by Lawrence Jackson
A pertinent question has existed for years in Christianity, "how to live the Christian life?" Answers abstractly vary throughout the over 40k denominations worldwide. However, generally accepted doctrine among most groups, states that the only way of assuring one is on the right path is to simply, "follow Jesus Christ."
This raises another important question, what does it mean to: "follow?"
Dictionary.com: (Follow)
4. to conform to, comply with, or act in accordance with; obey: to follow orders; to follow advice.
5. to imitate or copy; use as an exemplar: They follow the latest fads.
Strong's Concordance:
G190: "from 1 (as a particle of union) and keleuthos (a road); properly, to be in the same way with, i.e. to accompany (specially, as a disciple):--follow, reach."
Reference scripture:
Luke 9:59 (ESV) "To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
How many people today has grasp the true meaning of being a follower of ADONAI (LORD) Y'shua Messiah (Jesus Christ)?
Y'shua Messiah (Jesus Christ) came to internalize the Father's Divine Instructions (Torah) etching these instructions on the heart of His followers as a living example of The Father's will for each one of us. This can be understood from reading the closing segments of the Beatitudes. READ: (Matt 5:17-48).
The Brit Hadashah (New Testament) originate from the TaNaKh: Torah (Divine Instructions), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (writtings) [Old Testament], e.g., "The Beatitudes."
"You have heard it said" - found 11 times in the (ESV)
"It is written" - found 78 times in the (ESV)
If there was no Old Testament, then there would not be a New Testament. Y'shua Messiah (Jesus Christ) taught the TaNaKh: Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim (Old Testament)
YHVH's Good News (Covenant) prophesied as an Internal promise:
Jeremiah 31:33-34 (ESV) "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord (ADONAI): I will put my law (Torah) within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God (ELOHIM), and they shall be my people.
34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know ADONAI,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the ADONAI. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Y'shua Messiah (Jesus Christ) did not come to start a new religion, but He came to redeem and declare the Oneness (Echad) of the Father's Kingdom to the lost sheep of Isra'el to make one (Echad) people:
John 10:25-30 (ESV) "Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name bear witness about Me,
26 but you do not believe because you are not among My sheep.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
30 I and the Father are One (Echad).”
YHVH Declares His Forever Covenant Purpose With His People:
Numbers 15:15-16 (ESV) "For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute FOREVER throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the Lord.
16 One law (Torah) and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”"
Deuteronomy 4:8 (ESV) "And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law (Torah) that I set before you today?"
YHVH's Written Divine Instructions (Torah) Becomes the life giving Spoken (Rhema) Torah:
Psalms 40:6-8 (ESV) "In sacrifice and offering You have not delighted, but You have given Me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;in the scroll of the book it is written of Me:
8 I delight to do Your will, O My God;your law (Torah) is within My heart.”"
Romans 15:4 (ESV) "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
YHVH's Covenant Purpose Fulfilled Through Y'shua HaMashiyach (Jesus Messiah); The Living Torah of Righteousness:
Acts 3:22-24 "Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to Him in whatever He tells you.
23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that Prophet shall be destroyed from the people. ’
24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after Him, also proclaimed these days." {Deut. 18:15}
John 1:45 "Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law (Torah) and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Y'shua Messiah (Jesus Christ) Fulfilling The Father's Covenant Purpose:
Luke 24:44-45 (ESV)"Then he said to them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law (Torah) of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,"
John 12:49 (ESV) "For I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father who sent Me has Himself given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak."
Matthew 5:17-18 (ESV) “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law (Torah) or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law (Torah) until all is accomplished."
Y'shua Messiah (Jesus Christ) Empowers the Father's Will to Those Who Will Follow Him:
John 4:34 (ESV) "Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work."
1 Peter 2:21 (ESV) "For to this you have been called, because Christ (Messiah) also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS."
Psalms (Tehillim) 1:1-3 (CJB) "How blessed are those who reject the advice of the wicked, don't stand on the way of sinners or sit where scoffers sit!
2 Their delight is in ADONAI's Torah;on his Torah they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams-they bear their fruit in season, their leaves never wither,everything they do succeeds."
