The Devil's Music

I have never really gotten 'christian rock' and maybe that's because I grew up with rock and roll and later learned the origins of that music - the devil's music. I started thinking... how can you take something profane (sex, drugs and rock-n-roll) and call it holy unto God? You may change the lyrics but the rhythms are the same.

QUOTE: - The origin of rock music and the term "rock 'n' roll" are interesting ones. In the early 1950s, a disk-jockey named Alan Freed was one of the first white people to be involved in "rhythm & blues" music, which was the direct forerunner of rock 'n' roll. (The complete genealogy of rock 'n' roll music is: voodoo to jazz to blues to rock 'n' roll.)  Rock 'n' roll was a kind of fusion between rhythm & blues and country & western music. Freed was one of the first white people to play this new rhythm & blues/country combination on his radio program, and was perplexed as to what to call it since it obviously needed a new name. Freed had been receiving bizarre reports concerning kids' reactions to this new music, so decided to name it after a ghetto term that black people used for pre-marital sex in the back seat of a car-hence, the term "rock 'n' roll" was coined. End Quote

Christian or Satanic?

Christian Contemporary Music

Lunar Tetrad

This study is in regards to the teachings of Mark Biltz and John Hagee in regards to the 'Blood Moons' of late. They were promoting prophecy and the imminent return of Y'shua, and used Joel 2:31 as their launch pad.   In the Tanakh there is no Joel 2:31, but there is Joel 3 which reads:

After that I will pour out My spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. I will even pour out My spirit upon male and female slaves in those days.  Before the great and terrible day of YHWH Elohim comes, I will set portents in the sky and on earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke; the sun shall turn into darkness and the moon into blood. But everyone who invokes the Name of Elohim (YHWH) shall escape; for there shall be a remnant on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as YHWH Elohim promised.  Anyone who invokes YHWH will be among the survivors.

Note: Before the sun goes dark and the moon turns red there are portents on the earth: blood, fire and pillars of smoke. Perhaps the blood, fire and smoke fills the air and causes the sun to darken and the moon appear red? What caused the fire? A *great earthquake* maybe?

Joel 2

Blow a horn in Zion, sound an alarm on My Set Apart mount! Let all dwellers on earth tremble, for the Day of YHWH has come! It is close - a day of darkness and gloom, a  day of densest cloud spread like soot over the hills. A vast, enormous horde - nothing like it has ever happened, and it shall never happen again through the years and ages. (The shofar/horn/trumpet is blown before the darkness and gloom*)

Note: Nothing like this has ever happened before and will not happen again - that pretty much rules out lunar eclipses as the cause of the moon turning 'blood red', because those, even the tetrads, have happened several times in the past and are calculated to occur again in the future. 

I do not deny that this prophecy most certainly concerns the end time events and the return of Y'shua haMashiyach, Son of Elohim,  but there are other signs which have been recorded that precede this scenario that have yet to occur.  Scripture does indeed interpret itself, so focusing on the lunar tetrads and trying to make something out of them that is not backed up by Scriptures can turn into a false teaching.  It's understandable, though, because these are exciting times we live in, but we must always study out events as they are written and not try to force the Word of God to fit current events.  It is important to keep Scripture in context so as not to spin a 'theory' out of control.  We have been warned against the imaginings of man. We have been told beforehand; given the facts, as it were.

In the book of Matthew, the disciples had asked Y'shua about the signs of the end and his return.  He spoke of several things and the suffering that will happen, then he said:

Matthew 24:29

And immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not shine its light.  And the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of heaven will be shaken.  And then will be seen the sign of the Son of man in heaven... :31 And he will send his Messengers (angels) with a large trumpet (shofar/horn) and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. (*His Set Apart believers are rescued before the darkness and gloom)

Lets take a look at the writings in Revelation.

Revelation 6:12

And I looked when he had opened the sixth seal, and there was a *great earthquake*; and the sun became black, like sackcloth of hair; and the whole moon became like blood. and the stars of heaven fell on the earth...

