Adonai Elohim-Tzva'ot

As I discussed last year, I have come to almost hate the term 'G-d' because it can be so ambiguous. What I mean when I say that word is TOTALLY different than someone who is referring to their chosen Deity who is female. Or the guy who uses it as a four letter word. Or someone who believes God is in everything and everybody. I have found, instead, that the names He gave himself are so much more personal. And not only do the Hebrew names immediately specify which God you mean, but they are so beautiful and descriptive. As I have been reading through Isaiah this week, I have found myself crying. I know I say that I am not a weepy woman, but this year has been wetter than any I can remember.

To be honest, I had prayed for a change of heart, to make studying the Word pleasurable for me and not rote or compulsory. And this year I have felt that prayer answered beyond measure. I have been reading the Complete Jewish Bible every day, as that is the version I wanted to finish this year. The appeal to me is that it is translated by someone who speaks Hebrew and also lives and understand the customs and the meanings of the parables and the phrases. I also love that it uses the Hebrew names for people and places. The more I study and learn the more a part of me it becomes. I wanted to share some of those names and their meanings.

Abba- Father
Adon kol-ha'arets- the Lord of all the earth
Adonai- my Lord
Adonai Cether- the Lord my hiding place
Adonai Elohim- the Lord God
Adonai Elohim-Tzva'ot- the Lord God of Hosts
Adonai Nissi- the Lord my Banner/Miracle
Adonai-Shalom- the Lord of Peace
Adonai Shamah- the Lord is there
Adonai Tsuvah- the Lord of my salvation
Adonai Tzidkenu- the Lord our Righteousness
Adonai Yir'eh- the Lord will see to it
El Aman- faithful God
El-Berith- God of the covenant
El-Elyon- Most High
Eloheinu- our God
El Shaddai- God almighty
Hakkadosh- the Holy One
HaM'vorakh- the Blessed One
Jehovah- self-existing Lord
Jehovah-Jireh- the Lord will provide
Jehovah-Raphe- the Lord who heals
K'dosh Yisrael- the Holy One of Israel
Mashiach- anointed One (Messiah)
Rabbani- my Great One
Ruach HaKodesh- the Holy Spirit
Shaddai- the Almighty

Raise Your Hands!

In my study this morning I found that the Hebrew word yada means to know, so when someone says "yada yada yada", they are pretty much saying "I know, I know, I know." But if you change it just a little to yadah it means to 'to revere or worship with extended hands' (Strongs Concordance, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary of the Old Testament. 3034, 3035). So my call to everyone today would be

yadah, yadah, yadah!

Command or Tradition?

I found a very interesting post by a man who calls himself the Wandering Heretic. It is directly related to our search for truth and differentiating between the customs that were adopted by man and the commands that are specifically laid out in the scriptures. This is another good reason for us not to be labeled, because that connotes something specific in people's minds, and the only label I would want to bear would be sola scriptura. Can you imagine the confusion if I were to declare that I am a fundamentalist messianic believer attending a joint baptist/Judaic congregation with reservation as to the non-scriptural customs? Put that on your blog heading!

The heretic brings up the non-history of the custom of the yarmulke (beanie) that Jewish men wear. As someone who has searched out the original language of the passage in Corinthians 11 (looking for a way out, honestly) I know that the word choice means a cloth covering, so I have been wrestling with the yarmulke, which would be opposing the teaching of this very same verse that commands women to cover.

In the scriptures, we see that in 2 Samuel 15, Esther 6, and Jeremiah 14, covering of the head was a sign of mourning or shame for a man. When the priests went into the tabernacle to serve, they were to cover their heads with a mitre as a sign of humility (Exodus 28). But there is not a specific command regarding praying with the head covered or uncovered for the everyday man. Not until the teachings of the Brit Chadashah (new covenant) is the practice of covering or uncovering in reference to prayer discussed.

So what does that mean? Should we go around to Messianic congregations and rebuke the men wearing the yarmulke? No! No more than I go around rebuking women without a covering. First,many of the people in messianic groups are truly converts, having lived the Judaic life for a very long time and then coming to the truth of the identity of the messiah. I would never risk offending a new brother over attire. As the common blogosphere theology phrase indicates, it is not a 'matter of salvation'. Secondly, Paul taught that he became all things to all men in order to draw them in. Certainly he did not mean he became a murder to reach murderers or a thief to reach thieves. Having a congregation where people look just like an orthodox Jew will make more Jews feels secure in checking it out.

My point is really to those of us raised in a 'replacement' atmosphere, where anything to do with Judaism was seen as wrong, and who have now come to the understanding of the roots of the faith and the identity of the Son of Man (or as I call it, the "Jesus was a Jew! moment). As those who are being spiritually grafted in, should Gentile believers wear the yarmulke?

A little more in the middle of the road is the question of the tallis (prayer shawl). The shawl is an interpretation of Numbers 15:38-39 and Deuteronomy 22:12, where a command is given to tie tassels with a blue thread to the corners of garments. The type of garment is not specified, so the tallis would cover this requirement. Customarily any man visiting a synagogue should wear the yarmulke, but not the tallis. Yet for the Messianic believer, the tallis is the custom of the two that has specific mention in the scriptures. The two questions that arise when discussing the tallis are the practice of wearing it over the head when praying (which would be in opposition to the verses in Corinthians above) and the point of whether holding to any part of the law requires observing the whole law (Romans 3:27-31, Galatians 3). This section in Deuteronomy has other commands which are not kept by Christians, such as not wearing clothing of mixed fabrics, not planting two kinds of seed together, and building a parapet in the roof of the house. So what should be followed and what should not?

My answer would be twofold. First, I do not think we should observe any custom that conflicts with scripture. Scripture does not conflict with itself, so where we find an admonition against a man praying with his head covered we do not find a command for men to be covered when they pray. This is obviously a matter of depth, requiring one to be further in study than the milk of the Word. Secondly, I see no problem with following scriptural customs (as long as they have not been specifically abolished, such as animal sacrifice for atonement) so long as our faith is not in these observances to save us, but rather our faith is in the redemptive blood of the lamb, and our observances are a means to be closer to Him and to His people. If we have already seen the truth in scriptures and yet we willingly jump back into the traditions of men rather than the commands of YHWH, we are taking ourselves from light to darkness. That is not to condemn the Jewish believer in any way, but if we have already been freed, it is a slap in the face of our messiah to go back into bondage.

Well, great! Now what? I would envision men wearing a tallis, if they so chose, around their shoulders. This lends the visual connection to Judaism that would welcome visitors without conflicting with the command not to be covered when praying. We can adopt enough of the Jewish style of worship to be unified without going against the Word. The question as to why the yarmulke is not worn would present a teaching moment. And as for why we have been commanded in such a way, I think the fact that we have nothing more to mourn over or be ashamed of that Yeshua has not already conquered would be a huge possibility!

What's In a Name?

I was reading an article about the problem with taking anything from Hollywood and trying to make it parallel Christianity (like Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings) and how you are then left to justify the parts that never agree with scriptures. The specific example is from the last of the Narnia series and the character named Emeth who, after serving the dark side (Tash), sees the lion for the first time (which many say represents Jesus) and confesses his years of sinful servitude. The lion answers, "Child all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me.” You can no doubt see the problem with saying these stories parallel the christian life, because our Messiah would NEVER say that someone's service to Satan is now credited as service for our King.

One commenter said we were viewing it wrong to think this way, because the character thought he was serving the good and was seeking truth, and so the name of what he was serving (Tash) was not really what he served, but rather he WAS serving the lion all along without knowing it. The commenter went on to say that a name is just a sound that we use to represent things and that they have no meaning apart from that. I left a rebuttal as to the innumerable instances where names were important in the Bible.

"I cannot follow your thought line at all here. If a name is just the sound that represents someone, how are we able to cast out demons ONLY by the power of the name of Jesus? You would do well to read through the Bible at how important names were. Often when something major happened to someone, their name was changed. Names were also chosen because of the meaning they held. Saying a name has no meaning is definitely a modern concept.

