Obeying His Instructions - Or Not

The Rock

Exodus 17 ~ From the wilderness of Sin they traveled and camped at Rephidim. There was no water to drink. The people argued with Moses about this and he pointed out they were trying Yah's patience.  They wouldn't cease and thought Moses led them out of Egypt to die there. Moses cries out to Yah and Yah says: Go before the people and take some elders with you and the rod you used to strike the Nile. I will be standing on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock and water will issue from it and the people will drink. (This place was named Massah [trial] and Meribah [quarrel] because the people argued, testing Yahweh asking Is He among us or not?)

About 38 years later....
Numbers 20 ~ The people camped at Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.  The community was without water and this generation argued with Moses about the situation. Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. The Presence of Yahweh appeared to them and said: You and your brother Aaron will take the rod and assemble the community and before their very eyes order the rock to yield its water.  Moses seems to be fed up with the whole crowd, their behavior and lack of faith. After they were assembled he said: "Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?" And then he struck the rock two times with the rod. Out came copious amounts of water but he disobeyed Yah's instruction. Yahweh tells Moses and Aaron: Because you did not trust Me and affirm My sanctity in the sight of the community (by obeying His Instruction) you shall not lead this people into the promised land.

After leaving Kadesh they arrive at Mount Hor, the place where Aaron died and the office of high priest was passed onto Aaron's son, Eleazar.

Deuteronomy 32, the poem of Moses, the last of his words to that stiff-necked people ~ (note: I have lightly paraphrased to keep on the topic of the Rock, so please read it from your own copy when you have time ~ Dusty)

Listen O heavens, let me speak; let the earth hear the words I utter! May my discourse come down as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like showers on young growth, like droplets on the grass. (He wants what he has to say to be received eagerly)

I proclaim the Name Yahweh; give glory to our Elohim! The Rock! His deeds are perfect, all His ways are just; He is faithful and never false, true and upright is He. A crooked and perverse generation has played Him false.  Do you requite Him, you dull and witless people?  Is He not the Father who created you, fashioned you and made you endure? Remember the days of old, consider the years gone by. Ask your parents, your elders, they will tell you that when the Most High gave peoples their homes and set the divisions of man, He fixed the boundaries of peoples in relation to Israel's numbers because Yah's portion is His people, Jacob His own allotment.

Yet, over the years you grew fat and gross and coarse and forsook Yahweh who made you and you spurned the Rock of His support. You neglected the Rock that begot you, forgot the Elohim who brought you forth.

Moses continues with a prophecy about Yah's wrath which will pour out in the end because of all the treachery displayed by that disloyal, pagan-god worshiping breed. These people are void of sense  and lacking discernment. Their rock is not like our Rock, in our enemies own estimation.  It will be like Sodom and Gomorrah for those people and their disaster will come which will vindicate Yah's people. There will be no doubt that Yahweh is Elohim and there is no god beside Him. He deals death and gives life; He wounds and heals; none can deliver from His hand.

Moses went up from the steppes of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, opposite Jericho, and Yah showed him the whole land. Yah tells him this is the land which He swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and will be assigned to their offspring.  Yah let Moses see it with his own eyes but did not let him cross there.  Moses died there in the land of Moab and was buried in the valley near Beth-peor.

We must stand as one and in faith establish we are His people. He will avenge the blood of His servants, wreak vengeance on His foes, and cleanse the promised land before us.

Click Here to go to my study Who Is Israel

Psalm 18 ~ David says these words after Yah had saved him from all his enemies and the clutches of Saul. He said: I adore you, O Yahweh, my strength, my crag, my fortress, my rescuer, my rock in whom I seek refuge, my shield, my haven. Yah Lives! Blessed is my Rock! Exalted be Elohim, my deliverer, who has vindicated me, rescued me from my enemies, who raised me clear of my adversaries, saved me from lawless men. As Yah lives, blessed is my Rock!

Psalm 61 ~ Hear my cry O Yahweh Elohim, heed my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You;  when my heart is faint, You lead me to a rock that is high above me.

Psalm 62 ~ Truly my soul waits quietly for Yahweh; my deliverance comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and deliverance, my haven, I shall never be shaken.

