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We are still learning as we continue on His Path of Righteousness

Break out of your perceived Comfort Zone

Let Go of Tradition

Jude 1:3 ~
.... while I take all pains to write to you of our common life, it is needful for me to write to you, encouraging you to maintain a conflict for the faith which was once delivered to the Set Apart believers, for some have obtained entrance who, from the beginning, were registered beforehand under this condemnation: wicked men who pervert the grace of Yahweh to impurity and deny him who is the only MarYah Elohim and our Master, Y'shua the Anointed One. And I wish to remind you, though you all know it, after once rescuing the people from Egypt, Yahweh again destroyed them who did not believe.

I know there are still folks coming out of Churchianity as they seek the truth of Scriptures and have gotten too comfortable with the Hebrew roots of things. I know, I was there once upon a time. It is, however, one of the best stepping stones we have leading us in the right direction. But that is where many people take the rabbit trail leading them into another traditional religion (Judaism) instead of continuing on to the faith once delivered. Our Creator was never about religions, various belief systems or churches. His Instructions were given for our health, well being and to guide us to exist as a community, a body of believers = His people, training us up for the return of His Son. Our Heavenly Father was never about 'division' but has called us to be One. Satan, on the other hand, has caused extreme division by using the above mentioned 'wicked men' who pervert the Word of God and teach it to others who have not read Scriptures for themselves or taken the time to search for the truth of His Word as if looking for treasure.

Mark 7:5 ~ The scribes and the Pharisees ask Y'shua, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the traditions of the elders? His short answer is: "You hypocrites... You have left the Commandment of (God) and have embraced the tradition of men. ... And you despise the Word of Elohim because of the tradition that you have handed down..."

Matthew 15:3 records the same... the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem ask Y'shua why his disciples transgress against the traditions of the elders. He asks them, "Why do you transgress the Commandments of YHWH (God) because of your traditions?"

By reading Scriptures we learn that YHWH's Chosen People are the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob along with those who have been adopted in:  We who come into covenant with the Creator and abide by His Instructions and have the testimony of His Son.

It is no longer a tribal thing because when anyone of any background comes into covenant with our Creator we all become part of the House of Jacob, the commonwealth of Israel. We become one as we worship YHWH in Spirt and in Truth. With this in mind, consider that His People are not just the 'Jews' and His people have not yet been gathered to the promised land. The tiny nation-state of modern day Israel does not represent the 'promised land' as that land includes all of what was the land of Canaan.

There is only one gathering of His chosen people and, according to Scriptures, it occurs at the 7th Shofar Event, when all eyes see the coming of Y'shua in the clouds. Those who are alive at that time will see the dead being risen up, all those believers who have died since the beginning, and then they will be gathered with them. It is at this point we are given bodies that are incorruptible, gathered together in the clouds for the time being.

Matthew 24- All eyes will see the return of Y'shua...

:29 immediately after the suffering of those days...

:30 Y'shua comes upon the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. He sends his Messengers with a large trumpet and they gather his chosen from the four winds.

First Thessalonians 4:16 confirms Y'shua will descend from heaven with the voice of the chief Messenger and the shofar of Yahweh. His Set Apart believers (his chosen, the elect) are caught up together to the clouds to meet Y'shua Messiah and be with him forever.

Revelation 6:12 tells us the 6th Seal is opened and because of the earthquake, darkened sun, red colored moon, falling stars and mountains and islands being moved out of their places Every One Will Know the great day of wrath has come. Revelation 11:15 tells us the world becomes the kingdom of Y'shua after the 7th shofar is sounded (the last trumpet before the final plagues).

After these events and the pouring out of the Cups of Wrath His People receive the promise, the everlasting covenant Yah made with Abraham about the land of Canaan. After we are gathered and changed from corruptible to incorruptible, then we are set down upon our own soil - the promised land of Canaan where we live in the Kingdom ruled by Y'shua for a thousand years.

Jeremiah 23:7 ~ A time is coming when people will say As Yah lives, who brought out and led the offspring of the House of Israel (Jacob) from the north land and from all the lands to which they've been scattered... and they shall dwell upon their own soil.... 16:14 I will bring them back to their land which I gave to their fathers... 30 I will deliver you from far away and make an end to all the nations where you have been....

