Tradition

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

Passover/Unleavened Bread, Feast of the Harvest/Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost), Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles (Leviticus 23). 

These are not 'Jewish Holidays' as there were no such people back in that day -- His People were Hebrews and the mixed multitude that came with them out of Egypt. Jewish Holidays are the man made traditions of celebrating Hanukkah and Purim for example. 

Quoted from Judaism 101: 

Chanukkah is probably one of the best known Jewish holidays, not because of any great religious significance, but because of its proximity to Christmas. Many non-Jews (and even many assimilated Jews!) think of this holiday as the Jewish Christmas, adopting many of the Christmas customs, such as elaborate gift-giving and decoration. It is bitterly ironic that this holiday, which has its roots in a revolution against assimilation and the suppression of Jewish religion, has become the most assimilated, secular holiday on our calendar. (end quote). 

The Chanukkah 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, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle of the oil.

(note: the Talmud is a collection of oral tradition of Torah interpretation according to Rabbinic Judaism.)

Our Creator was never about religions. His perfect governing system was for our health and well being, fair and just. Remembering important events is not the issue - it's the celebrations of them year after year as holidays that goes against what God said especially when His appointments for us are ignored by most.

Nothing Has Changed

Right off the bat we are told it is Satan 
who causes us to doubt the Word of Yah. 

This doubt causes division among His People. 

If we aren't of one mind how can we be a Light unto others?

If we won't accept the written word as truth, 

if we doubt that Yahweh says what He means 
and does what He says, 

then we fall into that same trap Satan 
set in the Garden of long ago.

Nothing has changed. 

The rules are the same and the consequences are the same.

It is up to us to seek Him as if looking for treasure. 
By seeking YHWH we follow the trail 
and avoid those stumbling blocks
of bad translations, doctrines of man 
and those wolves in sheep's clothing.

Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, 
is our road map out of the world system
that we may find our way back home 
returning to our Creator.

We know God speaks to His People as it is written in Scriptures. We also know even those who witnessed His Works first hand eventually fell away from following His Teachings.

In the beginning Yahweh established Himself as the Creator of: Light; Sky; Earth; Lights in the Sky; Sea Creatures; Birds that Fly; Animals, insects and man. Then He blesses the 7th day and rests. Many years later He tells us to remember the 7th day, to rest and do no work on that day (commandment #4 of the 10.) We obey this instruction as a 'sign' that we have chosen to be Set Apart because our Creator is Set Apart.

YHWH has told us the end from the beginning so we will recognize that when these events occur, it was He, the Living Elohim, who told us beforehand. We can trust that Yah is the One True God. 

YHWH Elohim provides the instructions needed that all will be well for us. His Instructions are recorded in Genesis through Deuteronomy.  If we read Scriptures every day His Spirit will begin to reveal the Truth of His Word and we shall gain understanding. This is the path of righteousness we choose to travel.

God placed man in the Garden to tend it. He put us in His Creation to take care of things until the Time of the End (of life as we know it.)   The Adversary, Satan, has been corrupting the system ever since he caused Eve to doubt the Word of God by asking: Did God really say...? Doubt causes division and Satan uses that same tactic against us in this day and age.

If we continue to read and study Scriptures our understanding will increase and give way to wisdom that we may discern the times we are in and not fall victim to Satan's deceits. Satan has a counterfeit for everything God put in place.

We can say anything, profess to be believers, but it is the intentions of our heart that will be eventually revealed. YHWH's People are recognized as Set Apart because not only do they 'talk the talk' by they 'walk the walk'.

Our lifestyle becomes Set Apart by our choice to obey YHWH and live according to His rules. This is what it means to be a Light unto the Nations (other peoples).

If we love Elohim the Creator whose name is YHWH, then we obey His Instructions. He, in turn, keeps His promise made to Abraham so many years ago: Yah will gather us from the corners of the earth, from the places we have been scattered and set us on the Promised Land of Canaan.

We trust our Heavenly Father that we will find ourselves back in that Garden.

Just for You

Lets say Yahweh Elohim wrote Scriptures just for you.

He is the Beginning and the End and knows everything that will happen to you, all the trials and tribulation, all the good times and the bad.

He loves and cares about you so much that He will not let you go through your life alone. He has established Himself as a living entity, all powerful and all knowing and asks you to trust Him and follow His Plan. In doing so He keeps His Promise to bless you that things will go well with you right up until the time of His earthy kingdom, and beyond to the time He restores everything!

You know of these things because you read what He had written - you can feel His Words in your heart - no matter what is happening in the world around you you feel His Love and Peace within and there you stand strong in Faith trusting His Plan that has been there before you were born.

Live according to His Instructions and become a Light to others who are struggling in darkness as you once were.

Almighty Elohim

In Genesis, YHWH has established Himself as the One True Living God/Elohim and what perfection is as in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve's needs were provided for and they had no 'wants'. All was perfect until Satan caused Eve to doubt the Word of God... Perfection ceased to exist when Satan decided he wanted to be god.

Throughout Scriptures Yah reminds us it is He who is the One Almighty and gives us examples of false deities, false teachers and other bad habits found in the pagan traditions of the world surrounding His People. The reason He told us everything is so that we can recognize and believe in Him when we see these things come to pass. It is written that His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

If we do not seek Him how will we gain knowledge and have understanding? How will the Holy Spirit - Ruach haKodesh - reveal the Truth of His Word if we aren't reading it every day? Yah's steadfast love is eternal, His mercy is abundant and everything is the same for us today as it was back when He first introduced Himself.

Seek YHWH - Fulfill His laws - Seek Righteousness

Short Definition

A short definition of what is commonly called The Law:

Torah is the Hebrew word for Instructions pertaining to the rules, laws and teachings YHWH Elohim put in place for His People to set them apart from the pagan traditions which permeated the world around them.

As Creator, He included the Instruction Manual. (Most people don't read the instructions until all other attempts fail). Then He let us choose to obey or disobey, giving examples, throughout Scriptures, of what happens as results of those choices. He painted a clear picture of His expectations for living a righteous life. He did not lay a burden on us.

In order to be Set Apart believers in YHWH Elohim we must choose to follow His Instructions which set us apart from the traditions of man in this world. We then realize what Y'shua meant when he said we would be hated because of his name (by following him who was sent by the Creator/Father/Elohim as the example of Perfection). 

It's not about the Jews or the modern day state of Israel... it's not about all the diverse religions of the day... It is about Yah's perfect governing system for His Chosen. His Chosen People are the Set Apart believers, anyone of any background, who turn from their sinful nature and those pesky pagan ways (man made traditions handed down through the generations) and have Faith in the one true living Elohim, YHWH, and His Son, Y'shua haMashiyach, those who keep His Commands and have the testimony of Y'shua.

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.