended the synagogue for worship on the seventh day, and the fact that interested Gentiles in Antioch requested further instruction of Paul "on the next Sabbath" is irrefutable evidence that no separate Sunday (1st day) meetings were being held there by those early Christians: The Gentiles were willing to wait an entire week, till the next Saturday, for a meeting because they knew that Paul and his companions did not normally meet for worship on a Sunday. Acts 13:42-44 tells us that, on the next Sabbath (Saturday) almost the whole city arrived for the meeting.
   
   Some insist that Acts 20:7 reveals Sunday worship, but this is not true. Fact is, Jewish believers in Yeshua continued meeting at synagogue (or the Temple) for Sabbath. Common practice would be havdallah - meeting in homes after sundown on Saturday to continue discussions and praise from the Sabbath, which explains Paul "preaching until midnight" in Acts 20:7. The first day of the week for Jews (like Paul) began at Sundown at the end of the Sabbath - Saturday, not "Sunday."
   
   Furthermore, the fact is, neither the Father nor the Son has ever claimed the first day as His own in any higher sense than He has each or any of the other laboring days. Neither of them has ever placed any blessing upon it, or attached any sanctity to it. The Bible tells us God expressly reserved the seventh day to Himself, placing His blessing upon it, and claimed it as His holy day. (Genesis 2:1-3.) Moses told Israel in the wilderness of Sin of the sixth day of the week, "Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord." Exodus 16:23. (Please see Sabbath Truth and The True Sabbath Day.)
   
   
4. Christians insist that "the law" was abolished. How is that possible when sin is transgression of "the law"? When and by whom was it abolished? Certainly not by Yeshua! He said He came NOT to abolish but to confirm (Hebrew: koom which means "establish/confirm)". Why would Yeshua's role as FINAL SIN SACRIFICE in any way negate Torah - God's original teaching and instruction? Did He ever say, "I came to abolish Torah and render my original teachings void"? Yeshua is our "New Covenant" and "Sin Sacrifice". Period. God gave us a New Covenant, not a new Torah! Did He even MENTION Torah as He spoke about giving us a New Covenant (Jer.31:30-33/Heb.8:8-12)?
   
   You won't find anything in the Scriptures to show that Torah was ever abolished. Many Christians have decided that when God said, "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts" He meant that His original Torah (teachings) would be rendered null and void. How many of today's people automatically know God's laws? How many actually KEEP his laws? If this were TRULY the case that God's laws were somehow imprinted in our hearts, there would be NO adultery, divorce, murder, hate crimes, abortion, lying, stealing, coveting - things that many Christians are certainly guilty of.....
   
   Yeshua said: Matthew 5: 17 Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah - not until everything that must happen has happened. If "ALL" hasn't happened yet, and heaven and earth have not passed away, then that must mean that His Torah is still valid....
   
   
5. Why do Christians insist that "the law" was "written on our hearts" (Jeremiah 31:33-34; Romans 10:4-8) and therefore, the "OT" no longer pertains to them?
   
   Perhaps Christians need to look at this passage from another viewpoint: Unless we have read the "Old Testament" how can we automatically KNOW what Torah says? Yes, we have "the law"/Torah written on our hearts - but this does not mean we have an automatic knowledge of it just because we are "saved". It means we now have the desire for Torah! The heart is the "seat of desire". Why? Because it is the battleground over which God and Satan fight continually. Allegiance comes from the heart; as do concepts such as honor, loyalty, and commitment. The heart sets apart greatness from merely "good". Without the heart no endeavor reflects the fact that we are created in the image of God.
   
   
6. Since God said to celebrate the Biblical feasts FOREVER (Leviticus 23:21, 31, 41, Exodus 12:14), why do you believe He wants you to ignore them now, simply because His Son died on the cross? Has "forever" come and gone, or ended somehow?
   