The gathering has yet to happen but will in His good timing.  There will be no mistaking this event.

Click Here to go to my study, Who Is Israel

Click Here to go to my study about the word 'church'

Click Here to go to my study, The Last Day

1 Peter 1:6-9 ... when you are under some pressure by the various trials that pass over you (it is) so that the proof of your faith may appear more precious than refined gold that is tested by fire, to glory and honor and praise at the manifestation of Y'shua: whom having not seen, you love; and in the faith of whom you rejoice with the joy that is glorious and beyond expression, that you many receive the reward of your faith, the life of your souls...

The Origins of the Islamic Religion

Quoted from The History of Mecca:

Islamic rituals are found to be little more than thinly repackaged pagan Arabian moon, sun, star and jinn-demon worship, embellished by books inspired by Hebrew and Arabian fables that Mohammed learned during his travels, or was taught by friends like Jabr, his wives and concubines, as well as influence by Zoroastrianism and the 2nd century occult cult of the Sabians. So deeply involved was Mohammed and three of his cousins in the cult of the Sabians, that folks in his own tribe referred to Mohammed simply as “the Sabian”. Indeed Mohammed mentions the Sabians right alongside Christians in the Quran. It should be no surprise then to learn that the Sabians/Harranians prayed five times a day, practiced ablution, prostrated in prayer, wore long white robes and fasted for 30 days during the same month as Ramadan, which are rituals that Mohammed incorporated into his religion, with a claim that the practices were dictated to him while taking an overnight ride on a flying donkey-mule from Mecca, to Jerusalem, to Heaven and then back to Mecca by morning.

Mecca was settled around the 4th century A.D. by the Yemeni tribe of Khuzaa'h, joined later by Mohammed’s tribe the Quraish. The Kaaba was built around the early 5th century likely by Asa'd Abu Karb, for Arabian Star Family worship after the black stone made it's way to Mecca, most likely from Yemen. Early reporters recounted that prior to the construction of the Kaabah, a tent occupied the site. The Kaaba eventually housed 360 idols dedicated to Arabian moon, sun, star and jinn (demon) worship. It is no secret that the black stone that Muslims still prostrate themselves toward 5 times a day, venerate, and circumambulate, is the same black stone idol that pagan Arabians venerated and circumambulated. In other words, the Quraish established the rituals that Mohammed eventually adopted and then adapted to his religion.

Quoted from Brother Pete's site:

The Hadith records that pagans controlled the Kaaba before Mohammed started his religion, and that the Kaaba contained 360 idols. After Mohammed returned to Mecca from Medina and broke the "Truce of Hudaybiyyah" he had made with his own tribe the Quraish, he then removed all the idols except one. The black stone that remains to this day is the same that pre-Islamic pagans went on pilgrimage to and circumambulated, in Arabian moon god and Star Family worship. There is no question that Muhammad - as "prophet" - engaged in the very same pagan rituals.

The pattern seems the same as to what Constantine did in creating Christianity: bring in pagan customs and rituals to attract non-believers into the church.  Mohammed used the same tactics in starting his religion: take from all existing Muslim beliefs and hone it down into a new and improved system of belief.  All religion ends up being is paganism painted with nicer colors.  I've said it before and will say it again because it is true: Satan has a counterfeit for everything Yah said.

Muslims are taught that walking around the Kaaba seven times, kissing the black stone, traveling from hill to hill near Mecca, casting stones and cutting their hair may provide remission of sin, while at the same time they are taught to reject the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, whom God manifest to save everyone from sin - whether they can afford to travel or are poor - who have faith in His shed blood.

Circumambulating Kaabas, kissing stone idols, and going on pilgrimages to religious sites were pagan rituals that preceded Mohammed by centuries.  Mohammed spun his version of religion using many threads from previous, familiar pagan behavior and mixing in bits and pieces from Scriptures.  There are some common threads but Yahweh kept His covenant through Jacob and not Esau.

Allah is not Yahweh.

Using Tradition as an Excuse

A man once said: 
" I want to remind folks that Y'shua kept man made traditions. "

He used Luke 4:16-17 as proof — "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written....."

