Author: FCC Admin

The First Two Commandments

The importance of the first two of the Ten Commandments and their relevance today and in prophecy.

Video with slides above. Audio only below.

Slide 2 Then Elohim spoke all these words, saying, “I am YHVH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other elohim before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, YHVH your Elohim, am a jealous Elohim, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exo 20:1-6)

Context – what had just happened? YHVH just executed 10 plagues to decimate the Egyptians. Back then, it was perceived that if a nation was great it was due to the god it served. Today, it’s not perceived that way by most of the western world but it is still true. Built into these two commandments, which could actually be construed at one commandment, is this reality. Those who serve YHVH and reject other elohim are blessed.

Introduction – YHVH was coy about His Name up until this point in history. He did not tell Moses to go introduce Him to the Israelites. He chose to demonstrate His awesome power rather anonymously and then let them know who He is. He decimated the false gods, brought His people to safety, and then said “I did that.” This is a very confident manner of communication a powerful way to get people’s attention.

Numbering – the verse numbering is not inspired. Nor are the chapter breaks. But in this chapter we know there is a numbering. Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:13, and Deuteronomy 10:4 specifically refer to these mitzvot at the 10 commandments. Well, the 10 words. The word is literally word, dabar in the singular, dabarim in the plural. This is one of those Hebrew words that can be translated a number of ways (pun) based on context. When YHVH utters a word, which can be a sentence or a paragraph, it’s a mitzvot – a commandment. Particularly when it says “you shall” or “you shall not”. Point – the numbering is actually here. But this list comprises one thing, a set of 10. Those 10 compliment each other. The first says who YHVH is, the rest define how to worship and honor Him. Our behavior shows our devotion. Which is a hard thing to write since we are all sinners.

The second commandment is intertwined with the first. Regardless of the god, idolatry was the principal worship tool of the false gods. Yahweh is drawing a contrast with the second commandment. He is saying not to worship the way the nations do. Remember how I said He destroyed Egypt and THEN introduced Himself? Remember that. He saved them when they didn’t know Him. He saved them when they didn’t know how to pronounce His Name. His Name, His Shem, is His character defined by His actions. He demonstrated His love for His people while they were ignorant and He demonstrated His power on both the wicked and the righteous when they didn’t know what to call Him. Then He says “you’re not to make images for worship.”

Slide 3 “You shall make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atoning cover. Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the atoning cover at its two ends. And the cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the atoning cover with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the atoning cover. Then you shall put the atoning cover on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. There I will meet with you; and from above the atoning cover, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about every commandment that I will give you for the sons of Israel.” (Exo 25:18-22)

Now comes the balancing act because later He definitely says to make things that could be construed as idols. When Moses came down the mountain and discovered the golden calf and that worship, they were absolutely busted and they paid a big price for that disobedience. The prohibition on idols, though, does not prohibit artwork because we know the tabernacle and the temple were both commanded to be made with images of things. It’s hard to imagine a world without artwork or images at all. So common sense dictates this is about making images for worship, idolatry, not about making images at all.

How do we reconcile these angelic images being incorporated into the worship of YHVH? Well, that’s for Him to explain. As for me, I just believe. And someday perhaps we will know what these two images were really all about.

Slide 4 “I am YHVH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other elohim before Me.” (Exo 20:2-3)

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands so as not to worship demons and the idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders, nor of their witchcraft, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts. (Rev 9:20-21 NASB)

“before Me” here is “al paniym”. This is another unusual usage of what is called the plurality of majesty. In Hebrew, the article becomes plural when the noun is plural. The same holds true for most languages. When YHVH is talking about Himself, or when the bible is specifically talking about Him, there’s a grammatical exception that only for Him where the article is singular and the noun is plural. El is the singular for god, Elohim is the plural. But you’ll notice he says “I am” in the singular and then Elohim in the plural. This is where people start to incorporate the trinity even though there’s no justification for that at all. Before me has the same special grammar here. It literally says something like “you shall have no other Elohim in front of my faces”. But that’s confusion. What it means is that we are not to have any other gods in His sight – or just don’t have any other gods at all. It’s a way of saying, comprehensively, don’t even go there, don’t think about it, period. End of discussion.

What does this commandment not say? It doesn’t say there are no other elohim at all. Granted, most of the bible says idols are just made things and other gods aren’t gods at all, but let’s be very careful with this. Satan’s biggest tool is to convince people he doesn’t exist. He does exist and he is powerful. Other demonic beings exist with powers we do not comprehend. The false prophets of Egypt were able to do some of the stuff YHVH did through Moses. When King Saul visited the conjurer, she did successfully conjure. We need to keep in mind that Yahweh is not going to command us not to do things frivolously. The verse in Revelation here associated demonic worship with idolatry. That doesn’t mean demons can’t be worshiped without idols, but it’s associated.

Slide 5 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment.” (Mat 22:36-38)

Idolatry was not a significant problem during Yeshua’s ministry. Well, for the Israelites. The Shema is tied to the first commandment. The first time the temple came down it was due to false religious worship mixed with the true, which is called syncretism and spiritual adultery. The Jews of the first century were Hellenistic, meaning they did entertain Greek philosophy and mesh it with the faith of Abraham, but they largely rejected Rome and its forms of worship. This is a good example for us today in the west. We are in this mixed up world and our minds are trained to be western – Greek. Whether we like it or not, or understand it or not, we understand things from a western perspective which is not the perspective of the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Yeshua. We have to learn the ways of Yahweh, which is a contrast to the ways of this world.

