It's Alright to Hate the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans

 Revelation, Chapter Two

Ephesus ~
He knows our toil and patience and that we cannot endure the wicked. We test those who claim to be apostles, followers of The Way, to see if they are being truthful or are liars. We have had patience and have shouldered the burden on account of His Name and have not shirked. Yet he has a matter against us on account of our former love which we have left. We need to remember from where we have fallen and repent and do the former works; or if not He will come quickly and remove our menorah from its place, except we repent. But here is something in our favor: we hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans which he also hates.

Note: to leave our 'former love' is to stop putting YHWH Elohim first in all things. We are to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and might First and Foremost.

In Revelation 2:6, and 2:15, it is stated that the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans is a thing to be hated. The Nicolaitans believed in the freedom of the flesh and taught that the deeds of the flesh had no effect upon the health of the soul and had no relation to salvation. They believed that faith alone, not obedience to the Instructions of our Creator (aka Torah) was necessary for salvation. They could behave anyway they liked as long as they claimed to have 'faith in god'. A little research on this topic brought to mind Universalism and how similar it is to the basic belief of the Nicolaitans, something we should hate, which were were told about in Revelation. 

Universalism is a False Teaching

Generically it is the belief that all people will eventually receive salvation and eternal life. This doctrine is prevalent in liberal Christianity (among both Protestants and Roman Catholics), as well as in the New Age movement.

Specifically, Universalism refers to a movement dating from the late 18th century that originally affirmed Universalism on the basis that Jesus' redemptive death paid for the sins of all people. As Universalism developed it came to affirm that people are acceptable as they are and that no atonement or redemption from sin is needed or provided. This brought to mind the teaching of "eternal security" which became the Christian mantra of 'Once Saved Always Saved'. This, too, is a false teaching and seems to be the mindset of both the Nicolaitans and the Universalists as well as many other denominations that divide Christians. There is nothing new under the sun, just the same old pagan traditions wrapped in a more modern acceptable appearance so as not to offend anyone.  Constantine would be proud.

↗ ↘ ↗ ↘ ↗ ↘

James 2:17:
"So also faith alone, without works, is dead. For a man may say you have faith and I have works; show me your faith that is without works and I will show you my faith by my works."

James 2:24:
You see that by works a man is justified and not by faith alone.

Legalizing Marijuana

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in Yahweh with all your heart

and do not rely on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make your paths smooth.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; 

fear Yahweh and shun evil.

- ⍃-⍄ -

Quote with included links to the source:

Through dialogue ("being positive and not negative"), social media (socialist media) negates the father's/Father's authority, creating a "new" world order of disobedient children, following after psychologists, group psychotherapists, facilitators, of 'change,' Transformational Marxists, ruling the world.

I am suspicious about the reasons for legalizing marijuana. The tactic of promoting it as a medicinal miracle I see as a tool used to touch one's heart and manipulate emotions and feelings, as well as promoting it as a big money source that can be used for community projects. It's the 'make ya feel good' approach.  It reminds me of what I once read years ago by Dean Gotcher from which I quoted above. Here is another quote from the same source:

Social media is the praxis of "Belial," which means "without a master," which symbolizes "true independence," "self sufficiency," and "personal accomplishment," which represents "the earth element," i.e., the child's carnal nature, Enlightenment in other words. "The ideas of the Enlightenment taught man that he could trust his own reason [his own feelings, i.e., sensuous needs and sense perception, i.e., sense experience, i.e., "self" 'justification'] as a guide to establishing valid ethical norms and that he could rely on himself, needing neither revelation [the Word of God, i.e., the father's/Father's commands, rules, facts, and truth] nor that authority of the church [the Son of God, Jesus Christ] in order to know good and evil." (Stephen Eric Bronner Of Critical Theory and Its Theorists) The Word of God warns us: "Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness." Luke 11:35 "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." 2 Corinthians 11:14, 15

While reading that I thought of what Y'shua said as recorded in Revelation regarding the hatred towards the deeds of the Nicolaitans. They believed in the freedom of the flesh and taught that the deeds of the flesh had no effect upon the health of the soul and had no relation to salvation. They believed that faith alone, not obedience to the Instructions of Yahweh the Father, was necessary for salvation. They could behave anyway they liked as long as they claimed to have 'faith in god'. 

I smoked pot in my younger years; I grew it in my backyard on occasion; I drank and partied with the best of them. It was a 'feel good' drug that made the world go away.  Just like alcohol consumption, smoking pot definitely impairs one's decision making abilities. Marijuana alters one's usual thought processes, diminishes moral attitude and opens one up to suggestions. It fades away inhibitions and blurs any vision of righteousness in the eyes of our Creator, among other things. In viewing this issue from my past years of experience, I cannot support legalizing it for any reason. It will be detrimental to society one way or another. I cannot help but think that there is a sinister reason for this to even be a topic of consideration. Americans have been dumbed-down and now TPTB want to dope up the rest.  If people are stoned, laid back without a care, lost in music or art or each other, TPTB can carry on with their plans of world dominance without any interference. Fake News will be just that much more believable to a bunch of stoners. I believe that the USofA is the 'superpower' the rest of the world wants to see come to an end, and drugs could be part of the plan.