This man concluded: "Reading the Torah on the Sabbath is a man made tradition and here we find that not only did Y'shua keep this man made tradition but it was his custom to do so."

Well, as you probably figured out, this didn't set right with me. From my understanding of that verse Y'shua was not keeping a tradition. It was very normal for him to be in an assembly on each 7th Day, which ever town he was in at the time. In Luke we read that Y'shua was in Nazareth, his home town, and it was the Sabbath day. When he stood up, he was handed the scroll of Isaiah. When he 'stood up' means he had been sitting which means he had not been standing previously and reading from Torah scrolls. After Y'shua was handed the scroll he looked for the part he wanted to read to the assembly. Today we know he read from Isaiah 60, a prophecy concerning the Son of YHWH. 

Y'shua made it clear that he came to do the will of the Father and I really don't think there were any traditions handed down by Him. YHWH did give us His original set of rules, laws, regulations and teachings that are for our health and well being - these are not traditions. Anything that man adds, says or does outside Yah's clearly stated Instructions become traditions if people continue to do them time after time, year after year. These are practices that man thought made the Creator's instructions even better. By this type of behavior man places himself above YHWH and this is not a good thing.

Some folks believe Y'shua was teaching from the weekly Torah portion format and the section he was reading was from the Haftarah. It is true that Jewish rabbis had adopted the Haftarah readings as part of Torah teachings, but, again I point out Y'shua read the prophecy about himself being fulfilled that day from the scroll of Isaiah. There's no mention of Y'shua reading from any other scrolls.  Folks 'assume' he was.

I am inspired to take a closer look at what is written in Luke beginning with 4:15:

And he would teach in their assemblies and would be praised by every man. And he came to Nasrath where he had been raised and entered into the assembly as he was accustomed on the day of the Shabbat and stood up to read (from) the scroll of the prophet Isaiah which was given to him. Y'shua opened the scroll and found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of Master YHWH is upon me.... He has anointed me to declare hope to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted and to preach release to the captives and give sight to the blind; to free those who are oppressed by the power of forgiveness; and to preach the acceptable year of YHWH". Verse 20 - And he rolled up the scroll and gave it to the minister and sat down. 

Y'shua told them the Scripture he just read and they just heard was fulfilled that day. He has the Spirit of YHWH and is the Mashiyach - the Anointed One.  He was not teaching a Torah portion. This is the Son of YHWH letting folks know who he is and backing it up with Scriptures! Folks became angry with him to the point they were ready to toss him off a cliff. Does this sound like he was making them happy by following their 'tradition'?  I don't think so.

Quote from Chabad: The custom to complete the weekly public reading of the Torah every year finds its root in Babylon of the Talmudic Era. The Torah was then divided into fifty-four sections to allow for the completion of a yearly cycle with the reading of one Parshah per week. (end quote) 

Now that describes a man-made tradition! I really don't think Y'shua would adopt the practices that came from the Babylonian Talmud which are traditions passed down from the elders to the Pharisees whom Y'shua often called hypocrites. He would not enter a synagogue to join with the Pharisees and their method of teaching, but to teach the difference between their way and Yah's way.

Many think that there is nothing wrong with keeping traditions. The point these folks try to make is if tradition does not break commandments then it is just fine and dandy as long as we don't call them commandments, yet, at the same time, they know it was the traditions of the Pharisees that got them into trouble but think it was because they made their traditions into 'commandments'. This kind of self justification makes my head spin!

Again, we need to take another look into Scriptures for some clarity. It does not appear that the Pharisees made their traditions into commandments, although, they did value their own opinions and commentaries, just as many 'religious leaders' do in this day and age. And they did mix these ideas in with Torah, which is why they loved their Oral Torah. This is how the Mishnah, Talmud and Kabbalah came into existence. In Scriptures Y'shua calls them 'traditions' many times. An example of mixing imagination with Yah's Instructions is Nadab and Abihu, priests who did not follow the Instructions of YHWH exactly, but added their own touch and offered it as if it would be accepted. Things didn't go so well for them after that. Why is it so difficult for folks to simply obey the Instructions given us by our Creator without thinking we can do as we please which only pleases ourselves?  You know, after YHWH finished creation He said it was 'good' but Satan told Eve it could be better. Look where that got us.