The Sixth Seal has yet to be opened.  We are in the time frame known as The Beginning of Sorrows which I have studied out to be related to Seals 1 through 4, which have been opened. (See the link provided below: 'Signs')

The prophecy referred to in Joel, Matthew and Revelation is one and the same and has yet to happened.  They all report that this darkened sun and blood red moon happen before the great and glorious day of YHWH, which is when Y'shua is set to return.  But before that happens the one world united nations government system with its world leader will be in place.  The 3-1/2 years of peace and safety will have passed by and Satan will possess that final world leader to do abominations that cause desolation for the remaining 3-1/2 years.  The 'mark' will have been put in place in order to buy or sell... you get the picture.

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For more detail about the signs of the times, refer to my study:
 Signs 

To understand who His Chosen people are, refer to my study:  
Who is Israel?

For more information according to astronomy, visit:
EarthSky.org

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After you have prayed and studied on this yourself, let me know if I have overlooked anything. Your thoughts, input and comments are always welcomed as well as corrections when needed.

Signs

These are the signs, told by Y'shua as recorded in Matthew 24, with my paraphrasing.  Y'shua Messiah is telling his disciples of the signs, the things that must happen before the end and his return. Please read scriptures for more details, including Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11; Joel 2:2. 

Let no man deceive you. Many will claim to be the savior and many will they deceive. You will hear of revolutions, wars and rumors of war. Do not worry, these things must happen but it is not the end yet.
Nations and kingdoms will rise up against each other, fight each other. There will be famine, food shortages, plagues, diseases and earthquakes in various places. These are the beginning of sorrows.

(note: the above I see in current events representing Seals 1 through 4 as opened. Next is Seal 5 - the persecution of believers-  and I believe it is in the process of being opened)

Then we will be hated, delivered to afflictions and killed because we believe in Y'shua, Son of Elohim. Many stumble, hate each other and will report 'believers' to the authorities to save their own lives (betray one another).  Many false prophets arise and deceive many.  Because of the spread of wickedness, lawlessness, the love of many grows cold. BUT whoever has patience until the end, he will have life. And this Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all the nations - then the end will come.  

And when you see the sign of uncleanness (abomination) and desolation which will stand in the Set Apart place - those in Judea should flee to the mountains, do not hesitate or try to go back.  There's no time to pack a bag or a lunch! Time's up.

THEN there will be great suffering (tribulation) such as has not been before or will be again... And if those days were not shortened, not any flesh would live, but because of the chosen, those days will be shortened. 

Who are the 'chosen ones'? 

 
(note: the 'abomination' that enters the temple is the trigger point for the final 3-1/2 year time line).

Do not believe those who say they saw Y'shua (or Jesus) 'here or there', for false teachers/preachers/messiahs/prophets will produce signs and wonders in order to help with the deception, if possible even the chosen.  We are told beforehand so that we may recognize the times we are living in. Y'shua will be seen just as everyone sees the sun rise out of the east and it is seen even in the west, so shall the Son of God be seen.

Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not shine its light, and the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of heaven will be shaken.  Then will be seen the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and all the tribes of the land mourn when they see him who comes upon the clouds of heaven with great power and glory.  He sends his Messengers with a large trumpet (shofar) and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, the entire earth.

Y'shua tells us it will be like the days of Noah, preceding his return. Folks back then were living life as usual, eating, drinking, getting married, raising families, and ignoring the reason Noah and his family were preparing as they obeyed the instructions given by Elohim.  Those other folk kept on keepin' on right up until the Noah Family entered the ark.  The others did not know until the flood hit and took them.  It was too late to be saved, too late to enter the ark. This is why we are told the signs before the return of Messiah, so we will prepare before it's too late to be saved from the coming flood of Wrath from Elohim, which is contained in the final 7 Bowls of Plagues.  

The Seals of Revelation 6 relate to what Messiah has told his disciples as to the 'signs' of his return and the end of the world. It seem that the 'beginning of sorrows' are the opening of Seals 1 through 4 and these events seem pretty apparent in our day and age.  Seal 5 represents the 'persecution' of believers, those who are hated because of faith in Y'shua and YHWH. This is nothing new, but with the rise of Islam and increasing unrest in the mideast, we hear/see reports of hatred towards believers in YHWH more often, to the point of killing/beheading 'Christians' -- it seem as if Seal #5 is broken and in the stages of opening.  Seals 6 & 7 are yet to be broken.