   No - "forever" has not come and gone! Messianic Jews celebrate the Biblical feasts because it is instructed by God in the Torah for Israel to observe these festivals forever (Leviticus 23:21, 31, 41, Exodus 12:14). Messiah Yeshua observed these festivals as did the early Messianic Jews and apostles such as Rabbi Shaul/Apostle Paul (Acts 20:16, 1 Corinthians 16:8, Acts 28:17). When Yeshua returns to this earth these festivals will be re-established worldwide (Zechariah 14:16-21). God has His appointed times! He does nothing without purpose. What makes us think we can simply ignore what He says?
   
   Here's something to ponder. Yeshua has only fulfilled the first four of the seven Biblical feasts. If He fulfilled the first four, what makes you think He won't fulfill the last three? If everything goes according to God's Plan and the first four feasts have been fulfilled, then the next feast to be fulfilled is Rosh Hashana - the Feast of Trumpets: the "Rapture". Since Christians choose to believe the entire "OT" has been "nailed to the cross", then does this mean there won't be a "Rapture"? Why should there be, since you don't "believe" in the Biblical feasts....
   
   
7. Did Rav Sha'ul (Apostle Paul) actually say that, since Yeshua's death, we can eat whatever we want, meaning there is no more "Kosher"?
   
   1 Timothy 4: 1 The Spirit expressly states that in the acharit-hayamim some people will apostatize from the faith by paying attention to deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come from the hypocrisy of liars whose own consciences have been burned, as if with a red-hot branding iron. 3 They forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods which God created to be eaten with thanksgiving by those who have come to trust and to know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing received with thanksgiving needs to be rejected, 5 because the word of God and prayer make it holy.
   
   First of all we have to remember that Paul was talking to the Jews and Gentiles - who were KOSHER and adhering to God's "clean and unclean" laws. They wouldn't dream of going against what God said in Leviticus concerning what He considered to be food. (Although many prefer to think otherwise, Paul constantly confirmed Torah: Romans 3: 31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law....)
   
   Paul tried to warn people against doctrines of demons which twist God's Word. Every creature is good and not to be refused IF it is made holy by the Word of God and prayer (thanksgiving). The Word of God in Leviticus tells us what is holy and not holy. That is what Kosher means, because it comes from the same root as kodesh, meaning holy.
   
   
8. Where in the Scriptures did Yeshua ever attend a "church"? The Bible DOES tell us that He attended "synagogues": Matthew 12:9, Matthew 13:54, Mark 1:21, Mark 1:29, Mark 3:1, Mark 6:2, Luke 4:16, Luke 4:20, Luke 4:28, Luke 4:38, Luke 6:6, Luke 7:5, John 6:59, John 12:42, John 18:20, Acts 13:14, Acts 13:42, Acts 14:1, Acts 18:4, Acts 18:26, Acts 19:8 to mention just a few....
   
   Yeshua attended synagoges, not "churches". Stern's Complete Jewish Bible - translated directly from Hebrew into English - never mentions "church" but, rather, uses the words "congregation" or "community". This is a good place to mention that Messiah Yeshua was NOTHING like the modern New Testament representation that most Christian denominations have made Him into! The apostle Paul warned against what was already beginning to happen 1,900 years ago - the world has embraced "ANOTHER JESUS", a totally different "Jesus" from the one revealed in Scripture! Paul warned the Corinthian church:
   
   II Corinthians 11: 2 For I am jealous for you with God's kind of jealousy; since I promised to present you as a pure virgin in marriage to your one husband, the Messiah; 3 and I fear that somehow your minds may be seduced away from simple and pure devotion to the Messiah, just as Havah (Eve) was deceived by the serpent and his craftiness. 4 For if someone comes and tells you about some other Yeshua than the one we told you about, or if you receive a spirit different from the one you received, or accept some so-called "good news" different from the Good News you already accepted, you bear with him well enough!
   
   
9. If, as you believe, the Torah was "abolished" and the "Old Testament" is to be ignored - why are Christians still teaching the Ten Commandments or telling church members to tithe? Isn't it hypocritical to pick and choose what we want to believe of the "Old Testament?
   