Slide 6 “You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all. Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as worthless, and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.” (Act 19:26-27)

Idolatry did become a big issue once the faith went forth from Zion. Paul walked right into the lion’s den preaching the truth about idols, that they are just trinkets and statues. Paul was, by extension, preaching against Artemis of the Ephesians, and bringing people to Torah. Through Paul, Yahweh called many thousands of pagans out of that mess. Which is key because, as we saw earlier, mankind is going to be held accountable for idolatry in the end of days. This is a huge, positive departure from Israel’s past. King Solomon himself actually allowed idols and false religion into Israel. Israel was to be a pure country that was an example to the nations but it kept failing. After the curtain was rent in two, YHVH went a different route. He sent apostles into the world on a counter offensive. Paul and the gang were remarkably successful, and Yahweh sent His Ruach to pave the way. Yeshua, our High Priest, now intercedes for all who accept Him as Messiah and shed their pagan ways.

Slide 7 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures. (Rom 1:21-23)

Cycle continues. Artemis = Starbucks logo. Increase in people following Wicca, literally calling themselves witches. Shirts that say “until Valhalla”. Increase in Yoga. It seems our society is bent on going in the wrong direction. This time, though, there’s no excuse. Paul writes that the ancients should have known better. Today, the Bible is available in all languages, on our phones, our computers, you name it. Knowledge has indeed increased, but mankind is so stubborn and rebellious that our race keeps bungling it. Our job is to persist in the faith once delivered and remember that Yahweh is our Elohim, the Creator of everything, and His Son is our Messiah. We will live as they command, not as the world commands, in anticipation of Yeshua’s return. Shalom

The State of the Dead

Understanding prophecy starts with understanding the true state of the dead. Our hope is in the resurrection of the dead, which is a return to life.

The state of the dead

Shalom. I haven’t put anything out in a while because life has gotten incredibly busy and hectic. Many changes have been afoot over here, most positive, some sad, but so much at once that my family and I are really frazzled.

One of the sad things are a few recent deaths. A long time friend in the faith passed, the husband of one of our members passed, and my own mother recently passed away. My mother had been on death’s door since May so we all had mixed emotions about her passing. She was absolutely miserable in that hospital bed. She loved her freedom and working with her hands. She had a remarkable fruit tree orchard and garden in the tiny back yard of my parent’s mobile home. She thoroughly enjoyed getting things to grow where nothing is supposed to grow. She was actively tending that garden until she was hospitalized in May. She clearly did not want to be imprisoned in a bed and unable to take care of herself. She made it know, repeatedly and in agony, that she was ready to die several times. Since she hadn’t made a directive in advance, it was complicated, but she ultimately did pass. I will take this moment to really encourage everyone to get a directive, something in writing, making it official as to how far you want the doctors to work to keep you alive should you be incapacitated. Without a directive, it’s left up to your next of kin and family and it creates the most horrific situation you can imagine for these folks. This situation was unbearable with my own family. Fortunately, my mom became conscious enough to sign her own hospice and DNR papers.

Today’s podcast isn’t about directives, though. It’s about the state of the dead. This is something that is really confusing for Christians but shouldn’t be if we look at a few literal scriptures. Granted, there are some scriptures that make it seem like dead people live on, but those are figures of speech. When death is spoken of literally in the NT, it’s spoken of as sleep. This is very, very important to understanding the entirety of scripture and what is really coming at the return of the Messiah and then at the end of the age.

Slide 2 This He said, and after this He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.” The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will come out of it.” Now Yeshua had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about actual sleep. So Yeshua then said to them plainly, “Lazarus died, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let’s go to him.” (Joh 11:11-15)

Yeshua lets Lazarus be dead for four days so there is no doubt about His power to resurrect people. Remember, the biggest doctrinal dispute of the NT was about the resurrection. Those who did not believe in it were constantly trying to disprove it from those who did believe in it. The resurrection of the dead is in Ezekiel 37 and that chapter, along with chapter 38, lines up with the framework of what is coming. But it’s all predicated on dead people actually being dead. Death is the opposite of life, it is not life in another form. Remember, Satan’s big lie was that we would not die. Death is the absence of life, hence the resurrection being the afterlife. When life is put back into us. In the story of Lazarus, Yeshua wanted to make it clear that Lazarus being dead is a form of sleep and that his resurrection was a restoration to life.

Slide 3 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Messiah, and will reign with Him for a thousand years. (Rev 20:5-6)

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. (Rev 20:11-12)

The rest of the dead did not come to life. This does not say “the rest of the dead were burning” nor does it say they were in purgatory. It says they were dead. We have two resurrections here book ended by 1000 years. The first resurrection is when Yeshua returns. This is the regathering spoken of in the Tanakh, the Old Testament. The first resurrection is of the saints, those who lived well during their lifetimes. Those who accept Yeshua as the Messiah and have been baptized are who we consider the people who make this resurrection. These people have had their sins atoned for and will have special jobs during the 1000 years. They will be resurrected immortal and will never die again. 1000 years later, everybody else will be resurrected. These would be people who lived in all eras, all sinners. And they will be judged according to how they lived, according to what was recorded in the books. This is decision time. Some will make it, some will not. This event is the end of this era. It’s the end of the olam haze, or this present earth. The next stop is the olam haba, the world to come. Where death and sorrow and pain will never exist. That time is not now. Sorrow exists now, both on earth and in heaven, as Yahweh, Yeshua, and the angels have to contend with us sinners down here. But in the olam ha ba, it will not be like that. We will all live together in peace for eternity. After the resurrection of the dead.

My mother was a life long Catholic. The last line of their profession of faith is “we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” This is a point where I have to agree with their doctrine. Let us all look forward to the resurrection of the dead, where we may be reunited with loved ones, and hopefully we all may enter into the olam haba together. In Yeshua’s holy Name.

Crucify Him!

Showing how to manage our emotions in these tumultuous times using vivid examples from scripture.

