'T' Time for Women

Saved

2016-07-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

Acts 2:38 tells us in order to be saved (from the curse of eternal death) that we are to repent (return to God, turn from our sinful ways) and be immersed (mikveh/baptised) so that we may receive the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit).

Being immersed is not about converting to a religion but is symbolic of ritual purity, cleansed from sin (stop being in rebellion against YHWH). First, repent. Second, be immersed. Now we are prepared to receive the Ruach haKodesh. It's a process.

Messiah told his apostles that after his death and resurrection he would send them The Spirit of Truth, the Comforter to dwell within them (being filled with the Ruach haKodesh, which the 12 apostles did receive during Shavuot/Pentecost). It is this Spirit of Elohim that eventually reveals the Truth of His Word to us as we continue to read and study Scripture.

2 Thessalonians 2:16

And may our Master Y'shua the Mashiyach himself, and Elohim our Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and a good hope through His grace, comfort your hearts and establish yourselves in every good word and in every good work.

1 John 5

Whoever believes that Y'shua is the Anointed One is born of Elohim. And whoever loves the Father also loves him who is begotten of Him. And by this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and follow His Commandments. For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep His Commandments: and His Commandments are not burdensome. Whoever is born of Elohim overcomes the world: and this is the victory that our Faith overcomes the world. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Y'shua is the Son of Elohim... Y'shua came by the water and blood... and the Spirit testifies because the Spirit is Truth. And there are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water and the blood - and these three are in union.

1 John 5:17

All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin which is not of death. And we know that everyone who is born of Elohim sins not; for he that is born of Elohim keeps himself and the evil one touches him not. We know that we are of Elohim and all the world is reposing on the evil one. And we know that the Son of Elohim has come and has given us knowledge that we might know the One True Living Elohim, that we might be in the True One, in his Son Y'shua the Mashiyach. He is the true Elohim, and the life eternal... keep yourselves from idolatry.

A quote from Andrew G. Roth in the Aramaic English New Testament:

The True One and the True Elohim refer to the full scope of YHWH's redemptive plan. Not just that YHWH can save, but through whom He chooses as His vehicle for salvation: Y'shua our Master. It is only with the full understanding of not just the prophecies in the Tanakh, but how they manifest and are revealed through Y'shua, that the full measure of YHWH's Love becomes manifest and can transform our souls. This is a central theme in John's letter, he teaches that without love, the truth is not within us. John is not only talking about brotherly love but more specifically about a wonderfully, deep, trusting and devoted love within our Master YHWH.

(end quote)

Repent - Be Immersed - Receive the Spirit of Truth

Keep His Commandments

Pass it on... Share the Good News of the Kingdom to Come!

Weights & Measures

2016-07-15T09:12:00.003-08:00

Here we have a list of measurements found in Scriptures and their modern day equivalents which will come in handy if the time comes when anyone really wants to know or visualize the actual size of the ark YHWH had Noah build, or how far a Sabbath's day journey is or just how much liquid makes up a hin.

Have some fun and exercise your brain!

Length

Hand's Breadth: Approximately 3 inches (4 fingers, closed/pressed together)

Cubit: 18 inches (elbow to tip of middle finger)

Long Cubit: Approximately 20 inches (also known as a Royal Cubit)

Span: 9 inches (fingers spread, from tip of thumb to pinky)

Distance

Fathom: 6 feet

Rod/Reed: 8 feet 9 inches

Furlong: 1/8 of a mile (660 feet)

Sabbath Day's Journey: 7 furlongs (7/8 of a mile)

Day's Journey: 20 miles (a group with women and children: 10 miles)

Liquid

Log: Shy of a half-pint

Hin: Approximately 1 gallon

Bath: About 6 gallons

Firkin: 2-3 Measures: About 9 gallons

Capacity

Ephah: About a bushel

Omer: Approximately 5 pints

Homer: Approximately 8 bushels (the amount a donkey can carry)

Weight

Shekel: Approximately 1/2 ounce

Talent: Approximately 90 pounds

:::`` <^> Weapons of Mass Distraction <^> ``:::

2016-07-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

Over the past year I have visited several groups on Facebook covering topics from being Torah Observant to the Fallen Angel Alien agenda, with many of them including 'end time' scenarios. In each group I have found there are many people who can discuss topics using Scriptures as a foundation and post comments back and forth about its implication on current events, and there are those who are actually open to learning what is written in Scriptures. I have also found that there is a great many more who base their beliefs on hearsay and speculation while picking and choosing bits of Scripture to justify their stance or simply choose to deny His Word altogether. Those folks become very defensive when gently challenged or shown evidence for the error of their way. Many people have just as many various ideas of 'what God means' to them. One of the differences among them is that those few who are aware of current events search Scriptures to see where we are in Yah's time line while others try to force His Words to fit their imagination.

One thing is for certain... if you don't trust that Yahweh Elohim created the universe, gave us an Instruction Manual (Scriptures) and then provided us an escape plan by following His Son's example of obeying those same Instructions... if you don't have Faith in the Good News of His Kingdom to come and life eternal, it becomes very difficult to see the big picture of what is happening in the world today - and the imaginings of man have become very entertaining and enticing.

I share this study because of what I have learned to be true, from my observations, studies and research - I am not a scholar, nor a Hebrew linguist or a member of any religious organization - but I have been reading Scriptures for over 15 years and have read about, studied and compared common misconceptions as to what the Creator put forth and how man's imagination ran off with them, guided by the many deceptions devised by Satan. It's not a mystery, it just takes time and desire to know the Truth.

Some of the topics folks cannot agree upon, not only in these Facebook groups but for most, are:

"The Rapture" = the timing of the gathering of His Chosen People
Who the Chosen are
"The Law" = claiming the 'new testament' did away with the old
Fallen angels, Nephilim and their descendants
Knowing the signs of Messiah's return
"Going to Heaven" = the idea that we die and immediately go to heaven
"Christianity"

These are all worthy topics and can be understood if one has a heart to do so. Yah says to seek Him as if we are seeking treasure - He is our reward, His glory perfects us. By reading Genesis through Revelation and back again (and again) our knowledge is increased. His Instructions are clear, not a burden, but a Light shining in what seems to be the darkness of these days. He has told us the end from the beginning, He has told us everything we need to know, so that when these things happen we shall not perish. He wants us to read it for ourselves in order to give the Ruach haKodesh something to work with within us. When His Son, Y'shua, died and was resurrected he proceeded to anoint his 12 apostles with the Spirit of Elohim. He called this Spirit the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth. We all have it - just need to choose to read Scripture so it can respond in like.