Back in the time of Moses there were no 'synagogues'. Yah's people gathered at the Tent of Meeting and there certainly wasn't a 'haftarah' portion back then as the prophets were still a future time. The priests followed the pattern given by Yahweh through Moses, not some tradition they learned in Egypt. There were no 'chapters and verse' back then, either. However, His Instructions do say to be in His Word, reading and teaching them to our children Every Day: reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up, and to write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates to the end that you and your children may endure in the promised land (Deuteronomy 11:18). The command to read Torah during Sukkot is to be done every 7th year when everyone attends Sukkot (not just the males during the other years). It is an extra observance in keeping Sukkot each seventh year, not a separate command. 

Concluding that Y'shua was teaching per the Torah portion format makes no sense and is not backed up in Scriptures.  Besides that, Y'shua is the Word made Flesh, so he would be naturally teaching 'Torah' with clarity and authority by his behavior, by his very being, and not reading from scrolls as if he were second hand news. 

Matthew 23 ~ Y'shua spoke with the crowds and his disciples, saying to them: The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. Therefore everything that they say to you, you should keep and do (according to written Torah). But (don't do as they 'do') not according to their deeds (according to oral Torah), for they talk but do not do as they teach. They do all their deeds that they might be seen in public. They widen their Tefillin (leather box/straps) and lengthen the Tekhelet (the cord of blue attached to the fringes) of their robes. And they love the chief places at festivals and the best seats at the assembly. They love to be greeted in the streets and to be called Rabbi by men. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before the sons of men.

They honor YHWH with their words, in their form, but their hearts are far from him as they please themselves with their made-up traditions.

The established thoughts and behavior of the elders were handed down to the Pharisees which was the ground work for what became the religion we know of today as Judaism: a cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs and institutions (as are most religions). As we uncover the Hebrew origins of our faith we learn that there are traditions we should not add to our spiritual awakening thinking we are pleasing Elohim.

Mark 7:5 The scribes and the Pharisees ask Y'shua, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the traditions of the elders? His short answer is: "You hypocrites... You have left the Commandment of Elohim and have embraced the tradition of men. And you despise the Word of Elohim because of the tradition that you have handed down..."

Matthew 15:3 records the same... the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem ask Y'shua why his disciples transgress against the traditions of the elders. He asks them, "Why do you transgress the Commandments of Elohim because of your traditions?"

Written Torah was pitted against the oral traditions of the Pharisees who were nullifying the Word of YHWH by their traditions and Y'shua would not instruct his followers to do likewise, let alone adopt those same traditions and teach them to others.

Some people just cannot accept YHWH at His word and simply obey His Instructions. For some reason they feel the need to dress 'em up, because that's what the Jews do and they are His chosen people, aren't they? And we Gentiles have been grafted in to the House of Israel, haven't we? When folks who are trying to be Torah Observant do Kiddush on Friday night and light the candles they are doing so because of tradition which has been 'handed down' and  'added' to the instructions of how to keep the seventh day set apart.  Folks use the excuse that it helps them to see that the Sabbath is special, holy, set apart instead of trusting and doing according to the Word of MarYah.

Definition of "tradition" from the 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

• an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior
• a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
• the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
• cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
• characteristic manner, method, or style

Y'shua's focus is on the traditions handed down by the 'elders' which were practiced by the Pharisees. The Book of Mark Chapter 7 showcases one of the greatest discussions of 'oral versus written law' predating what would later be recorded in the Talmud some 200 years later. Matthew 15:3 also records that the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem ask Y'shua why his disciples transgress against the traditions of the elders. He asks them, "Why do you transgress the Commandments of Elohim because of your traditions?"

Y'shua is pointing out The Traditions of the Pharisees go against the Instructions of YHWH.  These traditions were woven into the religion of Judaism and are accepted by many Hebrew Roots groups today. Now, can you see what I am getting at? Traditions are not necessary or commanded by our Creator but are additional rituals invented by man, and taught to others who have been doing them for so many years they seem a natural part of YHWH's Instructions. This is the same process by which traditional holidays have taken over the world.