Isaiah 17 ~ Truly, you have forgotten the Elohim who saves you and have not remembered the Rock who shelters you; that is why even though you plant a delightful sapling, what you sow proves a disappointing slip.
Isaiah 51 ~ Listen to Me, you who pursue justice, you who seek Me; look to the Rock you were hewn from, to the quarry you were dug from.  Look back to Abraham for he was only one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many.

In First Corinthians 10:4 ~ And they all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that attended them, and that rock was Yahshua.

John 4:14 ~ Everyone who drinks from the waters that I give to him will not thirst forever. Those waters that I give will become in them a spring of water that will spring up in life that is eternal.


Rephidim:


Kadesh:

Mount Hor:


Mount Nebo and Pisgah:


Beth-peor:

Seen by the Mind

Romans 1:20 ~ From the foundations of the world, the hidden things of Yahweh are seen by the mind in the things He created, even His eternal power and divinity, so the they might be without excuse.... 

"Seen by the mind"

We acknowledge that Yahweh is our Creator while we 'see' (understand) His power and divinity reflected even in the things we don't see while marveling at what we do see. It is by our faith, committing ourselves to The Creator, that we choose to follow His teachings. This would be akin to what Y'shua said about  hearing and recognizing the Good Shepherd's voice - he knows who are his and we know who he is. We are One because of Yah's Set Apart Spirit.

His Son gave us this same Spirit His Father gave him, calling it The Comforter and the Spirit of Truth.  I've said it before that I don't need 'science' to prove 'God' to me and if our mind is capable of seeing the 'hidden things' of Yahweh (via His Spirit) would that help define what is meant when we read His Kingdom is Near? 

"Without excuse" 

Romans 1:16 ~ I am not ashamed of the Good News for it is the power of Yahweh to life; as it is written, the righteous by faith will live.

Folks who have a knowledge about Yahweh but do not glorify or even give thanks to Him become vain in their imaginings and their unwise heart is darkened. While they thought they were pretty smart, they became fools.  They change the glory of the incorruptible El Shaddai into the likeness of corruptible man and into other icons like birds, animals and reptiles. These people change the truth of Yahweh into a lie and worship and serve the created things (Humanism) much more than the Creator of them, to whom belongs glory and blessing, forever and ever.

From the very beginning Yahweh has told us everything we need to know in order for us to have life eternal.  Through our studies and searching Scriptures His truth is revealed via His Spirit dwelling within us. Yah has not hidden anything from us but man sure has piled on tons of deceptions, lies and distractions upon the Word of Yahweh our Creator for thousands of years.  Once we begin uncovering these truths we have no excuse to continue as carnal Gentiles, do we?

😲

"I swear to God!"

It's in the movies, it is written in stories and maybe you've heard it said in real life or even said it yourself:

".... I swear to God ...." 

It seems to be something said by folks who think it gives absolute proof that they are telling the truth. In several cases that I have witnessed the truth is not always being told.  Some who use the phrase and are in fact telling the truth seem to lack conviction and expect God to stand up for them.

Regardless....

In Jeremiah 4 we read that Yahweh told His people:

If you return to Me.... If you remove your abominations from My presence and do not waver, and swear "As Yah lives" in sincerity, justice and righteousness (you shall be a blessing to others).  

He tells us we should not plant seeds among thorns and to open our hearts to Him.

He has also told us not to take His Name in vain and, just maybe, carelessly saying, 'I swear to God' is part of that bringing Him to nothingness. We are to let our 'yes' be yes and our 'no' be no. If we swear an oath to another let it be in His Name, Yahweh the living Elohim, and mean it sincerely, in all justice and righteousness.

Exodus 20:7 ... do not bring the Name of יהוה your Elohim to naught, for יהוה does not leave the one unpunished who brings His Name to naught.

Just another thought to ponder as we travel His Path of Righteousness.

Did Jesus Spend Time in Hell?

If you have ever heard anything like this, it originated from The Apostles' Creed, which was not written by the Apostles.... it was written about 140 years after the death of Y'shua. It seems that the early church fathers wanted to put their 'faith' in words.