   The Ten Commandments appear in two places in the Bible: Both are in the Old Testament - Exodus, chapter 20; and in Deuteronomy, chapter 5. Neither version conveniently lists the commandments from one to ten, which is presumably how they would appear when posted. In the most commonly referenced passage, Exodus 20, the commandments cover 17 verses and encompass at least 14 imperatives. Concerning tithing, in the New Testament tithe and tithing are found eight times (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; 18:12; Hebrews 7:5-6,8-9). But all of these passages refer to the Old Testament usage under the law! In view of this fact, it seems that today's church pastors should never ask for tithes because, according to your own train of thought, tithes are "old testament".....
   
   
10. Do the Scriptures command us to celebrate the birth or resurrection of the Messiah via Christmas and Easter? What's more, is it okay to lie to your children about the existence of Santa Claus and egg-laying rabbits? What do these things have to do with Yeshua's birth and death? For those who want to answer: "It's fun; it's tradition", then please check the Bible to see what God says about man-made traditions....
    
    You won't find Christmas and Easter anywhere in the Bible. Those holidays were man's idea and, while they were originally meant for GOOD, Satan used them for evil by having us insert Paganistic traditions. (Please see The Pagan Origins of Christmas and The Pagan Origins of Easter.) What's more, it is NOT okay to lie to your children about the existence of Santa Claus and egg-laying rabbits. Lying is a sin. The Ninth Commandment is: Thou shalt not lie. Can you honestly say that you've never said to your kids: "Santa Claus is coming soon to bring you toys, so you'd better be good!" or "Look! The Easter bunny brought you some colored eggs!" Is it okay to tell a "little" lie? Since when? Is human tradition worth the cost of making us guilty of sinning in God's eyes?
    
    
11. When exactly did Gentiles come into faith, and how can they claim that THEIR "church" is the "original church that Jesus built" when NONE of them observe Torah, and MOST of them ignore the seventh day Sabbath and the Biblical feasts! Does YOUR church in any way resemble ANYTHING that Yeshua originally taught? Please check the Bible thoroughly before answering.
    
    In the beginning, Gentiles were considered to be immoral heathens and Pagans because they worshipped every kind of "god" except YHWH. But yet, it was always YWHW's will for the Gentile nations to receive His Salvation (Is. 49:6, 42:6). God told Abraham that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). Early Messianic Jews did not understand that this was God's will and proclaimed the Good News of the Messiah only to Jewish people. The controversy in the first century was not if it was Jewish to believe in Yeshua but whether Gentiles could be included without having to become Jewish. This was addressed by the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:1-31). (NOTE: Many people have misunderstood the proceedings at the Jerusalem Council to mean Gentiles were only required to perform certain acts - without realizing that Acts 15 is referring to man-made laws and not the Torah itself!)
    
    When the early Messianic Jews took the Good News of the Messiah to the Gentiles, a great number were brought into the Messianic faith. By the end of the first century A.D., the number of Gentile believers outnumbered the Jewish believers by a ratio of two to one! This occurred primarily because there were (and still are) more Gentiles in the world than Jewish people. Through the years, as the number of Gentile believers increased, they began to dominate this Messianic faith. Some Gentile believers, not understanding the Jewish roots of their faith and God's eternal covenant with Israel, wanted to split off and form a separate religion divorced from their Jewish roots (Romans 11:1-2). This "de-Judaizing process" continued until Gentile Christianity emerged as the dominant representative faith in the Messiah. In one of the greatest paradoxes in history, it became alien for a Jew to believe in Yeshua as his Messiah! (Please see How the Gentiles are Saved and A Study of Israel's History.)
    
    
12. Yeshua said He came NOT to abolish but to fulfill/establish/confirm (Matthew 5:17). He also said that until all has been accomplished, and heaven and earth have passed away, not one "jot or tittle"/the smallest letter or stroke would disappear from the Torah (Matthew 5:18). Has ALL been accomplished yet? Have heaven and earth passed away yet? If not, why are you ignoring Torah?
Since Yeshua said He did NOT come to abolish Torah, we MUST adhere to Torah! The Bible clearly shows that Yeshua was a devout Jew who did not come to abolish the faith of Judaism or the Torah of His Father, but to magnify, establish, and confirm it! As we continue to read Matthew 5, verse 19 and 20 clench the previous two: 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot (words/commands) and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
13. The Bible in several places states that God's Word is FOREVER. "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89). Did "forever" end at the beginning of the "New Testament"? Has "forever" come and gone?
    