Those of us who choose to follow the path Y'shua walked will come to learn that not everyone will understand, not everyone hears the Master's Voice. This became so evident to me as I entered into heavy discussions in these various groups. I was butting heads with some who were so embedded in their version of Scriptures it became obvious I had to just 'knock the dust off my sandals' and move on. Deceptions have been passed down, innocently enough in most cases, through the generations as folks cling to church rituals unaware they are steeped in pagan origins that have nothing to do with Yahweh or Y'shua. From there we become divided as evidenced in the hundreds of denominations and thousands of religious beliefs. There is only One Elohim, One Faith and we become One People - His People - when we figure this out.

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.

Here are links to a few of my studies that relate to some of the above mentioned topics of contention:

Yah's Chosen People

We don't Die and go to Heaven

Short Definition of the Law

Signs

As I mentioned earlier, everything we need to know is written in Scriptures. It is from there we can study out all things as we are firmly footed in His foundation of Truth. From this foundation we gain clarity and discernment. Many topics share the same 'core of truth' but become items of 'Mass Distraction' intended to take our focus off Yahweh, just as Satan tempted Eve, causing her to 'doubt' what the Creator said.

What in Nibiru is Going On?

2016-06-25T09:31:00.001-08:00

Back in my 'new age' days is when I first heard about the Anunnaki and Nibiru (among other things). I was also a believer in UFOs and ETs - I grew up loving science fiction which fueled my imagination - and blinded me to the truth. It was so easy to believe that life on other planets would be much more intelligent and advanced than here on earth. We've been brainwashed to believe we are inferior. We want superhuman everything for ourselves and, by setting God aside, we are free to believe anything is possible - and then pursue it in any manner that pleases us, which only leads us further from the truth.

To bring you up to speed (in case you've never heard of this) here is a wiki link with the origins of the topic of Nibiru (Planet X aka Marduk) as well as the 'pole shift' idea which some like to tie-in with cataclysmic end of the world scenarios. You can scroll down to the bottom of the wikipedia page to find the list of sources to research further for yourself:

NIBIRU

POLE SHIFT

Here's a couple of links for scientific info regarding the poles:

GEOMAGNETIC POLES

WANDERING POLE

This study is about relating current events to the end of days prophecies in order to discover whether or not Planet X or the Anunnaki fit in. This study deals primarily with the days prior to the return of Y'shua as recorded in Matthew 24 and Revelation and what occurs before his earthly kingdom is put in place. There are discernible events yet to happen which will clue in those of us who are watching and waiting. We are told if we are awake, alert and aware, we will be able to know the hour our Master is to return. YHWH has not left us in the dark! If we choose to follow the Light of the World - Messiah - Truth will be revealed. Please read Scriptures for more details, including Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11 and Joel 2:2. Also refer to my other study:

SIGNS

To the best of my knowledge there are two people who have brought the topic of a 12th planet to popularity. Zechariah Sitchin, a "a Russian-born American author of books proposing an explanation for human origins involving ancient astronauts" and "Nancy Lieder, a contactee, claims to be in telepathic communication with visitors from Zeta Reticuli. The Zetas reveal to Nancy information about life on other worlds; the ET origins of the human species; the origins of the pyramids and the Sphinx; the Zeta Reticuli people and their nature, the Nibiruans from the 12th Planet and its imminent return...".

Are these just a couple of twisted views, bad interpretations, mixing and mingling with Scriptures, distorting what YHWH says will happen? Don't forget that Satan is the father of lies and the author of deception. He causes man to doubt the Word of God, just as he caused Eve to doubt God's instructions He gave back in the Garden days. Satan has contrived counterfeits for almost everything, including demons masquerading as intelligent life from another world, in order to cause us to doubt .

Today I stand firmly on the foundation of Truth supplied by YHWH Elohim and am learning to view all things from His perspective. It is from there I continue my studies and in my research about ETs I have come to realize that there is no such thing as advanced civilizations on other planets but there are demons, evil spirits on this planet and in the spiritual realm. We are given a warning, many times, about being deceived. So if one does not believe in YHWH our Father in Heaven or know what has been written in Scriptures, then one would be free to entertain any other end of the world scenario. That makes sense. But if you study Scriptures you'll see the Big Picture and not fall for the strong delusion that has been brewing. I do not dismiss the fact that many things about outer space are unknown. I am of the mind that when YHWH put an end to the building of the Tower of Babel and scattered those people He sent a message to everyone - earth is home, not the space beyond the visible sky. Don't even think about trying to go there.

Make no mistake: there will be an end to this world as we know it which includes death and destruction. We read of several events, recorded in Scriptures, that take place prior to 'the end' of the world. Yah told us the end from the beginning so that His People could be prepared to enter His Kingdom and not perish. Do not become one of those who are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Lets move along.

If we are in the time line known as 'The Beginnings of Sorrows', as I believe we are, then Seals 1 through 4 have been opened - Seal 5 is in the process of being opened (as recorded in Revelation 6 and compared with Matthew 24 - see my study Signs ). The opening of Seal 6 sets off quite a bit of activity - so much so everyone on earth knows the day of wrath has come, there's no mistaking it for anything else. By the time we get to Seal 7 the stage has been set for the Seven Shofars (trumpets) to be sounded (Revelation 8). They signal the following events:

Hail and fire mingled with water fall upon the earth and burns up 1/3 of the earth along with 1/3 the trees and all green grass.
Something that looks like a big mountain burning with fire falls into the sea and causes 1/3 of the sea to turn to blood; a third of sea life is destroyed and 1/3 the ships are destroyed.
A star burning like a lamp falls from heaven and affects a third of the rivers and fountains of water. This star is called Wormwood because 1/3 of the waters became wormwood and many people die from drinking these bitter waters.
A third of the sun is smitten, and the moon and the stars so that both day and night are 1/3 darker. An eagle said in a loud voice, "Woe, woe to those who live on the earth because of the remaining trumpets to be sounded.
A he-star falls from heaven to earth and has the key of the pit of the abyss, which he opens and our pours smoke as if from a blast furnace. Here is where we get those pesky locust-scorpions-long haired war horses with lion's teeth and iron breastplates which torment those who do not have the Seal of Elohim upon their foreheads for five months. The king of these pests is the Messenger of the Abyss (the angel/he-star that fell from heaven) whose Hebrew name is Abaddon whom the Greek call Apollyon.
The four angels who were bound at the Euphrates are set loose to kill 1/3 of mankind using 3 plagues: Fire, smoke and sulfur. These four angels are overlords to the two million man army of warrior horsemen who go forth to destroy 1/3 mankind.

Note is made about a remnant of men not slain by these plagues but yet they refused to repent of their worship of demons and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood (false gods which cannot see or hear) nor do they repent of their murders, sorceries, sexual sins and thefts.

Seven Thunders speak but we will not know what they said until the 7th Messenger sounds his shofar. Then the mystery of Elohim will be consummated. John is told to eat the 'little book' because he will once again prophecy to many nations and peoples and princes and kings, which makes me think he may be one of the two end times witnesses. Revelation 11 tells us about that event. After the Two Witness event is when the 7th messenger sounds his trumpet, signaling the world has now become the Kingdom of Elohim and His Anointed One, Y'shua.