"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." Exodus 20:7

"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee." Genesis 17:5

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." Exodus 3:14

"Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore." Psalm 113:2

"And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Mark 13:13

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20

"If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." John 14:14

"A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold." Proverbs 22:1"

But as I went through the day, the topic continued to run through my mind. I thought about names people had been given that were either comical or utterly embarrassing, like the girl named Polly in my husband's class who's middle name was Esther. My brother is a cop in Cleveland and was guarding an inmate who was in labor at the hospital. She named her child after a beautiful word she heard the doctors say- placenta. I remember in middle school figuring out that I could never marry a man who's last name began with an 'S' or my initials would be A.S.S. There is even a country song about a father who named his son Sue to toughen him up, knowing the ridicule he would receive for it. These are all somewhat benign examples, but names mean a great deal in the negative as well.

How many kids do you know named Judas? Or Benedict? How many Catholics are fond of the entertainer who dubbed herself Madonna? DId you hear about the teacher who was run out of the middle east for nick-naming a teddy bear after their revered prophet? A name has a way of lending a meaning apart from anything one individual might do. If your name were Kennedy, for example, you would have an advantage in politics without even trying. Someone named O'Malley would be associated with an Irish heritage without asking any further questions.

When we adopted our kids, we were allow to change their names. We did so not only to make them more a part of us, but to remove the instant knowledge of who they had belonged to before (small town and all). After marrying and changing my name, I was asked several times, "Are you related to ______________?", someone with the same last name that they did not like. Names are very important. Naming a child is often so delicate a matter, parents consult books, write the alternatives out, and make it a continual discussion throughout the pregnancy. And I think the one thing that sums up completely just how important names are is this:

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12

Obviously a name is a very big deal.

Why Believe in Sola Scriptura?

I can answer that question with just two verses:

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

If the scriptures make us perfectly and thoroughly furnished, or completely equipped, how can we need anything else? That's enough proof for me.

But if it isn't enough for you, read this exposition.

Why Hebraic?

I meant to answer this question days ago but got busy and forgot!

Q:Do you have a post somewhere detailng your Shabbat traditions and beliefs a bit more? I would love to learn more!

A: Well, there are bits and pieces in different posts, but nothing very organized or in-depth, so I'll do that now. Some of it will be a very quick overview of things I have posted already, but this will bring it all together.

Growing up I was taught the whole 'the Jews have been replaced as the Chosen People' aka replacement philosophy. I hate to say I even agreed with the ideology that what happened to the Jews was horrific, but it was God's punishment on them for rejecting the Messiah. And I believed that anyone who had the name Christian on their door was closer to the truth than the Jews because they refused to believe in the one thing that saved any of us- Jesus.

Now that is not to say I would have ever tolerated any anti-semitic actions of others. I have always been a defender of the minority. Once in 3rd grade we had to read the account of a southern slave, and I cried so hard I had to go to the nurse. Oppression of any kind has never been acceptable to me. I would never condone mistreatment of anyone, and felt if the Jews were being allowed to suffer, it was still our duty to show love and kindness and to protect them. I’m not sure if that is easy to understand, but I knew in my heart that we were called to love and care for people and that God would handle the rest. I never hated Jews, but believed that they were being punished for refusing Jesus.

I went through a time of wondering in High School and attended many different churches and services and meetings. It confused me that there were so many opinions in what was based on the Bible. It turned out that a lot of that was not actually based on the Bible but in traditions of men. Anywhoo, I started to feel that there had to be some kind of ‘sense’ in the confusion and I wanted to know it. Unfortunately, I ended up looking in the wrong places. I was blessed that the Holy Spirit would not give me peace, because that is what caused me to look further. After I was married, we decided we could no longer just accept what we had learned. We had to dig it out and glean it ourselves. We found ourselves at a church that held to the Word as authoritative, which is what we needed. And through this church we made many connections that were the Hand of God showing us what he wanted us to know.

So, starting from the beginning, we took the Bible literally. And when you say that people will recoil in shock. I was asked if I go sit outside the city during my monthly cycle (which came up in a later discussion here if you are interested), but I was also asked if I cut off my hand after I sinned. I realized many people did not understand that the Bible has both literal instructions and allegorical instructions. That the Law was written to demonstrate to man his need for the Savior, but that even before the Law He had established things that were pleasing to Him. Jesus spoke in parables to confuse the wicked people but His sheep would understand what He was saying. We also found that there are specific parts of the OT that have been revised or completed because of the fulfillment of the Law by Christ. But that does not make the OT obsolete. In fact, without the OT we could not understand the New. For the first time I made use of cross-references and saw the error in some of the theology I had been given. Often the problem was either a verse taken out of context (to which I had just nodded my head and accepted as true) or that the ambiguity of the English language got in the way of understanding.

We saw that the feasts were established by God for all generations, which had to include us. But we didn’t really know what we were doing as far as observing them or what the time table for their occurrence was. We started out very simply with our kids doing what we called Old Testament dinners. We had the foods that were listed in the Bible and we read a story aloud, but it wasn’t anything close to the depth of understanding we longed for. We just kept at it, reading and studying and being shocked by what we found out. The list of things we knew we needed to throw out was very long. And what we wanted to replace them with seemed just out of our reach because it was never a part of our lives. But the Holy Spirit began to put things and people in our path that were perfectly timed to each question.

First was a lady from our new church who was a Messianic Jew. We were acquainted with the family already through friends and co-op, but had never known she was Messianic. That was a great lesson, that her faith and practices meshed with ours. It would answer the question later of whether you had to be Jewish to be like Jesus, or whether the Jews had to become Christians (and all this is also found in Acts and Galatians). She began to offer Hebrew lessons for the children and I started to learn from the CDs and books they brought home. We also attended her son’s Bar Mitsvah and it was just amazing.

Next our church had a guest speaker from the Chosen People Ministries in New York. He went over the feasts of the OT and how Jesus was the fulfillment of Passover and Yom Kippur and how the feasts were essential to understanding prophesy. From his table, I bought several books that were just wonderful! One was about understanding and celebrating the Shabbat. YEAH! This speaker has come back to the church every year since and it has just been such a blessing.

When I started blogging a year ago, it never crossed my mind that there would be others looking for the same understanding I was. Through linking to a link to a link, etc, I found Stephanie, then Audrey, and Julie, and another dear lady who has since taken her blog down, and the info links they provided just opened up so much more learning. This is also when we ‘came out of the closet’ so to speak. It was not shame but simply the need to know what we were doing and why before we let anyone else know about it.

Now to the specific question you asked in regard to Shabbat. God established a day of rest before there was even sin, so a day of rest is good and has nothing to do with a Law as a schoolmaster or way to righteousness. We celebrate it instead as a blessing and a shadow of the things to come. I bought a Complete Jewish Bible as an aide to the King James and understanding what even now is different in our language. In the back it has a list of readings for Shabbat for the year. These are just passages that are good for reflection on this day. We eat what Jesus would have eaten, though we do not abide by Rabbinical laws as they are of man and not of God. So we do not have to refrain from meat and dairy together. These were a second ‘layer’ of rules to try and prevent breaking the most important, but this rule-making is what Jesus condemned in Matthew 15. We also try to follow the clean and unclean guidelines God set forth, not because keeping these will save us or make us righteous, but because He knew what was best for us and we trust Him. If all we had was pork, we would not be condemned to eat it. But as Paul said, all things may be permissible but not all things are beneficial. We try to follow the plan God laid out because it was best for man, not because we are winning our righteousness. The same philosophy applies to the day on which we celebrate the Shabbat. Because of the confusion over the calendars and the way the world has changed days and times, it would be hard to know the exact Shabbat. But since we know the seventh day was set aside and on the calendar that is Saturday (though it starts at sundown on Friday) we celebrate our meal at sunset on Friday. It is not because doing it any other way would condemn us, but because we find special understanding and communion with God when we try to do it His way.

Obviously some of the laws in the Old Covenant were done away with, such as sacrifices, when Jesus became our sacrifice. But others are still meant forever. I have heard many a person say we are no longer meant to keep a Sabbath, yet they wouldn’t think of breaking one of the other Commandments. There is not a list of what has been abolished or fulfilled per se, so what we have done is approach it very slowly and apply two different criteria to it: Is it addressed in the New Testament, and does it fall under the ‘new command’ from Jesus to love God first and foremost and to love our neighbor as ourselves. I truly feel a Shabbat comes under loving God with all my heart and soul and mind and strength because it is a day set aside for him when there is so much I could be getting done. It is a show of faith that He will provide rather than a need to constantly work to take care of myself. Just like tithing with money, I believe we are meant to tithe with our time.