    God said His Word is FOREVER. "Forever" didn't end last Tuesday, so why are Christians negating His Torah NOW? "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89). "As for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the LORD, "from now and forever." (Also see Isaiah 59:21 and 1 Chronicles 16:15.)
    
    "Forever" hasn't come unless "everything has happened that must happen" and "heaven and earth have passed away" (Rev.21:1). Has the heavenly Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) already come down from heaven to the earth (Rev.21:2)? Has Satan already been punished and cast into the lake of fire? (Rev.20:10.) Has the Great White Throne Judgment occurred already? (Rev.20:11-12.) Has Yeshua already returned and established the Kingdom of God (Rev. 10:1-7 and Rev.19:6, 11-16)?
    
    
14. God said in Proverbs 4:2 - "I give you good instruction: Do not forsake my Torah (teaching, instruction, law)." What makes you think Jesus abolished that command?
    
    God clearly told us NOT to ignore His teachings! The overwhelming decadence of today's world is clear evidence as to how much we have strayed from God's Word....
    
    
15. Do you really believe that by ignoring Torah you are provoking the Jews to jealousy (Romans 11:11:12)? Do you think they're going to be jealous of the Christians who ignore the true Sabbath and the Biblical feasts, and ask the Jews to give up THEIR half of the Bible and adhere to the OTHER half only - especially in view of the fact that the FIRST HALF of the Bible outlines GOD'S commandments for our lives?
    
    Christians have killed millions of Jews and been responsible for persecuting them in one way or another for centuries. And now you want to tell them that the God you borrowed from the them - from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - has come in the form of a man they are supposed to worship now, and demand that they throw away THEIR Bible because Jesus' death on the cross automatically negated ALL of God's original teachings? You want them to believe they should throw out the original God-breathed Word and adhere to "the other half" - the half in which the Apostle Paul said all those things that YOU have misunderstood and misinterpreted to say that Torah was "nailed to the cross"? You want them to give up the idea of the original Sabbath and the Biblical feasts - the very feasts that Yeshua is STILL in the process of fulfilling??? (Please see Yeshua Has Fulfilled Only the First Four Feasts) and Jewish Holidays, in a Nutshell.
    
    Please think about how YOU would feel if someone came and told you to throw Jesus out the window and start believing in some strange god that you don't understand! In order to win the heart of a Jew, you MUST FIRST remember where YESHUA (the JEWISH MESSIAH in Whom YOU believe!) came from, and realize that the reason the Jews do not and CANNOT yet believe in Him is because their "spiritual eyes" have not yet been opened. GOD Himself will open their eyes in due time. In the meantime, YOUR job is to act like REAL "Christians" and be kind and understanding as opposed to pushy, nasty, and arrogant toward the Jews....God doesn't force Himself on anybody; so why should YOU?

God warns us not to forsake His Torah. Since Yeshua said He didn't come to abolish Torah, we should be taking this VERY seriously! Yeshua didn't abolish - He tightened and strengthened God's original teaching and instruction! Take, for instance, the things He espoused in Matthew 5:

Matthew 5: 21 "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' 22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

Matthew 5: 27 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Does this sound like someone who "abolished" God's original teaching and instruction?

Yeshua's intent was not to abolish or weaken or emasculate the Laws of YHWH, revealed in the Old Testament, but to expand and magnify them to their full spiritual intent and conclusion; to show their full meaning, purpose, and relevance; to reveal their spiritual and supernatural nature and basis; to show that the commandments lead us by necessity to FAITH in him as the Messiah. We do not earn salvation by works, but by Faith in Yeshua the Messiah, who died for our sins, and who now gives us his spirit to enable us to fulfill the righteousness of the Law (Acts 2:38; 5:32; Gal.2:20). The Messiah did not replace the Law of YHWH with Faith alone, but rather gave us inward Faith, through his spirit, to enable us to observe the holy commandments of God! Yet, with the advent of Christianity, the "Old Testament", along with God's original teaching and instruction, basically became null and void because they mistakingly think "Torah" equates to "law". BIG MISTAKE!....

