What She Said

This is wonderfully stated and expresses my own feelings of who I have become over the past few years. Roger agrees it describes 'his walk' as well.

I share it here with permission given by the
'author', Karen G. Hunnicutt.

We have relinquished/extinguished pagan celebrations/holidays that do not honor Him, and instead embrace His instructed and appointed Moedim/Feasts and Sabbaths. We receive His instructions in Torah- not as a historical reference, but as a living, breathing Word that brings LIFE and Blessings... to those who walk in it, with the power of His Ruach haKodesh to guide and instruct us. We see relevance and pertinence in everything He says, and do so because our Messiah lived and taught it. We see Israel as a "cautionary example" to those of us alive today- descendants through either biology/faith and we don't want to repeat their errors. We believe prophecy referred to believers -scattered Israelites - in the Last Days, when He would restore us to our Father's Way.

Our desire to walk in His Torah is not for justification, but rather sanctification. We are justified through faith in Messiah Y'shua, and because of the indwelling (of His Spirit) Ruach haKodesh, we are led to obedience which then deepens our love and knowledge of the Father. We have left behind religious traditions of men and ritual, in favor of an intimate, day by day walk with our Creator, through the mediation of our High Priest, Y'shua ha'Mashiyach.

Our walk is very different than it was in Christianity, because we are no longer trying to fit square pegs (doctrines) into round holes (His Word), but will let go of those beliefs that do not FIT. Our instruction book is the entire book of Scriptures- from Genesis to Revelation. Our beliefs are defined by reading Scripture IN ORDER, so that we understand the context and discover our identity through that simple, step by step process. When the veil is removed (idols, justifications, love of lawlessness, false doctrines all veil our vision), then we are free to see our Creator for WHO He is, and who WE are in His eyes.

His HolySpirit/Ruach haKodesh magnifies His Word and gives significance to everything He tells us. He reveals His plan of salvation for mankind from the Beginning, and it is BEAUTIFUL how much He loves us! It moves our hearts to love Him more- never as much as He deserves, but more and more as we learn to love by trusting His instructions (Torah) on what love is. We do this because Messiah did it perfectly, and we follow Him. He stood in the gap for us to reconcile us from sin/selfishness to our Father-...

Our walk is one of Love and Trust and dying to our flesh daily. We do this because we love Him and our Messiah instructed us to Love YHWH by guarding His commands. The Apostles teach us HOW to overcome our sinful nature- by putting on the mind of Messiah and walking in righteousness. We have learned what it means to call Him: Master, and His yoke is EASY, and His burden is LIGHT. We walk this path flawed and sometimes we stumble, but He is faithful to lift us up and hold our hands to help us become more steady (Grace). Our perfection lies in HIM, and HE alone accomplishes the completed work in us, which I trust will be done by the time He returns.

We choose Him as (our Elohim), and as the sheep of His pasture, we know His voice. Our Messiah shows us the Father, reconciling us to Him through no merit of our own. His Ruach changes our hearts of stone (rebellion) to hearts of flesh and surrender, filled with an overwhelming love and willingness to follow His instructions. We have come to understand that they are for our GOOD- to be a blessing and not a curse. As former gentiles, through faith in Messiah we are grafted into the promises of Abraham, and as children of promise, and we gain our identity from Scripture. Now we know where we came from, and where we are going. We are no longer confused about who we are, and who HE IS. We belong to HIM.

Spirit of Adoption

It is ALL about inheriting the promised land -
the everlasting covenant that YHWH made with Abraham so long ago ---

There is the Spirit of Adoption that may come into play, and Y'shua may be the example. 

Romans 8:14 says - they who are led by the Spirit of Elohim, they are the sons of Elohim. ... you have not received the spirit of bondage, again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of Adoption, by which we call Elohim Father... 

We know Y'shua was born by (the witness of) blood and water - his physical life began when the Ruach haKodesh caused Maryam's seed to germinate (so to speak). He was adopted by Joseph and raised as his son...