Revelation 11:18

And the nations were angry, and Your anger is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should give a reward to your servants- the prophets and the Set Apart believers and to them that fear Your Name, the small and the great, and that You should destroy them who destroyed the earth.

Notice he states it is "them" who destroyed the earth and there is no indication of a planetary event or reverse pole shift causing disaster. We've got a burning mountain that falls into the sea (perhaps a meteor), an interesting blend of hail, fire and water falling on the earth (possible result from on-going assorted weather manipulation including chemtrails and HAARP activity), a star "burning like a lamp" (perhaps a comet) that falls to earth and affects fresh water sources causing them to be poisonous, and then, the sun is 'smitten' causing it, the moon and stars to grow dim by 1/3 their usual light. Question here would be what smote the sun? Yet to happen is the attack of the locust from the pit and the fire-smoke-sulfur war against mankind - neither of which appear related to a 12th planet or a cataclysmic magnetic pole shift.

The 'disasters' that have happened affect only 1/3 the population of earth and 1/3 its natural resources. Things are not good but it is about to get worse. More political events take place on earth in regards to the final world government system, aka the Beasts: The final world leader and the charismatic false prophet who performs magic and even appears to bring fire down from heaven. He seduces people to make an image of that final world leader and causes the image to come to life. If anyone refuses to worship this image they will be killed.

Then, the 7th Shofar is sounded. The earth is ready for harvest. Set Apart believers are removed from the earth temporarily for if their time was not shortened they may not be able to witness, understand and survive the heart breaking destruction to come: the final 7 cups of Wrath. They are:

Malignant and painful sores upon those who had the mark of the beast and worshipped its image.
The remaining 2/3 of the sea and all sea life dies.
The remaining rivers and fresh water supplies become blood.
The sun scorches men with great heat but they do not repent
The existing world kingdom turns to darkness and those who belong to it suffer pain and ulcers
The Euphrates dries up so that kings from the east may cross. Demons that look like frogs leap from the mouths of the false prophet and the beast of prey and the mouth of the dragon. These spirits of demons go forth to all the kings of all the habitable world to gather them to the battle in a place called Armageddon.
It Is Done. There are flashes of lightning, and thunders, and voices and a great earthquake like nothing before. The great city becomes three parts, and the city of nations fell; Babylon the great was remembered. Every island fled away and the mountains disappeared. A great hail falls from heaven upon men and the men blaspheme Elohim.

Still no reference to a planet being responsible for cataclysmic destruction, but Y'shua haMashiyach does return, as written, as prophesied, as promised. Set Apart believers will be protected during this time as they have been gathered up into the clouds, changed from corruptible to incorruptible beings, prepared to be placed on their soil, the promised land as per Yah's covenant with Abraham. The wheat has been separated from the tares; the sheep from the goats. The meek inherit the earth and the wicked are destroyed.

Revelation 20:5

This is the first resurrection. Blessed and Set Apart is he that has part in this first resurrection; over them the second death has no dominion, but they will be and are priests of Elohim and of his Mashiyach; and they will reign with him the thousands years.

Is the Barley Ripe?

2016-05-29T09:48:00.001-08:00

The passover offering was at a specific time: 14th day of the first month, at twilight. Thus began the seven days of Unleavened Bread and together commemorate Yah's Set Apart People being freed from bondage in Egypt to Pharaoh. Some 40 years later, after the Israelites settled in the promised land of Canaan and were able to plant fields and harvest crops, we learn of Elohim's next appointed time.

Leviticus 23:10

When you enter the land which I am giving to you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before YHWH for acceptance in your behalf (on the day after the weekly sabbath). :14 Until that very day, until you have brought the offering, you shall eat no bread or parched grain or fresh ears, it is a law for all time throughout the ages in all your settlements. :15 ...from that day after the sabbath you shall count off seven weeks... until the day after the seventh week - fifty days (total) - then you shall bring an offering of new grain to YHWH - two loaves of bread (of the first fruits) as a wave offering, as first fruits to YHWH. :20 The priest shall offer these... they shall be set apart to YHWH, for the priest. :21 On that same day hold a celebration, a sacred occasion - do no work at your occupations. This is a law for all time in all your settlements, throughout the ages.

In Deuteronomy 16 He names this time the Feast of Weeks. The fiftieth day is a sacred occasion, a day of 'new grain' offering. As instructed in Leviticus, seven weeks are counted off from when the sickle is first put to standing grain. As I have learned, both wheat and barley are planted at the same time but barley ripens earlier than the wheat, so this Feast of Weeks begins the day of the barley harvest. The first fruits of this harvest (sheaf) are taken to the priest as an offering to YHWH. On the day after those seven weeks, the 50th day, is when a celebration is held commemorating the blessings of YHWH shown in the bounty of the wheat harvest. This is not a 'date specific' event but hinges on the harvesting of barley, the day the first sheaf is cut.

Note:
Three times a year all males went to the place where God chose to place His Name: Feast of Unleavened Bread for the passover offering - Feast of Weeks for the offering of first fruit of the harvest - Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) for the offering from the ingathering of the threshing floor and vats (grape harvest).

Deuteronomy 31 points out that every 7th year is set for remission and that every 7th year during the Feast of Booths is when all Israel (Hebrews and Set Apart believers) come together before YHWH (in His place of choosing). Torah is read aloud during this time in the presence of all the men, women, children and strangers that they may hear and so learn to revere YHWH our Elohim and to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching = Torah = YHWH's Instructions for His People.

These appointed times are to be observed that we may rejoice in the blessings from YHWH - He blesses our all our undertakings that we may have nothing but joy. We obey and receive the blessing - Life Eternal.

YHWH appeared to the people at Mount Sinai. When they had been at the mountain long enough, YHWH instructed the building of the Tabernacle and He traveled with them in the wilderness. Years later, Solomon built the House of Elohim in Jerusalem, the last known place for the priesthood, their duties, and where YHWH attached His Name. Jerusalem still exists but the temple and priesthood no longer exist. YHWH's set apart times did not cease to exist - He put them in place, as He said, for all time, throughout the generations and all ages - a command not to be ignored. There is no excuse for substituting other behavior in place of His Teaching.

We can't make things up and believe that we are truly pleasing YHWH Elohim. Satan has a counterfeit for almost everything put forth by our Creator; let us not fall into this same pattern. A similar example given is what happened in 1 Kings 25 when Jeroboam (out of fear of losing his position of power) convinced the Israelites (who had chosen him as king) that they did not need to go to Jerusalem to worship YHWH anymore. Jeroboam had built 2 temples, one in Bethel and the other in Dan, in which he had a golden calf placed in each, telling them 'this is your god'. He convinced them that 'God was Everywhere' and it was okay to worship Him anywhere. This is not what Yah taught! Jeroboam also made cult places and appointed priests from the ranks of people who were not descendants of Levi. This same example applies to religious traditions of today when teachers and leaders and preachers convince folks of things that just aren't correct according to what is written in Scriptures.