Crucify Him

Talk about emotions in general. So many stressful events lately. The state of our country is in the most volatile condition that I can remember and it has been sustained since early 2020. War in Europe, supply chain issues, a recession with millions of jobs unfilled, inflation so fast the Fed is raising interest rates at a huge clip. But the rates are just going back to what used to be normal, only it doesn’t feel normal because they’ve been so low for so long. It’s just strange. Then we add in the overwhelming push to destroy any semblance of the nuclear family and the volatility seems insurmountable. The idea that a pronoun can get you into trouble makes it impossible to communicate. Instability leads to emotional problems, as we see with so many mass shootings, drug overdoses, people on long-term unemployment, and horrific crimes. The world is incredibly mixed up these days and I’ve just scratched the surface.

Think about our own lives. Last week’s prayer list was the longest in memory. And it was almost all about people here or our immediate families. It was wonderful to be able to share on that level and have a group that is comfortable doing that. Tonya has been going through her own trials and then the loss of her husband who just returned to her life two years ago. A roller coaster like that is hard for anyone to navigate. The problems I’m going through with my parents are emotionally draining. I had lunch with one of my sisters and brother-in-law a couple weeks ago and we had no idea how to pray. Things had gotten so complicated, so convoluted, and my dad’s behavior so bad that we were just numb. We didn’t know what to think. We didn’t know what to do. At many points we didn’t know what to pray for. Our situation is unique but most of us in this meeting are going through sustained emotional trauma, just in different forms.

Now, the usual response here is to just ask for God’s will to be done. Obviously God’s will is going to be done. All the days of our lives were recorded in the Book of Life before we were born. But we don’t get to read that book, at least not now. What I want to show today is that it’s OK for us to ask for specific things. We were made to have feelings, perspectives, emotions, reactions, a sense of justice, and we feel sorrow. We are made in the image of Yahweh and He has those things, too. But for the first example, let me just get it out of the way that it’s OK for us to pray for something that’s contrary to the Creator’s will.  

Slide 2 And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luk 22:39-46)

He was in agony because He knew what was about to happen and did not want to have to go through with it. He knew He was about to be betrayed by one of His closest friends, His talmidim. He didn’t want that to spread to the others. As I read this, He is asking for Yahweh to take the trial away, but not to take it away because He asked. Remember, Yeshua had (and has) incredible sway with His Father. Yahweh could have taken the cup away against His plan to save His Son the agony. Yeshua was saying with “not my will but yours” that Yahweh only take the cup away if it was His original intent. This is not without merit because Yahweh did substitute a ram for Isaac. For His sacrifice to be a sacrifice, He had to have the ability to choose a different path.

Yeshua was sweating like blood. He was in a traumatic state. He was about to be physically abused, betrayed by His countrymen, and slowly executed. He was about to become completely alone and helpless in a world that hated Him and He didn’t want to have to do it. He knew that was Yahweh’s will but He didn’t want to do it and He asked not to do it. Since it was Yahweh’s will, He still went through with it. And praise God that He did.

Another example of where emotional responses are appropriate.

Slide 3 “However, we know where this man is from; but whenever the Messiah may come, no one knows where He is from.” Then Yeshua cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, “You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me.” (Joh 7:27-29)

He was frustrated with them. They were claiming the Messiah is just going to “pop up” and the fact they knew where Yeshua was from disqualified Him from being the Messiah. They were making a ludicrous argument. They were purposely “not getting it” so he “cried out”. But also keep in mind that He definitely did conceal His identity and His purpose. They weren’t getting it but they were also not supposed to get it. This line of thinking can get pretty tangled up, but the point is that Yeshua was clearly frustrated with these guys, who knew the Bible and were purposely being dense, and that’s a normal reaction. We each have our own level of patience on this front, and that level changes over time. And we each have people who refuse to see the truth when it is plain as day. The other day I was kind of debating a lady online who was saying the Day of the Lord is the Sabbath. It’s not, it’s actually the Day of Trumpets. The gal even threw scriptures at me proving the Day of the Lord is not the Sabbath, but she was reading them to say it is the Sabbath. She is a Sabbath keeper but obviously ignorant of the Holy Days. I didn’t get frustrated but just shook my head. In years gone by. I would still be locked in battle with the sister, LOL! While I’m not saying we have a license to get frustrated, and it should be very rare, the idea that we can’t become frustrated is not scriptural or even reasonable, as is show by the Messiah Himself.

Slide 4 Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end. (Deu 34:7-8)

Moses was not decrepit when he died. His death was prophesied because he struck the rock twice. Everybody knew Moses was not going to enter the land and they know he was not going to live forever. But it was still OK to mourn his loss. OK for everybody, not just his immediate family. The same holds true for the death of the Messiah, perhaps even more. We are commanded to remember His death until He comes again. That includes understanding the gravity, the emotional toll, of His betrayal. It also includes the joy of those who stayed faithful. I’m particularly enamored with the ladies who continued to do what needed to be done even while in deep mourning. And it includes the joy of His resurrection and ascension. All of these emotions are part of us being created in Yahweh’s image. We just have to be careful to manage our emotions, also as He does.  

Slide 5 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. (Eph 4:25-27)

Paul gives us the balance here while quoting the Psalms. Be angry, and I’ll extend to sad, frustrated, and a host of other emotions, but don’t let those emotions take you over. Our society is geared toward making emotional decisions. Marketing campaigns can focus on stats and features but also on emotion, like won’t your life be so much better if you buy this? We bought a new truck a few years ago. Diana and I did not care about the color of the truck at all. We wanted it to have some specific features for a specific price. When we got to the lot, they kept asking us about color. They brought out two beautiful trucks and let us drive them. When we got back to the lot, I said “there’s no way either of those two trucks cost what we want to pay” and that when they told us the trucks were far more costly than we wanted to pay. They were using emotion, our liking of the fancy vehicles, to get us to pay a lot more money than we wanted to. So we walked. The same is true for many advertisement on TV today. They show pills that are supposed to make you feel younger, but they never say the pill will really make you feel younger or be healthier, and they show pictures of older people playing with kids, walking dogs, or living the good life. The intent is to get you to feel good about the product and buy it, all based on emotion instead of facts. This is bad and we all know when we make emotional decisions we often live to regret them. Let’s look at the worst emotional decisions in the history of emotional decisions:

Slide 6 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. (Joh 19:13-16)

They crucified the Messiah, and innocent man, because they had been spun up into a fit of rage. To the point of even rejecting the line of David, which meant rejecting Yahweh completely. The sin here is off the chart. And in Acts 2, many repented of it.

