Rumblings
I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8 NIV
Faith – The church in Europe is empty. Why? In my view, it is because of the failure of authority. The Pope and the Preacher have both been found fallible. What do I do when my political authority fails to offer me reasons to follow? I vote him out. What do I do when the Church fails to provide me authority for living? I leave.
God brought the people out of Egypt in order that they might worship Him. What did that mean? That they would accept Him rather than Pharaoh as their sovereign; that they would conform to His instructions for living; and that they would become His instrument for bringing the nations to the Lord. But forty years in the wilderness was the result. Why? Because the generation that left Egypt was not able to shift from its slave paradigm and see the world through God’s eyes. In the end, that generation had to die before the paradigm changed.
Those who left the Church because of its inability to offer them an infallible authority are not coming back. Those who remain will have to die before the paradigm can change. Those who remain are convinced of the paradigm they hold, so convinced that they continue to argue for its validity while the churches empty and continue to re-interpret the evidence while the ground shakes beneath them.
Will the Son of Man find faith on earth? What do you imagine that statement means in its first century Jewish context? Do you think Yeshua is asking if He will find millions of “believers” who reject the Sabbath, ignore the Torah, denigrate God’s chosen people and systematically re-interpret the text in order to be more palatable to the world?  When Messiah returns, will He no longer be Jewish, no longer keep Torah, no longer express His eternal love for Israel? If faith is the equivalent of faithfulness (loyal obedience to the One Who offered us grace and life), how will we explain what happened in His absence? Will we hear those horrifying words, “Depart from me, I never knew you”?
What happens when the structure that holds up a society collapses? Recently a friend recounted what happened in China when Mao died. An entire generation of people who religiously clung to the Red Book lost their identity. They were cast adrift because there was no authority in their lives. And the power vacuum that was left behind allowed the emergence of a new kind of faith, at least, new in that world.
The Messiah is only one person from one nation with one ethnicity and He isn’t going to become a “universal” man when He comes back. He will be Jewish. He will have a Jewish worldview. He will uphold Jewish Torah. How will the Church recognize him? How will He recognize the Church?
Today there are rumblings. Groups of Torah observant believers are scattered around the globe. Scholars are questioning the very existence of the Church, its view of Israel, its essential and inherent anti-Semitism. In 50 years, the thoughts of these men and women will have influenced the teachers of pastors. In 100 years the pastors will influence the flock. And the Church as we know it today will die. Those who continue to hold on to replacement theology and an anti-Semitic New Testament will die and that theology will die with them just as the infallibility of the Pope died while the masses left the Catholic Church.
A Church that offers no authority for living beyond its own proclamation, no infallible guide of the infinite responsibility toward God and others, will empty over time because it will not be able to justify the necessity of godly duty. It will only be able to offer compulsion through religious or societal enforcement. It will offer the fear of hell but not the joy of His presence here and now. And men will not obey from compulsion forever. Without the direct divine revelation of a way of living, without the need to adopt a divine code of behavior, every interpretation becomes “valid” and, as a result, no interpretation is true.
The institution of the Church must die before the Messiah returns. Or it will die when the Messiah returns.
Topical Index:Â faith, Torah, Church, Messiah, Luke 18:8
Further note:  I am sure some readers will take these words as an indictment of their  personal faith.  Let me assure you, once again, that this is not the direction of Today’s Word nor of anything in my work.  I look at the bigger picture painted by theological convictions, historical events, ancient cultures and paradigm envelopes.  If you find the analysis personally challenging, I welcome your studied response.  But this is nothing personal.  It is strictly the business of why we believe.  Where did the ideas come from?  How are they supported or not supported by the text?  How do we understand the words as if we were the first audience?  There is nothing here that should cause you to doubt what you already believe unless what you already believe has not been thoroughly investigated.  This is not an attack on Christians.  It is an examination of Christianity, its history, its goals and its self-identification.  And it is difficult, disconcerting and dangerous.
“There is nothing here that should cause you to doubt what you already believe unless what you already believe has not been thoroughly investigated”
Hmmm
To thoroughly investigate would, at a minimum, require the following in my view:
1. Read the Bible from beginning to end as though it were a narrative (The GodFather 1-3)
2. Read some high-level historical background on the period
3. Read each Hebrew Word Study as though it were written by an expert on this subject
4. Try to understand what the expert is trying to teach you
That would be a good start. 🙂
Most people will say, “Oh, this is too much. I’ll just believe what I already believe.”
Luzzatto: “What shall be answer for ourselves on the Judgment Day, if we are too indolent to engage in this study, and so neglect one of the principle duties prescribed to us by God? Is ti proper that we should exert our minds to the utmost upon subjects which we are under no obligation to pursue, or that we should engage in the study of dialectics which have no practical value, or of laws that have no relevance to our needs, which we leave to habit and blind custom that which constitutes our main duty to our Creator?”
For so long science and scholarship has been used as a tool to denigrate the Bible and faith in God. I know I have a natural distrust of scholarship and study for finding truth when it comes to spiritual things — simply from the shear number of atheistic, know-it-all obnoxious “scholars”, has been an obstacle for me to overcome in thinking of study as part of “seeking” God.
Maybe I’m not alone here. Maybe there is a somewhat entrenched attitude in Christianity, not of simple laziness towards study, but a cautious attitude towards historical exploration — because for so many it was synonymous with losing faith.
Michael, I would add:
5. Enjoy!
Our sojourn should be calm, reflective, peaceful and not guilt-ridden and frantic. God is good. It´s a fun ride.
“Our sojourn should be calm, reflective, peaceful and not guilt-ridden and frantic. God is good.”
Hi Bessy,
I agree and think we were designed with a desire to know, so knowing gives us pleasure
My desire to know drives me to learn things that are difficult to understand
In my view, learning and teaching is a process that is part of our job
“The merits of the believer, even if he reaches the utmost degree in improving his soul in devotion to God, and even if he would approach the level of an angel in good character… would still not compare to the merits of the one who teaches people the good path [of Torah] and brings them to the service of God.” Rabbeinu Bachya, Duties of the Heart.
Great quote. Definitely highlights a sense of community, and responsibility to our neighbors.
Hi Christopher,
TRUE! A good teacher as such is hard to come by.