Seal #1 
White horse being ridden by one who goes out to conquer (Wars and rumors of war)
Seal #2
Rider of the red horse carrying a great sword, takes peace from the earth causing people kill one another 
(Nations and kingdoms will rise up against each other, fight each other.)
Seal #3
The rider of the black horse carries a balance, the price of food goes up and the oil wine (luxury items) are protected. 
(There will be famine, food shortages,)
Seal #4
Pale horse whose rider is Death and is followed by the grave.  He has authority over a quarter of the world's population to kill by wars, famine, death and wild beasts. 
(plagues, diseases and earthquakes in various places.)
Seal #5
Under the altar are seen the souls of them who were slain on account of the Word of Elohim and on account of the testimony to the Lamb which was with them.  They cry out asking YHWH how much longer will it take before He judges and avenges their blood.  He tells them to be quiet yet a little while until the consummation of their fellow servants and Brothers who were to be killed as they had been.
Seal #6
The opening of this seal causes a great earthquake and the sun became black like sackcloth and the whole moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell on the earth as a fig tree  casts its unripe figs.  The heavens separate as a scroll is rolled up and all mountains and islands were moved out of their places. All the kings, nobles and captains, rich men, men of valor and every servant and free man hide for they know the day of their wrath is come and who is able to stand?  

It is still during this 6th Seal time frame that the four angels/Messengers held the four winds and another Messenger had the seal of Elohim to seal the servant of Elohim upon their foreheads - 144,000 = 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel = the first fruits of the harvest of the earth.  There is a lot of preparations made before Seal 7 which trigger the 7 Shofars Event.

Seal #7
When this seal is opened there will be silence in heaven for about a half hour... the 7 Messengers will each be given a shofar. Fire from the altar will be cast upon the earth which causes thunders, flashes of lightning and voices and an earthquake.  The 7 Messengers prepare to sound their shofars.

Set Apart Believers will still be on this earth during the sounding of the seven shofars. Yes, we go through 3-1/2 years of Satan's insanity but we are gathered up with Y'shua at that 7th Shofar!  That's another study in and of itself.  Also, don't be confused and misled by the popular phrase, "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", instead, just ignore it. To the best of my knowledge a horse is symbolic for power and each of those seals represent powerful events as well as aspects of ungodliness which lead up to Satan the Anti-Messiah taking charge.

We have been invited to the wedding feast. We better have enough lamp oil so we can patiently wait for the coming Bride Groom else we leave and the doors to the banquet room are shut and locked before we get back. (Matthew 25)

Spiritual Metaphors

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable; a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else. A parable is a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or biblical principal.

Y'shua spoke in parables many times, telling stories to illustrate spiritual lessons; stories that are to be interpreted in order to reveal the hidden meaning of what he was teaching.  There is no real mystery. He was teaching us to use our 'brain', to think and reason - not just follow what was fashionable at the time.

Matthew 13:34
All these things Y'shua spoke in parables to the crowd, and he would not speak to them without a parable, so might be fulfilled the things which was spoken through the prophet who said, "I will open my mouth with parables and will bring out secrets that were from before the foundation of the world." (Psalms 78:2)  

Mark 4:2
And he would teach them by parables, and would say many in his teaching.

Y'shua told his disciples that they were given to understand the mystery of the Kingdom of Elohim, but to others everything is in parables.  This can be gleaned from the parable of the sower of seeds. (Mark 4:3)

Mark 4:34
And he would not speak to them (the crowds) without parables but to his disciples he would explain everything. 

If we read and study Scriptures, we too may gain understanding.

Lets take what we know about Y'shua teaching technique and apply it to the following:

John 6:48
I am the Bread of Life. :50 this is the Bread that has descended from heaven that  a man may eat from it and he will not die! :51 I am the Living Bread who has descended from Heaven. And if a man should eat from this Bread, he will live forever. And the Bread that I give is my body which I give for the sake of the life of the world. 

He has caused quite a stir among the Yehudeans saying such things, and they couldn't understand, 'how can he give us his body to eat?' They were thinking in the physical not the spiritual realm.

John 6:53
I say to you, that unless you eat the body of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in Qnoma (underlying substance/self).  :54 And he who eats from my body and drinks from my blood has life that is everlasting, and I will raise him up on the last day. :55 for truly my body is food and truly my blood is drink.