Slide 7 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Rev 21:3-4)

There is a point in history where these emotions won’t be a thing anymore. Whether they won’t be around because bad things won’t happen anymore or because of some other change remains to be seen. But keep in mind that our feelings and our emotions matter a lot today. We need to keep them in check so they do not drive us to do things we shouldn’t do, but we also need to embrace them and understand they are normal. It’s also normal to pray for things that we don’t get. Yahweh’s will will always be done, but He also wants to hear from us about our hearts.

The Name of YHVH

The history of spoken Hebrew, how to pronounce the Name YHVH, what the Name means, and how to keep the third commandment.

The Name of YHVH

Excerpt: Hebrew was only spoken by Rabbis or a sparse amount of people. It was a dead language in 1881 and had been dead since biblical times. It died on purpose, after the Romans destroyed Judea and scattered the Jews and original Christians all over the place. Those dedicated to the Torah made the conscious decision to preserve it as best they could. It was not standardized but it did exist in the Yeshiva for reading Hebrew Torah scrolls and some families kept it going. So there was enough for Ben Yehuda to start it coming back, so Israel could have it’s own language. He did this as a nationalistic thing, not a religious thing. The religious leaders shunned him, saying that when it was time for Hebrew to come back, Yahweh would do it. He was motivated by Italy and Greece, who had recently restored their lands and languages. He wanted Hebrew to become the language of his people so they could be a people. And it succeeded. Please watch the message in video to appreciate the visual learning tools and learn how to pronounce the Name YHVH and what it means!

The following are the notes for this message. This message is intended to be listened to but the notes help so you can quickly find something or if folks are searching the internet.

The-Name-pdfDownload

The Mediator and the End of Days

Understanding that Yeshua, Jesus, is our Mediator between Yahweh (God) and us not only brings salvation, but it also brings a peace that we desperately need today. Losing this basic Christian concept is ushering in the Days of Noah.

Slide 2 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”  (Joh 3:16-21)

The most important doctrine is that we believe in that Yeshua is the Son of God, Ben Elohim. These words mean what they say. Some would say “we can’t understand the relationship between Yahweh and Yeshua”. I disagree. Completely. The notion that the single most important truth of scripture is something we can’t understand doesn’t make sense. This is akin to the mystery religions where the gods had to be appeased and one had to guess what they wanted. Our God doesn’t work like that. He created us so He knows how to communicate to us. He created us in His image and then He created us to procreate and make children. Then He sends His Son into the world to save us. And we know what a son is. This verse on the screen is not a mystery. It’s easy to understand. So will be the rest of the verses we go through today to show the linearity of this doctrine.

Slide 3 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (1Ti 2:5-7)

This is the foundation of our faith, that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Today I’m going to show how simple this is to understand. But I’m also going to get into the concept of a mediator. This is something our society lacks today but did not until the past few decades.

Slide 4 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Mat 24:37-39)

What does the mediator have to do with the days of Noah? Everything. The thoughts of men were continually evil in the days of Noah. Genesis 6:5 says this and that Yahweh destroyed the earth to kill all the men, who’s thoughts were evil continually. And by men, I mean “mankind”. Mankind had become primal, carnal, like animals. And they had to be put down.

The mediator had not yet come. The difference between now and then is stark.

Slide 5 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of Elohim, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. (Isa 53:4-5)

In the days of Noah, evil promulgated until it was overwhelming. They did not have a Mediator like we have for almost 2000 years. Yeshua bears our transgressions if we accept Him as Messiah, the Son of God. He takes our stripes. That’s how He mediates. He doesn’t mediate like Aaron did. But having Aaron was a vast improvement on the days of Noah. Aaron had to first make atonement for himself because he was a sinner. Then he could make atonement for the people, but only one per year in a specific fashion. Yeshua has made atonement once for all for the sins of all who will accept Him.

The difference today is that mankind is rejecting the Mediator. We focus on the responsibility of Yeshua’s sacrifice, often thinking of that verse in Hebrews that says there is no more sacrifice for those who sin willfully after receiving the truth. This is indeed a heavy responsibility for us. But what about those who today are living like they are in the days of Noah. What about those who do not know about the Good News we know? You see, we receive shalom from our knowledge of the Son of God. Knowing that God gave Him to take our sins gives us hope which leads to peace. We have confidence in the resurrection of the world. We know our sins are forgiven. Paul wrote to Timothy in his second letter about the state of mankind before Yeshua returns. And it looks like a world that has reverted to the carnal days of Noah. Which is what we have today. People sin and are trapped in it, thinking there is no way out.

Think about all these crazed mass shooters. They look to have mental issues. Did those issues come about all at once? Not with most of them. Could these mental issues actually be demonic possession? That’s a possibility as well. But how many of these kids were crying for help along the way? How many of them were trapped inside their heads, thinking crazy thoughts, which escalated to madness and then action. How many of them knew Christ and that He takes our sins? Any of them? When you see evil spiraling out of control in this world, understand that it’s because they don’t know our Messiah. Understand that accepting Yeshua as the Messiah allows us to cast our burdens on Him. That’s what it means to be a mediator. He’s not mediating like an impartial arbitrator, He’s taking our sins so we can come into the presence of Yahweh. There is so much peace in this!

Slide 6 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (1Ti 2:5-7)

Familiar scripture. It was just up. But the Gentiles. How did this conversation start with people who had a completely different religion? Paul is writing to Timothy. They both worked evangelism in the pagan world of the Roman empire. The conversation had to start somewhere. In Acts, we see Paul go into the areopagus and speak about “the unknown or invisible God”. He found a way to break the ice.