YHWH has told us to remember and observe His Set Apart times for us: 

Passover, which begins the days of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Feast of the Harvest/Weeks (aka: Shavuot/Pentecost), Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles (Leviticus 23). He gave us specific instructions to follow, so why add some man made tradition to His clearly stated how-to list? Nadab and Abihu were trained up in their priestly duties, instructions straight from YHWH, but what did they do? They took the fire pans with fire in them and laid incense on it and offered it up in a way that did not follow YHWH's instructions. They used the tools given them by YHWH to please themselves first and then go before Elohim.

Traditions have been 'added' to the clear instructions given by our Creator.  Are folks doing the traditional things because it makes them feel good? Are they impressing their friends and family? Assembly members? Do they think by doing more than He asks they will score more points with Him? The only thing this type of behavior does is represent 'disobedience' to our heavenly Father.

The Feast of Dedication = Another Tradition

This historical event has come to be known as Chanukkah and is not one of our Creator's set apart times so it is not necessary to partake of the modern day festivities associated with it.  Many see it today as the 'Jewish Christmas' because of the traditions added to it and it's proximity to Dec. 25th. The Feast of Dedication is only mentioned one time in Scriptures, noting the time of year and what was taking place while Y'shua was walking and teaching on the porch at the Temple in Jerusalem, as he was accustomed to do. Many like to say that Y'shua was celebrating this feast day but in one of my studies I have concluded this was not the case. (See link at the bottom of this page).

Quote from the Jewish Virtual Library:

A successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs on the altar. Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees. They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Selucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.

According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle.

Chanukkah is not a very important religious holiday. The holiday's religious significance is far less than that of Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavu'ot. Chanukkah is not mentioned in Jewish scripture; the story is related in the book of the Maccabees.

There are those who believe Chanukkah is important in another way. It has been proposed that Antiochus Epiphanes represents the people, you and me, and Judah Maccabee represents Y'shua.  Maybe someone came up with this connection and it seemed to fit their learning curve at the time, but really, take a closer look at Antiochus, who had a statue of Zeus and one of himself placed inside the Temple and commanded sacrifices be made to them. This is more inline with what will happen three and half years into the final seven years of life as we know it on this earth: Satan possesses the final world leader, enters the 'holy of holies' and declares himself 'god'.  The image of the beast is set up and all are commanded to worship it. This is part of what Y'shua tells us according to Daniel's prophecy about the 'abomination of desolation' that enters the set apart place. It is a warning for us to heed concerning the end times scenario. 

Judah Maccabee (the hammer) was behind the actions which purged the temple of Hellenistic cult paraphernalia including the statues of Zeus and Antiochus Ephiphanes; reconstructed the sanctuary according to Torah prescriptions and reconsecrated it to the worship of YHWH [Dec. 164 BC]. The festival of Channukah was later instituted to commemorate this triumph.

Someone is trying to make a good excuse for keeping the tradition of celebrating Chanukkah, ignoring the historical/prophetical events while at the same time thinking they are honoring YHWH. This idea comes from man's imagination and is not supported by Scriptures, which should always be the foundation in any research and study. Personally, I cannot see a connection between me and Antiochus Epiphanes nor would I desire to be grouped in with him. He was an abomination and I am not. I admit I once was a carnal Gentile before I came into covenant with YHWH Elohim, but now I am learning right from wrong as I abide by His Instructions. As for desecrating any temple and thinking I was a god-dess.... nope, not the case.  And I think it is a stretch comparing Judah the Hammer with Y'shua the Messiah who told his Apostles the temple they admired would be torn down and replaced spiritually. 

Many of us have gotten sidelined once or twice while in the study of Scriptures when we let our imaginations take the lead with those 'what if' scenarios, while searching for 'deeper meanings'.  

Click Here for my study on Tradition

Click Here for my study on Pagan Origins

then scroll down past 'Easter' for info about Chanukkah

Click Here for my study on Deeper Meanings

Tradition

Definition of tradition:

1: an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom) : a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
2: the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
3: cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
4: characteristic manner, method, or style

It seems safe to interpret 'tradition' for the sake of this study as:

Inherited religious practices accepted as historical though not verifiable, handed down by word of mouth, affecting the social attitudes of the community. This applies to the characteristic manner of the Pharisees of yore and the same style of Religious Leaders of today.

