Month: May 2025

Will the real Jesus please stand up

As i drive around my town, i have noticed several churches. These churches have at least one thing in common, they claim the title, “Disciples of Christ.” This observation isn’t a new one. In fact, i have made it before in this series of posts, “Every Wind of Doctrine.” But I feel this needs another look. All the “Christian Churches” claim to be “Disciples” even if they don’t advertise it on their signs. The definition of disciple is “to take” or “to become like.” By its very definition a disciple takes on the characteristics of the teacher. This is what the early followers of the Way believed and taught. It is why in fact the earlier believers were called “Christians” as the term means, “little Christs.” There is one glaring truth. The Apostles were put to death because they “took on” their Rabbi, becoming indistinguishable from their teacher. It didn’t end there. The great commission states: “Go and Make Disciples. Teach them all that I have taught you.” This what they were doing and the religious rulers of the day found that threatening to their survival.

Today, in the majority of churches, love is preached. Love God and love others. Many a church has this as part of their mission statement in some way. Ask them to define love and i am sure you will get various definitions even if similar in nature. If we were to go to the Rabbi and ask Him to define love, it would be whole. It would be complete. First, He would point out the love statement in most churches. He would most likely ask, “What does it look like to love Elohim?” How did Yahoshua show His love for the Father? He did so with full surrender. He did it as a servant, and as an Ambassador. An Ambassador stands for a Kingdom or Nation. He speaks on behalf of the ruler or government of the place he represents. A servant has no power or authority, he can only do that which is allowed or directed by his master. Yahoshua presents both of these and says, yes, this is how you love Elohim.

What is the Kingdom of Elohim? What does it stand for and what are its laws? How is honor shown to the King? If you want to love Elohim you must be able to answer these questions. In Matthew when Yahoshua is answering the question of what is the greatest commandment He says, “agapaō“. Specifically, He says; “Love Adonai your Elohim with all your heart. Love Him with all your soul. Love Him with all your mind.” This is a quote of Deuteronomy 6:5. In quoting this passage of Torah it should be assumed He was referencing the entirety of the passage. In its fullness Deuteronomy 6:4-9 says; “Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our Elohim, Yahweh is One! You shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. Teach them diligently to your sons. Talk of them when you sit in your house. Discuss them when you walk by the way. Speak of them when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” This is the fullness of love and honor toward Elohim.

Yahoshua adds to the answer of the question, love for your neighbor. He says, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Here Yahoshua is quoting from Leviticus 19:18. In its context it says, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people. Instead, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I AM Yahweh.” The fuller context which again should be assumed here is Leviticus 19:9-18. The entirety of the passage is on how we treat our fellow man. Which is simplified to love others the way you love yourself. The term is the same, “agapaō“. Yahoshua teaches on this when He says, “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.”

There is a way in which we show love to unbelievers and a way we show love between believers. It is not the same. Although, similar in nature one is reaching out and the other is lifting up. As disciples of Yahoshua, we walk as He walked. We talk as He talked. We give as He gave. We love as He loved. i have not been very good at this, i have done things in pride, jealousy, spite, and anger or hurt. i have acted out of emotions, rashly and with little thought for the big picture. This was not loving my neighbor as myself. It was projecting myself onto others with little regard for them as an individual. It was demanding without example. Yahoshua tells us how to live and he lived that way. He said, “Truly, truly, I tell you. The Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” He was walking out what it looks like to be a disciple. A follower of the Way, an Ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I have watched music artists and Hollywood actors give speeches. They thank their “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” for roles or songs. Of which do not bring honor to the King as an Ambassador to the Kingdom. In fact the exact opposite is true. Yet, many of my friends will say, “Oh they’re a Christian.” But are they though? Or are they just a believer as the demons believe and tremble. Are they actually an ambassador of another kingdom leading astray a multitude of people? Now I am the judgmental one, yet we are told we will know them by their fruits.

Fruits are more than words, it is in action as well. It is in repentance, it is in a life changed. One who walked in darkness but has seen a great light and now walks in that light. Is there a change? Has one stumbled or made mistakes? Have they gotten up and repented? Do they continue reaching for the upward call of Elohim in Messiah Yahoshua? This is how you know if they are true followers of the Way. We are to test the spirits. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from Elohim. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.” A prophet is simply someone who proclaims to know Messiah and presents Messiah. A prophet is true if they show the Messiah of Scripture. They must walk as He walked. If not, they are false.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This is how you can tell if someone is a true disciple, whether they are following the true Messiah. It is in their word and speech as much as it is in their spirit and their actions. When you drive around and see the sign, “Disciples of Christ,” ask yourself this. Are they truly walking the way Yahoshua walked? Are they walking the Way of the Rabbi? To read more on this topic check out “Shema.”

This is the Way of the Rabbi,
You are loved,

cj

“I Believe!”

Yahoshua is
The Way
The Truth
The Life
Torah is
The Way, Path, Instruction
The Truth, Your Word is Truth
The Life, Man shall not live by bread alone BUT by every WORD of Elohim
Yahoshua is Torah
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1)

Yahoshua said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Salvation is found in Messiah alone. We are told, “For by grace you have been saved and not of yourselves, lest anyone boast.” Again in another place it says, “All who call upon the name of Adonai will be saved.” “So what must I do to be saved?” The question was asked, the answer given, “Believe in Adonai Yahoshua and you and your household will be saved.” What does it mean to believe? For when asking Yahoshua for a miracle a man said, “I believe, Adonai, help my unbelief.”