“Those who continue to hold on to replacement theology and an anti-Semitic New Testament… ”
Would it not be better if it read “Those who continue to hold on to replacement theology and an anti-Semitic view of the New Testament”?
I doubt that you believe that the Apostolic Scriptures are in itself anti-Semitic.
I did not get an answer to yesterday’s post. I love Israel and Gods word. I as I have stated before believe all scripture is for our understanding, instruction and correction. So why can we not back what we say with scripture rather than a paradigm? Here is my issue from yesterday:
Skip has said “Faith is not Theology. Faith is trusting Him and living accordingly.” The word says Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So –what I hear the word to mean, is my basis of faith and it of course becomes my theology. Study to show yourself approved a workman who needeth not be ashamed. If I have a question about seeming conflict I ask God for wisdom and I keep studying seeking for answers. One question that I have right now that is a block to my being able to understand what you mean by observing Torah, and you have possibly answered this elsewhere, is this: from the time that the disciples received the Holy Spirits baptism on Pentecost until the Temple was destroyed, is there any evidence that sacrifices were performed by the disciples in the temple during those years? Is there evidence that Paul returned each year to Jerusalem to sacrifice on Passover?
Of course this question has within it other issues. What did the tearing of the Temple curtain at Messiahs death mean to the disciples and the remnant? What will the sacrifices in the kingdom age mean to us as the Bride of Messiah?
My answer at this point to this last question is this: the sacrifices at Jerusalem in the coming kingdom must be for the unbelieving nations, because until i can be shown otherwise from scripture, i must conclude that the disciples no longer kept the sacrificial part of the law, since Jesus met this condition of the law. But having said that I can be taught further on these issues.
I agree with you Skip it is not up to me to decide. It is up to God to lead me into all truth. In the case of the Stoning issue The Lord seamed to give us His answer with the woman caught in adultery. And His teaching on adultery wherein He told us that just looking with Lust in the heart constituted the sin, thereby making the heart operation promised with the new covenant necessary for righteous living. This is further supported by His teaching on the hand that offends (cut it off). Obviously from his teachings it is not the hand or the eye that offends it Is the heart– the seat of our emotion that offends God and us if we are seeking to live a righteous life in obedience to Him. I would appreciate your take on this, because I do not think Jesus was disobedient to Gods law when He released the woman, and He would have been had He not stoned her Himself if Torah was His only point of reference for obedience. He being God had every right and the opportunity to uphold Torah at this time had this been His purpose. His purpose seems to have been to motivate us to act because of love rather then Law or a legal requirement. If you love me as I love you, you will not seek to hurt me as I do not seek to hurt you. Jesus actions surrounding the law are a better teacher or explainer of the law then the former “Thou shalt not” just as His sacrifice was a better and the only sacrifice that would fulfill the requirement for sin offering satisfying the Law on our behalf. We will never sacrifice for our sin again if we apply Messiahs sacrifice for our sin.
Hey Jerry,
I just replied to yesterday’s post. Sorry, I”m slow to read these sometimes. It looks like you have one other response as well.
Dear Jerry,
I have written about this issue until am simply exhausted from going over the same ground again and again. The better question which you need to ask is this: IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER THAT ANY BELIEVER IN YESHUA AS MESSIAH, WHETHER JEW OR GENTILE, WAS NOT TORAH OBSERVANT PRIOR TO 165 AD WHEN THE CHRISTIAN GENTILE CHURCH FATHERS BEGAN A CRUSADE TO ELIMINATE TORAH OBSERVANCE FROM CHRISTIANITY? Or to put it another way, “If the vast majority of the earliest believers were Jewish or proselytes to the Jewish way of life, can we even imagine that they would abandon all that they knew about God through Moses when their own Messiah said he did not come to set aside the Torah?”
You are asking questions from the wrong position. You are assuming the TRUTH proposed by the Church as the basis of your examination. But GO READ Gager, Sanders, Eisenbaum, Young, Gaston, et. al. Go do the research FIRST! See what Justin Martyr said, Ireneaus, Augustine, Tertullian. Read Dacy, Dozier. Ask what happened so that a SECT OF JUDAISM became an anti-Semitic religion.
This is not about praying for God to enlighten you. This is about doing hard research. This is about uncovering what really happened. And by the way, it isn’t that difficult. But it is certainly dangerous.
Thanks, I will begin this investigation. But help me understand before I do why there is any need for added sin sacrifice beyond what Jesus did on the cross, can you do that for me?
Jerry I don’t know if this will help. It’s been my experience that I understand things as I DO them. But here’s my little offering. Yeshua went to the temple. He did what was commanded in Torah and kept it pefectly which means He brought sin sacrifices. Did He NEED to do that? He went down to the Jorden to be baptised for the remission of sins. Did He NEED to do that? The answer is YES! Because “it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” Matt.3:15
“from the time that the disciples received the Holy Spirits baptism on Pentecost until the Temple was destroyed, is there any evidence that sacrifices were performed by the disciples in the temple during those years? Is there evidence that Paul returned each year to Jerusalem to sacrifice on Passover?”
YES!!! Read Acts 18:18 then read Nu.6 to understand all of the requirements he put himself under that must be fulfilled. Then read Acts 18:21 then 20:6 then 21:17-27. Then go back and read the entire story and you will be very surprised. It discribes his last journey before his arrest and trials. It takes you throught the entire spring festival season and discribes his faithful observance, blow by blow, right down to counting the Omer, as he ministered to the gentiles. Did Paul bring sin sacrifices to the temple? Yes!!! Read the protocal in NU.6 again. Notice he was arrested on the 7th day of his purification 25 YEARS AFTER HIS CONVERSION!
Shalom Shalom
Thanks, this should be interesting.
Be sure to do a word study on the first day of the week in Acts 20:7. You will find Shabbatone. Look up the litergy for way the Jews count the Omer each day and particularly each Shabbat. The word “DAY” is added for “clarity” HA!!!
Pam, thanks for posting this. I need to go on this same verse trail! Cheers,
Mozel Tov!
Skip has said “Faith is not Theology. Faith is trusting Him and living accordingly.”
Hi Jerry,
Isn’t theology the systematic and rational study of concepts of God?