And here is that creed for your further research and study:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

Please note that the use of the word 'catholic' in this creed means 'universal' as in the church being fellowship in the body of 'christ'; and not specifically the Roman Catholic Church at that time.  Today it is easy to see the RCC as the universal church, or at least they think they are.

Chapter and Verse used to support this claim:

Ephesians 4:8 - Therefore it is said: He ascended on high and carried captivity away, and gave gifts to men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also previously descended deep into the heart of the earth?  He who descended is also the same that ascended up high above all the heavens, that he might fulfill all things. (He who died was resurrected)

Now we know that when we die we don't go to heaven or hell; we sleep until the return of Messiah. It makes no sense that Y'shua would make a visit to hell - there is no one there to preach to.  The fallen angels have been locked away in chains until judgment day.

First Peter 3:18 - For the Anointed One also once died for our sins .... that he might bring you to Yahweh. And he died in body but lived in spirit. And he preached to those souls which were detained in Sheol (the grave? Hades?) which were formerly disobedient in the days of Noah when the long suffering of Elohim commanded an ark to be made, in hope of their repentance; and eight souls only entered into it and were kept alive in the waters.
Second Peter 2:5 - And if Elohim did not spare the former world but preserved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness...

Take this into consideration: 

The Spirit of Yahweh is the same spirit of His Son which was the same Spirit in Noah who preached to those souls who were disobedient up until the Flood came.

What, then, does 1 Peter 3:18 teach?

The passage affirms that The Spirit during the days of Noah, proclaimed Yah’s truth to the evil, pre-flood generation. How did He do that? He was operating through Noah, a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5).

In this same letter Peter stated that the “Spirit” was in the Old Testament prophets as they declared Heaven’s message (1:11). This is a key verse in explaining First Peter 3:18. When Y'shua, through Noah, preached to those evil people, they were alive and on the earth. But at the time Peter wrote his letter, they had long been dead.

Acts 2:31 ~ And he (David) foresaw and spoke concerning the resurrection of Y'shua and that he was not left in 'the grave/tomb' nor did his body see corruption.

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.

Misunderstood Even in His Day ~ Paul

What a perfect choice for one to teach the Gentiles about the Kingdom to Come. What a perfect example of sin, forgiveness, repentance and faith for us all.  Paul's life and times reflect in our lives to one degree or another. He was 'blinded' and had to rely on faith to find his way back. Paul was directly convicted by Y'shua on that road to Damascus. Afterwards, he delayed in approaching the established Apostles for three years and even then they were afraid and suspicious of him - they all remembered who he was and what he was capable of. If we don't see our own sinful past in his story then we've misunderstood Paul just as he was misunderstood in his own time. I believe this is why so many 'believers' cast a scornful eye upon the writings of Paul.... he hits too close to home.

Acts Chapter 8 

Paul was a participant in the murder of Stephen as well as part of the great persecution going on towards the congregation of the followers of Y'shua in Jerusalem.  He was part of those who persecuted the congregation of Yahweh. He entered homes and dragged out the men and women and took them to prison.  Chapter 9 - Paul was full of intimidation and the fury of murder towards the disciples of our Master Y'shua.  Paul asked for letters from the chief priests to take to the assemblies in Damascus giving him permission to arrest any followers he may find there and bring them to Jerusalem. On the road to Damascus a light from heaven suddenly shone upon him, and he was thrown to the ground. He heard a voice saying to him, "Shaul! Shaul! Why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick the stakes."  

Paul asks, Who are you my Master? I am Y'shua the Nasraya, he whom you persecute! But rise up and enter into the city, and there you will be told what you should do. 