During this time called the Feast of Weeks we are thankful for His bounty in our lives. We give Him our best every day and are content with what we have. We are grateful for how He has provided for our needs as we see to the needs of others. We will not substitute vain imaginings to replace His Instructions. If you can't take the first sheaf of the harvest to the priest to make an offering in your behalf, don't fake it with anything else. Jeroboam was 'faking it' and did not turn back from his evil way whereby the House of Jeroboam incurred guilt.

We must abide by the Creator's Instructions and follow Him with all our heart, doing what is right in His sight. Lets not be displeasing or provoke YHWH and incur guilt. Continue to read Scriptures and let the Ruach haKodesh reveal His Truth.

Halal or Kosher

2016-05-21T12:14:00.000-08:00

'Halal' is not the same as 'Kosher' and the definition of 'Kosher' is questionable.

Muslims, many Jews, Set Apart believers and some Christians avoid eating certain animals, but those of the Islamic faith also have their meat blessed in the name of their god. Their god is a false idol and eating food sacrificed to an idol goes against the Instructions of our Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

'Kosher' meats are chosen according to what YHWH says is 'clean'. Bottom feeders, for example, clean up the assorted dead and dying debris that settles on the bottoms of lakes, oceans, ponds and rivers. Remember that next time you get a mouth full of lobster or shrimp or flounder or catfish - you're eating one of nature's garbage trucks. Scavengers clean up other dead animals, bugs and birds. We are not to eat what God put here to clean up the dead and decaying.

His dietary laws for us are found in Leviticus and again in Deuteronomy. Calling foods 'Kosher' has its down-side. There are a set of Jewish dietary laws which have been added to the Word of Elohim and adhered to by tradition.

Quote from the Jewish Virtual Library:

Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods can and cannot be eaten and how those foods must be prepared. The word "Kashrut" comes from the Hebrew meaning fit, proper or correct. The word "kosher," which describes food that meets the standards of kashrut, is also often used to describe ritual objects that are made in accordance with Jewish law and are fit for ritual use. Food that is not kosher is referred to as treif. Any kind of food - Chinese, Mexican, Indian, etc. - can be kosher if it is prepared in accordance with Jewish law. At the same time, traditional Jewish foods like knishes, bagels, blintzes and matzah ball soup can all be treif if not prepared in accordance with Jewish law.
End Quote

Things referred to as Jewish Law are not always in accordance to what YHWH taught. Rabbis are guilty of adding to His Word and making up excuses for human behavior just like any other religious leader. It is so important to read Scriptures for yourself in order to know His Truth and separate truth from the doctrines of man.

If you already did not know, here is what Yah says we can eat and should not eat, as written in Leviticus and Deuteronomy:

Animals with true hoofs (hoofs with clefts through the hoofs) AND chew the cud. The examples given for what not to eat are the camel, daman, and hare which chew the cud but do not have true hoofs. The swine has true hoofs but does not chew the cud - these are considered 'unclean'. It is OK to eat: ox, sheep, goat (domestic or wild), deer, gazelle, roebuck, ibex, antelope, mountain sheep and any other animal that has true hoofs which are cleft in two and brings up the cud: buffalo, elk, moose and beef.

Of the things that live in water, we may eat them as long as they have both fins and scales. This excludes from our menu such popular items as clams, lobster, oysters, mussels, squid and shrimp. This also excludes scallops, shark, whale, octopus, eel, swordfish and sturgeon.

I am of the mind that if you cannot see the scales on the fish without the use of a microscope then consider that particular fish unclean. Halibut, for example, have tiny scales naked to the human eye so they appear to us as not having scales... they should not be eaten. YHWH put forth His Instructions to benefit our health and well being. They didn't have microscopes or other testing equipment back then - they trusted Him - as we still should in this day and age. Who caused Eve to doubt the Word of God? Let's not fall for the same gimmick.

Birds that are not to be eaten: eagle, vulture, kite, falcons, ravens, ostrich, nighthawk, sea gulls, any hawk, owl, cormorant, pelican, bustard, stork, herons, hoopoe and bats.

It's OK to eat winged swarming things that walk on all fours, have jointed legs above their feet (hoppers) as in locust, crickets and grasshoppers.

Any animal that walks on paws, on all fours, are not on the menu. No variety of cat or canine is to be eaten. Also, we are not to eat: moles, mice, lizards of every variety or crocodiles.

We have been given every seed bearing fruit to eat and of grains of the field. Modern day 'seedless' varieties should not be eaten, as what was once one of my favorites: seedless watermelon! All genetically modified foods are off the list of things that can be eaten.

With all that said and done, our food sources have become corrupt, so sticking to God's Plan becomes more challenging. Letting the land rest every 7th year is not being followed so over the years farming has depleted the nutritional value of the land. The food it produces is lacking in vitamins and minerals and what is being added (supplements) isn't nearly enough. I've read that almost all corn is now genetically modified. Seeds have been engineered that produce food that does not 'go to seed'. There are hybrid foods such as beets, carrots and potatoes as well as seedless varieties of apples, bananas, dates, pineapple and grapes.

Man does not trust YHWH to know what He is doing and that is a mistake.

..::``Information Overload``::..

2016-05-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

As I lay awake in bed the other night, my brain was being bombarded with thoughts ricocheting around and my head felt full and ready to explode. One thought after another fading in and out, words and pictures of current events with threads connecting them to past events to the point of Creation itself... it was very difficult to control this onslaught. I then realized it was time to stop trying to debate the pros and cons of current events in light of the Word of God with people who didn't want to include His Instructions or use His wisdom in sorting out right from wrong. By no means do I consider myself 'smarter' than any one but when you have a book full of past experience to study and learn from, why ignore it? Folks are fond of saying 'history repeats itself' but then ignore the signs indicating that historical behaviors are repeating and then they fail to change course for the better.

There is nothing new under the sun but man sure likes to think he's in control.

The other realization I made was that if one does not have faith or trust or believe that YHWH Elohim is the Creator and heavenly Father, then there is no point in trying to explain what has caused these current events. It would take an in depth study of Scriptures first in order to lay the ground work for understanding (and I pray that the studies contained here in this blog along with links to other related sites will help those who are seeking Him). Take the initiative and choose that path. God says to seek Him as if looking for treasure. It is His Creation and we are all part of it - the good, the bad and the ugly. It is all written in a collection called Scriptures (the Bible variations are abbreviated version of the ancient texts). It has been recorded for all to read and to understand what was, what is and what will be.