I quote Andrew Gabriel Roth of One Faith One People Ministries --

"The body/blood imagery is metaphoric. Y'shua of course knows very well  that it is an abomination to drink any kind of blood, let alone human blood (Leviticus 17:11). Consuming human flesh is also an abomination that is strictly prohibited. There are two underlying parts: Part 1 recalls the imagery of Ezekiel 3:1-15 where the prophet ate a Torah scroll, the imagery symbolizing the prophet being sustained by and proclaiming Torah, which is the essence of what Y'shua is teaching.  Y'shua's example and teaching are to be part of our innermost being, literally taken... into our hearts.  This imagery is also seen in Mark 7:19 which distinguishes between physical food and spiritual food, and Jeremiah 31:33 which speaks of writing Torah upon the heart. Part 2 is the life which Y'shua refers to, it is not physical as in one's self, but the core essence of being, the spirit of man." end quote


John 6:63 
It is the Spirit that makes alive; the body does not profit anything. The words that I speak with you are spirit and are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe.

Here I find it useful to quote Mr. Roth again:

"As the body does not profit anything, then neither can ingesting a wafer that symbolizes the body! Sin is a violation of Torah.  The absolution of sin begins with Teshuva (turning to YHWH). Faith in Mashiyach is evidence that the Ruach haKodesh has begun to write Torah upon the heart. Obedience to Torah as the Word of YHWH is the process of Sanctification which is the setting apart of YHWH's people unto Himself, from all manner of worldliness and false religion. No volume of wafer-ism or canned prayer... will provide an acceptable substitute to being born into the Image of Elohim." end quote

John 6:58
This is the Bread that has descended from heaven. It is not as manna (physical) your forefathers ate and died. He who eats this Bread (spiritual) will live forever!

"Nothing is being eaten while Y'shua is making this statement; he had just levied a rebuke for their desire of physical rather than spiritual 'bread'.  It is Faith in Y'shua as Mashiyach which causes a person to (be sustained by him).  The 'wafer' is a pagan adulteration against Y'shua's teaching. Y'shua  observed Torah to perfection, his perfect atoning sacrifice would be remembered specifically on the Moedim (feast of Unleavened Bread) as the Word of YHWH instructs." -- Andrew Gabriel Roth

John 6:35

Y'shua said to them, I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will not hunger. And whoever believes in me will not ever thirst.

He calls himself the Bread of Life: whoever comes to him will not hunger! whoever believes in him will never be thirsty! All who believe and follow his teaching will be sustained spiritually.

The following accounts are from the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Y'shua knows his time has come, and it is the last time he will dine with his beloved disciples.  He hasn't instituted anything new or added to the Instructions of the Father in regards to keeping this fixed time. He came to do the will of the Father. He has always maintained that he is the True Bread from Heaven.

Matthew 26:26

And while they were dining, Y'shua took bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, "Take, eat. This is my body." And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them and said, "Take, drink from it, all of you (his 12 disciples). This is my blood of the renewed covenant, which for the sake of many is shed for the forgiveness of sins."

Mark 14:22

Then while they were eating, Y'shua took bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to them and said to them, "Take it. This is my body."  And he took a cup and gave thanks and blessed it and gave it to them and all of them drank from it.  And he said to them, "This is my blood of the renewed covenant, shed for the sake of many".

Luke 22:19

And he took bread and gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them and said, "This is my body, which for your sake is given.  Do this for my memorial." And likewise also concerning the cup, after they had eaten supper, he said, "This is the cup of the renewed covenant in my blood, which is shed for your sake."

It is during this set time of YHWH that the bread Y'shua is breaking is unleavened and he tells his disciples that it represents his body, as he is the true Bread from Heaven.  The cup represents his shed blood for the forgiveness of sins.  Leaven is a metaphor for sin and Y'shua was sinless - there was no leaven to be found in him. So, to do this in remembrance of him would be to break the unleavened bread at the passover meal -- not every weekend at 'church'.  It is appropriate to remember him during the feast of Unleavened Bread, as YHWH's reason for this time is to remember how powerful and awesome He Himself is by recounting all He did prior to Pharaoh setting His people free -- a foreshadow to remembering His Son whose shed blood has set us free from guilt of past sins.  This is not the 'lord's supper' or the 'last supper' but it is where the church spun their doctrine for the ritual of a weekly communion.