Today is a larger challenge. Our society, that used to benefit so much from Christianity, has more than turned its back on it. It’s hostile to the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Yeshua. I believe this is one of the factors of the end times. People have the way out. The knowledge of the Messiah is the most important doctrine. It doesn’t just bring salvation in the future, it puts us at peace today. Our anxieties can rest on Him.

How do we teach the Messiah? Well, hopefully we can reach people with the salvation angle. And perhaps the knowledge of the peace we have knowing He is our Mediator will help, too. But when pressed on what is a Mediator, we have to teach the Torah. Contrary to mainstream Christianity, Paul and the gang weren’t teaching a new religion. They were building on the faith that already existed. Yeshua said famously if the Jews had believed Moses, they would believe Him, because Moses spoke of Him. Moses didn’t just speak of Yeshua, He lived as a mediator.

Exodus 3 is technically where Moses became the mediator. And he was not terribly willing. And he needed help. But this is the burning bush incident. And Moses is sent to be the representative of Yahweh to Pharaoh. This also entails becoming the mediator and the beginning of a long road for Moses.

Exodus 32 is where Moses became a mediator like Yeshua. This is the part of the story where Moses comes down the mountain the first time and finds the people worshiping idols. Idols they made right after saying they wouldn’t worship idols. Moses goes back up the mountain and actually tells Yahweh that if He is going to destroy all of Israel to blot his name out of the book of life as well. This is the first mention of the book and it’s very intriguing that Moses already knew of it. Moses offered to die for eternity in an effort to save Israel. This was a prophecy of Yeshua literally dying to save all who will accept Him as Messiah.

Slide 7 “YHVH your Elohim will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. This is according to all that you asked of YHVH your Elohim in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of YHVH my Elohim, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ YHVH said to me, ‘They have spoken well. ‘I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. (Deu 18:15-18)

The tenth commandment is where Moses literally became the mediator. Moses had to go up that mountain and intercede for the people. This is what YHVH is referencing here. Moses became the mouthpiece for Yahweh, just like Aaron was the mouthpiece for Moses. Moses only recorded what Yahweh said to record. He did not add to or take away. Moses was not perfect, and the people were very imperfect. So we needed another Mediator, Yeshua.

Slide 8 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (Joh 6:37-40)

Yeshua came from heaven to only do the will of Yahweh. He built upon what Moses did. This is part of the progressive revelation that Yahweh is showing us over these thousands of years. The people knew Moses after his work with Pharaoh. They knew Moses was the boss. Yeshua had to live without that notoriety. He had to be betrayed by His own countrymen and then executed by both Jews and Gentiles so He could become the ultimate Mediator. He takes our sins, our transgressions, our hurt. Like a lamb to the slaughter, He didn’t open His mouth. This is the most important thing we can know and teach, that Yeshua is the Son of God, the Messiah, and our Mediator.

Tickled Ear Syndrome

Examining amazing things that people have convinced themselves to believe from Exodus to modern days and exploring why mankind has such a propensity to believe things that just aren’t true.

Slide 2 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2Ti 4:1-4)

Theranos – scientists, technicians, and very educated people. A drop of blood versus spun down volumes. Talk reactions. This was impossible, yet it still happened

Abortion not in the constitution – lawyers and historians. Civics lesson. Slavery, women voting, legislature, etc.

Freedom of religion – the “free exercise” clause ignored for decades.

Sunday, Christmas, Easter, and the Trinity – very educated theologians

Why do all these remarkably educated and bright people keep falling for these things?

Slide 3 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took action, and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown. They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and YHVH is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of YHVH?” When Moses heard this, he fell on his face; and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning YHVH will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself. (Num 16:1-5)

The rebellion of Korah. These guys were led out of Egypt by YHVH through Moses. Their ambition made them think “hey, I can do that, too.” They wanted to believe something that wasn’t true, that Moses, the most humble man the world had every known at the time, had exalted himself.

Slide 4 In that night Elohim appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” Solomon said to Elohim, “You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and have made me king in his place. “Now, O YHVH Elohim, Your promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?” Elohim said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you.” (2Ch 1:7-12)

Now YHVH was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from YHVH, the Elohim of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what YHVH had commanded.(1Ki 11:9-10)

Solomon and the idols. The guy asked for wisdom. He knew better. He knew a lot better.

Slide 5 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel. Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. “If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of YHVH at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (1Ki 12:25-28)

Penuel means “face of God”. The guy who built a city called “face of God” then built two idols to replace Him. Can you imagine? Jeroboam purposely deceived his people so they would not go worship Yahweh at the proper place and at the proper time. And many, many people followed. Knowing full well it was wrong. And Jeroboam knew well the idols were just metal, nothing supernatural at all. And the people followed.

Today we have the same exact thing. Sunday, Christmas, Easter, and the Trinity are all laughable false doctrines. The same is true with many things people believe about current events and our society. But folks keep believing. What to we have this tendency?

Slide 6 “For Elohim knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Elohim, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:5)

Because we want the world to operate on our terms. We want to be our own gods. Tickled ears because we want to be able to set the rules. As Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun. And it spans all topics, not just religion. Those people at Theranos who knew the technology was impossible and still made themselves believe are the same as the people who knew the golden calves were just statues and the same as those who let Solomon introduce idols and the same as those who rebelled against Moses in the desert.  

Life in Babylon

The question comes up often as to how involved we should be in society as Messianic believers. This message shows that we should indeed be involved and the decision to overturn Roe v Wade proves it!