The apostle Paul knew this truth and wrote to the believers in Rome: Does it follow that we abolish Torah by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, we confirm Torah (Rom.3:31). Not one "jot or tittle", was abolished from the Law of God.

Some have written to The Refiner's Fire to remind us that "animal sacrifices were abolished", and that they used to be part of "the law". To that, we say: "Because Yeshua was our final SIN Sacrifice and we don't have to do animal sacrifices anymore, how does that prove that the ENTIRE Torah was abolished? Yeshua abolished the need for animal sacrifices, and He came to abolish the "rabbinical" teachings of the time that had people so bound up in legalism, that they were afraid to get out of bed on the Sabbath because they feared that, with the effort of rising from bed, they might be guilty of "working". The teachings of the rabbis at the time had made the entire Torah a burden. Acts 21:20-24 tells us:

Acts 21: 20 On hearing it, they praised God; but they also said to him (Paul), "You see,brother, how many tens of thousands of believers there are among the Judeans, and they are all zealots for the Torah. 21 Now what they have been told about you is that you are teaching all the Jews living among the Goyim to apostatize from Moshe, telling them not to have a b'rit-milah (circumcision) for their sons and not to follow the tradition. 22 "What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that hear that you have come. 23 So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow. 24 Take them with you, be purified with them, and pay the expenses connected with having their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to these rumors which they have heard about you; but that, on the contrary, you yourself stay in line and keep the Torah.

If Yeshua had abolished the "law", then why did the apostle Paul observe it with four other Church men in Yerushalayim 29 years AFTER the crucifixion of the Messiah?

What does this tell us about the true "religion" that Yeshua the Messiah proclaimed? What does it tell us about His true gospel? Paul wrote, Therefore, what are we to say? That the Torah is sinful? Heaven forbid! Rather, the function of the Torah was that without it, I would not have known what sin is. For example, I would not have become conscious of what greed is if the Torah had not said, "Though shalt not covet." (Rom.7:7). He further added, So the Torah is holy; that is, the commandment is holy, just and good. (verse 12). He went on to say that YHWH's Law is spiritual (Rom.7:14) - and that which is spiritual is eternal. Paul also wrote, We concentrate not on what is seen but on what is not seen, since things seen are temporary, but things not seen are eternal. (II Cor.4:18). If the Laws of God were all abolished, as some believe, then Yeshua did away with what was clearly holy, righteous, good, and spiritual....

Those who teach contrary to the Torah, which Yeshua upheld - and Paul also taught - are false preachers and prophets. Paul wrote of them: II Corinthians 11: 13 The fact is that such men are pseudo-emissaries: they tell lies about their work and masquerade as emissaries of the Messiah. 14 There is nothing surprising in that, for the Adversary himself masquerades as an angel of light; 15 so it's no great thing if his workers masquerade as servants of righteousness. They will meet the end their deeds deserve.

So - is "the Law" still valid today? You bet it is! It is a standard for righteousness. Yeshua said that not one yod or tittle would pass away, and that those who love Him will keep His commandments. The Law is not for salvation, but for sanctification (being Holy). No one can keep the Law perfectly, but striving to live as Adonai commands brings us closer to His desire for our lives. Christians need to remember that, while God changed the Covenant, He never changed His Torah. Yeshua came to abolish the "rabbinical stuff", not GOD'S teachings. Messianic Judaism adheres to both, the "Old" and the "New" covenants. That does NOT make us weird or "off the mark" - nor does it make Messianic Judaism a "doctrine of demons"!