We have the testimony of the Son and obey the Instructions of the Father, both of which are required to become Set Apart, to become part of the commonwealth of Israel - His Chosen people.  We do remember that Y'shua died for our sake - we accept his shed blood as atonement for our sins - spiritually symbolic, a one time sacrifice but a forever covenant.

Here is more concerning the bread/wine analogy:

1 Corinthians 11:27- "He, therefore, who eats of the bread of Master Y'shua and drinks of his cup AND is not worthy of it, is guilty of the blood of Y'shua and of his body. :28 For this reason, a man should examine himself... :29  For whoever eats and drinks of it while he is unworthy... brings condemnation upon himself by not discerning the 'body of Master YHWH'. :30 For this cause, many among you are diseased and sickly and many sleep.  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (meaning if we hold ourselves up to God's Standard, in obedience to His Instructions in Righteousness, we shall not bring condemnation upon ourselves) :32 But when we are judged by our Master Y'shua we are really disciplined, that we many not be condemned with the world."

1 Corinthians 11:33- Wherefore, my Brothers, when you assemble to eat, wait for one another. And let him who is hungry eat at home, that you may assemble and not for condemnation.

1 Corinthians 10 - the entire chapter is a good teaching.  Paul points out examples from Torah so that we do not covet after the evil things  as they did - those who died in the wilderness who did not enter the promised land.  They were all immersed by Moses, under the same cloud, all passed through the same sea... they all ate the same spiritual food (provided by YHWH) and drank the same spiritual drink (water from the rock at Horeb)... yet there was a multitude of them that God was not pleased.  All the things that befell them were for an example to us and they are written for our instruction, on whom the end of the world has come. (10:11)

He is referring to idolatry, and not to eat foods sacrificed to idols.

1 Corinthians 10:16- The cup of thanksgiving which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of the Messiah? And the bread which we break is it not the fellowship of the body of Messiah?  As therefore that bread is One so we are all one body.

We come to understand the we are all one in the Messiah by accepting the 'bread and the wine' of eternal life in the renewed covenant. In Deuteronomy 8 we are taught that man does not live by bread alone but he may live on anything decreed by YHWH. Therefore keep the commandments of YHWH your Elohim: walk in His ways and revere Him.

The common belief in performing 'communion' rituals is what spurred this study.  Folks think that the above mentioned Scriptures mean we should be eating the wafer and drinking the wine every weekend to remember the suffering 'Jesus' went through. Some denominations believe the wafer and wine actually become the body and blood of Messiah. 'Communion' carries way too much traditional religious baggage from the Catholic realm and distorts the original meaning of the Hebrew word for 'fellowship'. 

What is taught and believed in the Catholic Church:

Quote: Our Catholic teaching that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus, not bread and wine, is clearly taught in the Bible and throughout the 2,000-year tradition of the Church.  The early Church took this teaching seriously. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul says, "Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the Body and Blood of the Lord... for anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself." (1 Corinthians 11:27,29) Paul's statement makes sense only if the bread and wine have become the real Body and Blood of Christ.  How does this change take place? It happens during the eucharistic prayer of the Mass. At that time, the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ, as the Church has always taught. Although they still look like bread and wine, they have, by divine power, actually changed into His Body and Blood. How can we know this? It requires faith. It is a mystery which, like love, we will never fully understand. The Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, His death and Resurrection are other mysteries which, along with the Eucharist, we will never fully comprehend in this life." end quote

It is appropriate to ceremoniously remember Y'shua during the time of the feast of Unleavened Bread.  He did not replace the Father's plans and instructions for us, nor did he add anything new - but he is very much a part of all of it!  Messiah is prophesied throughout the 'old testament' and the 'new testament' is an account of those prophecies fulfilled and those yet to occur. All of Scripture is to help us Remember who we are, Whom we came from and where we are going.

Obedience is Discipline

Obeying the Creator

By observing Torah, which is obeying the laws God gave all mankind, we demonstrate our love for Him. Most Christians are following Torah without knowing it! They keep about 1/3 of the commands simply by living moral, upright lives. We have the testimony of Messiah AND the choice to follow God's commands. If we've got Messiah and follow him and we allow the Holy Spirit to work inside us, YHWH will reveal Truth every step of the way.

If you continue to study Scripture then Knowledge and Understanding will increase, baggage falls away, the narrow gate opens and the straight path is revealed. Halleluyah! and praise Elohim for His steadfast love that all would have the chance and choose to turn from sin and return to Him - the One who created us! 