The Torah is a history of the beginning of time through to the edge of entering the promised land and the death of Moses. The ending purpose is to tell Israel how to live once they enter the land. What is often called “the law”, the Torah is actually a lifestyle document. It commands the people how to run their society once they enter the promised land. These instructions include blessings and cursings. Deut 32 tells what will happen when they fail to follow the instructions. Not if but when. The instructions for living outside the land are pretty scarce and quite bad. It’s meant to teach them a lesson, that abandoning Yah’s ways will result in a bad lifestyle and they will year to get it back.

Slide 2 ‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation, For a fire is kindled in My anger, And burns to the lowest part of Sheol, And consumes the earth with its yield, And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. ‘I will heap misfortunes on them; I will use My arrows on them. (Deu 32:21-23)

We are part of Deut 32. We’re “that foolish nation”. These days, I feel God has taken that line to the extreme. Our literal nation has been its most foolish in memory in the last year to 18 months. Paul explains in Romans how this passage pertains to those of the nations, gentiles, who join Israel through the shed blood of Messiah and thus make Israel jealous. So we look to the Torah for our lifestyle, but there’s a problem. We’ve never experienced that lifestyle in full and it hasn’t even been possible since the close of scripture. So how do we live our lives in a Godly manner while coming to the truth in Babylon?

Slide 3 Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, “Thus says YHVH of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. ‘Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. ‘Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to YHVH on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’ (Jer 29:1-7)

The instructions for life in exile come through Jeremiah. What’s unspoken here is, effectively, don’t be revolutionaries. Don’t try to start uprisings and free yourselves. Don’t forgo having children. Live life and have kids. Not only do not be revolutionaries but seek the welfare of the places they were sent. They were sent into exile for lack of belief and they needed to trust that Yahweh would restore them, which had already been prophesied through Isaiah. In fact, Babylon not only remained a power, Yahweh used that power to restore Judea through Nehemiah and Ezra. So Yahweh’s plan, which we can see in arrears, was to use Babylon to restore Judea and to use educated and useful Jews who knew when it was time to return. There was a plan and Jeremiah’s message was part of that plan.

These instructions were for the first exile. Our present circumstances are a little different.

Slide 4 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.” (Dan 9:25-26)

The return, or end, of this exile is not prophesied in the Tanakh, what we call the Old Testament. The end of this one is prophesied in the New Testament. And this one ends with global destruction, then the return of the risen Messiah and the first resurrection. It’s a much different thing. Which is why the term coined by some “Second Exodus” doesn’t make sense. While there are parallels with the Exodus (which isn’t even called that in the Tanakh), what’s to come is a totally different thing. One could say the return from the Babylonian exile was kind of a second Exodus because they had to make a trek and relearn Torah. But in our present paradigm, people are coming to the knowledge of the truth without respect to ethnicity and wherever we are in the world, which is the purpose of today’s message. We don’t live in the first Babylon, we live in the greater Babylon for lack of a better word. 😊 We are not 70 people living in the USA that will turn into millions and march across the Atlantic ocean and on to the Jerusalem. We are not going to be taught the ten commandments standing at the base of a mountain. Those things were very special and very holy and very much singular events. We are also not Jews who were carried off into a specific country who are waiting to be called to march back to Judea and rebuild. We are not looking for a temple made with hands, brother and sisters. While those events prophecy and inform the future they are not going to be repeated. The Lamb of God has been sacrificed, that’s not going to happen again, and the temple we look for will be the original in shamayim, heaven, the one not built with hands.  

What happened before informs our present. While what will happen in the future is a bit different from the past restoration, we need to look at the instructions given through Jeremiah for how we should live in spiritual Babylon. Yahweh knows how each of us grew up. He knows when He called each of us to The Way. He knows our circumstances so we can trust that He doesn’t want us to isolate ourselves from society and we should participate in the betterment of society and the betterment of ourselves. The Jews in Babylon had a purpose: to exist and wait faithfully for the restoration. Our mission has that component, but also more. We are to prepare ourselves spiritually and preach the gospel, aiding in Yahweh’s calling of people and growing the flock while living in Babylon.

Slide 5 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” (Joh 17:14-18)

Brothers and sisters, we aren’t sent into the world. We are born in it and come to the truth in it. We have a stake in it. We have to be salt and light. We have to work to better ourselves and our world. The desire to not be in the world is strong in us because we see right and wrong clearly. We don’t belong here. And ultimately we won’t be here. We have confidence in the resurrection of the dead and in the world to come. But we have to live here and we have a big stake in here being the best it can be.

Today is a day of celebration for our nation. 50 years of abortion legalized improperly has come to an end. My lifetime. Half a century. They made it as difficult as possible, including a recent assassination attempt on a judge. 49 years of abortion and then a Jubilee!

And this happened because all who fear God came together on this crucial point. We’ve had countless volunteers, hundreds of millions of dollars, and countless geniuses dedicate themselves to ridding our land of the abominable Roe v. Wade. The best we can hope for on that front is to be able to decide for ourselves through our country’s political systems. There can be no larger example of why we need to be involved in the welfare of Babylon. Yahweh hates sin. Jonah’s example preaching to Nineveh shows this before the New Covenant. Yahweh wants all to repent and come to the knowledge of the truth. The truth that our government never established a right for a baby to be killed in the womb is now established and enshrined by the blessed Clarence Thomas and his God-fearing peers. And guess what? None of those justices keep Shabbat or eat clean. They are opposed personally to Yahweh’s Torah. But they also are installed by Him to protect our rights.

Slide 6 “If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.” (Act 25:11-12)

The most extreme case of using one’s citizenship to further the kingdom of God is here on the board. Paul was such a unique individual. He was educated in everything and a citizen of both Judea and Rome. And he was called to spread the gospel to the nations, which he does here by forcing to be brought to Rome in chains. He had the ability to get an audience with the most powerful person on earth and he did so, risking his own life. 

We are blessed to live somewhere we can influence the government. This also causes us conflict because we are educated in Torah and know that this land will not be proper until the return of Yeshua. Today, though, let’s celebrate that for 50 years there have been enough God-fearing people in this land to rid the land of the atrocity of Roe v. Wade. Praise Yahweh!