These concepts of God exist whether or not I have faith in them
I used to think the Greek gods were much more interesting than the Hebrew God
“I am what I am/Do what I say”
However I never considered putting my faith in them
“Today there are rumblings. Groups of Torah observant believers are scattered around the globe. Scholars are questioning the very existence of the Church, its view of Israel, its essential and inherent anti-Semitism. In 50 years, the thoughts of these men and women will have influenced the teachers of pastors. In 100 years the pastors will influence the flock.”
This gets me very excited. I have hope.
I have a question about the New Testament. How were the letters and books that circulated among the believers chosen to be included in the official New Testament and who made these decisions? I’ve begun to question the New Testament because awhile back — a few months ago — I caught only a few minutes of a program on either the History Channel or National Geographic about the Bible. The short segment I saw has aroused doubt and suspicion in my mind. It seemed there was an agenda in the selection of the books and letters that would become the official New Testament. According to this documentary one man made the final decision of which letters and books would be included in the NT. The program said he had about 300 letters or books to choose from. Now I don’t even remember who the man was. But that seems to have put a lot of power in the hands of one man. Skip, or any of you that are knowledgeable on this subject please clarify how the New Testament came about or point me to an article or book about it, please. Thank you.
“The Biblical Canon Its Origin, Transmission, and Authority” by Lee Martin McDonald
A book Skip has recommended.
Go on vacation, sit, read, absorb and be amazed.
Thanks, Michael. I just checked the online catalog of the academic library where I work and while I didn’t find that particular title I found 11 others by him on the same subject. What a rich resource! Thanks for supplying an answer.
$18.99 paperback – Amazon
500+ pages, btw!
🙂
You know, assimilation is a good thing, once fullness of understanding has been achieved. It’s certainly a long journey. There’s a treacherous beginning where one goes through the kicking and screaming when the doctor starts walking toward you with that long, rotund needle of insight. The pain is horrendous once the thick hide is pierced and injected with a kind of serum that looks dangerous and uninviting.
Yet, after the pain subsides and you realize the world is still spinning and you are still breathing, the illness you had, which, by the way, you could hardly recognize as it had become so common as to be invisible, gives way to a new awareness of life. Now that it’s gone, a remembrance of the contortions linger.
What I have come to appreciate in visiting these TW’s daily is that someone has set a real table for the King to dine at with and has invited all who wish to chew on the morsels and nuggets more tasty than fine honey laid before them. Eating at this table requires you to pick up your own spoon and bring it to your own mouth to sample all that is laid out before you.
Any assimilation that occurs is simply from a thirsty soul being drawn to that which is living waters and living words bursting with life and abundance.
I’ve enjoyed the many finings thus far.
Dinner is still being served.
Thanks, Skip.
You share some awesome meals.
dinings, not finings, although they are fine, indeed!
I´m one of whom Skip refers to, I have left the “Church” and it´s highly unlikely that I will return. There is very little to return to. I miss the community, my pastor was a wonderful friend and confidant, but got weary of the constant argument in defense of erred doctrine and rejection of an honest academic evaluation of Scripture. I was a Bible teacher for some years with women´s home Bible study. I taught what I know, from the hebrew perspective, and even though I was called in and asked not to “judaize” Scripture, to which I replied, “it might be best if someone else taught the classes,” my classes were always packed full and the fastest growing. Skip went to a few of those to teach. It just adds to what Skip says, there is a thirst for truth and for a Scripture that makes sense that the Church is not quenching. You have to go deeper. People like to be taught how to study and think for themselves for crying out loud!
It does not seem complicated to study Scripture thoroughly and change ones perspective if proven mistaken, but the commitment and fixation with unhealthy doctrine is unreasonable. There is little valid academic argumentation when nitpicking through Scripture to prove a preconceived notion that the proponet refuses to change even when presented with a solid new perspective. Nobody is asking for anyone to agree, just to evaluate with honesty and an open mind. Imagine Jewish scholars agreeing of everything! That would be the day the Son returns! So for me going to church ended up as en exercise of duty (don´t we have to congregate?) and sitting through bland politically correct sermons…ugh. When my teenage sons asked what was the point of going I didn´t have an honest answer. Tradition? Mom´s house for lunch on Saturdays and sunday morning church? I couldn´t bear to teach that to my sons. I have taught them to be free-thinkers, responsible for their own spirituality, and to enjoy the search. It´s ok not to know everything, it´s not ok to stop the quest.
Another reason I left the Church, is because in my personal experience there was little spirituality. I prefer a solid spiritual lifestyle in study, meditation, prayer and works toward my fellow being than one filled with church related social activity without the balance of inner spiritual discipline.
I do not know what Yeshua will look for when he comes back, but I do not believe ethnicity will be one of the things He will cling to and will use as a measuring stick. I keep kosher and the Sabbath to the best of my ability (saturday is work day here), but I doubt that´s going to be the marker either. Those commandments are only tools to improve the quality of our lives, as are many of the Torah commandments. The foundation of Scripture is love, faith and obedience. And He already told us we will all sin, so returning to love in faith when we fail would have to be foundation of our lives. We have to know what to return to, that´s why we must study Scripture. And we cannot love without faith. We must chose to believe first.
Without a Church structure and doctrine to fall back on and tell me where to go and how to think, I am left with Scripture, other sources of learning (Skip is a good one) and the need of a profound and disciplined spiritual life. I have seen more miracles by myself than I did while I was a church goer. God is real, He is accessible, He is available, and He never ceases to help us on our path.
Once we learn to connect to the Source it´s so addictive and magnificent and wonderful and overwhelming that all the little debates over pork, shrimp and circumcision become less relevant. If unsure whether to eat pork, don´t eat it and ask God. If there is a possibility He might think it´s not a good idea, and we trust Him with our eternal wellbeing, it might be worth a pause to check it out. Are we going to go to battle over rinds? really? Then we are becoming like the Church.
OH, Bessy. I so miss you!
I miss you too pal.
And I FULLY agree with Daria, you need to rest. You´re putting out a lot of stressed energy out there.
Maybe you can come down to my corner of the jungle meditate and connect. There is nothing like it. I know now what David meant when he said he wanted to live in His presence. It´s a place much beyond prayer, and once you reach it nothing else satisfies, and it all makes sense.
I know where they serve your Ezer´s favorite dessert, it happens to be on my continent!
Bessy,
I enjoyed that breath of fresh air.
Thank you.