This is the path we journey along towards our real home. We come across many stepping stones as well as stumbling blocks, but our Faith keeps us steady. Satan's goal is to knock us off that path of righteousness. Our goal is the Heavenly Kingdom YHWH told us about through His servants, the prophets of old.  Messiah confirmed all that God had commanded as it is written in the renewed covenant.  The message has been preserved and handed down through the ages. We are the lost sheep of Israel and those other sheep that have heard our Shepherd's Voice. That doesn't mean we stop learning and become content where we are, but we let the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter Y'shua gave us after he died, continue to guide us, teach us and reveal the Word of God to us. That is why he calls it A Path - we move along his path so as not to stagnate in a perceived comfort zone.

Torah reveals right from wrong. It is a set of instructions necessary for the behavior of mankind, not a tool to use to find favor with God (that's what hypocrites are guilty of). It is just as much a part of our lives today as it was in the days of Moses, and Abraham and Noah.

There is evil in the world today just as there was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah and surrounding towns. The world we live in today is much as it was in the days of Noah. And it's going to get worse. Our heavenly Father's laws reveal sin and keep us from evil as we walk through that shadowy valley of Death. We recognize right from wrong because we have the definition of both good and evil described in the 1st five books of Scriptures.

Y'shua Messiah was killed and his blood of atonement 'justifies', or absolves us of the guilt of sin. This act 'sanctifies' or sets us apart unto Elohim. We trust and obey God and this will be credited to us as 'righteousness'. (Galatians 3:6)

Y'shua Messiah did not put an end to what our Creator began.

The Spirit is continually teaching us and God is testing to see what is in our hearts. That was the purpose of the 40 years in the wilderness after Moses led that mixed multitude out of Egypt - YHWH knew what was in their hearts yet tested them to see if they would obey Him like they said they would. Well, as you know, only 2 of the original generation made it to the promise land of Canaan - Joshua and Caleb.

Keeping Torah in today's World

Torah is not a religion but God's perfect governing system for all mankind. Of the 613 commandments, 221 apply only to the temple, priesthood and their duties, sacrifices and ritual purity. Since the the physical temple and all associated with it does not exist today these laws do not apply and no law is 'broken' if some thing doesn't exist.  That leaves 392 'laws', which are divided among the rest of us, according to our station in life.

For example: Over 50 laws apply to you if you are a farmer or running a business. Over 60 laws apply to  judges or those  involved in the judicial system. There are 45 laws that apply to us in regard to social behaviors, community and family affairs, and some of those are for just men, and some just for women.  
 

The laws of God YHWH are not a burden and they are able to be kept.  He would not give us anything that we could not bear.  His rules and regulations bring order to the affairs of man and teach us how to handle our own daily affairs. You and I don't lie, cheat, steal or murder but there are many who do. Yahweh protects us, gives us a legal leg to stand on, if these wrongdoings befall us.  He takes into consideration laws regarding 'Involuntary Manslaughter' as well as 'Premeditated Murder'.

Torah is not complicated and is provided for everyone. It represents the character of YHWH our Elohim and His values according to His will - it elevates human life by establishing justice and equality for everyone.

John 14:15 - Y'shua said if you love me keep my commands. 14:21- He who has and keeps my commandments is he who loves me and will be loved by my Father. 15:10 - If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept the commandments of my Father (Torah) and I abide in His love.

Revelation 22:14 - Blessed are those who do His commandments for they shall be given the right to the Tree of Life and will be allowed to enter into the city (New Jerusalem).

The Law is the Word of YHWH our Elohim, and His commandments are found in the first five books of Scripture. His Son confirms this by obeying the will of his Father. Throughout Scripture we are told to show we love Him by keeping His commandments then He will be our Elohim and we will be His people. God would not tell us to do something if we weren't able to do so.

Definitions from Webster's

Justification = the condition necessary for salvation; of being absolved of the guilt of sin.
Sanctification = set apart, consecrated, made free from (bondage to) sin, purified, dedicated.
Righteousness = acting in a just, upright manner, doing what is morally right.

Torah is the Hebrew word for Instruction; instructions for discerning what is morally right, and teaches us how to live in a just manner, advising us on how to be justified and become sanctified - it is the instructions which point us to the Promised Land.  God Himself chose His people to be Set Apart as He is Set Apart... this happens by obeying Him, everything He commands.