Mark 7:8 

You have disregarded the commandment of Elohim to keep the tradition of men.” He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the commandment of Yahweh to maintain your own tradition.

Mark 7:13

Thus you nullify the word of Elohim by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.

Colossians 2:8 

Beware, or else any man make you naked by philosophy and by vain deception, according to the doctrines of men, according to the rudiments of the world and not according to the Mashiyach...

What started me along this line of thought was a facebook post by a person who stated that he bought a poinsettia, removed the holiday trappings from it and called it kosher.  I know this was in a some-what joking manner, but why do it? It is a 'tradition' to buy and give them as gifts this time of year. I know these plants are native to Mexico - but it's the 'tradition' which ties them to x-mas and that is what gets overlooked. If a Set Apart believer is seen buying typical holiday decorations, what kind of message does this project? Hypocrisy? Even the act of purchasing said plant contributes monetarily to the holiday season.

Maybe that's what bugs me about this - conceived perception - or the idea that most believers like to make the excuse, "He knows what's in my heart" and think that justifies any behavior. Now, if you know me and how I feel about following Mashiyach and obeying the Father; and then walk into my house and saw a bleeding heart picture of 'Jesus' on the wall, hanging next to a star of David flag, with 'christian rock' playing in the background and communion wafers on the coffee table, would that confuse you about me and my intentions? my honesty? my walk? How could you believe another word that came out of my mouth! 

That is how I was affected when I read that post by a 'fellow believer'; one who had long ago discovered our Hebrew beginnings and had been teaching others to obey the Instructions given us by Yahweh. By purchasing an obvious christmas item and calling it 'clean' (kosher), he caused me to doubt his integrity.  He caused me to 'doubt' his sincerity. I could no longer trust him to properly represent the Word of Elohim.  That saddened me, because this man had been in Torah for several years longer than I, and many looked to him as a teacher of the the truth of Yahweh.

There is Scripture that says 'let your yes be yes and your no be no' - which seems to instruct us to say what we mean so as not to be misunderstood.  If we are misunderstood (by joking around, for example) then one who hears, but doesn't understand, can spin a yarn of gossip. Let your actions be clear - no jokes, no sarcasm... leave no room for one to doubt your integrity. By our actions we become a light that shines in the darkness that others may find The Way.

James 5:12

But above all things, my Brothers, do not swear, neither by 'heaven' nor by the 'earth' nor by any other oath: let your language be 'yes, yes' and 'no, no' or else you become subject to judgment

We have been called to come out of the world system... This World, now... so as not to partake of her sins or her plagues at the return of Y'shua.

We become Set Apart else we cannot be a 'light' unto others. It is by our choice to obey the Father and live by His rules that we become noticeably different, set apart from the rest. We are in this world both physically and spiritually, not separate but a harmonious creation. We are noticeably different from the rest of the world - The Hebrews who lived in the area of Goshen were seen by the Egyptians as 'set apart' by their obvious lifestyle; the Egyptians knew the God of the Hebrews was with them, and it became very obvious during the final plagues before they were set free.

Romans 1:25 - They exchanged the truth of Elohim for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise...
Jeremiah 9:12 - Yahweh replied: Because they forsook the Teaching I had set before them. They did not obey Me and they did not follow it but followed their own willful heart and followed the Baalim, as their fathers had taught them.

It is written in Mark 7 about some of the traditions kept by the Pharisees and scribes. They ask Y'shua why his disciples don't follow these traditions and he says to them, 'the prophet did well prophesy about you hypocrites - "This people honor me with their lips. But their hearts are very distant from me. And vainly they fear me while they are teaching the doctrines of the commandments of the sons of men". (Isaiah 29:13) 

Mark 7:8 For you have left the Commandment of Elohim and embraced the traditions of men... You well rejected the Commandment of Elohim that you might establish your tradition.... And you despise the Word of Elohim, because of the tradition that you have handed down that resemble your own doings...

Isn't this reason enough to compel you to discover the origins of and what is meant by those traditions, those lies that have been handed down that cause us to turn our backs on Yahweh, instead of making excuses for them?