Great posts. It appears if the church doesn’t die off, then Messiah will finish it off:
Zechariah 13:2 “It will come about in that day,” declares the YHVH of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.3″And if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you have spoken falsely in the name of the YHVH; and his father and mother who gave birth to him will pierce him through when he prophesies.”
Any church opposing our Creator’s covenants = antichrist (against Messiah). The very idea of another entity arising to teach something new and different from the original covenants is antichrist.
“It is an examination of Christianity, its history, its goals and its self-identification.” All RELIGIONS should be examined this way. Maybe all RELATIONSHIPS should be examined in this light as well. In fact, I can see this statement as a good “magnifying glass” in looking at myself on a daily (hourly) basis. Am I serving YHVH in faith IN HIM by obedience in my thoughts and words and actions or am I serving self? “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked…” Jeremiah 17:9a
Michael,
While I appreciate your challenge to DIG in just BEGINNING the search for the hidden wonderful things in Torah and the rest of the Bible and IN GOD, where is the Holy Spirit in this activity? I couldn’t begin to understand a thing in The WORD without Him. I praise my YHVH every second of every day for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Skip,
PLEASE heed the warnings that we who love you are sending: BE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD… let YOU lie down in green pastures, basking in His love and ours. Please please rest… and listen to your Ezer Kenegdo.
Darlene,
There is an excellent resourse that will help you with your question. You are wise to seek first the Kingdom of YHVH. I sense that the Holy Spirit is drawing you toward the Truth so I offer this resource in that light. The book is entitled “Misquoting Jesus” by Bart D. Ehrman. Dr. Ehrman chairs the department of religious studies at the University of North Carolina. He does a wonderful job of laying out the history of the canon of the church fathers. Then he proceeds to document research about the most ancient texts of NT writings that we have for reference. You will be surprised to see mistakes that scribes made due to translation issues, and what was added in order to clarify something to fit the philosophy and theology of the church fathers. The story of the woman caught in adultery for example, is not in the oldest texts (shocker). The additions may or may not represent the intended heart of YHVH. They also may or may not distort the testimony of the Messiah. Sadly, the author who was once a ” zealous believer” is now an agnostic. I do not think however that this fact disqualifies his research on NT writings. What I think is that because his focus in his religious life was NT centered, he did not have a Hebrew perspective or Torah foundation. His focus on the NT, like so many christians, left him lacking spiritually because he didn’t have the Scriptures (Torah) living in his spirit. That’s just my opinion. But that is why I encourage you also to continue to learn from Skip as he calls us to return to the truth that is found in Torah. Another outstanding resource for study is Dr. Dina Dye, and you can connect with study of the Torah, and the Brit Chadasha (NT) through a website called bibleinteract.com.
My husband I were blessed 15 years ago to have our eyes, ears and hearts awakened to the whole context of YHVH’s love for His creation and mankind. We have been blessed with precious Torah teachers, from both christianity and judaism that have left the religious systems to walk in the light of Truth. Skip is one of those teachers. I hope you read his ending notation today. We, like him, do not indict any christian or jew regarding their personal faith. But we do know that any true believer will be willing to examine the structure of their religion. True believers will not remain blind to the full counsel of Elohim, nor will they corrupt the fullness e.g., goal of the manifestation of that counsel in the embodiment of Yahshua (Jesus). It is the role of the adversary to entice man to stray from the Tree of Life. Remember that when Yahshua was tempted in the wilderness, He replied “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of YHVH” Mt.4:4. He was referencing Devarim (Dt.8:3). Read all of Dt 8 for context because YHVH exhorts us to be careful to observe every command that He is giving, and finally YHVH says ” Then it shall be, if you BY ANY MEANS (perhaps, doctrines and traditions of men?) forget YHVH your Elohim, and follow other gods, and serve them (perhaps, easter, christmas, sunday keeping?) and worship them (perhaps, defending doctrine?) I TESTIFY AGAINST YOU this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which YHVH destroys before you, so shall you perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of YHVH your Elohim. Skip is correct, the church is perishing. Its origin is from the nations e.g., the papal state of Rome. Remember that protestant christianity is simply a daughter of THE church in protest only to some doctrine. I agree that the church must die for the Messiah to reign in my life and on the earth. Its death (in my life) delivers me from the falsehood of replacement theology. So, just like Israel was delivered out of egypt e.g., mitzraim:confusion by the blood of the Lamb, I can be delivered by His blood. The judgement of death of the firstborn of anyone who did not obey the voice of G-d, is the same today. I am called to come out of her just like Israel was called out of egypt. I am delivered out of confusion to live in true belief because His mercy offers me the gift of faith as I sojourn in this wilderness. As a true believer, I live by the resurrection power of the Redeemer of Israel. Blessed be His Holy name! Death no longer has power over my life. I can run daily to Him and the fountains of living water to quench my thirst in the desert. I can life my His bread, manna, that comes down from Heaven. The Torah is the scripture, it is His word. His prophets, prophesy the heart of His desire for His beloved, Israel, His people. Yahshua says in Mt 5:17 that He IS THE FULLNESS of the Law and the prophets. He doesn’t do away with them so that the fullness of them in me make me His e.g., Israel. No replacement theology here, but rather transforming power to deliver me as I work out my sanctification on this journey in this world. I cannot do the work without faith, and faith without works is dead (Jms cahpter 2). He redeems only that which belongs to Him. He calls Israel His beloved. True Israel lives in true faith and is the True bride of Messiah. New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem shall be our resting place. The Kingdom is near not far, so we can have eternal life in this present dynamic AND in the world to come. We who are sojourners are Israel in every way when we accept the covenant of YHVH. We become Abraham’s seed. He believed and obeyed the voice of YHVH and left the socio economic political and religious world of his day. So can we!