Consider this:
Although Y'shua was caused to exist by the Ruach haKodesh (Spirit of God), he is a Levite by blood. Mary his mother, was cousin to Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist/Immerser), descendant of the daughters of Aaron (tribe of Levi) and this fact qualifies Messiah to be High Priest as well as our future king, just as Melchizedek was king and high priest of Salem, old Jerusalem. Y'shua is a Yehudean (Jew) by location only, being born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, a Citizen of Judah . The 'priesthood' was and will be the same as it was as when Abraham gave tithes to the king of Salem. At the return of Y'shua the Anointed One, prophecy calls him our King and High Priest.

The Reason for His Instructions

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.

In doing a study on YHWH's set apart times, His fixed times that are popularly referred to as 'feast' days, I came to Deuteronomy 4 where Moses is summarizing the past 40 or so years. One should read all Deuteronomy and feel the emotions of Moses as he relates the past events and Yah's intentions, one final time, to that stiff necked people, who angered him so much yet he still stood before Elohim and interceded for them. 

The reason for the laws and rules:

 
To abide by them... to observe them Faithfully, for that will be Proof of our wisdom and discernment to other people, that YHWH our Elohim is with us and His laws and rules are as Perfect as all His Teaching.

Deuteronomy 4:35 YHWH has clearly demonstrated that He alone is Elohim and there is none beside Him - He is Elohim in heaven above and on earth below - there is no other.
Observe His laws and commandments that it may go well with you and your children.
Deuteronomy 6:3 Obey willingly and faithfully
Deuteronomy 6:21 We obey His instructions because we were slaves (to the world system, habits, traditions, doctrines of men etc...) and He freed us with a Mighty Hand... and will give us the land He promised to our fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob).
Deuteronomy 6:24 We are to observe all the laws, to revere YHWH our Elohim, for our lasting good and for our Survival, as is now the case. It will be therefore to our merit before YHWH our Elohim to observe faithfully this Whole Instruction (found in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) as He has commanded us.
Deuteronomy 8: Yah tests us by hardships to learn what is in our hearts: whether we will keep His Commandments .... or not.

What does YHWH demand of us? Only this: to revere YHWH our Elohim, to walk ONLY in His paths, to Love Him and Serve Him with all our heart and soul, keeping His commandments and laws, For Our Own Good....

To Judge or Not to Judge

For all the times your hear someone say something to the effect about 'not judging' one another, here is the example of how we are to judge:

John 7:24-

Do not be judging by hypocrisy, rather judge with a just judgment.

I Corinthians 5:11

But this is what I wrote to you, that you don't mix (with anyone who is) ...called a brother (believer) and is also a sexual sinner, or avaricious (materialistic), or an idol-worshipper, or a charlatan, or a drunkard, or rapacious, with him who is such, not even to eat bread. For what business have I to judge them who are without (the body/assembly of those who follow God's instructions)? But those within the body, you judge. And those without, Elohim judges... remove from you the wickedness among you.

This is a hard lesson yet an instruction we must accept. YHWH warns us of the consequence of 'mixing and mingling' throughout Scriptures, which is why we are told to remove the wicked from among us, or in turn, remove ourselves from such people, so as not to give in to temptation.

How many of you belong to an assembly of professing believers and know there are folks in that same group who are heavy drinkers or drug users? those who follow after the flesh and turn away from the Spirit? a person who falsely claims to have a special knowledge? greedy? or one who has 'idols' in their homes? (an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship or adoration.) Do these people bring unity to the assembly? I doubt it. We are not to 'tolerate' this behavior, nor even invite this type of person to dinner! We are to remove the wicked from among us. Likewise, we leave a group who allow this division to exist.

YHWH our Elohim has not made it difficult to adhere to His Instructions, nor is it a burden to walk the path following Y'shua, who did the Will of his Father. It has been, however, hundreds of years of man's ideas and traditions that have become the stumbling block, thanks to deceptions cast about by Satan.

Romans 2:1 lets us know we better not be guilty of the same thing we are judging another of. YHWH judges according to truth and we are to act accordingly. There's no excuse for one who judge another, yet is guilty of the same things and thus we condemn ourselves to the same style of judging from YHWH.

We are called to be Set Apart because our Creator is Set Apart.

The choice is ours.

Matthew 24:9

Then they will deliver you to afflictions and they will kill you and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will stumble and will hate one another and will betray one another. And many false prophets will arise and deceive many. And because of the growth of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold. But whoever has patience until the end, he will have life. And the Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The 'Love that Grows Cold' is that Love Y'shua spoke of, quoting from Torah :

Luke 10:27

Love Master YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.