Isaiah 29:9

Act stupid and be stupefied! Act blind and be blinded! (They are drunk but not from wine, they stagger but not from liquor.) For Yahweh has spread over you a spirit of deep sleep, and has shut the eyes of the prophets, and covered the heads of the seers; so that all prophecy has been like the words of a sealed document.

29:13 Because that people has approached, honoring Me with words but has kept its heart far from Me, and its worship of Me has been a commandment of men, learned by rote-- truly, I shall further baffle that people and the wisdom of its wise shall fail, and the prudence of its prudent shall vanish. (this prophecy tells of the coming strong deception/delusion)

Definition of 'rote':

• the use of memory usually with little intelligence
• mechanical or unthinking routine or repetition 

I choose not to partake of 'traditions' that would make me appear uncertain of my Faith, which would make me look hypocritical to any Gentile keeping an eye on me.  If I cannot walk the path that Mashiyach set before me, how then can I be an example for others to follow? If I do not have my own house in order, how can I expect to be a light shining for others? Being led by the Spirit of Truth my desire is to remove all stumbling blocks from the very same path I have been traveling, for those trying to catch up before time runs out. Everything we need to know is written in Scriptures, as example for us in this day and age, so that we will indeed recognize the Good Shepherd's Voice.

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Jeremiah 16:18 - "I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance (the land) with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations". O Yahweh, my strength and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of distress, to You the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, futility and things of no profit." Can man make gods for himself? Yet they are not gods!

We have inherited lies:

Intentionally, 

through the years of the

 twisting and replacement of truth.

Accidentally,

 by plain ignorance of the truth,

following traditions without question.

It is time to start asking questions

Habakkuk 2:18  

What has the carved image availed, that he who fashioned it has carved it for an image and a false oracle -- that he who fashioned his product has trusted in it, making dumb idols?

Let us not be destroyed for lack of knowledge

Let us not be lacking knowledge by choosing tradition

2 Samuel 7:28 

Now, O Yahweh Elohim, You are Elohim, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

John 8:32  

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

What about those who continue to twist the Word of Yahweh our Creator, and preach it to anyone who will listen, for their own glory and fame?

Matthew 7:22   

Many will say to me in that day, ‘My Master, did we not prophesy by your Name, and by your Name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them that from everlasting, ‘I have not known you. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.’ Therefore everyone who hears my words and does them is like a wise man who built his house on a stone. 

Traditions of Man - Halloween

Halloween: 
History and Customs

Samhain: 

The origin of Halloween can be traced to this “ancient pagan festival celebrated by Celtic people over 2,000 years ago. The Celts believed that the dead could walk among the living at this time- the living could visit with the dead.” (The World Book Encyclopedia)-Scripture clearly teaches that the dead “are conscious of nothing at all.” (Refer to my study Rest in Peace)

Costumes, candy, and trick or treat: 

According to the book Halloween—An American Holiday, An American History, some of the Celts wore ghoulish costumes so that wandering spirits would mistake them for one of their own and leave them alone. Others offered sweets to the spirits to appease them. In medieval Europe, the Catholic clergy adopted local pagan customs and had their adherents go from house to house wearing costumes and requesting small gifts. The Bible, on the other hand, does not permit merging false religious practices with the worship of God.   

2 Corinthians 6:16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living Elohim. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people." Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says YHWH. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, and zombies:

These have long been associated with the evil spirit world. (Halloween Trivia) The Bible clearly states that we should oppose wicked spirit forces, not celebrate with them. 

Ephesians 6:11 - Put on the full armor of Elohim so that you can make your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of Elohim so that when evil comes you will be able to stand your ground, having done everything, to stand...

Pumpkins, or jack-o’-lanterns: 

In medieval Britain, “supplicants moved from door to door asking for food in return for a prayer for the dead,” and they would carry “hollowed-out turnip lanterns, whose candle connoted a soul trapped in purgatory.” (Halloween—From Pagan Ritual to Party Night) Others say that the lanterns were used to ward off evil spirits. During the 1800’s in North America, pumpkins replaced turnips because they were plentiful as well as easy to hollow out and carve. The beliefs behind this custom—the immortality of the soul, purgatory, and prayers for the dead—are not based on the Bible. 

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sins, it shall die.

Stop teaching these traditions to your children.