Like Bessy said our sojourn is a fun ride. It should be calm, reflective, peaceful, not guilt ridden or frantic. So don’t get distracted by any voice that gets caught up in defending religious doctrine or identity. Follow Skip’s advice to study to show yourself approved, then call out with all your might to the Holy Spirit to teach you and to lead you into all understanding. You therefore, will be guarded against the debates and the spirit of confusion. Be guarded against becoming angry at the lies that have been perpetuated by the church fathers. Be angry yet do not sin. Just be washed by the water ( refreshing, essential,life source) of the Word of YHVH. Remember that the letters of Paul are NOT the Scriptures that Yahshua refers us to in leading us to truth. You will also learn from Dr. Ehrman’s research that so much of the teachings about the letters of Paul was distorted by Marcion for the purpose of creating a new religion that leads folks away from true faith in the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Be blessed in your journey, be encouraged and of good faith! I hope this is useful to you. I do not intend to offer doctrine here, I just got excited about your quest. My quest, the desire of my heart, is to know Him and to serve Him in Spirit and Truth all the days of my life. The testimonies of Moses and the master Yahshua the Messiah have given me the desire of my heart, and I felt led to share it with you. I will pray for you as He leads me. I’m not seeking debate with anyone on this forum that considers obedience to the word of YHVH to be legalism. I trust that those on this forum who are true believers will know the spirit of what I have written. From them only will I accept correction for the purpose of refinement.
Thank you, Renee, for your kind response. Yes, I’ve watched a portion of about a 2 hr video by Dr. Erhman but I’ve not read his book. I’ll look for it. It’s too bad that he lost his way. I’ve also read a couple of articles by Dr. James Tabor by UNC Charlotte on this topic. It’s one thing to learn that Hebrew idioms are veiled in Greek and another thing to know that there were purposeful miscopies and mistranslations. It’s interesting to look back at my own journey when I used to take the newsletter (hard copy) of Roy Blizzard and I read his book back in either the late 70s or early 80s. At that time I had become excited about doing word studies. But I have not read anything in depth about how the official selections were made for the NT except that I knew some writings were placed in the apocrypha. I had assumed a council had made the decisions together. The documentary I saw indicated one man made the decision of which writings would be included. I assume he was Greek or Roman but that may not be correct. You’re right. I, like you, am on a quest for God’s truth. I appreciate your comment that our journey should be calm, peaceful and reflective. May it be so for all of us.
Read David Dungan, Constantine’s Bible.
Thanks! I’ll do that!
Shalom
Hi Renee,
I really appreciate your wisdom here. There is lots of encouragement for me. The struggles you mentioned are mine at times.
I have found much shalom in midst of a chaotic world since I have begun the journey of knowing whom the God of Abraham is. He has been opening my eyes and ears and teaching me of Himself.
How long has your journey been so far? What was your religious background before the journey began?
It seems so simple but I have been so filled up with modern churchy stuff and Greek thought patterns. It is so refreshing to come here and read so much wisdom. I have gotten some great reading references too. I have also learned better how to argue for the faith and seen how tenacious the hold of religious doctrine can be. I can see how Paul murdered believers thinking he was doing the Lords work and how that stuff carries on even today. I think we will see more of that in the coming days as well. Scripture attests of it.
I get pretty disgusted and angry when I am reminded how pervasive the so-called modern church is. It is everywhere! I really don’t think that folks even think about what they are saying or why they are saying it. (I didn’t-it was stuff I was taught to say to save souls or to led em to Christ)(can you believe that people actual compare numbers like merit badges!)
I find it does sound preachy and it gets confusing quick. There was so much I just could not understand when I walked the halls of Baptist, Methodist–you name it.
As I get further away from church and learn more of Torah and history, it simply amazes me how things become clearer. (makes me sad to to realize how many just will not get outside that box)
This has meant a lot of changes personally. Good changes and changes that remove burdens from me. Things of this earth do get strangely dim!
Your post just got me excited and my post may not make a whole lot sense but I wanted to say thanks and hello all at the same time! 🙂
Shalom sister.
We do need clarification, that one thing is for sure! Far too much complication and far too much confusion.
Number 1.- The “church” never existed “pre-Christ!” The Old(er) Testament IS all about the Jewish nation and God’s chosen people, – Israel. Christians (everywhere)- what part of “I will bless them and bless thee and curse them that curse thee,” do you not understand?
Number 2. Who, (with only a modicum of Bible study would ever deny Jesus was (and is!) a Jew? Where was He born? Who were His parents? What was their heritage? Where did He grow up? Etc. There is no denying “my Boss is a Jewish carpenter!”
Not near enough “good things” may be said concerning the history of Israel. Let it be known -both near and far .. Israel (according to the flesh) is NOT the church! And also let it be heard the church is NOT a building- neither is it an organization! The church is now the (present) Body of Christ and His future Bride! This church is made of up “BOTH” Jewish and Gentiles. God’s program ever since Christ, has been “build a Bride!” Former Muslims are coming to Christ. Does this bother or excite you? People are still being added to the family of God. Is this person “saved” or is that person “not saved” really does not belong to us. ~ The LORD (our LORD) knows who are His! ~ And we (who are now His) also know whether or not we belong to Him! Yes, we may be absolutely assured of our salvation. ~ for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
Again, the question is asked.. “Sirs, – what must I do to be saved?”
~ After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb … ~
Carl,
your argument here is completely saturated with replacement theology! Israel was, and the church is now… But, that is not actually the biggest problem with your offering. You said:
“And also let it be heard the church is NOT a building- neither is it an organization! The church is now the (present) Body of Christ and His future Bride! This church is made of up “BOTH” Jewish and Gentiles. God’s program ever since Christ, has been “build a Bride!”
This sounds very nice and beautiful, even spiritual… but it is a complete fallacy! Philosophically and theologically your statement gets 10 out of 10. But, unfortunately we live in reality! At present there are an estimated 38 000 (some say 60 000) different church denominations around the world. Most of these denominations have varying and contrasting theologies. A quick survey of the just the mainstream theological landscape in the West and one has to reach one of two conclusions: Either God has multiple personality disorder, or the church are faced with some serious questions as to why it can’t even find simple theological solutions with issues regarding baptism, communion, homosexual relationships, sex before marriage, etc. Not even to mention more difficult questions such as God’s sovereignty vs our free will (think Calvinism vs Armenianism).
I know God does not have multiple personality disorder, so problem lies with the church… with the people. The theologians, the pastors, and, yes, the everyday churchgoer.
So, you can say the church is “not an origination”, and theologically you right, but this DOES NOT HELP ANYONE. Because, in reality the church is an organisation! In fact, it’s a multitude of different organisations (denominations). Each with it’s own beliefs, theologies, doctrines and praxis. And they differ, radically! So, there is a problem… and you can’t just ignore the problem by quoting age-old Christian cliches which has little value in the real world.