*As a side note, we have now come to use Yahweh and Yeshua because there is SO much ambiguity even in the names God and Jesus, and we want to make it clear just whom we serve.

Test Your Wordlview

Test Your Worldview here

A worldview is just what it sounds like- the way you view the world. But someone who follows Yahweh ought to view things differently than the rest of the world. It might be painful to see the results, but how can you grow unless you know where you are lacking?

NOTE: Read the questions carefully. When I read my results, there were three that I got wrong and I couldn't understand why I got wrong. Two were because they threw 'not' in there and I read it too fast to see, and one I marked the wrong answer from what I actually wanted to say (would you call that a mis-click?). But it goes through the answers at the end so you are not left wondering what you did wrong.

My weakest area was education, mostly because I don't really know or care what they are teaching in public schools anymore, but that is a cop-out. I ought to know and care what goes on everywhere in this world so that I can be armed.

What's the Difference

I have been asked lately (man, you guys keep me hopping with the questions! That's a good thing ;) what the difference is in all these different terms, like why I said it would be more accurate to call myself a Messianic Fundamentalist than a New Testament Christian. So here's a little explanation of some of these different words and what they mean.

Fundamentalist: one who adheres to the fundamentals of the faith. We accept no authority on God's Word than God's Word. We are the 'literalists' who understand the Bible to be serious where most people believe it to be allegorical, such as an actual six day creation, a real hell, and an immanent Tribulation. But this word does not describe any certain denomination per se. There are fundamentalists in many different congregations. The reason that is possible, since a fundamentalist will not accept doctrine that does not come directly from the Bible, is that different biblical translations and interpretations are applied.

Messianic: One of the Hebrew faith root who understands Jesus (Yeshua) to be the prophesied Messiah. This is different than just saying the Jewish faith because the Rabbinical Jews do not believe Yeshua was the Messiah.

Christian: Literally, one who follows Christ. This is different than a Messianic believer, though, because Christ is the Greek derived translation of Yeshua's title and along with the Greek influence comes the establishment of a new kind of faith community. So something called Christian or Church is not usually a replication of the original Semitic religion established by Yahweh. 'Christian' is more Gentile than Jew.

New Testament: Well we all know this term referrs to the books of the Bible that begin with the birth of Yeshua and end with the Revelation of John and the warnings of the coming trials. Generally anything that is labeled 'New Testament' has an underlying meaning of throwing out the Old Testament. In other words, the OT is good history and nice backdrop, but all a person needs in order to understand the way to salvation is the NT.

Sadly, I used to believe the 'New Testament' theology. I was one who followed the replacement theology (that after the Jews rejected Yeshua as Messiah, he chose to establish His church through the Gentiles, and so everything 'Jewish' about the Bible became obsolete). I was reading of the New Covenant and stopping there, not checking to see what the new covenant entailed.

Malachi 3:6 "For I am the LORD, I change not..."There is a real danger with assuming Yahweh changed His mind. Here are some examples:

1. Old Testament: "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." Deuteronomy 7:6

New Testament Theology: When the Jews did not accept Yeshua as Messiah, he established his church with the Gentiles, beginning with the apostles and prophets who had converted.

Scripture against this idea:

"For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee FOR EVER: and thou, LORD, art become their God." 2 Samuel 7:24

"For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?" Romans 11:24

"And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren." Acts 15:3

"At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people." Jeremiah 31:1

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Jesus was a Jew, his followers were Jews, they observed Jewish festivals. The Gentiles who became believers were GRAFTED into the Jewish tree. The danger of believing otherwise is twofold: either you do not take Yahweh at His word that he does not change, or you make the assumption that he did not know the Jews would reject Yeshua, and any god who cannot see what will come is worthless.

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2. Old Testament: "The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name." Psalm 111:8-9

New Testament Theology: Jesus did away with the law when he was crucified and we are therefor no longer forced to observe it.

Scriptures against this idea:

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-19

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Romans 3:31

"For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4

"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him." Ecclesiastes 3:14

"The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." Isaiah 24:4-5

"And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect." Galatians 3:17

The law is the foundation of the New Testament story, because it is through the eyes of the Old Covenant we understand the reasons we are sinners, what sin is, and how to deal with the problem of our depravity. Calling oneself a New Testament Christian means you have no regard for the ordinances and words that Yahweh himself spoke and said would stand forever. You are, in essence, saying you are wiser than He.

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3. Old Testament: "And he said, LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates." Genesis 15:8-18

New Testament Theology: If you accept Jesus into your heart, he will give you joy, peace, prosperity, and when you die you'll go to heaven.

Scriptures against this idea:

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." Jeremiah 31:31-33

"They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field." Hosea 10:4

"Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." Romans 1:31

"Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10:29

Romans and Hebrews are both great books for understanding that Yahweh was establishing a covenant. Many people's understanding of this word is in error, especially since the scriptures compare our covenant to Yahweh to the covenant of marriage, and we live in a time and culture where divorce is common, even in the 'churched'. When the covenant was made with Abraham, animals were split in two and the parties walked between them. It was a very serious affair. It was more binding than a contract. But by making the 'church' so anti-Semitic, we have lost the meaning and depth of a greast many important thing, covenants being at the top.

The modern gospel tells people of the benefits and all they must do is agree to accept them. They do not understand the weight of the agreement and that it has costs and parameters. It is no wonder that in Romans 1:31 above the word covenantbreakers comes directly after the term 'without understanding'. People have no idea the magnitude of the covenant they are entering into. And the results should be immediate and permanent. If one were to become married, their life would change instantly and forever, right? It is the same when we make a covenant with the True and Living God. He is all-consuming. (This is why the Bible study I shared had the profound effect it did on me- to see that why so many seem to 'fall-away' is because they either do not have a covenant to begin with or they break the covenant because they think it is something on their own terms rather than Yahweh's).

The danger in assuming that God has slackened his requirements of us is the loss of our soul in eternal damnation. It is clear that many who believe that they are saved will be surprised to find they are not.

These are just a few of the many examples of why I no longer hold to the term 'New Testament Christian', because the Old has not been done away with. Yahweh did not change his mind about any of it. What he required before (perfection) he requires now (perfection). The difference is that he gave us the way to actually attain it. He did not abolish the law: he fulfilled it.

What About Hanukkah?

Kelly had asked me what I thought of Hanukkah since it is only mentioned once in the Bible and the history of the celebration is found in Maccabees, which is not part of the Jewish Bible or most Protestant versions of the Bible. I decided to wait on answering it until it was the time when we would actually be thinking about it (and also we have so many, many things we want to discuss and research that some of them just had to wait!). So I thought I would give a little of the history and explain how we view it in our home.

Celebrating Hanukkah, or the festival of light, began around 165 BC. The name Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew word for dedication, and is used to commemorate the victory of the Jews in the war and the reclaiming of the temple (an altar to Zeus had been placed there). This is the story that is round-about mentioned in Maccabees, but it is not the same as the story preserved elsewhere and it is more of a belated Sukkot, since they could not celebrate their Sukkot during the war. That is also why the time-frame of 8 days likely came into it. The festival of lights, however, referrs to a miraculous happening regarding the sacred oil for lights. When they came to the temple, there was only enough oil to last one night. Yet the light remained lit for eigth nights. This is why the current celebration includes the lighting of the Menorah, or a mantle with 9 candles (8 for the days of miracle and one as the servant candle to light the others). The custom also is to eat foods fried in oil and to play the dreidle game (which is very easy for kids and has some history of its own that could be used to teach a unit lesson). Children are also given small gifts (like coins) to celebrate the prosperity of the Israelites. The two stories have been meshed and mingled and are often told as one today.