"We know how to change the opinions of an individual in a selected direction, without his ever becoming aware of the stimuli which changed his opinion." "We know how to influence the ... behavior of individuals by setting up conditions which provide satisfaction for needs of which they are unconscious, but which we have been able to determine." "If we have the power or authority to establish the necessary conditions, the predicted behaviors [our potential ability to influence or control the behavior of groups] will follow." "We can choose to use our growing knowledge to enslave people in ways never dreamed of before, depersonalizing them, controlling them by means so carefully selected that they will perhaps never be aware of their loss of personhood." (Carl Rogers, on becoming a person: A Therapist View of Psychotherapy)

Lovers of Self

I've been talking with people who have had the feeling that we are sampling a small taste of what will be commonplace in the end times scenario, and I have to agree with them.  Some have experienced a spiritual separation from others due to our growing faith in YHWH Elohim; a separation from those people we love but they all continue, one way or another, in the pagan ways our Creator warned us about - many show no interest in coming out of those worldly ways. It appears that the time has come to shake the dust off our sandals and move on. The Seed Parable comes to mind.  We have tossed a lot of seed in their path and it is possible The Light will go on for them somewhere down the road, and I pray it does.

This coming out of Babylon seemed easy at first to my husband and I, and now we're getting a glimpse of what it means in totality. Leaving the big yearly holiday celebrations was easy once the truth of their origins were revealed to us. After that, giving up all man-made traditions made sense. Leaving our little Hebrew Roots group took a while but needed to be done. We had gotten the same feeling that church goers get when they realize they've been short-changed by false teachings: it's time to stop meeting with that congregation and come out of the Babylonian mindset. In doing so we begin to see Yahweh Elohim for who He is. The more in line we get with Him and His Instructions the more heartache we can see on the horizon because of the choices we must make.  It is sad and exciting to have His Truth revealed, a great test to reveal what is in our hearts, whether we really will obey Him. 

Then there are those who become 'lovers of themselves' who have egos built upon pride and arrogance. They place upon themselves a huge heapin' helping of self worth and claim it's 'live and let live' time.  Their excuses are 'that's not what it means to me' and 'God knows what's in my heart' and 'as long as I honor Him, its OK whatever I do, whenever I do it' (sounding quite a bit as if they follow the doctrine of Nicolaitans). That sure puts a heavy glaze over the truth of Scriptures and what our Creator expects from us.  But you know what? It is the Seed Parable once again.

The seed is the Word of Elohim

"The side of the road" are those people who hear the Word, but along comes the enemy and takes the Word from the heart so that they might not believe and gain life eternal. (Satan causes us to doubt the Word of Elohim which removes it from our heart)

"The stony ground" are those that heard it and received the Word with joy, but they have no root; rather for a while their faith is growing, yet in the time of difficulties and trying times they are offended and turn their backs on Elohim. (No root means no foundation in Scriptures, no place for faith to gain a foothold. Everything sounds good and seems right on the surface to these folks, but when bad things happen, they quickly blame God)

A "thorny place" are they who hear the Word but eventually, with the wealth and lusts of the world, are choked, and they do not produce fruit. (TV Evangelicals come to mind, ensnaring and choking off people everywhere and getting rich doing so.)

"Good ground" are they who, with an honest and good heart, hear the Word and retain it and bear fruit with patience.

We are to Love YHWH first and foremost and not put ourselves first and then work Him into our schedule as we see fit. 

Mark 12:29 - Y'shua said the 1st Commandment is 'Shema (hear and obey) O Israel! Master YHWH is one - Love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, all your mind and strength. The 2nd is like it - Love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18)

And while we're at it:

Romans 12:9 - Let not your love be full of deceit, but be haters of evil things and adhere to good things. Love one another, honor one another, be active and not slothful. Be fervent in spirit. Work for Y'shua. Be joyful in your hope in the Good News. Be patient under your afflictions and preserving in prayer. Be communicators to the wants of the Set Apart believers. Be kind to strangers. Bless your persecutors, bless and do not curse. Rejoice with them who rejoice and weep with them who weep. Do not indulge in arrogant thoughts, but unite yourselves with the humble minded. Be not wise in your own estimations. Repay no man evil for evil but let it be to your study to do good before all men.

In Revelation 2:6, and 2:15, it is stated that the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans is a thing to be hated. The Nicolaitans believed in the freedom of the flesh and taught that the deeds of the flesh had no effect upon the health of the soul and had no relation to salvation. They believed that faith alone, and not obedience to the Instructions of Elohim, was necessary for salvation. They could behave anyway they liked as long as they claimed to have 'faith in god'. This is a false teaching.  While Faith is the foundation for our salvation, it is by Faith we obey our Creator and have the testimony of His Son.