It’s time that we start examining why it is the church is in the state it is, why it is that the church has such a wide variety of differing and contrasting beliefs and doctrines, and why the church can’t even give a uniform answer to some of the most basic concepts found scripture.
And my own personal opinion… it is because most of the church cut off the foundation it was build on… the TORAH!
AND THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SALVATION!!!!! We all believe in Yeshua!! We all know that salvation comes by grace through faith in Yeshua!! I have no idea why you keep on repeating this.
Jaco,
Thank you. I’ve attempted addressing this several times with Carl but just keep getting sermons in response. I try to read what he says but they remind me so much of the repetitive evangelical sermons that I had to fight to stay awake to listen to.
I don’t really know how to say it any other way.
Sorry, Carl. I’d love to hear how you endure the struggles you face in life and victories you have in life with Yeshua than hear sermons from you. Particularly the same one over and over and over.
I hope you understand what I’m trying to say.
Carl,
Have you searched the hebrew words ‘edah and qahal in Skip’s writings? There are several offerings in regard to the instance of ‘church’ and the basic foundation of the idea.
Just wondering if you have digested those tidbits regarding ‘church.’
If so, what are you thoughts? If not, if you ever read them, I’d be interested in hearing your reflections.
Warmest thanks for that, Renee
Skip,
Have you written about the word “church” in TW and where it first appears in Scripture? Perhaps a true understanding of the use of this word in the NT and how it is viewed hebraically vs. through contemporary, western vocabulary would be helpful to the body
I am also concerned about your “faintness”, but I think that it may be a result of spiritual war around you as you have been presenting such powerful teaching lately. I am praying for your well being in every way. Serve Him in Spirit and Truth as you are called to do. Maybe you just need others to hold up your arms during the battle. Thank you for being so sensitive and caring to clarify that you are not challenging anyones personal encounter with G-d. You have a tender heart, and perhaps that is the origin of your struggle right now. You wouldn’t do this if you didn’t love Yahshua. Keep feeding the sheep and the lambs. The things that you are teaching are indeed powerful in tearing down strongholds. Stay strong against the adversary and his lies. You are a precious shephard.
May the Rosh Chodesh h’Yom Teruah bring shouts of joy in the House of YHVH for you this year. May the shofar be heard in the earth this year. May your teaching resonate as clearly as the sound of the shofar. Be blessed as this precious appointed time draws near.
Thanks Renee. Hope to see you and Russell next year for sure.
I have written on the “church” – a long chapter in Spiritual Restoration Vol 3. Plus many TWs.
No further questions!
Thanks, Carl.
May I add two relevent scriptures . . .
“Now ,therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the
household of God, having been built on the foundation of
the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief
cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted
together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom
you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God
in the Spirit.” Eph 2:19-22
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is neither male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs
according to the promise.” Gal 3:28
Agreed? Then, hopefully Amen!
Hi Rich,
I’m so glad you posted this verse
“…having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone…”
The question is, what did the prophets teach? I think it is with out a doubt that the prophets taught about the Torah. Continually prompting the people to repent and return towards a Torah obedient life. They expounded HaShem’s Torah and what the right way was to apply to life.
Now, if the apostles are of the same foundation as the prophets, the only logical conclusion must be that the apostles also taught about Torah. Showing from the Tanak to prove that Yeshua was the promised Messiah and how to live an obedient life according to the Torah. The foundation is the same.
And if the chief conerstone once said”
“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:18 – 19
Now, if Yeshua – the chief conerstone – said this to His Torah observant Jewish disciples, there can be no doubt that the Apostles used the Torah as there guide for righteous living, and taught those that followed them the same! It is what the prophets did. It is what Yeshua did!
Yeshua is our chief conerstone. Salvation is through Him, and Him alone. But, the rest of the foundation of a life lived righteously can only be the Torah.
Bless you Jaco. I suspect that you know words means things, and that G-d is smarter than we are. I also suspect that you know that the english word church comes from Constantine’s use of the word chirque which was the house of the lord Mithra. Constantine legalized this form of christianity which was a mixture with sun god worship. I also suspect that you may know that the Biblical reference in Greek to the ecclesia means to call out and that it is the translation of the Hebrew word qahal which means assembly. Isn’t it wonderful to realize that the first Biblical reference to the qahal was at Mt. Sinai, NOT post cross. In Acts 7:37-39 Stephen referneces the qahal in tjhw wilderness. I just don’t understand why christianity thinks that it’s church is something different from the congregation at Mt. Sinai, or—maybe it is. I think there should still be further questions. How about you. I’m grateful for your participation at TW. BTW, you may be interested in reviewing a teaching on “the church”, parts 1-3 on the wildbranch ministries website. The teacher there believes that words mean things and that G-d IS smarter than we are. I think you’ll enjoy it. Perhaps Carl,and Rich will as well. I hope Skip will teach on this so that we can all see the Presence of YHVH in the called out ones. I’m not stirring the pot, I just wanted to bless you for being bold. Language and mindset are sometimes limiting when sincere and precious souls try to convey thoughts about G-d and His ways. I for one am blessed by all the sweet saints who struggle with the difficulty of communicating righteous intentions and who persevere without attacking one another. Skip has afforded us all with a precious opportunity to come reason together. The adversary must shake in his boots. May we all come to the revelation of truth.
Christianity teaches that the “Church” began at Pentecost BECAUSE it must do so in order NOT to be a Jewish qehelah. Gager and Gaston are correct. Christianity is inherently ANTI-JEWISH. Its IDENTITY depends on NOT BEING JEWISH, therefore it must define its own terms in opposition to Jewish thought. So the “ekklesia” in the wilderness CANNOT be the “church’ since that would mean that the “church” is really Jewish and this would make Christianity a fable.
All of this is explored in depth in my lecture on the Formation of the Christian Church – recorded recently in South Africa and hopefully soon to be available.
And that the Holy Spirit is poured out at Pentecost as well, and nowhere in the “OT”!
Sounds really senseless that the Holy Spirit appeared only in the “NT”, when they hold on to the trinity doctrine.
Thank you for the blessing Renee, and may HaShem bless you as well! I know Brad’s work well.