Get a Job!

Able bodied people must work! 2 Thessalonians 3: 6-13

Go to Work

70 year old Iranian guy running the entire bar and food service

Older immigrant Uber driver “poor people in America have $1000 phones and are fat”

50-something Uber driver, PhD pharmacist, hit by a truck, driving Uber because he can’t sit still.

Where are the native-born Americans? Where are the young people?

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. (2Th 3:6-13)

We live now. In the world. Jeremiah, too. Reality check.

My dad’s example. Worked until he got hospitalized for the last time. His workmates all came to see him at the hospital. He worked after he couldn’t stand, getting a security post sitting in his car or chair for hours on end.

Brothers and sisters, unless you have something seriously wrong with you, are retired, or are financially independent, you have to work. You have to provide for your family. That means housing, shelter, education, clothing, and transportation. If you need help, that’s fine. Yeshua told us we will always have the poor, which is also recorded in Torah. We know that some folks need to be helped, but this is more of an incentive for those who can work to do so, in order to help those in need.

Rabbinic or Not?

The shocking Rabbinic origins of many Christian beliefs and practices!

In this walk of ours, where we literally question everything, is littered with some land mines. Many of these things come from misconceptions and our tendency toward purity. Let’s face it, we are all working toward a goal we know we can’t obtain. This purity goal is one that drives us to study anything ancient, whether it’s really ancient or otherwise, trying to get to “the truth”. This is the root of those wanting to study the pictograms, thinking that if we can just get to that pure, exact, first language that the scriptures started from, then we can attain to a pure faith. The same is true with the Names and calendars. When you step back and look at this behavior without bias, you will see that it literally is a works based philosophy combined with Gnosticism. Folks start to believe, whether consciously or sub-consciously, that if they can just get the proper doctrines then they will have attained salvation. Well, let’s take a look at that concept:

Slide 2 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Eph 2:8-10)

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Rom 4:1-3)

You see, our faith contains people who would have been saved by works if that was an option. Abraham is one of the first that comes to my mind. But Paul goes to great lengths to explain what was already known: Abraham was saved by his blind faith not by his works. Abraham believed THEN acted. This is salvation, brothers and sisters. It’s why we are here today and why we are on this walk. We started, with less knowledge than a child, and were saved at that moment in time. We are not working toward salvation, we are working from a place of salvation. This is not some Calvinistic idea but a reflection of what Paul writes here. We can lose our salvation. We can turn our backs on Yahweh and His Son. But we don’t because our faith drives us on this path. Our quest for knowledge is not salvational, but driven from our desire to know God and His Messiah. We long to be with them so much, that we study to show ourselves approved, and to learn about their character and draw near to them.

Slide 3 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Messiah —this Jesus whom you crucified.”  (Act 2:36)

Who made Yeshua Lord? Who made Yeshua the Messiah? Who saved Yeshua? It was God, Yahweh. This philosophy extends even to the very Son of God. I think it is safe to say that Yeshua had His doctrine perfected. He knew the original languages and everything. He had perfect works of mercy, faith, justice, you name it! He performed miracles galore and was the best preacher of eternity! He is the very image of God! But He was saved by faith, not by works.

Now with this preface, let’s take a look at the meat of today’s message. We draw lines in the sand in our walk, which I have done many times. Fortunately, sand lines erase easily. I have had the bug to refuse any Rabbinic teaching. It’s an easy thing to do. Find some outlandish Talmudic reference, paint the whole lot of them with that brush, and then confidently dismiss the entire history of Jewish doctrine and teaching. All while using Protestant commentaries and singing the songs of the pork-eating Sunday keepers, right? We will toss out the Rabbis while embracing those who teach much easier to spot errors. Then, we embrace people who we don’t even know because they have some teaching that tickles our ears! It’s a glaring hypocricy! So, let’s take some easy looks at what is Rabbinic by starting with what is not:

What is not – Calendar, the Shema, the Aaronic Blessing, the Holy Days

Slide 4 “Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your Elohim. I am the YHVH your Elohim.” (Num 10:10)

The calendar was decreed by the last Sanhedrin, it is not simply a Rabbinic decree. That Sanhedrin revealed the calculation for the calendar that had been in use since after the temple came down. Without a functioning temple and priesthood, there is no means for us to have a sighted moon calendar. I’m sorry if this offends you, but if you do not have the authority to call the blowing of the silver trumpets in Numbers 10, which you don’t if you’re not the high priest, you don’t have the authority to call the new moon. There were two silver/metallic trumpets used to call assemblies, call to war, call to anything, and they could only be commanded to be blown by the high priest. Saying you have the authority to call the calendar is saying you have the authority to send Israel to war. OK? They made the decision to reveal the calendar, which is very complex, so the people could continue to observe in unison throughout the diaspora. They did this because others were calling the calendar themselves due to lack of communication, and there was confusion. The calendar is not perfect, and the jury is out whether the calendar was ever perfect, but the same condition exists today as when the last Sanhedrin made this decision in 358 AD.

Slide 5 “Hear, O Israel! The YHVH is our Elohim, the YHVH is echad! “You shall love the YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deu 6:4-5)

Then YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: YHVH bless you, and keep you; YHVH make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; YHVH lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’ “So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”  (Num 6:22-27)

The Shema is a prayer based on scripture. Reciting this as a prayer is a tradition, and it may even be a Rabbinic command, but it’s not Rabbinic. Yeshua told us this is the greatest commandment and we observe it by living it, but we also remind ourselves to observe it by reciting it together each week. I just have the abbreviated version on the screen and I hope you say this daily, as it is commanded. The Aaronic blessing is also a scripture that was commanded to the kohen to recite. We do this as a congregation. Even though I may lead it, understand I am a commoner and not a priest. We recite this scripture as a prayer as well.