The Devil's Music

2016-05-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

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

2016-05-07T10:22:00.004-08:00

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.

* * *

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

* * *

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

2016-04-30T12:40:00.000-08:00

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

2016-04-30T08:21:00.000-08:00

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.

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 'brains', 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. We are not to eat wafers and sip wine every weekend because of this.

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.

Faith Works

2016-04-16T09:37:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 11

Now faith is the persuasion of the things that are in hope as if they were an actual fact, and it is the manifesting of the things not seen.

For by faith we understand

that the worlds were shaped by the Word of Elohim

and that things seen originated from those that are not seen.

By faith, Abel offered to Elohim a better sacrifice

... and on account of it

he is testified of being righteous...

By faith, Enoch was translated and did not taste death

... there was testimony of him that he pleased Elohim.

Without faith, man cannot please Elohim.

He who draws near to Elohim must believe His existence

and that He will recompense those who seek Him.

By faith, Noah when he was told of the things not seen

he feared and made an ark...

and became righteous which is by faith.

By faith, Abraham, when called, obeyed...

departed to the place of his inheritance while he had

no idea where he was going. By faith he became a

resident in the land that was promised.

By faith, Sarah also, who was barren, acquired the power

to receive seed in her old age and knew that

He was faithful who had promised her.

All these died in faith and did not receive their promise

but they saw it from a distance and rejoiced in it,

and they confessed that they were

strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

By faith in what was to be Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

By faith Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph.

By faith the parents of Moses hid him 3 months...

By faith Moses, when he became a man chose

to be in suffering with the people of Elohim...

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

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

In the letter to the Romans, Paul refers to himself as a servant of Y'shua, who was called, sent and separated to the Good News of Elohim and acknowledges it is from him whom we have received grace and a mission... to the end that all may obey the faith among whom are called by Y'shua.

Paul serves YHWH in Spirit sharing the Good News of His Son. Paul's desire is to give the gift of the Spirit through which we become established and find comfort together in faith. The Good News reveals the righteousness of Elohim, from faith to faith*, as it is written, 'The righteous by faith will live.'

*From faith to faith:

When we first come to Elohim, our faith is young and untried. As we grow in our faith, we are tested by doubts, temptations, and other challenges. All of this strikes at our sense of being justified and at our living by faith. When we pass these trials, we do not pass from faith to something else, but to more faith, a more mature faith, and in a sense a greater faith.

We find in the writings of James chapter 2, "What is the use if a man says 'I have faith' yet he has no works? Can his faith restore life?" James continues to give the example of a fellow believer who is cold and hungry and another says to him, 'go in peace...warm yourself and be full', then he does not give him the necessities (clothing and food), what is the use? Consoling a person without providing the need is faith without works... providing the need, whether food, clothing or shelter, is 'works' which reveals faith. Actions, not words.

James 2:17 reads, "So also faith alone, without works, is dead. For a man may say you have faith and I have works; show me your faith that is without works and I will show you my faith by my works."

James 2:24 You see that by works a man is justified and not by faith alone.

Galatians 3:23 "But before faith came, Torah was guarding us while we were confined from the faith about to be revealed." Andrew Gabriel Roth offers insight: In this regard "Torah" can be compared with any righteous values a soul voluntarily imposes upon himself. However, as a spiritual relationship is established with YHWH and Y'shua, a soul is elevated to much higher levels of spiritual awareness and accountability.

Galatians 3:12 Thus Torah is not made by faith, but whosoever will do the things that are written in it, will live in it. (Leviticus 18:5: You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them...)

John 20:29 Y'shua said to him, "Now that you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who do not see me and believe."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

These things are written that you might believe

that Y'shua is the Anointed One,

the Son of Elohim,

and when you believe

you might have, in his name

Life that is eternal.

Obedience is Discipline

2016-04-13T09:48:00.001-08:00

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

2016-04-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

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

2016-04-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

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.

The Days of Unleavened Bread

2016-04-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

YHWH's Set Apart times for us are not the usual man-made holidays spawned from traditions that you find printed on most modern day calendars, nor are they simply Jewish holidays. He put them in place as one set of rules for all people - His fixed times for all generations, throughout the ages. He set the pattern for us way back then, just as He showed the pattern of the Tabernacle to Moses and instructed him to build it just as he had been shown, we, too, have been shown the pattern of becoming His Set Apart people.

~ Pesach is the Hebrew word for Passover
~ Chag HaMatzah is Hebrew for the Feast of Unleavened Bread

From my studies of Scripture I have learned Passover is not a set apart time by itself; the 'pass over offering' was made during the evening of the 14th day and gives way to the seven days of Unleavened Bread.

A lot happened before Pharaoh finally let Yah's people go. We'll fast forward to Exodus 12 when YHWH tells Moses and Aaron that this month will be the beginning of the months, it is the first month of the year. The people, Hebrews and a mixed multitude that accepted YHWH as their Elohim, were instructed to take a lamb per household on the 10th day of this month and keep it until the 14th day of this month, to be slaughtered at twilight.

They were further instructed to take some of the blood of the lamb and, using a bunch of hyssop, put it on the doorposts and lintel of the houses in which they were going to eat the roasted lamb, not leaving anything left over until morning. They were to be fully dressed and ready to travel, not ready to go to bed after they had eaten, and they were to eat it hurriedly: It is a passover offering to YHWH... (an act of Faith).

Exodus 12:12 For that night I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down every first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and I will mete out punishments to all the (false) gods of Egypt... And the blood on the houses where you are staying shall be a Sign for you: when I see the blood I will pass over you, so that no plague will destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

This day is one we shall remember and celebrate throughout the ages, for all time.

Exodus 12:15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened (flat) bread... on the very 1st day (of the 7, on the 15th) you shall remove leaven from your houses (so as not to be tempted)... The first day and the seventh day are sacred occasions and no work is to be done, only whatever is to be eaten may be prepared.

Exodus 12:17 you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread for on this very day (the 15th of the 1st month) I brought you out of Egypt, to be observed throughout the ages as an institution for all time.

Exodus 12:18 In the first month from the 14th day (passover) at evening you shall eat unleavened bread until the 21st day of the month at evening (seven days). No leaven is to be found in your houses... whether one is a stranger or a citizen of the country... you shall eat nothing leavened.

Exodus 12:24 You shall observe this as an institution for all time, for you and for your descendants. :25 And when you enter the land that I will give you, as I promised, you shall observe this rite... And when your children ask why and what does it mean, you shall say, 'It is the passover sacrifice to YHWH Elohim because He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but saved our houses.

Please note that He tells us to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread from the 14th until the 21st. Those seven days of not eating anything leavened begin with and include the pass over offering. The act of Faith, painting the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintel, was a Sign between Yah and those Set Apart believers.

Exodus 13:49 There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger who dwells among you.