Thought the celebration of this day (for which ever reason or both combined) is recorded in John 10:22-23, it is not a Feast of Israel in the sense that Purim, Pesach, and the others commanded in Deuteronomy are. It is instead a national holiday of sorts, like our Independence Day. It is a celebration of the reclaiming of the temple and most likely a miracle of the sacred oil combined, but it is not a holy festival in that sense. It is certainly a day of joy, and of course Yahweh was the orchestrator of the many miracles that brought the desired outcome. There are other festivals listed in the Bible that are not holy in that sense as well, but they are still important to the culture of the Jewish people. Wedding feasts, the celebration of birthdays (Genesis 21:8- it was customary to wean a child at 2 and then celebrate the 'new' stage in his life), and others were talked about in the Bible but not given direct instruction to celebrate them at all, or if so how to keep them. They were still a source of great joy, and we are to have joy in our lives. Each of us will find different seasons of life to celebrate, but they will be personal in nature depending on the journey Yahweh has specifically put us on. The Feasts in Deuteronomy are communal and commanded- they are set apart for Yahweh's purposes and are therefore different.

So again I would compare it to the celebration of Independence Day here in America. It is a very important reminder of the history of the nation, it is a celebration of our freedom to worship the true and living God, and we are called to be in subjection to and pray for our government leaders. Just like we have Thanksgiving to celebrate the establishment of religious freedom and then Independence Day to commemorate when we had to fight to preserve that freedom, the Israelites have Sukkot to commemorate the covenant of Yahweh and his desire for them to worship him in a movable temple and then Hanukkah to commemorate the fight to secure the freedom to worship him in the temple established in the Promised Land. It is a very similar comparison and I have no objection to celebrating either day, because both are entirely about rejoicing in the goodness of our Father Provider.

For more on Feasts and Festivals, see www.chosenpeople.com

YAHWEH (by any other name)

You know how sometimes something will swirl around in your head for a while but you just don't know how to tackle it until someone says just what you're thinking? That's what happened to me today.

After 9/11, I grew dissatisfied with the call to rally all religions behind the heading of 'god' and let it mean to each person what they want it to. I had thought it was kinda obvious that we are very different because we require the advocate of Jesus Christ to cover our sins in order to allow us to come to 'God'. Our God is very different from the other gods of the world because of his very nature.

I had also been watching the Little House DVDs and it drove me up the wall when they built the blind school and the kids were praying for it and it was all 'We are so happy God that we are here and the light inside us shines brighter than any light we could even see anyway' kinda sugary=sweet, nauseating sentimentality. Aside from just wishing the show had followed the books instead of making up a script that is far and away from the real words of Laura Ingalls, it irked me that one of the biggest changes they made was in the faith basis of the story. If you read the books often (or too often in my case) you see how their faith was certainly a major part of everyday life. And it was a specific faith, not the 'universal God-ism' that the writers chose to promote in order to gain a wider audience. Than I read in the liner notes that they intentionally made God an abstract character in order to cover the vast array of beliefs of the actors and audience. So, how is that a fair and accurate portrayal of the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder? You certainly wouldn't make a movie or TV series about Gandhi and have him praying 'Help me Jesus!'.

So I was just in general tired of the 'I believe in God, too' when the definition of that word couldn't be more different than that of the Bible.

And in my studying I read about families who's names were changed when they emigrated to America because It was easier to pronounce for the American people, and I thought about how the Hebrew names are pronounced so differently when we translate them. That was when me wheels started turning, but I couldn't quite grasp what I was thinking.

Today Anna posted about the vehement distaste she has for the use of the word God when speaking of the God of the Bible- the REAL deal, and how he has given us his name many times (Yahweh) and actually more than one name (I AM, Elohim, Adonai, etc.) So why do we use the term 'God' 99% of the time? Because it is something that the rest of the world can identify with. But wait- aren't we then assimilating our knowledge of the one True, Holy, and Eternal God with all the ideas of god that are false? It's almost like we've put our God in the witness protection program!

So from now on, I will be more careful to specify of whom I am speaking rather than lumping THE Lord in with all of man's junk. Just capitalizing it is not enough to clearly demonstrate which god I serve.

Swallowed Up in Victory

".. for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Genesis 3:19

Have you noticed the way cemeteries have changed in the last 20 years? Before, the headstones were most often grey with black writing. Perhaps a carving of a flower or a cross would adorn the stone, and despite the different sizes or sculptures that would identify the stone of a more wealth or prominent person, they were all pretty much the same. Now, you will see all-out shrines in cemeteries. People pay for large, obstinate stones and decorate them to excess. For example, I live in a small town with a small cemetery, but in that cemetery now you will find a stone with an entire depiction of a carnival on the front, a stone that is 5 feet tall in the shape of two bucking broncos toughing hooves, and a stone with a carving of a face that is life-size. There are also graves that are covered, and that is not an exaggeration, with teddy bears, statuettes, pinwheels, pennies, and anything else that reminds people of the person in that grave. One couple has a deck of playing cards and a Scottish terrier on their stone. What people leave behind is a very good indication of what mattered to them in life, and sometimes that is a sad statement.

My husband and I frequently walk through cemeteries. There are the ethereal attractions- the quiet, the flowers, usually large and stately trees. But even with the appreciation of the beautiful there is an underlying darkness of truth in a cemetery that cannot be ignored. It causes personal reflection. If you are thinking too highly of yourself, this is a good place to be reminded how short and small your life is in contrast to the history of the world. There are so many graves of people who lived and died a long life before you were even born. If you need a reminder that things have not always been as they are now, look at the graves of all the children who died, sometimes many to a family, because of disease or calamity. Or the many headstones with three names- the original couple, and the second spouse after a death. These instances are very rare anymore. I personally like to see the headstones of couples that were many years apart in age, just because of the ability to relate to others like us. No matter what you are looking for or looking at in a cemetery, you cannot escape the reflection on your own life and eventual death.

"Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country." Jeremiah 22:10

While in this cemetery, we passed a grave of a man about my age, who had two daughters, but no wife, mentioned on his stone. The headstone itself was very large, and it was covered on both sides with pictures, poems, and sentiments. Then the headstone was surrounded by a little picket fence and filled with white gravel. Inside that fence were decorative rocks with verses like “If tears could build a stairway…”, and “We little knew that morning…”. Then there was a bench over the grave site itself, with statuettes around the base and potted flowers outlining the plot. My immediate thought was that the family of this person must not have the hope of life after death. Now obviously we cannot know the state of any person other than ourselves and I am not in any way trying to pass judgment. But the evidence before me was overwhelming to that probability. First, we have the lack of any indication of this person’s faith. Symbols and verses cannot save a person, but generally a person who lived a life of faith will be remembered for that faith. I also saw in the overabundance of ‘things’ left at the grave that the family’s hope had died there as well. They were concentrating their focus on this six foot plot of ground where the body of this man was being turned back into earth. That is not anything substantial to hope in or look to.

After we had walked further down, two cars pulled in. They were both visiting the grave we had passed with the concentration of remembrances, and the older woman I guessed to be his mother. She took from her trunk fresh flowers, and I somehow got the idea this was a daily trip for her. She placed the flowers in their urn and sat on the bench and wept. With her was another young man, perhaps another son. He was silent and stoic, staring at the ground.

Obviously the point is to remember the person we have lost. Even the Bible discussed the ceremonial treatment of bodies of the deceased. Jacob (Israel) asked his sons to take him home to be buried with Rachel. Lazarus was prepared and laid in a tomb. The women were going to put spices on the body of Jesus. I am not suggesting that we throw people’s bodies in mass graves and never look back. But we cannot place our hope, our lives, into the contents of that grave. And if this is the last statement we have to make about our lives, what statement should we make?

The dead are soon forgotten. Even family members two generations from now will not remember that person. It is simply a name on a grave. A branch in the family tree. But that name has no real meaning. Even those who are remembered because of things they had done in life (military figures, celebrities, etc.) are remembered for a tiny fraction of their lives, and sometimes it is not even an accurate portrayal of who they truly were. In a very short time, the dead are forgotten. Even when we try to keep the memory alive, the earth works against us. Even the engravings on the stones are eventually worn away.

The mausoleum at the top of this post is down over a hill, away from the rest of the cemetery. We would not have ever known it was there if not for the part of the roof that was visible on the edge of the plots by the woods. Whomever placed it here could not have know that it would someday be forgotten, covered in vines and hidden by trees and brush at the bottom of a steep, wooded grade. It was surely magnificently beautiful in its day, and now it is worn and crumbling. And forgotten.