The men who were travelling with Paul were amazed because they heard only a sound but no man was visible to them. Paul got up from the ground and was no longer able to see, even though his eyes were open.  The men guided him as they continued to Damascus. Paul was unable to see for three days and neither did he eat or drink during this time.  (a very humbling experience)
In Damascus was a disciple named Khanan-Yah whom had a vision wherein Yahweh told him to go to Straight Street and ask at the house of Judah for Paul from Tarsus. While this Paul was praying he had a vision of you coming to him, placing your hand upon him so that his eyes would be opened."  Khanan-Yah is afraid of Paul because they all know about him and how much evil he had inflicted on Yah's Set Apart believers in Jerusalem.  Yahweh tells him to get up and go because Paul is a vessel chosen by Him to carry His Name among the Gentiles and kings and among the sons of Israel. "For I will reveal to him how much he will suffer because of My Name."  Khanan-Yah went.
He went to the house and placed a hand upon him saying, Paul, my brother, our Master Y'shua has sent me. He who appeared to you on the road while you were coming here, that your eyes might be opened and that you might be filled with the Set Apart Spirit of Yahweh.  At once something like scales fell from Paul's eyes and his eyes were opened. Paul got up and went to be immersed. He ate and was strengthened and gathered with the disciples that were there in Damascus.  Immediately he began preaching about Y'shua that he was the Son of Elohim.  Everyone who heard him were amazed because they knew he was the one persecuting those in Jerusalem and knew he had come to Damascus for the same reason.  After many days the Jews there wanted to kill him. The plot was shown to Paul that they were keeping watch of the gates of the city day and night to kill him.  The disciples ended up placing him in a basket and lowered him down from the wall during the night.  Paul went to Jerusalem desiring to join the disciples there but all of them were afraid of him.  They did not believe that he had become one of them.  Bar-Naba ended up taking him to the Schlichim and explained to them what had happened. They let him in with them and they went out into Jerusalem. Paul was boldly speaking in the name of Y'shua and disputing with those Jews who spoke Greek and they desired to kill him.  When the brothers  knew this they brought Paul  to Caesarea by night and sent him to Tarsus... nevertheless, the assembly that was in all Judah and Galilee and Shamrin now had peace in them.  The assembly grew, built up and instructed in the fear of Yahweh and in the comfort of the Ruach haKodesh.

(Moses was also placed in a basket and saved from death)

Paul describes himself in Philippeans 3:5- "Circumcised when eight days old; of the stock of Israel; of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew, descendant of Hebrews; in regards 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). Paul's attitude about himself and all he had mastered dramatically changed after he saw the superior knowledge of Y'shua and learned that his own righteousness came from Faith in the Messiah and the righteousness which is from Yahweh, 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. They were Jews by location, not by birth or religious affiliation, although Paul was under the influence of religion before Y'shua called him out. What a wonderful example for all of us!

Once he was called out of Judaism and Roman law Paul did not hesitate nor make the excuse that 'we're all on different parts of the path' .

This statement always tugs on my very soul whenever I read it. It was said by the Apostle Paul and I offer it as a prayer for all who are ready to come into covenant with our Creator today. I pray for all fellow Set Apart believers that we may become one people with one understanding, and of one faith under one Elohim. By this we will come to know the unsearchable riches of Y'shua the Anointed One. It is through us that the manifold wisdom of our Creator becomes known. Lets take that seriously and act accordingly.

Ephesians 3 ~ To me, Paul, who am the least of all the Set Apart believers, has this grace been given that I should announce among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of the Mashiyach, and should show to all men what is the architecture of the mystery which for ages was hid in Elohim the Creator of all things, so that by means of the assembly (of Set Apart believers) the manifold wisdom of Elohim might become known - which He arranged ages before and worked it through Y'shua our Master. 
Therefore I pray - and I bow my knees to the Father of our Master Y'shua from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit; that in your inner man the Anointed One may dwell by faith, and in your hearts by love while your root and foundation increases greatly in strength; and that you may be able to explore, with all the Set Apart believers, what is the height and depth and length and breadth, and may know the greatness of Y'shua's love and that you may be filled with all the fullness of Yahweh.

Apostle Peter pointed out that Paul's letters were not easy to understand, but were “twisted” by those who were untaught (2 Peter 3:15,16). Peter warned us to watch, lest we be led away to destruction by the delusion of the lawless. He didn’t include Paul as a lawless one, but stated that his letters were being twisted, as were “the other Writings”. For those who have interpreted that Paul wrote of an “end to the law”, Peter’s warning was written directly to those who live without the Torah.

We were once carnal unbelievers raised up in false religions enjoying the imaginations of other men. 