Deuteronomy 6:5

You shall love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Leviticus 19:18

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself...

Finding Truth in Scriptures

YHWH, our Creator, our Elohim, our Heavenly Father, has told us the end from the beginning. He used the prophets, his servants, to speak and write His Words which we know as Scriptures.

He told us the past, present and future so that when these things happened we would have no doubt that He is the one true living Elohim. All praise and glory belong to Him.

Yah warned us of Satan and his subtle tempting to draw us away from Truth and lead us into the pit of lies.

Satan causes divisions among us, he causes doubt, appearing as a knowledgeable one, gaining our trust, then leading us away from eternal life. He accomplishes this in many ways using various devices in the most subtle of ways. This is evident from the account of Eve's encounter with him.

Satan tempts Eve to eat of that one tree Elohim states not to eat of. He causes her to doubt the Word of God. She believed a lie, caused her husband to follow suit and by this they were cast from Paradise.

Life goes on with an added dimension: the spiritual war for our very souls.

Satan, who once submitted to YHWH, has become self centered and arrogant, desiring to become a god, or at least be worshiped as a god. He causes a rift between God's People by mixing and mingling with His Creation. Satan convinces some other divine beings to leave their heavenly stations and join him on his path of destruction.

YHWH (Yahweh) has given us free will, the ability to make decisions either based on His Instructions in truth and love and righteousness OR based on the lies spawned from the Adversary. There are only two choices: Life or Death (aka: Blessing/Curse; Right/Wrong; Good/Bad...). There is no middle of the road, no fence sitting when decision time comes your way. Throughout Scriptures we are given examples of choices made and the consequences that followed. It should be clear to us today which path we should travel.

Through love for our Heavenly Father we Trust in Him and have Faith in His Instructions and believe His love for His People is steadfast and eternal.

Choose the Blessing. Receive the Blessing by following His Instructions and spread the Good News of the Kingdom to come wherein His Son, Y'shua the Messiah will be our King and High Priest.

In the beginning was The Word and the Word was made flesh - Y'shua Mashiyach, the anointed one, will return at the end.

Hebrew Inspired Greek

The inspiration for the Greek writing of the 'new testament' came from the Hebrew culture that existed in the land long before the Romans laid claim to it.  The 'new testament' (renewed covenant) is an extension of the 'old testament', not a replacement. 

The Hebrew culture has been in existence from the time YHWH called Abraham to leave his native land. In Genesis 12, God tells Abram that "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing..."

The offspring, the descendants of Abraham eventually became known as the House of Jacob. Jacob's name was changed to Israel from where we get the 12 Tribes of Israel.  Fast forward to the days of the Apostles of Messiah.

The apostle Paul, for example, describes himself in Philippeans 3:5 "Circumcised when eight days old; of the stock of Israel; of the tribe of Benjamin (one of the 12 tribes); a Hebrew, descendant of Hebrews; as to Torah, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the assembly of Messianic believers; and as to the righteousness of the oral Torah, I was without fault."  (Oral Law is rabbinic tradition, man's commentary and ideas about God's Commandments.)

Paul's attitude about himself and all he had mastered changed after he saw the superior knowledge of Y'shua and learned that his own righteousness came from Faith in the Messiah, that is, the righteousness which is from Elohim, and not of himself. 

Paul was not a 'Jew' pretending to be a Greek, but was well aware of his heritage as a descendant of Abraham.  His Hebrew name, Saul, was taken from the first king of Israel, who was from the tribe of Benjamin, and Paul's teacher, Gamaliel, was also from the tribe of Benjamin. His writings may have been in Greek but they came from a Hebrew mind-set.  Point being, the origins of the 'new testament' writings are not rooted in the Greek language. 

God called Abraham out of his father's house and made a promise, a covenant with him thus setting the scene for a Hebrew and his descendants to be God's Set Apart people.  Scriptures, beginning with the 'old testament' were written in the language of God's people.  When quotes from Scriptures are noted in the 'new testament', they are quoting from the only Scriptures at that time, which we now call the Old Testament -- inspired by God -- and written in the Hebrew language.