The front section of the cemetery was crowded with broken, illegible, faded stones. Those who placed them over the graves were intent on keeping them in good repair and showing their love for the people they lost by visiting them often. But as they passed on, the generations after them forgot, or did not know, these now anonymous people in the ground. No matter how much we might want to make the world remember those who are important to us, one day we will not be here to remind them. They will be forgotten.

That is a very hard fact to swallow at times. It is especially hard to accept when the sting of death is so fresh in our hearts. The person who was such an integral part of your life, who shaped and molded your thinking and doing, will be just a name to your descendants. Sometimes people are not even remembered at the time of their death.



This grave is of an unknown soldier, like the memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. The little cemetery where this man is buried is right next to a large field that was used for training the union troops during the civil war. This man died in the camp, whether of illness or an accident, and was buried here. Somehow, no one knew who he was or where he was from.



This girl is known as the ‘foster daughter of’. I wonder what caused her to be separated from her family, and if they ever went looking for her. Would this be enough evidence to find her? Were they already gone themselves?

What about those who die and are never found? There is nowhere for the family to go and remember. A life ended perhaps without anyone even knowing it. There are anonymous graves everywhere around us and we just don’t know it. What a sad thought, that people are lying somewhere and no one knows where they are. But there IS someone who knows where they are…

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” Psalm 139:7-8



No matter where we are, God can see us. And He will one day reveal all things, such as the place of interment for those who have died without anyone knowing where or why. And Revelations 20 promises us that the sea will give up its dead. One day, every person who ever lived will be found. That should make us joyful, considering the many mysteries death has held over all of history. But for some people, that will not be a joyful day. And this is where we come back to the people leaving their hope at the cemetery.

Did you ever wonder why God did not leave us the directions to the burial places of all the Bible heroes? Why is it that these very prominent people are buried in anonymous places in the earth? Because the focus should not be on where the body is buried, but where the soul is headed. Our bodies are dust, and they turn back into dust. Even with the advances in preservation of our day, decomposition is inevitable. Wherever Moses is interred, he is dust. King David’s splendor is now rotted and worthless. A grave is just a place to lay a body. At least, until the day that it will be resurrected.

Most people would be terrified of the idea of being in a cemetery when the graves open up and the dead arise. It is a common theme in horror movies for a body to come out and haunt the living, and it is successfully frightening to see on a screen. But it is not possible! Satan has never conquered death. Only Christ has conquered death, and one day he will put an end to dying forever. He will speak the words, and the dead shall rise and death will be no more. Rather than being a scary thought, if we were in a cemetery and the graves open up it would be a sign that our Messiah had returned. It would be a magnificent day.

“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

For those who know Jesus, death is merely the means to being with Him. Our funerals ought not be moments of great sorrow, but of rejoicing for the promised truth we have of resurrection. We ought not sit in the cemetery and weep, but go through all the world preaching the gospel, that as many as possible might be saved. We have no need to spend our time on the dead, but rather on the dying. We ought not fear death, for Christ has conquered it already!

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” Philippians 1:21-24

If I die before the return of the Messiah to gather his people and judge the world, I do not wish for people to spend their time mourning over my corrupt body in the grave. I will soon be forgotten, and to that I say Amen. The only things worth remembering about me are the glimmers of Christ, which HE put there, and which will be resurrected, perfected, and taken home to heaven. Do not grieve for me, as I will not be in a position of needing sympathy. Instead, remember the quickness of life and spread the gospel to the perishing.

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55

My husband and I had a conversation years ago about headstones and the waste of money so many of them are to try and hold on to what cannot be gotten back. I said originally I wanted no marker at all, or a stone that said “Herein lies dust.” But then we decided that rather than leave nothing at all, or worse a stone that means nothing to eternity but rather distracts attention from it, we would make our headstone a billboard, pointing the way to the Lord with the gospel message. And for as long as it stands before it falls over, or weathers into oblivion, people will know the only thing that ever mattered about our lives- we were redeemed by Christ!


“..Death is swallowed up in victory!!!!!!” I Corinthians 15:54

Amen.

Self-Check for Christians

Internet Monk had this up, and I thought it was worth sharing.

THE THIRTEEN CRITICAL PROBLEMS FACING CONTEMPORARY EVANGELICALISM

1. Vast evidence of a growing doctrinal deterioration on the essentials and implications of the Gospel.

2. The expansion and influence of the “Prosperity Gospel” throughout evangelicalism.

3. The loss of the concept of meaningful church membership and the rise of the “audience-only” model of church participation.

4. The loss of the theological “center” in mainline churches at the precise time many evangelicals are open to reconsidering the mainline vision of worship, especially in Anglicanism.

5. The triumph and glorification of unchecked pragmatic entrepreneurialism, especially in worship, but in all areas of evangelical life.

6. The corrosive and compromised influence of Christian publishing in shaping evangelicalism, as exemplified in the rise of Joel Osteen, The Prayer of Jabez and the Prosperity Gospel.

7. Growing chaos in the theological and practical preparation of pastors, especially in the “emerging” church.

8. The failure of the “Seeker” model to use its vast resources and influence to produce a Christian counter-culture or challenge the “program centered/facilities centered” model of evangelicalism.

9. The lack of rising “Billy Graham” quality new leaders for the larger evangelical movement.

10. The failure of most evangelical denominations to broadly embrace and effectively mentor the current church planting movement.

11. The demise of quality Biblical preaching at the hands of technology and entertainment.

12. The apparently fatal infection of much of the emerging church movement with the failed theology of 20th century liberalism.

13. The cannibalism of evangelicalism on issues related to theological, cultural, social and political diversity.

Full Assurance

Can we ever really know that we are saved? Here's what just one book of the Bible says:

Colossians
(this study looks at particular verses and their message, but the book reads like a love letter. Read it through from the beginning before going on- it is not very long!)

"Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel." 1:4-5

The word hope here is not what we think of when we read hope. It is not wishful thinking, but rather a confident knowledge of something, or in other words, they were saying they were anxiously awaiting what was coming. They were sure of it because of the promise they had received through the gospel. Do an original languages study of this word. A lot of confusion about the scriptures can be cleared up by looking at the original wording!

"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." 1:12-14

We have redemption, which means complete deliverance. There can be no partial deliverance, just as you couldn't partially deliver a baby (and that is a good way to think of it since we know we cannot see heaven unless we are born again). Once a baby is delivered, it cannot be undone- you cannot un-deliver it. So those who have truly been born again are delivered completely from the effects of our sins through the blood of Yeshua. To say that we must still be purified before entering heaven is to make that blood less powerful or to say that our deliverance was only partial. That is contrary to the scriptures.

"For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven..." 1:19-23

God made a way to have all reconciled to him. It is our choice whether to accept it or not. If we do truly accept it, we are presented before God as 'holy, unblameable, and unreproveable'. We could not have any unforgiven sins on us and still be called clean. So even if we falter after our deliverance, the blood of Christ covers us.

Now, there is a statement in verse 23 telling us we can remove ourselves from that position. Just as my children are still my children even if they do wrong, we are God’s chosen elect even if we sin. We can forfeit our position in the family by walking away or denying the Father, just as the prodigal son did. It is by our choice, not something that God does to us. One of my children could decide as an adult to ‘disown’ himself. He could leave the family and break with us. And just as the father of the prodigal sons did, God will watch for our return to put us back in our right place. Had the prodigal son never returned, he would have forfeited his place in the family. The laws concerning inheritance were very different during the time of the Bible, and it can be hard to understand in light of the examples we have today. A son who abandoned his family would have no claim to the family’s estate. This is how we are with the Lord. If we chose to deny the faith and walk away, and are not reconciled to God before our death, it is of our own choosing. We have not ‘lost’ our salvation, but surrendered it. But God has said all who come to him through the son have an equal share in the inheritance of heaven.

“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” 1:25-27

The fulfillment of the Word of God, the ‘mystery’ that has been waiting to be unfurled from the beginning, is Yeshua the Messiah IN us! If we have the perfect lamb within us, we cannot be punished for sin after death, as his sacrifice was the ‘once for all’, the completion. To say Christ is in us but we cannot know for sure that we are saved makes absolutely no sense.