Lost Tribes of Israel - Another Piece of the Delusion

Many people entertain the idea that ten tribes of Israel migrated to the Americas and like to believe that the Indian tribes are descendants of these Israelites. We've heard of artifacts inscribed with Hebrew letters found in different places and maybe some are from days gone by but lets not forget Joseph Smith (a Freemason) and his man-made religion, Mormonism, believed that they were descendants of Lehi an Israelite and were to build the New Jerusalem here on earth. Today in Salt Lake City many members of the Latter Day Saints call themselves 'Jews'. Is it not possible that some of these artifacts were made by early Mormons? 

Everybody wants to be chosen 

but no one really wants to discover the truth.

Joseph Smith claims that when was 14 he experienced a vision in which God the Father instructed him that all churches were wrong. Three years later, an angel named Moroni visited Smith several times. This would lead to Smith recovering engraved golden plates in the woods near his home, written in a language he called “Reformed Egyptian”. He allegedly translated these golden plates into English which is now known as the Book of Mormon. This wasn’t printed until 1830. Smith claims that in 1829, John the Baptist gave to him the Aaronic Priesthood, establishing Joseph Smith as the leader of the new movement.

I have read that Mormons have been looking for archaeological evidence to support their Book of Mormon for years. Occasionally they will promote some type of archaeological artifact that is similar to something built or written by Hebrew people to try to validate their claim that the Book of Mormon people were indeed from the land of Israel.

Several archaeological digs made in the area surrounding the Hill Cumorah in upstate New York (Joseph Smith's home area) have yet to yielded even one artifact to back up the Book of Mormon claims concerning the numerous people and wars that allegedly transpired in that area. One can try to refute every “so called” evidence that Mormons present to try to substantiate the Book of Mormon, but both internal and external evidence shows that the book is an 18th century invention. Some of the Archaeological Evidence that goes against the Book of Mormon claims include: 

DNA EVIDENCE: The Book of Mormon claims that Jewish ancestry formed the majority of pre-Columbian inhabitants of America. Yet, 99.4% of the DNA research done on thousands of Native American Indians from over 150 tribes shows a direct link to Asia and 0.6% points to Europe or Africa, not Israel. Thus, there is NO evidence whatsoever to suggest a Jewish or Middle-Eastern migration to America. To excuse away the DNA evidence against this Book of Mormon claim, Mormon apologists have resorted to the idea that the Jewish Book of Mormon immigrants to America (the Nephites and the Lamanites) comprised only a relative small group of ancient inhabitants of America. Rather than finding supportive evidence for these Book of Mormon historical claims and artifacts, Mormon scholars have been forced to retreat from traditional interpretations of the words and phrases in the Book of Mormon and have developed unconventional explanations to reconcile these conflicted Book of Mormon texts with ancient Native American artifacts. 

Passages from the Book of Mormon assert that no other people existed in America prior to Mormon migrations. These passages claim that these Book of Mormon Jewish pilgrims grew “exceedingly numerous” to “cover the face” of the “whole” land.

I didn't mean to go off on a Mormon tangent, although I did need to present my grounds for supposing some "ancient" artifacts found in the US that have Hebrew writings on them most likely were crafted by Mormons and not 'first peoples'.  Also we know that Spain expelled Jews from their country in 1492, some of which signed on with Colombus.

Quote: “After the Spanish monarchs had expell­ed all the Jews from all their kingdoms and lands,” Columbus recorded,” they commissioned me to undertake the voyage to India with a equipped fleet.” The scheduled date of sailing, August 2, was also the deadline for Jewish departure. Scores of vessels, with thousands of Jews packed into their holds, congested Palos de la Frontera, the maritime inlet of the Gulf of Cadiz. Here, too, Columbus gathered his fleet of three little caravels. (1492)

Quote: When Hernan Cortés first conquered Mexico for Spain in 1521, he did so with a number of secret Jews amongst his men. Judaism was banned at the time in Spain, and soon many secret Spanish Jews departed for “Nueve Espana” in the New World to try and live a more Jewish life. In fact, Spain’s first Viceroy in Mexico, Antonio de Mendoza, possessed a Jewish surname, and historians suggest he was possibly one of the secret Jews who moved to the new territory.
Quote: Ashkenazi Jews fleeing pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe came in the 1880s, establishing Mexico’s first synagogue in Mexico City, in 1885. Sephardi Jews soon followed, fleeing persecution in the crumbling Ottoman Empire.