If, then, we agree on the Hebrew beginnings of Faith, how do we make the leap to Greek origins only, completely disregarding the pattern set forth by the Creator?  I understand and do not dismiss various cultural influences that occurred throughout history.  As an example, a lot of bad habits were brought back to Judea after the exile in Babylon came to an end.  It's not just the Greek that has become a stumbling block to His people on this path.

Quote from Wikipedia:

 

Jewish common Greek did not exist as a separate dialect, but some Jewish texts in common Greek do show the influence of Aramaic in syntax and the influence of Biblical background in vocabulary.  The languages spoken in Galilee and Judea during the first century include the Semitic Aramaic and Hebrew languages as well as Greek, with Aramaic being the predominant language. Most scholars agree that during the early part of first century Aramaic was the mother tongue of virtually all natives of Galilee and Judea. Most scholars agree that Jesus spoke Aramaic and that he may have also spoken Hebrew and Greek.  End Quote

I know that Wikipedia is not 'the end all' for knowledge but is a good place for gleaning historical insights and continued research.  As always, if it doesn't line up with or harmonize with Scriptures, pass it by.

For more reading material you may be interested in this: Hebrew Origins of the New Testament

Rest in Peace

We don't Die and go to Heaven

Once again Scriptures, the Word of God, answers our question about what happens when we physically die.

Quote from Life Hope and Truth:
While it may be comforting to those struggling to cope with the death of loved ones to think of them as 'looking down from heaven, this belief is false. Instead, God’s Word comforts us with the fact that there is no suffering in the grave. And since there is no thought for those in the grave, there can be no awareness on their part of the passage of time. When they are resurrected, it will be as though they have awakened from sleep.
End Quote

Psalm 146:3 Put not your trust... in mortal man who cannot save. His breath departs (physical death) he returns to the dust (in the grave) on that day his plans come to nothing
Ecclesiastes 9:5 ... the living know they will die but the dead know nothing, they have no more recompense, for even the memory of them has died. Their loves, hates, jealousies have long since perished and they have no more share till the end of time (when Y'shua returns) in all that goes on under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever is in your power to do,do with all your might. For there is no action, no reasoning, no learning, no wisdom in Sheol (the grave) where you are going.

John 6:39-40: (Y'shua is speaking) “This is the will of the Father who sent me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

It is appointed for all of us to die, but when Y'shua returns to the earth at the last day, his followers who have died will be raised from their graves and given eternal life.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 ... you should not mourn over them who have fallen asleep (died), like other people who have no hope... :14 For if we believe that Y'shua died and rose again, even those who sleep, will Elohim, by Y'shua bring with him. :15 and this we say to you by the word of Messiah, that we who may survive and be alive at the coming of Messiah, will not precede them who have slept. :16 Because our Master Y'shua will himself descend from heaven with a mandate and with the voice of the chief Messenger (angel) and with the trumpet of God; and the dead who are in Messiah will rise first and then we who survive and are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet our Messiah... And so comfort yourselves one another with these words...

We cannot 'rise' to meet Messiah when he returns If we are already in heaven... The dead rise first and the living witness this before they are gathered up as well.

Job 3 (he's about had enough and curses the day he was born and asks why he did not die at birth) ... :13 for now I would be lying in repose, asleep and at rest (dead and buried with those who have died before me)

Y'shua, Son of God, says in John 3:12 - I have explained earthly things and you do not believe. How then will I explain heavenly things? And no man has ascended into Heaven except he who descended from Heaven.

Quote from Bible Info: The Bible compares death to sleep more than fifty times. After death we are asleep, we are unconscious; we are not aware of the passing of time or of what is going on around us. That is what death is like as well. The Bible says, “for the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing… their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, NKJV, see also Psalm 146:4; 115:17). It makes sense that after Lazarus was raised from the dead, he doesn’t share what he saw or experienced. He didn’t have anything to tell, except that once he was dead, and now he is alive! He didn’t experience hell or heaven. He was simply “sleeping” in his tomb. Peter on the Day of Pentecost said the same of King David. “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day…For David did not ascend into the heavens…(Acts 2:29, 34).

John 5:28 Do not marvel at this for the hour is coming when all those who are in the grave will hear his voice!

Once you realize we don't die and go to heaven but we Rest in Peace here in the earth for a time, some questions on other topics may arise. Let me know and we can do another study.