“That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.” 2:2-4

Here Paul tells us that we have FULL ASSURANCE through Jesus! That is how our hearts are comforted in the midst of the trials we have been promised we will experience, because they are temporaery and our promised inheritance is eternal. All truth is contained in His person, and Paul is sending a warning that we hold onto that assurance so that we will be not led astray by those who would trick us into a different message of salvation. Anyone who says we cannot be sure of our salvation is leading us astray.

“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.” 2:10

Sadly, there will be those who believe this verse doesn’t mean complete in the sense that it truly means. We have been completely redeemed by that blood, and he is more powerful than any teaching or tradition of man.

“Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” 2:18-19

We are being admonished not to return to following the rules of men to gain salvation because we have our salvation in full through the lamb. It would be foolish to leave the only real means of being delivered to try and keep ourselves to the pointless rules made up by others who have not the heart-knowledge of the Messiah. Yeshua is the only door, and pretending we can appear more holy before the Father when covered in our own actions than when we appear before him under the blood of His son is blasphemy! He has freed us, not shackled us!

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” 3:1-3

Oh, Halleluiah! We are dead. Our lives are now hid in Christ Jesus. Can Christ be put to death once again? Heaven forbid! He has overcome death. And if we have died to our selves and our lives are now hid in Him, we cannot be separated from Him. What a glorious thought!

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” 3:5-10

Here is clear teaching that our salvation does not depend on our ability to stop sinning. We are already saved, we are made part of Christ. Yet we still have the propensity to sin. And Paul is saying we need to get rid of those things in us. Why? Verse 10 tells us that we are being renewed. As we learn more and more about the Father, we become more like Him. Our perfecting comes through communing with Him and reflecting His glory as we concentrate on Him. And God hates sin. Verse 6 says that because of these things, God is coming to punish those who disobey him. Does that include those who are born again? No. Our sins are wiped away, as we saw in chapter one. But as we begin to become more and more like the father, those things will disgust us the way they do Him. If we were able to stop sinning on our own, the crucifixion would have been for naught. Crucifying our sinful flesh is part of growing in Yeshua, not a requirement for salvation, else we would be saving ourselves.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” 3:16-17

So how do we begin to look more like the Father and reflect that perfection in all that we do? By letting the word of Christ dwell richly in our hearts. We need to read and re-read the words the Messiah has given us in order to know who the Father is. Then we can demonstrate that truth for others to see.

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” 3:23-25

We ought to do our best at everything because the Father would, and we are becoming like Him. When we do, people see that there is something different about us. It is a manifestation (as Paul calls in in Chapter 4) of the secret which has been revealed to us- the Messiah! We also have the full assurance of our inheritance because we are one with Christ. That ought to make us joyful in any circumstance.

So what about the last verse? Will we be punished for our wrongs? We couldn’t be, because the punishment for sin is death. Christ covered all of our sins, past present, future, when we surrendered to Him. The verse is speaking of those who do wrong to us, and that we ought not seek revenge. If we worry about such things, we are losing sight of the promise we have and we are not reflecting the joy that ought to accompany absolute knowledge of salvation.

“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” 4:5

We need to be wise about what men will try to say to us that is different from the gospel we received from God’ Word (including a salvation by works, not being fully assured of our salvation, or salvation through any means other than the blood of Christ). The only way we can be prepared to answer these lies is by dwelling fully in the Word of God, knowing and living it daily. But make no mistake- we ARE to correct those who are wrong, and if love them, we will, because the freedom of the cross versus the burden of deeds and doubt is a gift of love.

Simchat Torah

I'm going to borrow an article, because I have just been so busy this weekend! This is so perfectly and beautifully worded I couldn't give you nearly the gift this is.

Simchat Torah by followingtheancientpaths

On the eighth day of Sukkot is Simchat Torah (rejoicing in the Torah) which is said to be the most joyous day of the year. It is to be on par with a wedding, for at a wedding and on Simchat Torah there is dancing and celebration and joy. What do we celebrate and rejoice in? We are rejoicing in the fact that the Almighty has blessed us with His Torah, His very Word.

Have you ever been to an event with loved ones and have hated to leave? Have you ever found yourself longing to stay a little longer and lingering with those you love? This is Simchat Torah. We have spent 7 days of Sukkot with our Master, sitting at His feet and reveling in His Great Light. This eighth day is the lingering good-bye. This is the day that says to us, “Don’t go just yet, please stay for one more day.” Goodbyes can be hard. I well remember last year’s visit from a dear friend who had moved away. “Parting is such sweet sorrow” the saying goes. We didn’t find a lot of sweetness that morning in the train station as I dropped her off for her journey home. Funny thing is that we had gone to visit her family just a few months prior and our parting then was much the same - tearful. Simchat Torah is the “Please, stay with me one more day.” Parting is sweet sorrow when we have spent a delightful time with a loved one - we are sorry to have it end but the time spent was so sweet.

But just as it is a good-bye and a lingering among loved ones it is also a new beginning. We begin a new calendar year (though this is nearing the end of the month) and the annual Torah reading cycle begins anew with Genesis. We say goodbye to Moshe and hello to creation. It is a cycle. When one thing is completed, another starts out fresh. We welcome this new year with excitement and joy. It is like when we were nearing my friend’s home after traveling for several days, not having seen each other for quite some time. The excitement we felt was almost too much for us. Some giggled as someone shouted, “There it is! That’s their house!” Just like when she came to visit us and we waited anxiously for the phone call letting us know that she had arrived and we were to come pick her up. Oh the anticipation and excitement of being able to spend time with loved ones!

Simchat Torah, Rejoicing in the Torah. Saying goodbye to one and hello to another. Good friend, good teacher - the letters of instruction from our Loving Father.

It is as if we have been spending the festival of Sukkot with our Father, worshiping Him at His feet. We have taken time out of our lives to focus on HaShem as our shelter, our refuge, our protection, our provider. We have thought about Yeshua as the Light of the World, the Living Water Who was poured out for us and that if we drink of Him we will never thirst again. We have thought about leaving our bonds of sin in Egypt and living a life of freedom. We have thought about Yeshua having gone to prepare a place for His bride. There would have been (were there a Temple) 70 bulls offered, which may very well represent one for each of the 70 nations. On Simchat Torah there is the final bull offered, only this one is offered on the eighth day (though the daily sacrifices are still offered, they never stop). This final day is a special and sacred assembly, to be sure. This is a day to participate in a holy convocation, a special Shabbat to the L-RD. We have dwelt in this way for the past 7 days and now we are saying “goodbye” to the fall festivals, to our time at the Masters feet. It is a sweet and sorrowful parting. But we are rejoicing in that we have His Word, the Torah and that through it we are given instructions for life and peace, joy, righteousness, and holiness.

Maimonides describes how we should long for G-d’s presence as we do for a loved one. And the feeling is mutual. We should long for time spent with HaShem just like we long to be with friends and family. More than anticipating a visit from grandparents or dear friends, more than anticipating our children returning home from far away - we should long for the presence of HaShem.

There are many teachings related to Simchat Torah and the uniqueness of this day. A simple internet search will yield a lot of results.

For those who read the annual cycle it is a day of saying goodbye to Deuteronomy and hello to Genesis as the scroll is rewound to begin the cycle anew. For those who keep to the triennial cycle it is still a day of rejoicing and celebrating, though the ceremonies will be different.

This is one of my favorite stories of all time that I thought I’d share here with my readers:
A True Simchat Torah Story by Rabbi Yerachmiel Milstein If you read this true story you will find at the bottom of the story that this is #3 in a series of 7 articles. Read #4 as well.

May you find blessing and joy in this day of rejoicing, Simchat Torah.

Revelations from Sukkot

We left Thursday morning for the weekend to celebrate Sukkot. This is the feast of booths or tabernacles that is found in Leviticus 23:33-36. The idea is to sleep in a tent or booth, some sort of temporary structure, in order to remember the time the Israelites spent in the desert, living in and worship from temporary buildings. There is so much symbolism in all this: we are wandering here on earth, awaiting our deliverance to the Promised Land (heaven), we dwell in temporary shelters (bodies) but will one day have permanent and perfected bodies, and on and on. It is also the feast of ingathering, which is the celebration of all that God has given us this year from our garden and fields and as I mentioned before, I LOVE the feeling of seeing bins full of potatoes and apples, and barrels of wheat and rye and oats, and having herbs drying in the kitchen and food drying in the dehydrator. That is such a visible witness to God's provision (remember I said my favorite pictures were of stocked root cellars in the old-fashioned books?) So it is such a time of joy and happiness.