New Covenant, Old Covenant, is Torah a covenant?

Right off the get-go we are being gently led astray by a bad translation, the word 'New'. The original Hebrew word 'chadash' means to re-new or to make new or repair. It was never a New covenant but a Renewed covenant. Theologians have long used this term to steer the 'church' away from the rules and commands by God written in Genesis through Deuteronomy, aka Torah.

In the research of Andrew Gabriel Roth, he found that " post-apostlic church founder, Marcion (110-160 AD), who was considered a heretic by the early church, coined the terms 'Old Testament' and 'New Testament' suggesting that the old was done away with, replaced with the new.  His false anti-torah theology is still believed by most Christians today."

A covenant is a contract, a promise, a firm agreement, a pact, made in faith by which the parties involved are trusted to uphold their end of said contract. In every contract there is an exchange of value. In the Renewed contract/covenant Y'shua Messiah offers redemption for our lives but we must reciprocate (hold up our end of the contract) by being obedient.

Torah contains the Terms and Conditions of Yahweh's covenant between Himself and mankind. Torah demands the element of Faith to bring mutual benefits between the parties involved.
  
John 15:10 - IF you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept the commandments of my Father Elohim and I abide in His love.

In reality, the new covenant (NT) is a renewal of the older covenant God had formerly made between Himself and His people. Y'shua Messiah and his apostles obeyed the Father, they were Torah observant. It is not a burden and it is not impossible to live by God's Commands.

Hebrews

Hebrews 4:11 (with a little paraphrasing)

Let us strive to enter 'that rest' else we fall short 

like those who did not believe.
The Word of Elohim is living and all-efficient 

and sharper than a two edged sword 

and enters even to the deep penetration of the soul 

and the spirit and of the joints and marrow and bones, 

And judges the thoughts and reasonings of the heart: 

neither is there any creature which is hidden from Him, 

but everything is naked and laid bare before His Eyes, 

 to whom we are to give account...
Let us approach the throne of His grace with confidence, 

that we may obtain mercy 

and may find grace for assistance 

in the time of affliction

To Give or not to Give

This question is in regards to the collection of tithes in this day and age:  since the Levitical priesthood nor the Temple exist today, are 'churches' in the right to pass the plate or ask for donations?

No, (today's) assemblies do not have the 'right' to collect tithes. (collect, demand, pass the plate, put up a donation jar, make one feel obligated, etc...).

Matthew 10:8  Freely you have received, freely give. Do Not Accumulate gold, nor silver nor brass (money) in your purses, nor a wallet for the road.... A worker (disciple of YHWH) is worthy of his food.
Numbers 18:21: And to the Levites I hereby give all the tithes (mostly from the field, the herd, and the flock) in Israel as the share in return for the services that they (the priests from the tribe of Levi) perform, the services of the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle)... :24 for it is the tithes set aside by the Israelites As A Gift to Elohim that I give to the Levites (for they have no territorial share among the Israelites) :26 Speak to the Levites and say to them, When you receive from the Israelites their tithes, which I have assigned to you as your share, you shall set aside from them one-tenth of the tithe as a Gift to YHWH... (the best of the best of the best always goes to the Creator)  :29 You (the priests) shall set aside (one-tenth of) all Gifts due to Elohim from everything that is Donated to you, from each thing the Best portion...  :31 You and your households may eat it anywhere for it is your recompense for your Services in the Tent of Meeting

YHWH's own definition of 'tithes' is that tithes are Donations of Gifts that are given to the priesthood In Return for the services they provide (of which they and their households may eat). He is taking care of their needs through the assembly they minister to.

In today's world if you find a teacher of The Word, whether in a home study group, a small assembly or good sized congregation, who has helped you along the Path of Righteousness by increasing your understanding of Scriptures, and IF you are so moved in your heart, I see no reason why you should not help him with his needs (feed, clothe, give drink) and not his wants (car, new church, house, vacation...) in return for his service of doing God's Work, teaching and preaching and ministering to His People.

Our Creator says Tithes are Donations of Gifts to Him, handled by ministers of His Work... We choose to give, with the best intentions of our hearts, the best of the best of what we have, whether you want to call it a tithe, gift, donation or offering. If He is not please with what He sees, our 'giving' is of no pleasure to Him.