It is easy to see the problems in our culture, and Skip is right to identify the “Church” as being the source/cause of the collapse. Not necessarily because of what it has actively done, but often because of what it has not done. The word “church” incorporates many diverse views today, but in one way or another they seem to abide by Descarte’s idea, “I doubt, therefore I am.” This implies very clearly that the starting point in human thinking is man himself, and not God, a view that was the opposite of Anselm who said, “I believe in order to understand.” It is from this rotten apple of human autonomy, that all the problems flow (see Gen. 3:5).
But having identified the problem, we see Churches that are falling apart, homes that are falling apart, and the nations of this world are falling apart — all the result of the rotten apple identified above. Christendom, for all its theological weaknesses, was still recognized as biblical in origin, and it changed the face of pagan Europe. Not always for the better, but its direction was clear. Somewhere along the way things got derailed, and Skip helps identify the derailment.
If the kingdoms of this world belong to Yeshua as Scripture declares, then it is the task of his followers to help usher in the Kingdom of the King who pray “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” by obedient living and active proclamation of the Good News. But where, in this, does the notion of retreat find a place? Are the gates of hell too strong after all? We may well be able to drop out of churches and find another one, but it is rather impossible to drop out of the family in which we find ourselves. Similarly, if we drop out of our country, where do we go? The American “experiment” has failed. Where next? Central Australia?
When David asked YHVH what he should do when the Amalekites took his wives and possessions, he was instructed to go and get his “stuff” back. Maybe it’s time we, too, took back that which has been stolen from us. But that is not a drop out strategy but one of active pursuit.
How does dropping out bring change in the places that need change? Sometimes it helps to pause and wonder if it is the drop out mentality that is ultimately the real problem of our age.
Central Australia? No, I don’t think so. No lions there. 🙂
Not Central Australia, Ian! It’s all dusty and desert!
No gorgeous lions, Skip. 🙂
Maybe we should go back to the Book of Daniel and the statue vision. This roman bastardization of Scripture was foretold, it had to happen. It will not get better, it will be destroyed, obliterated. The world will turn against Israel. We should expect this to happen and not be shocked when it does, nor call for prayer circles, or denounce our congressmen. It has to happen.
Before importing lions into Australia, let´s continue trying to understand: do we, Torah keeping gentiles, have an obligation to reach out to the nations (let´s include the church in that group, they are hardest group to reach)? It has always been Israel´s job, and they were not very good stewards of that task in particular. Or do we disenfranchise ourselves completely from them (church) as they did from Israel? Just thinking about going back to the church for any reason makes me anxious. Do we just focus in trying to keep our heads above water and do our own thing? We might be so preoccupied on whether or not we can drive on Sabbath that we might be forgetting about, you know, the people.
Let´s admit it. Israel is far from perfect, and so is the church. But I am very grateful that it was the roman catholic church that sent Columbus over and we were not colonized by the hindus, the chinese, or some other culture with a religion that did not recognize God of Abraham. Nobody around here, in our continents (except a tiny minority) rejects Yeshua. In my country there is still prayer in the Presidential Palace and Congress. The church did the work that Israel should have done, and now we are bashing their heads in for not doing it right. They have messed up, but they did step up to the plate and did what had to be done. And we have to admit, it was not only selfishness, hatred and greed. Many good priests and nuns and pastors lived hellish lives and died horrible deaths to take the Word to the remotest corners of the world. Some still do.
The Church does not represent the God of Abraham very well does it, but pray tell, who does? Israel doesn´t. We don´t. Do our actions speak for us and for Him? We can spend wonderful days in discussion, but WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO other than review the history and engage in healthy and animated debate?
I have seen this community take action, and I´m a proud recipient of the blessings that your tender hearts have bestowed. What will we DO? Is there something we should be doing and we´re not?
Skip, these are your musings, what does Scripture say?
Bessy,
Bless your heart! Your comments are spot on!
Our Soverign Lord has told us about Himself and this world.
We shouldn’t be surprised about what’s happening.
More important, we shouldn’t loose heart.
You asked, “What will we (the TW community) DO?
God has asked us to believe!
That’s our part. His loving and gracious Spirit within us
gently but assuredly leads us to believe and obey.
We are to receive the uncompromising life of Yeshua/Jesus and
“Go,therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Hi Rich,
That is a very evangelical reply that draws a blank in my mind. What does that mean? we (at least I have and some others around here) have already renounced the traditional churchy way of “leading people to Christ,” and we all believe.
Israel got the job and didn´t do it. The church took the job assigned to Israel and made a royal mess. Most of us participating in this blog are here as casualties of that mess, and some (like me) have spent thousands of dollars in therapy to recover from it.
Was the church enabling Israel by doing its job? Should they have done what they were not called to do? Should the Torah-keeping gentile community take over now? why? Says who? Where? If so, how? How do we go teach something we don´t fully understand yet? Is it consistent with what we know to be true about God to reassign tasks?
You propose we must appropriate the Great Commission to ourselves, do as the Church did, but we must do it right. How do we do that Rich? We cannot use the failed formula. What´s the new one?
Yeshua’s formula was not a failed formula and it worked very well as Acts shows us. The apostles did an excellent job (in my opinion) of advancing the faith and the teachings of Yeshua, and after all that is what the Great Commission really is, Right?
My mother always asked me if I would jump into a lake if my friend did, she also told me that ‘Two wrongs never make a ‘Right” which I believe pertains to this conversation!
I often find myself wondering if the Church being made up of the same group that followed Jesus in the first century was still made up of the same group there after. Paul, Peter and James were all worried that the Church would be infiltrated or may already be infiltrated in their lifetimes. I happen to believe that the true Church was not only infiltrated but was persecuted to death after the 1st century!
I believe that scripture predicted a false religion would be leading many down the wrong path and I think it started clear back in the late first century. The actions of the Church (at least what we know as the Church) throughout history has been totally lawless when you consider that it has been failing in the area of the first four Commandments while focusing more on the rest of the commandments, those pertaining to self. At the same time I believe that there has always been a remnant group adhering to the true teachings of Yeshua and I now think that the growing groups of people that are coming back to searching for the truth in the Torah has also been predicted in scripture and we should be very thankful that we are a part of this movement. I know that I was very happy to just sit in my Lutheran Church listening to the sermons every week and taking classes when offered, at least until one Sunday when a certain sermon turned my life upside down. The sermon was simply about keeping the Sabbath on any day of your choosing. I guess that up until this sermon I was satisfied with believing that the Sabbath was a Jewish thing and of no concern to me. Imagine my surprise when our Pastor teaches that we can keep it any day that we want to and knowing that this didn’t fit with any scripture that I had read I needed to find the truth, so for weeks I would search the scriptures and take my findings back to my Pastor and every time that I wanted to just let it go or be satisfied with what my Pastor was telling me, Yeshua or the Spirit within me would not let me.