And yet, it was a time of testing and growth for me. As for the goal of putting myself in the place of the Israelites, it was a complete success. See, I have always been kinda judgmental of them. I mean, they witnessed the plagues and saw God's deliverance, they were led by a pillar of wind and fire and saw God's deliverance, they saw the RED SEA PARTED and experienced God's deliverance, they got water from a rock, food from the sky, saw the glory of the Lord descend on a mountain, and were protected from all enemies (all of which were evidence of God's deliverance) and yet they moaned and whined and fretted and doubted the Lord. I always thought they were a bunch of cry babies with very short memories (or who were not easily impressed!).



Well, we had our outline of how the weekend would go. We were going to arrive at the campsite Thursday afternoon, set up our tent, start a fire, roast our meat-kabobs and vegetables, have Matzos and grape juice, figs, olives, honey and almonds, and read from the Bible and the book about the Feasts of the Lord, and bask in the glow of a spiritual remembrance. Well, we got started late because of the fact that we had to go shopping. We were supposed to do it Wednesday, but Gary got sick and slept all afternoon, so we did the shopping and got home and ready to go only to be 4 hours behind schedule! We were driving down the turnpike when the bus suddenly made a loud noise, which continued for 20 miles until I finally yelled at Gary that he either had to pull over or I was jumping from the window. The exhaust had slipped out of its hanging clamp and broke, and the bus was full of fumes. We were tired and had headaches and our eyes were red. It turned out to be a 3 minute fix job, but we were already on shaky ground because of the terse words I had said to my husband. He was in front with the window opened and couldn't smell the fumes, so he thought I was just mad about the noise and he wanted to get to the campground before dark. So we each went on what we knew and decided the other was wrong!

So we got to our exit and tried to find the campground only to realize I had plugged the wrong address into the mapquest. I looked up the address of the bowling alley in that town so that if we were rained out we had a back up plan. We had directions to the bowling alley, but not the campground! By the time we found our way, it was dark, so we were trying to set up a tent in the dark. I had brought the lamp, but when I was looking for the canopy to the tent, I knocked it over and broke the bulb! So we were wrestling with this tent in the dark, and had no cover to it. We took the other tent (good thing we brought both just in case) and turned it upside down over the bottom tent for a cover. Unfortunately, the wind picked up and blew it off, so we then had to find bailer twine and electric fence wire (good thing we are farmers) to tie the top tent down. Then I started a fire and warmed our kabobs (they were pre-cooked so I didn't have to worry about them being done enough) and we ate them and went to bed. No matzos, no honey, no olives. Then a sudden gust of wind kicked the embers from the fire up against the tent, so we hurriedly went out and doused the fire with water, which then smoldered all night and made everyone's allergies go haywire.

So we woke up sick and had to try and re-light a fire. Friday was to be our relaxing day, walking trails and swimming and just enjoying the outdoors. Well, I was already mad about the allergies and then we fought about starting the fire. Gary ended up in the ER two weeks ago very sick, and has developed asthma out of nowhere, so I thought I should do the fire. He wanted to do it because he thought I was doing it wrong, to which I retorted “How many fires did I start at home?!?” Cause when we first built our house, he had never had a fire place so I started all the fires. Well, that made him all the more determined to finish it, so he spent 40 minutes playing with those wet ashes and big logs (no kindling) and finally got the fire going, but then he got sick. He had to lay down, but the tent was full of smoke, so he lay on the ground by a tree with the baby’s bunny for a pillow. I made the kids their breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and bacon and then the bacon was missing when we sat down to eat. We do have kids with food issues, so I immediately started the inquisition. No one budged, and I never did figure out what happened to the bacon, but I was even madder when Gary woke up and said he was really feeling bad. I said we should go home, and he said no, and went back to sleep under that tree. Well, the baby had blisters on her heels from shoes that got too small REALLY fast so I had to leave her barefoot. The stroller wouldn’t go on the trails because they were made of slag and the wheels kept getting caught, so I had to sit at that campsite and wait for Gary to be revived from his coma. He didn’t want to go home because it would ruin the fun for the kids, but they wandered around the campground since they had to stay with me and I had to stay with the baby, so they were bored and upset. When Gary finally came to at 4:00, he said he thought he would be OK, so we decided to stay, but because I could not build another fire, we went to town to get food. When we got back, it was dark again, so we went to bed.



Saturday was the apple butter festival and pie contest at Sauder Village. All those entering pies got free admission, so we would only have to pay for Gary and Joe. Well, our oldest had stepped in two of the pies and didn’t tell us, so we had only three pies to enter. And I of course launched into a lecture about how irresponsible it was not to tell us the truth when it happened and to allow someone else to take blame for something they didn’t do. We decided we would have to go with the pies we had and I would just pay for her and myself to get in (which would kill the budget, but what can you do?) The deadline for pies was 10:30, but when we left the campground, we forgot that all our directions were from the bowling alley, so we got lost and lost time and didn’t get there in time to enter ANY of the pies. So I was steaming about that. I made a conscious decision to have a good day, and I did enjoy the village, but when we went to the restaurant to eat, the waitress didn’t have all our water glasses to the table at the same time, so the 7 year old threw a tantrum. If there is one thing I cannot tolerate in public it is big kids throwing baby fits. So I was really upset and angry. She kept crying and looking around for sympathy, and I kept getting more and more angry at her (if you don’t get this story, read the series on fostering/adopting). Gary even took her outside to correct her, but when they came back she kept crying and then she refused to eat the food put in front of her. The water showed up at the table (and she drank 1/3 of it, BTW!) but my stomach was in such a knot I couldn’t eat, which made me more upset because this was not a cheap dinner. We went back to the village grounds and finished our tour, but I had a headache and my stomach was hurting and by the time I got settled down, it was closing. We headed back toward the campground, stopping at a Wal-Mart for some food that did not have to be cooked. We also bought the series Christy on DVD, so we had something to do when it got dark since we could not sit around the fire. We had our sub sandwiches and watched three of the movies, and then the baby was fussy all night long. She kept waking up crying and would climb out of her pak-n-play into our air mattress. I would let her fall asleep and then put her back, only to repeat it over and over.

Sunday was our last day, so we had wanted to pack up after breakfast and stop at a church on the way home. Well, it was all we could do to get out of our site in time. We stopped at McD’s on the way out of town, so I finally had some coffee and a hot meal. I was doing some serious inflection about this time, and really put it in my heart to try and have a good trip home with the kids. Because we had time, we were going to take the scenic route, which is the way I used to go to Defiance to get to school. We stopped at a cemetery (cause you know how we are about cemeteries) to stretch our legs and ended up spending a great deal of time there (I thin an hour and a half, but more about that in another post). During my time of inflection, I had thought about how I floundered all weekend. I thought the Israelites were bad, but look at my demonstration. People could look right at me and say the same thing I had. I have seen deliverance. In fact, unlike the Israelites, I have experienced the full, complete, and eternal deliverance of the Messiah. My sins are gone, my name is in the book, and I have the promise that nothing on this earth can separate me form the love of God. And yet I whined, I grumbled, I complained, I lost sight of the goal.

There are people begging the Lord for babies, and I was grumpy that mine kept me up. There were people who had lost children (we read the statistic at the village of 1800’s children- 1 out of every 10 died by the age of 10) and I was mad at mine for stepping in pies and stealing bacon- all temporal things that can be replaced. I was disappointed in the way the menu turned out, while people were starving in countries run by men who care nothing about them. I was mad at my husband for being stubborn and getting himself sick, while there are women (a friend of this blog, in fact) who were saying goodbye to their husbands for a year, or forever, in order to protect our country and the nation of Israel. I was annoyed that the top of our tent was missing while there were people living on the streets just 20 miles away in the city. I was a hypocrite. I stood in the face of such blessing and salvation and whined. Any one of you could have called me on it, and you would have been right. Sure, I didn’t see anything as miraculous as the parting of a sea, but I also was not being chased by an Egyptian army bent on my destruction. In perspective, I have more reason to hold fast. I’m not still waiting for the deliverer. He has come. He is now preparing the wedding feast for me. Just like the Israelites, I took my eyes off the deliverance and began to worry about the futile.