Without ELOHIM's Divine Instructions (Torah) it is impossible to follow Y'shua Messiah (Jesus Christ). RETURN TO TORAH!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Sunday, January 5, 2014
END-TIME-ALERT ! WARNING !...
by William Ben-Carl
A GREAT DECEPTION & CAUSE OF DIVISION FROM THE ENEMY is going on as we speak in the Body of Messiah, even among certain 'Messianic/Hebraic' leadership/teachers !...
Why it is 'deceptive' is because this development being promoted does indeed have an important 'truth' attached to it; but along with that 'truth' are also serious veiled falsehoods-(please read all the following carefully to see if you agree with these observations):
The first part said is true, valid and important, of what certain Messianic & Hebrew-Roots teachers & persons in leadership saying: 'There are too many that are bitter and rude and even hateful in their talking to and dealings with Christians about what they believe.' - YES, this is true ! - YHVH/(The LORD) Elohim/(God) was very gracious and patient and loving when He spoke to us about the Hebraic/Judaic nature of Scripture, back when we-(and about 99% of all Messianics this applies to)-knew Yeshua Messiah first as 'Jesus Christ'. - Should we not likewise be gracious, patient and kind when sharing with Christian Believers on these things, who are where we ourselves were at...oh so short a time ago?! - Of course we should !
...Okay: So far no problem; but here is where the problems start (read on)...
They've stated of themselves, along the lines of: 'We're defending the right of Christians to celebrate Christmas and Easter'. - WHAT?!!...As if Christians didn't have that right already? - While sounding like they are the defenders of democracy, and that the rest of us Messaincs are Islamic-terrorists or something ! -This statement of theirs actually veils a much broader hidden agenda when you start examine their comments...
...Things such as: 'You can't prove the Christmas tree is pagan, nor prove that Christmas has pagan roots; it's doubtful that the name 'Easter' is pagan in origin; they aren't practicing paganism in their mind, so even if these things had a pagan origin, it doesn't make any difference now; you have no right to tell them they're in the wrong in any way, and in fact, what they are doing is perfectly alright and God doesn't mind these added traditions of man, even if they were once pagan traditions; etc....' - and on and on it goes !!
...FIRST OF ALL, LET ME CLARIFY THE FOLLOWING: While there is nothing wrong with heart-felt joy and thanksgiving of the birth of Messiah and His Resurrection ! And most all of Messianics/Hebraic-Believers celebrate these things too, just doing so according to the Biblical calendar on the Holy Days of YHVH mentioned in Scripture. - HOWEVER: No amount of false-worldly tolerance for the sake of a non-Scriptural form of 'unification'-(verses unity of the Faith), can erase the fact that these elements ARE/WERE pagan in origin, &/or are man-made additions to Scriptural forms of worship. - One doesn't solve the problem of trying to get people to be more loving by denying facts ! - One doesn't improve the unity of the Brethren in the Faith, by demanding others remain silent and not point out error (as they are led to do so by the Ruach-Kodesh/Holy-Spirit) of YHVH), or by denying that error even exists...when it does-(exist)! - Solving a rising crime rate, by legalizing the infractions (or denying any problem exists), might seem like it solves the problem, but it doesn't ! - And that is the same mentality at work here !
That these things DO have a pagan origin is beyond dispute-(secular encyclopedias, Judaic references, historical quotations, even the records from the 4th century AD Nicean Council, and early Catholic commentary, all show this to be the case !). So...To have this 'Messianic/Hebraic group' then question that the name 'easter', easter-bunnies, Christmas trees, yule logs, wreaths, overt-commercialism, and celebrations dates chosen by the Catholic church in the 4th century to coincide with solar pagan celebrations - are either not pagan, or that they are pleasing to YHVH, is not only dishonest, it is completely disillusional ! - YES ! We must not be condemning in our apologias, and YES there is sincere heartfelt praise and worship on the part of many in Christianity over the birth and resurrection of Messiah - BUT...saying because these things are no longer pagan in the minds of those who practice them, does NOT mean they still aren't pagan practices ! - When the children of Israel during part of their history had lost and forgotten a portion of YHVH's Word, and were doing things in their own way, YHVH didn't say: 'That's fine, what your doing is right in your own mind, we'll just over look it then, you don't have to do things My way, your way is fine' !! - NO! - Instead He restored to them the portion of His Word they'd lost, the people repented, and they started doing things YHVH's way. - Now granted: YHVH was very patient and gracious to them, as what they were doing they had done in ignorance, but He still CORRECTED them, and didn't just let them continue on in their own error, saying it was alright for them to continue doing so ! ...But that is what this new group would have you believe!