Leviticus 23:4 These are the set times of YHWH, the sacred occasions, which you shall celebrate each at its appointed time: In the first month, on the 14th day of the month, at twilight, there shall be a passover offering to YHWH and on the 15th day of that month YHWH's Feast of Unleavened Bread... for seven days. (The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins with a pass over offering - not 'Passover' as a feast day by itself).

The other thing that stands out to me is Yah says 'when you enter the land that I promised' you shall observe this rite... So - if we are not in the Promised Land now, are we to be observing this rite? I see no problem with 'remembering' why YHWH makes it a set apart time, and observing it as a sacred occasion, but can we take matters into our own hands and make a celebration out of it according to our own imagination? And as I have read further, a year later they did make the passover offering and observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread --- this was after the Tabernacle was set up and YHWH was in their midst. Yah moved from the mountain to the tent where He attached His Name.

Deuteronomy 6:21 ... We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and YHWH freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand. YHWH wrought before our eyes marvelous and destructive signs and portents in Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household, and He freed us from there, that He might take us and give us the land that He had promised to our fathers. Then YHWH Elohim commanded us to observe all these laws, to revere Him as 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 as He has commanded us.

We were slaves to the world system, and by the blood of the lamb, Y'shua, we have freedom from the old pagan ways, freedom from sin and inherit the promise of eternal life. The shed blood of Y'shua we accept as our covering, as a Sign to the Almighty to save us from death, that we may find rest in His Kingdom for eternity. His mighty right hand is His Son who, in his day, wrought before their eyes marvelous and destructive acts, that he too, could lead us to the land that has been promised.

Deuteronomy 16 gives us a little more detail for this set time. It reads that a passover offering is made to YHWH and slaughtered => in the place Elohim will choose to establish His Name <= ... For 7 days no leaven shall be found among you. => You cannot slaughter the sacrifice wherever you choose <= but at the place YHWH chooses to establish His Name. In the morning you may start back home... on the 7th day of Unleavened Bread hold a solemn gathering, do no work.

The last place that we know of where YHWH attached His Name was the temple in Jerusalem. This set apart time is not "Passover" - passover was the offering which began the 7 days of Unleavened Bread which they were eating on their way home - from the place of YHWH.

In today's world, we are not able to bring a passover offering to YHWH which would normally be handled by the priesthood at the temple, but we can be free of leaven those seven days and hold a solemn assembly on the 1st and 7th days and do no work on those days. We do this because we remember how YHWH set our ancestors free from slavery, in bondage to Pharaoh in Egypt - this same pattern was revealed in Y'shua, who sets us free from eternal death, by willingly laying down his own life that we would gain life eternal. If we 'remember' as Elohim says, then we can understand how this applies to us today. The blood of the lamb was/is a sign to YHWH to pass over those who chose/choose to obey, follow, observe His Instructions. If you don't have the testimony of Y'shua, the blood of the lamb (a Sign) on your doorposts and lintels (heart and mind), then you cannot be saved, passed over, from destruction. This would mean, to be saved (from eternal death) is to obey YHWH's instructions, by Faith, and in obeying His Instructions you accept that Y'shua gave his life, his blood was shed that we may have life eternal.

Take notice in regards to what has been added to the simple Word of Elohim as a quote from the Jewish Virtual Library:

On the first night of Passover (first two nights outside of Israel), Jews are commanded to have a special family meal filled with ritual to remind us of the significance of the holiday. This meal is called the Seder, which is a Hebrew root word meaning “order.” The Seder, however, is no ordinary holiday meal - there is a specific set of tasks that must be completed and information that must be covered in a specific order. To correctly follow the process, the text of the Passover seder is written in a book called the Haggadah. The content of the seder is summed up in fourteen parts... end quote.

Now you tell me, after reading Scriptures and knowing what YHWH's instructions are, has His Word been added to? This invented celebration is pure hog-wash in comparison to Scriptures.

The Definition of Haggadah:

The Passover Haggadah is a set form of benedictions, prayers, midrashic comments and psalms recited at the seder ritual on the eve of Passover. (this is Not a Commandment of YHWH our Elohim...)

It's no wonder Isaiah shares these Words of YHWH in 1:10 as he relates how it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah:

"""Hear the word of YHWH the instructions of Elohim! What need have I of all your sacrifices? I am sated with burnt offerings of rams, and suet of fatlings,and blood of bulls, and I have No Delight in lambs and goats that you come to appear before Me... trample My courts no more! Bringing oblations is futile, incense is offensive to Me. New moon and sabbath, proclaiming of solemnities, assemblies with wickedness, I cannot abide. Your new moons and fixed seasons fill Me with loathing, they are become a burden to Me, I cannot endure them..."""

This is exactly why we are not to worship Elohim in our own way, try to approach Him as we see fit. If we follow tradition we are not following YHWH or Y'shua haMashiyach. Remember, Y'shua also warns of the end times, that it will be like it was in the days of Noah, like the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.

If you are interested in the Hebrew calendar, click here, but ignore all the Jewish references. I post this link for research and it's the best calendar converter I have found. Remember, it is about YHWH's perfect timing, not religious ideals, traditions or customs.

In this day and age
if we choose to obey
then lets follow His Instructions as best we can.

Set apart the 1st and 7th day as sabbaths to do no work,

And to remember why this time
is an appointment to keep with our Creator.

Read Scriptures to help us remember and see the pattern

That He reveals, the pattern for the days to come.

Make up a batch of unleavened bread
and eat some every day for those 7 days,

Let no leaven be found in your home those 7 days,

Because He Said So

Unleavened Bread Basic Recipe:

1/2 c. water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. oil
1 1/4 c. flour
Knead until smooth. Roll out to quarter inch thick.
Put on cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
This only makes a small batch (about a quart size bag),
but it can be doubled easily.

Grace

2016-04-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

A study I've been working on compelled me to look up the definition of 'Grace' in the Webster dictionary:

Pleasing quality; favor; thanks; A sense of what is right and proper; the unmerited love and favor of The Creator towards mankind; divine influence acting in a person to make the person pure (righteous/clean/set apart); morally strong; a special virtue, gift or help given to a person by Elohim.

I see that Grace is a gift from God that does not replace Torah. Torah is the set of instructions for us, to show us what is right and proper. Grace shows His favor towards us, in that through His Set Apart Spirit He helps us to understand His commands and how to apply them to our lives that we may be righteous, morally strong.

YHWH, by His Grace, gave us the gift of His Laws and free will to choose Life eternal by obeying, keeping, observing and living by them.

Love

2016-04-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Lovely definitions of Love:

Mark 12:29 - Y'shua said the 1st Commandment is 'Shema (hear and obey) O Israel! Master YHWH is one - Love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, all your mind and strength. The 2nd is like it - Love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18)

Luke 6:35 - Love your enemies and do good to them and lend a hand and do not cut off the hope of man. Be merciful as your Father is merciful... for the measure with which you measure, it will be measured to you. Take the beam out of your own eye then you will be able to see to take out the straw that is in the eye of your brother.