I also like to take into consideration how Y'shua Messiah instructed his 12 apostles: 
Mark 6:7 - And he called his twelve and began to send them two by two... And he commanded them that they are not to take anything for the road except a staff - no bag, no bread and no money in their purses. Rather that they wear sandals and not wear two tunics. (travel light and take only a Walking Stick-- no baggage, no food, and no money makes them reliant upon YHWH and the households who receive them). 

In Luke 10:1 Y'shua also appointed 70 from his other disciples and sent them out in pairs as 'sheep among wolves', to prepare the way for Messiah to come.

When YHWH gave instructions for the Levitical priesthood to be established, they were taken care of by the people they ministered to, with food, drink and other necessities, so they were able to tend to temple duties and take care of their families. They were sustained by the tribes (community) as commanded by Elohim God. No plate was passed, no can was set up for 'love' donations, nor was there a Paypal button asking for donations. In today's world, how many teachers of the Word do you see freely giving and humbly receiving? how many travel without convenient accommodations? how big are their purses/bank accounts? how big are their mega-churches? How far are they from the Truth of His Word?

'Tithes' were originally described by Master Yahweh in Leviticus 27:30 as  being from the land, whether seed from the ground or fruit from the tree... 27:32 of the herd or flock.  It was seldom money that was tithed, unless you lived far off and you were bless with so much cattle and produce that transporting them was unreasonable, then you could sell them and take the money with you to the place YHWH chose to establish His Name (Deuteronomy 14:24) and purchase livestock or food or drink when you got there. But at no time neglect the Levite in your community for he has no hereditary portion as you have. Every 3rd year the full tithe of the yield for that year was left in the settlement. Then the Levite, AND the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your settlements shall come and eat their fill, so that YHWH your Elohim may bless you in all the enterprises you undertake. (Tithes, since they are of the field or herd or flock, aka Food, also provide for the poor, widows, orphans and sojourners among us.) Also, in Malachi 3:10 YHWH Himself refers to our tithes as food brought into the storehouse of His House...

Quote from Exposing the Tithe Lie: 
 1) What is the tithe? The tithe is 10% of the increase, established in Leviticus 27:30-33 as an offering Holy to the Lord. The scripture identifies the tithe as grain and fruit, herd and flock. The tithe is food! An example of the tithe can be seen in a shepherd with a flock of 100 sheep who is blessed with the birth of 50 lambs in the spring. Five of the lambs must be offered to the Lord as a tithe. The tithe was brought to the temple in Jerusalem in acknowledgement and appreciation of God’s provision for His people.

2) What was the tithe for? God doesn’t need the food – God doesn’t eat. God doesn’t desire sacrifices or offerings ( Psalm 40:6 and Hosea 6:6 ) – He desires mercy. God doesn’t need us to give Him a 10th of everything – when He already owns everything ( Psalm 24:1 and Job 41:11b ). The tithe was used to feed the Levite priests (and their families) who were required to work in the temple day and night ministering to God on behalf of God’s people ( 1 Chronicles 9:33 ). Without the tithe, the Levite priests would have needed to raise their own food, thereby taking them away from ministering before God. Hence the reference in Malachi 3:10 "…that there may be food in my house". Nehemiah 13:10-13 records a time when the Levite priests were not receiving the tithe wherein they abandoned their daily temple responsibilities to work the farms to feed their families. The reference to ‘robbing God’ in Malachi 3:8 is in fact robbing God of ministry and worship by failing to take care of God’s priests through the tithe of food items. Unlike the other tribes of Israel who were given land as their inheritance, the Levites were not given any land – only a few cities in which to live. God was their inheritance ( Numbers 18:20-21 ). Thus, the remaining tribes were obligated to provide the Levites with food since they had no land on which to grow their own.

3) What is the storehouse? 2 Chronicles 31 teaches that the storehouse is the Temple in Jerusalem. When the tithe was re-instituted under King Hezekiah, the king gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple to hold the tithe. Apparently the grain "tithe" was heaped up in the streets, which caused a traffic jam of sorts. King Hezekiah had the storehouse built to relieve a bad case of urban congestion in ancient Jerusalem.  End Quote

Let us get back to the origins of Faith and the Plan our Creator set forth for us.