It appears to be only those who claim to be Jewish or practice the religion of Judaism who have been settling in South and Central America - no mention of the 11 other tribes. If these Jews secretly practiced their religion until they could openly be themselves again, wouldn't it make sense that the 'lost tribes' would have held onto their faith as well, keeping their identity?

At what point in time did these ten tribes of Israel (aka the Northern Kingdom) become lost? We read in Scriptures they shall be scattered and they were scattered, and not really lost but perhaps assimilated into the surroundings to which they were scattered. Who came up with the idea, that they were lost? It is a heavy theme among many who 'stand with Israel' these days. Supposed discoveries of artifacts and Hebrew writing seen in caves and found on boulders in America only feed the story. 

In 2 Kings 17 we read about Hoshea becoming king over Israel in Samaria. He held that position for nine years. He became a vassal to the king of Assyria who eventually marched against the whole land, captured Samaria and deported the Israelites from Samaria to Assyria, settling them in Halah, at the River Habor, at the River Gozan and in the towns of Media. This happened because the Israelites sinned against Yahweh. Nor did Judah keep the commandments of Yahweh and they followed the customs that Israel practiced. Yahweh let them fall into the hands of plunderers and finally cast them from His presence. (When you have time, continuing reading on from verse 21) 

King Shalmaneser invaded what was left of Israel. He sacked and destroyed the city of Shechem and the old Israelite capital of Tirzah. He also hit Hazor, tearing down the walls of the city before he besieged the capital of Israel, Samaria, for three years. Shalmaneser is recorded to have taken Samaria “On the 27th of Tebet Shalmaneser ascended the throne in Assyria and Babylonia. He shattered Samaria .” 

Quote: The mystery of the lost ten tribes of Israel endures in legend today, but evidence does show that those who had a military occupation and served the Assyrian army as auxiliary units seemed to have retained their identity. It appears that the so-called “Lost Ten Tribes of Israel” were never lost. Instead, they served, and over a generation or two, integrated within the local Assyrian populations, eventually losing their identity. 

From the Encyclopedia Britannica:

In 930 BC the 10 tribes formed the independent Kingdom of Israel in the north and the two other tribes, Judah and Benjamin, set up the Kingdom of Judah in the south. Following the conquest of the northern kingdom by the Assyrians in 721 BC, the 10 tribes were gradually assimilated by other peoples and thus disappeared from history. 

James 1 ~ James, a servant of Elohim, 

and of our Master Y'shua the Anointed One; 

to the twelve tribes dispersed among the peoples; greetings.

I conclude that there is no such thing as the lost tribes of Israel.  They did not board ships and sail to the future new world and become various Indian tribes.  I realize there is 'scientific research' galore speculating on the first people to migrate via a land bridge to Alaska and beyond; and there are even scientist who think the first people came by way of the Pacific coast.  None of that matters; what our Creator says is what we should be paying attention to. 

What we read in Scriptures :

John 10:11 (Y'shua says) ~ I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the flock. But a hireling who is not the shepherd nor are the sheep his, when he sees a wolf coming he leaves the sheep and flees. And the wolf comes and plunders and scatters the flock. 

John 10:14 ~ I am the Good Shepherd and I know those who are mine. And those who are mine know me. 

John 10:16 ~ And I also have other sheep, those who were not from this sheepfold. And also them, it is necessary for me to bring them and they will hear my voice and all the flocks will become one. And there will be One Shepherd. 

Galatians 3:28 ~ For there is neither Jew nor Aramean, nor slave or free, nor male nor female, but you are all one in Y'shua the Anointed One = and if we are one with Messiah then we are those spiritual seeds of Abraham and inheritors of the promise.

Colossians 3:8 suggests there will be no difference among us, who and where we come from, when that day comes if we are 'one' in Messiah. We are told to put away from us wrath, anger, malice, reviling, filthy talking and telling lies; to put off these old ways and be renewed in knowledge, after the likeness of our Creator in whom there is neither Jew nor Aramean, Greek nor barbarian, slave nor free, but the Messiah is all and in all.