"But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." - Luke 12:48.
...I have far more compassion, for the Christian or the non-Believing Jew, who does what they do unknowingly - than I do for the Messianic/Hebraic 'teacher' who advocates &/or tries to justify the ignorant remaining blind in their error !
And when many of us FIRST tried to politely-(and the majority were polite) question these contentious 'Messianic/Hebraic'-groups/teachers/leaders stances directly with them...*We were spoken down to, mocked, and de-friended and even blocked ! - And so then when *we-(being quite upset about all this, and yes: we in turn then did became a little sarcastic perhaps)-discussed these errors and the callous treatment of us on their part, we are further ridiculed again by them in public !! - In exactly the same way they accuse us of doing to Christians!...And all this is very ironic, as most of us agreed with them in the first place on the need for all of us to be loving, patient, and kind when speaking to Christians on these matters !
*[NOTE: We referring in general to the group of people who were specifically treated in these types of ways].
Does 'unification' trump 'Truth'?...NEVER! Does demanded silence in the face of error please YHVH?...Only on those occasions where HE Himself might tell you to remain silent - but NEVER at the bidding of man to do so !
...Many are the teachers now, popping up from various factions of Believers-(Christian, Messianic, & Hebraic)-who are teaching compromise with the world - who give an excuse to those practicing those things YHVH in Scripture speaks against, by their saying: 'They aren't in error because they are in ignorance, or it's their culture, or those sinning don't regard what they are doing as wrong so it's okay.' - But what does Scripture says:
"And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." - Luke 12:47-48.
...So then: These false-teachers that teach that the unknowing are (in any way) okay remaining in their practicing of sin...are only right in this one regard: That the ignorant will fare better in Judgment than these same 'teachers' who knew better !!
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven..." - Matthew 5:19a.
A GREAT DECEPTION & CAUSE OF DIVISION FROM THE ENEMY is going on as we speak in the Body of Messiah, even among certain 'Messianic/Hebraic' leadership/teachers !...
Why it is 'deceptive' is because this development being promoted does indeed have an important 'truth' attached to it; but along with that 'truth' are also serious veiled falsehoods-(please read all the following carefully to see if you agree with these observations):
The first part said is true, valid and important, of what certain Messianic & Hebrew-Roots teachers & persons in leadership saying: 'There are too many that are bitter and rude and even hateful in their talking to and dealings with Christians about what they believe.' - YES, this is true ! - YHVH/(The LORD) Elohim/(God) was very gracious and patient and loving when He spoke to us about the Hebraic/Judaic nature of Scripture, back when we-(and about 99% of all Messianics this applies to)-knew Yeshua Messiah first as 'Jesus Christ'. - Should we not likewise be gracious, patient and kind when sharing with Christian Believers on these things, who are where we ourselves were at...oh so short a time ago?! - Of course we should !
...Okay: So far no problem; but here is where the problems start (read on)...
They've stated of themselves, along the lines of: 'We're defending the right of Christians to celebrate Christmas and Easter'. - WHAT?!!...As if Christians didn't have that right already? - While sounding like they are the defenders of democracy, and that the rest of us Messaincs are Islamic-terrorists or something ! -This statement of theirs actually veils a much broader hidden agenda when you start examine their comments...
...Things such as: 'You can't prove the Christmas tree is pagan, nor prove that Christmas has pagan roots; it's doubtful that the name 'Easter' is pagan in origin; they aren't practicing paganism in their mind, so even if these things had a pagan origin, it doesn't make any difference now; you have no right to tell them they're in the wrong in any way, and in fact, what they are doing is perfectly alright and God doesn't mind these added traditions of man, even if they were once pagan traditions; etc....' - and on and on it goes !!