Slide 6 YHVH also spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. “It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of YHVH, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your Elohim. “I am YHVH your Elohim who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your Elohim; I am YHVH your Elohim.” (Num 15:37-41)

Blue tassels are not rabbinic. They are a commandment to all Israel. We are Israel through the adoption by the blood of our brother Yeshua. He wore them even though He kept the commandments perfectly. He was there when the commandments were given for goodness sakes, if He wasn’t the One who actually gave them! Wearing blue tassels is the best thing we can do to shun the Rabbis, incidentally, because they wear white. Which is a strange practice!

What is Rabbinic

Slide 7 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luk 4:16-21)

The synagogue, which is a Greek word for assembly that means “church” in this context, is a Rabbinic tradition. Yes, brothers and sisters, having an assembly led by commoners, meaning non-Levites, is not in the Torah. The practice was started after the return from Babylon. The synagogue system was invented to educate Jews, which at that point meant “Israel”, so the faith would increase and they wouldn’t get busted again. It was more than just a building with a Rabbi that they met in weekly, but the way to teach children during the week. Our church systems trace their origins to this tradition. And Yeshua sanctioned it.

Also in these verses is Yeshua reading from the prophet Isaiah. The bible canon was created by the Rabbis, too. Remember how “synagogue” is a Greek word? Well, so is the word Septuagint, which is the slang for the Hebrew bible canon when the scriptures were translated into Greek about 150 years before Yeshua. It’s that document that is the basis for having a bible canon at all and it is the foundation for our modern bibles.

The book of Isaiah is Rabbinic. This is very hard for us to believe, but it’s a Pharisee thing to even have books of the bible after the Pentateuch be considered scripture. The Pharisees are the Rabbis of the first century. So where I am going with this is if you don’t want to be Rabbinic, then you have to take a hard look at having a lay-person led weekly service and you don’t really have a foundation for accepting the books of the bible apart from the Torah.

Slide 8 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. (Act 5:34)

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today. (Act 22:3)

The apostle Paul was a Rabbi, taught by the highest respected Rabbi in all Judea. Yahweh used the Rabbinic system to give the world the ultimate evangelist. Paul was so respected he could walk into any synagogue in the world and be allowed to speak. The Gospel was spread throughout the world using the synagogue system, including the Greek canon of scripture, and being led by a Messianic Jew named Saul of Tarsus, who was beaten in the synagogues per the prophecy of Yeshua.

Moral of the story today? We need to be careful drawing lines in the sand. We should also educate ourselves on the easier to obtain knowledge before reaching for the esoteric. Understanding what practices we do that are 100% from the Torah versus what we do that are from tradition is something of great value. We have much more latitude whether to partake or not when something comes from tradition, but when those traditions are enshrined in scripture and sanctioned by the Messiah and the Apostles, then they become very important. We also have to be very careful when we break from Torah. The Sanhedrin is not perfect and did not accept Yeshua as the Messiah. And when there is another one, we will have to evaluate their commands in that light. But please understand that our faith and its practices, in its pure form, is not nearly as pure as we often want. Also remember that we were saved at the start of this path. Our learning and practices have changed much, and will continue to change, along the journey. This is fine and quite a blessing to have this freedom in Messiah!

The Feast of Weeks for Christians

“You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest. You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.” (Exo 34:21-22)

This Sunday, June 5th, is the Feast of Weeks for 2020. This day goes by many names in scripture including “count fifty” which, in Greek, is Pentecost. Most Christians know this day to be Pentecost because of the miracle of the Spirit (Ruach) descending on the Apostles in Acts 2. The book of Acts was written in Greek and Pentecost was not translated into English. What’s ironic is many Christians don’t realize this day is from the Torah and it shows the Apostles were continuing to observe Torah after Yeshua ascended.

I used the Exodus scripture above vice the many others to illustrate the Feast of Weeks for a reason today. It’s because the commandment is adjacent to the Sabbath commandment. In English, we don’t see an association here that is plain to see in Hebrew. Let me show you:

“You shall work six days, but on the seventh day (yom shebee-e) you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest. You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks (Chag Shebua), that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. (Exo 34:21-22)

Yom Shebee-e means seventh day. Chag Shebua means Feast of Weeks. And you can see these words are derived from the word Shabbat, which we know is the weekly holiday commanded by the 4th commandment. The Feast of Weeks is tied to the Hebrew week. We are to count 7 Sabbaths and then a day to arrive on the day to be observed, which is June 5 this year.

I understand there is another counting method to this day that makes it start on a calendar date each year instead of a day of the week. This results in the Feast of Weeks falling on random days of the week fifty days later. Does it make sense to count 7 weeks apart from the week established by Yahweh at Creation? I don’t think so.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. (Act 2:1-4)

I will speak about this day in detail this weekend. The Sabbath before Pentecost is rather special to those of us who believe in Yeshua and the New Testament. Please join us on Zoom at 1pm central to hear more about that specific day in history. On Pentecost, please join at 3pm central. Sorry for the change in times but we share meeting space and couldn’t get in at our normal time. Here’s the link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9833667268

On the day of Pentecost in Acts two, we can know the count started on the 1st day of the week because Yeshua was resurrected on the 1st day. The women arrived at the tomb to find it empty before sunrise on the 1st day. Since a day starts at sunset, we know Yeshua was resurrected sometime Saturday night (using modern words for understanding). Paul later tells us Yeshua is the first fruits of the dead, meaning He was resurrected on the day the wave sheaf was offered as Yahweh’s blessed first fruits of the dead. Yahweh accepted His Son’s sinless death as an offering for all sin and resurrected Him at the proper time. This observance is particularly important as an apologetic to our common Messianic faith. Because it shows the Apostles were still keeping Torah even after the Messiah was resurrected and explained everything to them. And they were rewarded incredibly for displaying their faith through their works. Shalom and I hope to see you online this weekend!