Romans 12:9 - Let not your love be full of deceit, but be haters of evil things and adhere to good things. Love one another, honor one another, be active and not slothful. Be fervent in spirit. Work for Y'shua. Be joyful in your hope/Good News. Be patient under your afflictions and preserving in prayer. Be communicators to the wants of the Set Apart believers. Be kind to strangers. Bless your persecutors, bless and do not curse. Rejoice with them who rejoice and weep with them who weep. Do not indulge in arrogant thoughts, but unite yourselves with the humble minded. Be not wise in your own estimations. Repay no man evil for evil but let it be to your study to do good before all men.

1 Corinthians 13:4 - Love is patient and kind. Love is not envious, does not shout loudly and is not boastful. Love does nothing that causes shame, and seeks not her own (ego-strokers). Love is not passionate, and thinks no evil. It does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes for all and endures all. Love will never cease (His steadfast love is eternal). These three things are abiding: Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love.

Sorceries of Babylon

2016-04-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

Open Scroll

Quote from the above link:
Drugs induce changes in our body chemistry. These effect our body's function, metabolic processes. They influence how we feel, think and act, our personality, responses and reactions. These changes may be temporary but may also last a very long time. Some cause our DNA to be rewritten, which changes us quite tangibly into a different "us." Because the life of the flesh is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11) and our blood is subject to pharmakeia's effects, there is a direct impact on our souls! The influence is also supernatural, with the very real effect of opening a door or gateway, a dimensional portal through which demons may pass. Our thoughts and actions are then given over to their control. These entities are referred to as familiar spirits. The supernatural activity of angels and demons is the effectual power, which do work through natural agencies. Pharmakeia can hinder people from receiving the holy spirit, or can isolate those who have it from the Lord and deny them what benefit would otherwise be enjoyed.

Hebrew Letter Numbers

2016-04-09T10:32:00.001-08:00

I'm certain I am not the first to 'discover' this,

but it is the first time I've looked at it this way.

The Hebrew language is a beautiful perfect language.

The letters of the alphabet also have numeric values.

I was looking for the meaning of certain numbers

and printed out a table with the corresponding information.

This is what came to mind...

Six hundred Sixty Six

(the end times mark of the beast, the number of his name),

and here are the numbers and their meanings:

400 - Cross, Sign, Eternity, End of Existence
200 - Emerging Head, Insufficient
60 - Satan, Serpent, Snake
6 - Hook, Connect, Sin, Flesh

Hebrew is read from right to left,
so here is the sentence I got from the numerical meanings,
from 6 to 400:

Sin is connected as if by a hook in the flesh
as Satan, that old serpent/snake
emerges as the insufficient Head/leader/savior
and as the sign of the end of existence
(of the world as we know it)

That Pagan World

2016-04-09T10:22:00.001-08:00

Over the years I have posted here and there, and shared several links to the topic of the Pagan Origins of the many things we take for granted. This is an important study and the knowledge needs to be shared - again. Don't let yourself become overwhelmed or angry or discouraged. What I am sharing is a result of my research and study and reading Scriptures that started over fifteen years ago when I innocently looked for the origin of christmas... the journey had to start somewhere! I don't claim to be any sort of scholar, but I know a lot more now than I did back then.

I will include as much as I can and pray for this to be a source of light to those searching for His Path, continually seeking Him so that He will cause the Ruach haKodesh (holy spirit) to reveal to you Truth in everything.

The Ten Commandments begin with Yahweh, our God, telling us He is the one true Elohim (God) and that we shall have no other gods besides Him. He goes on to define those gods as man made images (idols) of things in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters and Not to bow down to them or serve them. He is serious about this and will pass on the guilt of doing such things to the generations that reject Him and He will show kindness to the generations who love Him AND keep His commandments.

To 'bow down to them' is to exalt, to think very highly of them, seeing them as powerful, lesser, greater or in place of YHWH. Whether made of stone, wood, gold or silver and in the image/symbols of what we think angels look like (heavens above) or man, or animal fetishes or representing fish or other things in the water, we are not to serve them...

Look around. You will notice right away a variety of images in a variety of forms representing heaven, earth, waters, sea, air, the elements -- things God said right off the get-go not to make. He wants us to be Set Apart (holy, righteous) set apart from the world and its pagan ways, those subtle temptations that cause us to doubt the Creator, as when Satan said to Eve, "You are not going to die, but God knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like divine beings who know good and bad."

Then what happened?
In short, they tried to hide themselves from Yahweh because of their guilt and were eventually kicked out of the Garden.

Right from the beginning Satan has been there tempting us all at one time or another. It is our Faith in God that we Trust in His Instructions, which are for our health and well being, reinforced by (witnessed) the life and death of His son, Y'shua Messiah. We choose to be Set Apart because God wants us to be-- because He is.

Who would have thought that types of Dance could be pagan?

Most folks already are aware of when Messiah was born.

The Origin of Christmas Tree
Just as early Christians recruited Roman pagans by associating Christmas with the Saturnalia, so too worshippers of the Asheira cult and its offshoots were recruited by the Church sanctioning “Christmas Trees”. Pagans had long worshipped trees in the forest, or brought them into their homes and decorated them, and this observance was adopted and painted with a Christian veneer by the Church.

~ Here is what God says: “... Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven [the stars]; for the heathen are dismayed at them [millions ignore this plain statement of God and read their horoscopes daily]. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree…” (Jeremiah. 10:2-5).

The Origin of Mistletoe
Norse mythology recounts how the god Balder was killed using a mistletoe arrow by his rival god Hoder while fighting for the female Nanna. Druid rituals use mistletoe to poison their human sacrificial victim. The Christian custom of “kissing under the mistletoe” is a later synthesis of the sexual license of Saturnalia with the Druidic sacrificial cult.

The Origin of Christmas Presents
In pre-Christian Rome, the emperors compelled their most despised citizens to bring offerings and gifts during the Saturnalia (in December) and Kalends (in January). Later, this ritual expanded to include gift-giving among the general populace. The Catholic Church gave this custom a Christian flavor by re-rooting it in the supposed gift-giving of Saint Nicholas.

The Origin of Santa Claus
Nicholas was born in Parara, Turkey in 270 CE and later became Bishop of Myra. He died in 345 CE on December 6th. He was only named a saint in the 19th century. He was among the most senior bishops who convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE and created the New Testament. The text they produced portrayed Jews as “the children of the devil” who sentenced Jesus to death.