...FIRST OF ALL, LET ME CLARIFY THE FOLLOWING: While there is nothing wrong with heart-felt joy and thanksgiving of the birth of Messiah and His Resurrection ! And most all of Messianics/Hebraic-Believers celebrate these things too, just doing so according to the Biblical calendar on the Holy Days of YHVH mentioned in Scripture. - HOWEVER: No amount of false-worldly tolerance for the sake of a non-Scriptural form of 'unification'-(verses unity of the Faith), can erase the fact that these elements ARE/WERE pagan in origin, &/or are man-made additions to Scriptural forms of worship. - One doesn't solve the problem of trying to get people to be more loving by denying facts ! - One doesn't improve the unity of the Brethren in the Faith, by demanding others remain silent and not point out error (as they are led to do so by the Ruach-Kodesh/Holy-Spirit) of YHVH), or by denying that error even exists...when it does-(exist)! - Solving a rising crime rate, by legalizing the infractions (or denying any problem exists), might seem like it solves the problem, but it doesn't ! - And that is the same mentality at work here !
That these things DO have a pagan origin is beyond dispute-(secular encyclopedias, Judaic references, historical quotations, even the records from the 4th century AD Nicean Council, and early Catholic commentary, all show this to be the case !). So...To have this 'Messianic/Hebraic group' then question that the name 'easter', easter-bunnies, Christmas trees, yule logs, wreaths, overt-commercialism, and celebrations dates chosen by the Catholic church in the 4th century to coincide with solar pagan celebrations - are either not pagan, or that they are pleasing to YHVH, is not only dishonest, it is completely disillusional ! - YES ! We must not be condemning in our apologias, and YES there is sincere heartfelt praise and worship on the part of many in Christianity over the birth and resurrection of Messiah - BUT...saying because these things are no longer pagan in the minds of those who practice them, does NOT mean they still aren't pagan practices ! - When the children of Israel during part of their history had lost and forgotten a portion of YHVH's Word, and were doing things in their own way, YHVH didn't say: 'That's fine, what your doing is right in your own mind, we'll just over look it then, you don't have to do things My way, your way is fine' !! - NO! - Instead He restored to them the portion of His Word they'd lost, the people repented, and they started doing things YHVH's way. - Now granted: YHVH was very patient and gracious to them, as what they were doing they had done in ignorance, but He still CORRECTED them, and didn't just let them continue on in their own error, saying it was alright for them to continue doing so ! ...But that is what this new group would have you believe!
"But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." - Luke 12:48.
...I have far more compassion, for the Christian or the non-Believing Jew, who does what they do unknowingly - than I do for the Messianic/Hebraic 'teacher' who advocates &/or tries to justify the ignorant remaining blind in their error !
And when many of us FIRST tried to politely-(and the majority were polite) question these contentious 'Messianic/Hebraic'-groups/teachers/leaders stances directly with them...*We were spoken down to, mocked, and de-friended and even blocked ! - And so then when *we-(being quite upset about all this, and yes: we in turn then did became a little sarcastic perhaps)-discussed these errors and the callous treatment of us on their part, we are further ridiculed again by them in public !! - In exactly the same way they accuse us of doing to Christians!...And all this is very ironic, as most of us agreed with them in the first place on the need for all of us to be loving, patient, and kind when speaking to Christians on these matters !
*[NOTE: We referring in general to the group of people who were specifically treated in these types of ways].
Does 'unification' trump 'Truth'?...NEVER! Does demanded silence in the face of error please YHVH?...Only on those occasions where HE Himself might tell you to remain silent - but NEVER at the bidding of man to do so !
...Many are the teachers now, popping up from various factions of Believers-(Christian, Messianic, & Hebraic)-who are teaching compromise with the world - who give an excuse to those practicing those things YHVH in Scripture speaks against, by their saying: 'They aren't in error because they are in ignorance, or it's their culture, or those sinning don't regard what they are doing as wrong so it's okay.' - But what does Scripture says:
"And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." - Luke 12:47-48.
...So then: These false-teachers that teach that the unknowing are (in any way) okay remaining in their practicing of sin...are only right in this one regard: That the ignorant will fare better in Judgment than these same 'teachers' who knew better !!
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven..." - Matthew 5:19a.
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