I finally came to understand my Father’s nature much better and I also came to understand that the Sabbath was so much more than just an appointed meeting time for us to share with Yahweh, it was literally going to be the mark of his children. Their obedience to His commandments and statutes would be exemplified in their keeping of the Sabbath, not as any means of earning their salvation but rather because they already had their salvation! Now I’m not saying that there is some specific way that we must keep the Sabbath with the exception that we must try to keep it holy; for even Paul explained that we need not worry about the way we choose to keep the Sabbath. The Pharisees and Jewish people had been keeping it in a way that was more stoic in nature and not anything like some of the Gentiles who made a joyous celebration of it. That is the way that they were used to celebrating occasions such as this and Paul needed to tell some of them not to worry about what others might say about the way they were keeping the Sabbath. There were Judaizers and certain people that wanted to control everything about the way their feasts and Sabbaths were kept, but the truth was that they had no scriptural support for their admonishments.
In any case, I believe that just as Yeshua taught by example and that we are fortunate enough to have that example in the scriptures, then isn’t that the path we should take to make disciples of all nations, To teach as Yeshua taught, or rather by example?
The apostles were also very good examples to follow, although Paul has been very misinterpreted and those who hope to use Paul’s teachings (epistles and writings) should use all of them to interpret his meaning. Paul would hardly advocate breaking the commandments and then be so exuberant about how he kept them, would he? There is also a need to understand Jewish idioms and culture in order to fully understand Paul’s true intentions and meanings! Otherwise one might end up much the same as our mainstream Church in its belief that the Old Covenant had been replaced by the New Covenant in spite of the fact that there was only the scriptures in the form of the Torah or Tanakh and the oral component known as the Talmud in existence in the days when Yeshua and the disciples were teaching in Israel!
I can’t imagine any better way of following the Will of Yahweh other than studying the Torah from a Jewish perspective, after all Yeshua and his disciples were Jewish and they were taking their message to the Jew first and then to the Gentile, wherein Paul was the major instructor, but he was still Jewish and so must be seen from that perspective!
Dear Bessy,
There’s no formula. Just genuine faith whereby I surrendered my ways
for His ways.
I’m not a “Church” guy. I’m simply a man whose life was radically
changed when The Lord revealed Himself to me.
My “new” life in Christ has witnessed many, many people having
similar life-changing encounters of deep and lasting faith, including
my two beautiful grown daughters. Never did I evangalize. I simply
lived my faith. And shared it when asked. God did the work.
Then, came the miracles. Stunning turns of events that staggered
my imagination and invigorated my faith.I have prayed for and with
countless people. God has allowed me to see wondrous things.
Vision restored to blind eyes. Crippled limbs fully restored.
Drug and alcohol addictions completely delivered, including my own
30 year addiction which the Lord took away in the twinkling of an eye.
Restoration of deeply broken families, devastated individuals,
shattered hearts and tragically lost souls completely brought to wholeness.
And so many more stories too numerous to mention.
.
Jesus said in Jn 14:11-12 “Believe Me when I say that I am in the
Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence
of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has
faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater
things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
In the early years of my faith I couldn’t wrap my faith around this
scripture to save my life. I just didn’t believe it!
As the years went by, I was literaly transformed. I decreased, He
increased and things began to change. Remarkable changes.
Miraculous changes.
None of it had anything to do with me or any church. And certainly
no formulas. Everything happened because of Him and my belief
in Him.
I have no agenda. I simply follow Him.
Hi DR. Skip. Why would Jesus return as a Jew if Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:16 “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer”? He has introduced the new creation as the firstborn in us. We are not only in Him, but He is also in us, the hope of glory. God calls us His sons, and He is busy conforming us to the imageof the Son and not to a image of a Jew. Would love to hear your comment.
I wonder if we have forgotten, or even if we ever realized that the Jewish perspective has literally been molded out of their relationship with Yahweh. Abraham had a relationship with Yahweh and he passed that on to his descendants, and although there have been cultural diversions along the way we can be fairly certain that the people we call Jews were living according to their interpretation of what they believed Yahweh wanted them to be living when our Savior, Yeshua was born into this world! Even so, Yeshua gave us some further, more abiding instructions of the Commandments that His people (the Jews) were living under. For instance it was no longer only the physical action of fornicating with the spouse of someone else that constituted Adultery but it was even the lustful intent in one’s heart of fornicating after someone else’s spouse that constituted Adultery. Likewise to have outrageous anger in your heart for someone was no different than murdering that person; at least where the Commandment of ‘Thou shalt not kill’ was concerned!
I believe that Yeshua literally put the intended culture of Yahwey’s children back on track and that its makeup was to include all who believed in Him regardless of their nationality, but they would necessarily look more like Jews than any other nationality, simply because following the Commandments and living according to Yahwey’s will would look more like the Jewish lifestyle than any other lifestyle. I further believe that this continued as long as the apostles lived but that over the 2nd through 5th Centuries the strife between the Jews and the Roman government caused a split between those people trying to live as Yahweh intended them to live and both the mainstream Jewish people and the Roman government and its people. There were people, Jewish believers as well as Gentile believers still trying to follow their beliefs into the 5th century and what became known as the Christian Church was anything but Christ like in the way that they behaved toward both the followers of Yeshua as well as the Jewish State.
I have come to believe that the only true way for a believer to follow the will of Yahwey is for them to learn the Torah and for them to keep the appointed times as commanded in the Torah. I believe that this includes keeping the Sabbath, because you have Salvation and Grace, and not as a means of earning Salvation or Grace! I fear that our mainstream religions are doing more harm than good when they teach against keeping the Commandments because of legalism as more often than not these religious teachers fail to even ask why their students want to keep the Sabbath or the feasts before condemning them as trying to earn their way into heaven!
I truly love your work and look forward to reading more of it! Thanks!