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We apologize to anyone who might have felt offended by this article. But, please understand, The Refiner's Fire is constantly under attack - in many cases VICIOUS attack - from people who call themselves "Christians" who simply don't understand that we are on the SAME SIDE! We totally believe in Yeshua's shed blood on the cross, just like every other Christian. We simply desire to follow the Bible as closely as possible, trying our best not to "read into it" or twisting Scripture in any way. Why should the Jews who believe in Yeshua suddenly ignore Torah just because YOU find it strange? What do you care that we prefer to celebrate the Biblical feasts as opposed to Christmas and Easter? WHY do you feel the need to attack fellow believers in Christ? WE are not your enemy - but you are doing everything in your power to make yourselves OUR enemy! Paul said:

Philippians 1: 12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, 14 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. 15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; 16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17 the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.

A Strong Delusion - A bloggy friend's blog

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

A Strong Delusion

Rarely do I post articles written by other authors or bloggers on my blog site. However, today I am willing to make an exception with the following article. The truths contained herein are important and need to be examined in our own hearts. Time is so short. Eternity awaits.


Barbara Johnson Sandefur: A Strong Delusion
Friday, November 20, 2009 at 7:45pm

WHEN discussing how to determine the truth and error of spiritual matters, people often make statements like: “I just follow my heart; I feel in my heart that this is right; I go with what my heart tells me; I trust my heart.” Such statements sound fine to most people, but the Bible plainly states that “he who trusts in his own heart is a fool.” [1]
Why is it foolish to trust one’s own heart? Won’t our heart tell us what is right? On the contrary: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” [2]

Daniel Botkin

If the Bible only said that our heart is deceitful, that would be bad enough. But it says more: the heart is deceitful “above all things.” If “all things” includes all things, then our hearts are more deceitful than the devil himself, which is a frightening thought.

Likewise, if the Bible only said that our heart is wicked, that would be bad enough. But it says more: The heart is “desperately wicked.” Our wicked heart is so desperate to continue ruling our thoughts and our life that it will go to any and all lengths to keep from being exposed for what it is, “full of madness and folly.” [3] In its desperation to survive, our heart is willing to masquerade as anything, even as a blood-washed, born-again Believer heart in love with the Savior. Jeremiah ends with this verse, “Who can know it?”

This diagnosis of the heart should also put the fear of God into anyone who takes the Bible seriously. Another sobering passage is 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, where we read about what happens to those who refuse the truth: “God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” If we are deluded by the devil, or even by our own heart, we might hope for pity from God. But if God Himself is the one who send the delusion, as a judgment for our refusal to love truth, what hope is there for deliverance from deception? Who can deliver us from a strong delusion that God has sent?

The problem with deception is that the deceived person has absolutely no idea that he is deceived. If he knows he is deceived, then he is not deceived! Deception, by its very nature, is impossible to detect in one’s self. Until the deceived person begins to see that he is deceived, he does not suspect that he is under a strong delusion.

In Matthew 7:21-23, Yeshua describes a multitude of people who will not see their deception until it is too late for them:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

Two things about this passage should motivate Bible-believers to examine their faith. The first thing is the fact that the people described here are not atheists or Moslems. These are church people, involved in church activities, doing what appear to be good works in the name of Jesus. They even call Him “Lord,” and fully expect to inherit eternal life through their relationship with Him. That is why they are stunned to find themselves excluded from the Kingdom. The second sobering thing in this message is the word “many.” This is not some small group of cult leaders and false prophets; it is a multitude that the Lord describes as “many.”

This should raise some frightening questions for a Believer: How do I know that I am not among this multitude of deceived people? Am I truly blood-bought and born from above, or is it only my own deceitful heart, in an act of desperation, pretending to be in love with the Lord? How do I know my salvation experience was not just an imaginary experience, a strong delusion sent by God as judgment for my refusal to love the truth?

We know from the Scriptures that our heart cannot be trusted to tell us whether or not we are deceived. If we are deceived, and look to our heart to tell us, our heart will simply continue to lie to us and give us false assurance of our salvation and our doctrines, complete with warm, emotional, religious feelings to soothe any doubts we may have. And the longer we remain rooted in our deception, the stronger these feelings will be.