In 1087, a group of sailors who idolized Nicholas moved his bones from Turkey to a sanctuary in Bari, Italy. There Nicholas supplanted a female boon-giving deity called The Grandmother, or Pasqua Epiphania, who used to fill the children's stockings with her gifts. The Grandmother was ousted from her shrine at Bari, which became the center of the Nicholas cult. Members of this group gave each other gifts during a pageant they conducted annually on the anniversary of Nicholas’ death, December 6.

The Nicholas cult spread north until it was adopted by German and Celtic pagans. These groups worshipped a pantheon led by Woden –their chief god and the father of Thor, Balder, and Tiw. Woden had a long, white beard and rode a horse through the heavens one evening each Autumn. When Nicholas merged with Woden, he shed his Mediterranean appearance, grew a beard, mounted a flying horse, rescheduled his flight for December, and donned heavy winter clothing.

In a bid for pagan adherents in Northern Europe, the Catholic Church adopted the Nicholas cult and taught that he did (and they should) distribute gifts on December 25th instead of December 6th.

In 1809, the novelist Washington Irving (most famous his The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle) wrote a satire of Dutch culture entitled Knickerbocker History. The satire refers several times to the white bearded, flying-horse riding Saint Nicholas using his Dutch name, Santa Claus.

Dr. Clement Moore, a professor at Union Seminary, read Knickerbocker History, and in 1822 he published a poem based on the character Santa Claus: “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in the hope that Saint Nicholas soon would be there…” Moore innovated by portraying a Santa with eight reindeer who descended through chimneys.

The Bavarian illustrator Thomas Nast almost completed the modern picture of Santa Claus. From 1862 through 1886, based on Moore’s poem, Nast drew more than 2,200 cartoon images of Santa for Harper’s Weekly. Before Nast, Saint Nicholas had been pictured as everything from a stern looking bishop to a gnome-like figure in a frock. Nast also gave Santa a home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, and his list of the good and bad children of the world. All Santa was missing was his red outfit.

1931, the Coca Cola Corporation contracted the Swedish commercial artist Haddon Sundblom to create a coke-drinking Santa. Sundblom modeled his Santa on his friend Lou Prentice, chosen for his cheerful, chubby face. The corporation insisted that Santa’s fur-trimmed suit be bright, Coca Cola red. And Santa was born – a blend of Christian crusader, pagan god, and commercial idol. (I never heard this one about Coca-Cola - ckc)

The origins of Easter

John 4:22-24 You worship something that you do not know. But we worship what we know, for life is from the Yehudeans (Messiah is referred to as the Lion of Judah). But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, indeed. For the Father, He seeks worshippers as these. For Elohim is Spirit and those who worship they must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Mark 7:6-7 Messiah says, Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) the prophet did well prophesy about you hypocrites! As it is written that 'This people honor me with their lips (words) but their hearts are very distance from me. And vainly they fear me while they are teaching the doctrines of the (man made) commandments of the sons of men.

My husband and I don't 'celebrate' Purim or Hanukkah because they are not 'commanded' by Elohim. I realize they are of historical value, like the 4th of July or Memorial Day (which we do not celebrate, either).

Chanukah is a man made tradition.
Quote: (John 10:22-24). Notice that this is the only reference to the festival of Chanukah (חַג חֲנֻכָּה) that occurs in all of Scriptures. Some additional "extra biblical" sources include the testimony of the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who likewise referred to the commemoration of the Maccabees as an eight day "festival of lights", and various midrashim that quote Hillel and Shammai (i.e., two famous sages that predated the time of Yeshua) discussing the method of kindling the lights of the Chanukah menorah. One midrash states that Chanukah was to be regarded as an acronym for Chet Nerot veHalakhah K'bet Hillel ("eight candles and the law according to the House of Hillel"), referring to Hillel's view (his opinion) that we should light one candle on the first night and increase the amount by one every day (Shammai, on the other hand, thought we should light eight candles on the first night and reduce one every subsequent night). According to early Jewish tradition (preserved in Megillat Antiochus, 2nd Century AD), since the Maccabees were unable to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot at its proper time in the fall, they decided that it should be observed after the Temple was restored, which they did on the 25th of the month of Kislev in the year 164 B.C. Since Sukkot lasts eight days, this became the time frame adopted for Chanukah." End Quote.

John 10:22 gives us a time frame, noting the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) occurred in Jerusalem and it was winter and Y'shua was walking in the temple in the porch of Solomon. (note: this is the only time Hanukkah is mentioned in Scriptures - there's no 2 or 3 other times to bear witness or support its importance as a feast day.) Folks think because Messiah was 'there' that he was 'celebrating' but I think the reason he was there was because he was 'teaching', as he was accustomed to doing, not so much partaking of the feast.

John 10 starts out with his Sheep Parable, then the feast day is mentioned, then: The Jews surround him again asking how long will he keep them waiting: "if you are the Mashiyach, tell us!" He lets them know that he HAS told them but they do not believe because 'they are not of his sheep'. Perhaps noting the feast day and the fact these Jews were celebrating it (which is why they were at the temple) and then Y'shua saying they were not his sheep, lets us know it is not of Elohim and we should not partake of it, either.

Y'shua was not celebrating Chanukah - he was present, on the porch of the Temple, but I believe he was taking the opportunity to teach to those who had gathered there. The lead in verses to John 10:22 sets the tone for what's going on. In 10:7 he says that he is the Gate of the flock. He goes on to say if a man should enter by him (the Gate) he will live, enter and go out and find pasture. (No man comes to the Father except by Y'shua). He says he is the Good Shepherd that lays his life down for the flock. He knows those who are his and they know him. Then he says in 10:16 that he also has other sheep, those not of this sheepfold. 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. (I love this! He just told us the sheepfold is the House of Israel and the other sheep are those who have chosen to obey YHWH and have the testimony of His son - we will be One People with One Faith and One Elohim!) Well, once again Y'shua causes a stir among the Yehudeans, they don't believe, they don't recognize their Shepherd's voice and think Y'shua is possessed.

Here's info on Purim

As a reminder, No matter what one uses for research and reference material, ALWAYS take what you have gleaned and measure it against Scriptures, the Word of God our Creator. His Ruach haKodesh - Holy Spirit - will reveal the Truth as long as we maintain our Faith in the one true God. It's not about religion, but His perfect government system. Judaism is a religion. Christianity is a religion. Islam is a religion, etc...

Trinity Doctrine

2016-04-09T09:38:00.003-08:00

The Refiner's Fire

Quote:
The problem with Christianity is they insist "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" are three separate "persons"...yet, somehow, He is "one God." Nothing could be further from the Truth! A more appropriate analogy would be: One tree, three branches. Not three separate trees.

Tradition

2016-04-09T09:33:00.004-08:00

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

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

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 God 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

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'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 God 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 God that we will find ourselves back in that Garden.

Just for You

2016-04-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

Lets say God 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 were struggling in darkness as you once were.