And there was much to be glad about even in the midst of my ‘troubles’. We had the money to go. Our bus didn’t blow a tire or spring a gas leak. The children did not get croup as they usually do from sleeping outside. It did not rain. I found a great visual aid for the article I have been writing about death. And I finally got the message of Sukkot. God often lets us flounder so that we realize just how powerful He is when he takes out of it. Our wandering is part of our perfecting process. I forgot to view the multitude of blessing I had gathered this year that will be stored up in my heart for the winter (my wandering) and get me through until the day I go marching into the Promised Land.

As an interesting note, we did find the canopy to our tent. It was underneath us the whole time. Somehow in the setting up of the poles and the canvas, it got on the ground and covered up. We didn’t see it because we were working in the dark. Man, isn’t that about the best analogy for the lesson I learned this Sukkot or what?

Yom Kippur

I meant to put this up yesterday, and I got tired and fell asleep, so it didin't get done. September 22nd was Yom Kippur, or the day of Atonement. I have to admit that I would be kinda sad about this day if I have lived B.C. But now we have the assurance of atonement through the perfect blood of Christ, and I can't think of anything more exciting. You can read about this day in Leviticus 23:26-32:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

It used to be such a sad day, having to make atonement for your sins all the while being aware that it was not a complete atonement. I am aflicted by my sins, and have spent the weekend reflecting on my need to be more committed to living what I ebleive is right regardless of the 'buts' (not feeling well, financial squeeze, angry children, etc.) but it is also hard to supress the joy and peace of having my sins pardoned. We know that no one comes to the father unless called by him, so the fact that I have been called makes me profoundly humbled. It is odd to think that the fact of my sins requiring justification and that I essentially am guilty of murder is such a glorious thought, but that is part fo that mystery of the walk we walk. I understand a little better Paulk's meanign when he said he would glory all the more in his infirmaties (2 Corinthians 12:9) because all it does is point right back to the overwhelming power of Christ to save us.

If you would like to mark your calendar, the date for Yom Kippur in 2008 will be October 9th.

Also coming up this week (27th) is Sukkot (tabernacle, booth, tent) when you are supposed to sleep outside to remember the years the Israelites spent in the wilderness. It is also the feast of ingathering, which is such a fun time for me because it means the work is done for the year and the winter rest is coming. It is amazing to see the food stored away and remember how the Lord has been exceedingly good to us. We are going camping to celebrate and decided to try out a new campground that is part of a Old-Fashioned themed village, which is so up my alley. So as a history major, I will enjoy the step back in time and the reminder of the people who were willing to leave everything and start over in a new country full of dangers in order to maintain religious purity. So this weekend will be like our Thanksgiving. I am very excited about it!

Is Purgatory Biblical?

"..and finds that he is not able to partake of divinity until he has been purged of the filthy contagion in his soul by the purifying fire."

What about "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23? The price for sin is death, not a purification period. Any sin that we have in us (blemish, impurity, whatever you want to call it) demands death. None of us can correct our own sins, which is why we needed Jesus to be the substitutionary sacrifice. To say that we then still must be purified makes his blood of no power (Hebrews 10:28-29).

The verse in 1 Corinthians 3 is out of context. If you start reading in verse 9, you will see that he is talking about the foundation that must be built for Christians, and how there is only one foundation that will last. Any man who builds upon a foundation of worldly things will suffer loss (though they may still be saved if their sins are covered), but those who build the foundation on Christ (verse 11) will reap a reward. In other words, when we live our lives as Christ desires, we will benefit both here and in heaven. If we misunderstand and try to build up a worldly 'kingdom', but we still believe, our work will be lost but we will still be saved.

The same for 1 Peter 1:7. If you read verse 6 it is obvious he is talking about the temptations we will face in our earthly lives while trying to follow Christ. He says first (beginning in the first verse) that we have a great deal to rejoice about because we have an inheritance which in not corruptible waiting for us in heaven. Then in verse 6 he says we may have to fave a season of heaviness on earth, as our faith is tested by the world, but that we should continue by holding on to that promise (verse 9).

Jude 1:23 also needs to be re-examined in context. This chapter talks about the prophesied heretics who would distort the message and follow after their own ways, but Jude says to keep living the way they should and some may be saved by their kindness (compassion) and some may be saved because they hear the truth and are afraid. The fire they are being saved from is Hell because they are not truly saved.

In 2 Timothy 1:16-18, Paul is speaking to Timothy about Onesiphorus and saying he hopes that mercy will come to the family of Onesiphorus because they had always welcomed and cared for him. He was very unpopular for his work, and they took him in anyway, so he is desiring that they be blessed for it and not persecuted. He instructs Timothy in 4:19 to greet the family, again showing that he is grateful for their care. This does not show Paul praying anywhere for a dead man. It doesn't even say that Onesiphorus had died!

We must be spotless and pure in God's presence. Rev 21:27, Matt 5:8

The verse in Revelations says only those who have their name in the book of life will enter, and we get our names there by believing on Christ. (Luke 10:20, Revelations 3:5, 20:15) Matthew 5:8 says the pure in heart will see God. We are told how to have our hearts purified (1 John 1:9, 1 Peter 1:20, Hebrews 10:22, Psalm 51:10)

Christ promised there was punishment that exacted what was due but wasn't endless. (And Paul supported this teaching.)

Matthew 5:20-26 Jesus is speaking here of his burning anger at the Pharisees and how they are completely void in their hearts of the love of God. He is saying we must be sincere in our faith, not just doing lip service, and he is condemning the actions of the Pharisees. It was not like a marker that they set and the rest of us have to reach. He was saying their religion was of no avail.

Matthew 12:32 This is clearly a yes or no. If you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, their is not saving you. Period. It says nothing of a purification before heaven.

Matthew 18:21-35 This parable speaks of the immeasurable debt we owe that we can never pay, and how Christ paid it for us. We cannot therefore turn around and threaten someone who owes us anything because we have been pardoned of a debt we could not pay, and we ought to therefore forgive others of their small debts to us.

Matthew 25:31-46 Again, there is nothing in this verse that talks about purification. It is a matter of those who loved as Christ commanded being saved, and those who were merciless being condemned. Nothing in this parable that backs up purgatory. Read 1 Peter 2:24-25.

Luke 12:58-59 Again, how does the warning to the hypocrites about being trapped have anything to do with purgatory?

Hebrews 9:27 Just read the next verse. But for those who look for him, those who believe he is risen and coming again, he will appear and they will have no sins to account for, because as 1 John 1:7 says we have been cleansed from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 99:8 This verse talks about the punishment the Israelites had to endure (wandering in the desert) because of their unbelief. It says nothing that would back up the idea of purgatory.

I have not seen one verse here that even remotely supports the idea.

This punishment isn't in Hell because you can't be saved through hellfire. Also, there's no punishment in Heaven.

Amen to that. No argument with that statement (though I still don't follow your exegesis of these verses and how they apply to your stance).

Those who are alive can pray for those who are dead (and vice versa).

1 John 5:16-17 This is saying that we ought to pray for our brethren that they not die in their sins, not that we can pray for them after they have died. (read the rest of the chapter)

Luke 16:19-31 This text speaks of the warning to repent while we may (living) because once we are dead we have no more opportunity to change anything. Also, this man was in hell. Are you suggesting that the people in hell can get prayers through to God as well?

Psalm 115:17 "The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence."

What about Ecclesiastes 9:5-6? The dead do not know what is going on. How can they pray for you? Read this page and this page. I don't agree with everything they say, but this way I don't have to type out 23 more verses!

Also, the Bible says that punishments for sin are death. We are dead in our transgressions, etc. So purgatory, as a place of purification from sins, would be equated to death. And man has no power over death. Christ was the first and only to conquer death. If we have no power over it, how can our prayers be to any avail?

The Bible also clearly says over and over there is either death in the fires of hell, or eternal life, the gift from God. (1 John 2:2, Romans 8:1-4, John 5:24, etc., etc.) There is no scriptural backing for purgatory.