If we cannot trust our own heart to tell us whether or not we are deceived, who then can we trust? A pastor or a prophet? A pastor or a prophet might give us the words of reassurance and comfort, but how do we know the pastor or prophet is not deceived? The Bible is full of warnings about false pastors and false prophets. God told Ezekiel that “if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet.” [4] So even a prophet may be among those to whom YHWH sends powerful delusion!

Fortunately, we need not despair. The same Bible that warns us of deception and false teachings also tells us how to discern the true from the false. In Isaiah’s day deception was rampant in Israel, and YHWH gave a simple formula for discerning truth from error: “To the Torah (“Law” or “Teaching”); if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” [5] All true beliefs and teachings will be in agreement with Torah (the Law God gave to Moses). Any belief or teaching that opposes or contradicts these commandments is not of the Light, but of the darkness.

If we look at the context of the passages discussed earlier in this paper, we will see that deception is, in these cases also, related to our attitude to God’s Law. When the Messiah tells the multitude of deceived church people to depart, He addresses them as “you who practice Lawlessness.” Likewise, Paul’s warning of the God-sent delusion in 2 Thessalonians is also presented in the context of our attitude to God’s Law. The passage speaks of “the secret power of Lawlessness (‘separating from Torah,’ Jewish New Testament),” which was “already at work” in Paul’s time. Two times in this passage, Paul (Rav Shaul) mentions “the lawless one (‘man who avoids Torah,’ Jewish NT).” Even Jeremiah’s statements about the heart are soon followed by a lengthy plea to honor God by keeping the Sabbath.

Of course, most Christians consider the Sabbath and many other commands to be, for the most part, irrelevant to those living under the New Covenant. Ironically, the Bible tells us that one important mark of true New Covenant believers is the keeping of God’s Torah! In Jeremiah’s prophecy of the New Covenant (31:31-34), the Lord describes His intended outcome in the lives of those who accept the terms of the New Covenant: “I will put My Torah (“Law” or Teaching) in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts.” (See also Hebrews 8:8-10.)

This new heart with God’s Torah written upon it was also prophesied in Ezekiel 11:19f. Here YHWH describes the results of receiving a new heart: “Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws.” Ezekiel later writes about the promise of the Holy Spirit: “I will put My Spirit within you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” [6] Torah observance is not learned and developed overnight, but if a believer is not being moved in a Torah-obedient direction, he should find out why not. According to Ezekiel, being moved to obey God’s Torah is evidence of having received the Ruakh HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). Speaking in tongues is great, but tongues can be counterfeited. Obedience to Torah cannot. Either a person does it or he doesn’t.

There are also many NT verses that point to Torah observance as a mark of true New Covenant Believers:

“We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” [7]

“This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.” [8] “Keeping God’s commandments is what counts.” [9] In Revelation 12:17, God’s faithful remnant is described as those “who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Yeshua.” In Revelation 14:12, “saints” are defined as “those who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Yeshua.”

A love for Torah is not proof that a person is not deceived in other areas, of course. But in these passages about deception, it is clear that deception is closely linked to our attitude to the Law. We must not turn a deaf ear to the Torah. Proverbs 28:9 says, “he that turns his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.”

Any believer who feels any hostility toward God’s Law should seriously consider the possibility that he may be under strong delusion, and ask God to forgive his lack of love for the truth. He should ask God to release him from the secret power of lawlessness. If God has sent strong delusion to someone for refusing to love the truth, God can “undeceive” the repentant heart that agrees to embrace the Torah that he formerly ignored or despised. “A broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise (Psalm 51:17).”



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[1] Mishlei (Proverbs) 28:26.

[2] Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 17:9.

[3] Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 9:3

[4] Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 14:9.

[5] Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 8:20.

[6] Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 36:27.

[7] 1 John (Yochanan) 2:3f.

[8] 1 John 5:3.

[9] 1 Corinthians 7:19.

Posted by VB at 3:58 PM