The word translated ‘Believe’ in each of these instances is from the Greek. It is πιστεύω pisteúō, which means: to commit to, to entrust oneself, to place oneself into. It is participatory. You see, it says that “even demons believe and tremble,” believe or to think to be true. If simply believing something to be true was enough then it wouldn’t be contrasted. But it is and thus it requires action on our part. To commit ourselves to Yahoshua. It is what He was stating when He said, “I am the way,” we are to commit to His way. “I am the truth,” we are to commit to His truth. “I am the life,” we are to commit to His lifestyle. In so doing we commit, we entrust ourselves to Him, and we place ourselves into Him, into His Word.

This is the point James was making. He wrote, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Yahoshua stresses the same point, “Why do you call me Adonai, Adonai, and not do as I say?” When Matthew 5:17 is brought up in a discussion it is often dismissed as irrelevant. People argue it was said before his death and resurrection. There is no disputing when it was said. For relevance, to argue its dismissal, you must then believe nearly everything Yahoshua said is now irrelevant. Here is what Yahoshua said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law (Torah) or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish them. Instead, I came to fulfill them.” Fulfill by bringing fullness and greater understanding. You can see this to be true by simply reading on in the passage. He continues, “Whoever relaxes even one of the least of these commandments will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever teaches others to do the same will have the same result.” This He said. He affirmed, “With certainty I tell you, not one dot or one tittle will pass away from the Torah.” This will continue “until all is accomplished.” The whole of Scripture to include the millennial reign of Messiah here on earth. We know this because Yahoshua speaks about the Law (Torah) and the Prophets. It is not just the Messianic prophecies of His coming, His death, and His resurrection.

So what are we to do? We are to follow the example set out for us by Yahoshua and His Apostles. We are to follow the instruction of Torah. As stated in earlier posts, we can not follow all of it nor did Israel. This is based on where we are geographically. It also depends on who we are by gender and what we do by occupation. Also, presently, there isn’t a Levitical Priesthood or a Temple, which also eliminates certain instructions found in the Torah. What then can we follow? We can without hesitation follow the Ten Commandments, to include the fourth one. Which says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor for six days and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your Elohim. On it, you shall not do any work. This includes you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your livestock, or the sojourner within your gates. In six days, Yahweh made heaven and earth. He also made the sea and all that is in them. Then, Yahweh rested the seventh day. Hence, Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Honor Elohim’s Feast days as well of which the Sabbath is the first one mentioned. A weekly reminder of our eternal rest in Yahoshua. We can also follow the dietary instructions. These prohibitions have been proven a more healthy way of eating anyway.

These instructions are not cumbersome as some describe them. In fact knowing this argument would arise it was preemptively spoken of in Deuteronomy 30:11. “The commandment I give you today is not too difficult for you. It is not beyond your reach.” In 1 John it is reaffirmed. “For this is the love of Elohim, that we should keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” So how does one show that they believe? What is the mark of a believer? But by doing what Messiah instructed us to do. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” We are called to love Elohim and to love our neighbor. A summery of the Ten Commandments but also stand alone commandments of which both are found in the ‘Old Testament.’ Micah mentions what Elohim requires of us. We need to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our Elohim. It has always been about relationship with Yahweh. A personal relationship in which we walk with Him, hand in hand with our creator. His commands are for our advantage and our obedience is a sign of our commitment, it says, “I believe.”

This is the way of the Rabbi,
You are loved,
cj

The Chosen Veil

Many of us live veiled lives. Covering those parts of our life, history, story, that are least flattering, even shameful, even if it is only by our own definition. Many spend a lifetime living under a veil. Some live with veiled faces to block out that which seems too difficult, or based on experiences are deemed unnecessary. Some have worn a veil so long they don’t even know they are wearing one. It has become a part of them as much as the nose on their face.

Everyday, we choose our veils, and for the most part it goes unnoticed by the world. Today, i hope to challenge you, to see the veil you maybe walking with and in that awareness, perhaps, begin to lift it. View life, love, liberty, with a new lens. The other day i was reading in 2 Corinthians. i marked this passage found at the end of Chapter three.

“Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains un-lifted, because it is removed in Messiah. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to Adonai, the veil is taken away. Now Adonai is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of Adonai is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of Adonai, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from Adonai, the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:12-18)

Yahoshua said, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” This is a scathing rebuke of the religious leaders of the day. Along with Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in which he says, “But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart.” They didn’t want to know truth because it would disrupt their traditions. The same is true today. Many refuse to look at Moses and his writings as significant outside of a historic perspective. When in reality it is the very essence of who Yahoshua is, was, and is to come. Within the writings of the prophets as well, we find Yahoshua, and His coming Kingdom. Nowhere is there a new path, just new understanding in that it is written on our heart and on our minds. Can we make atonement for ourselves? No. Could the Israelites? No. The sacrificial system that was in place was a foreshadowing of Messiah. It was never sufficient. So based on this many claim all is done away with, and they are wrong.

What we do know is that in the millennium, the sacrificial system will be reinstated. For atonement purposes? No. If you read the Passover instruction, or First Fruits, Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles, pick one, what you read about is a prescribed gathering in which there was a feast. A massive party around the earthly Thrown of Elohim. The sacrifices were eaten by the people. Offerings were brought to the Levites because they didn’t own land, didn’t farm, didn’t tend flocks, they were ministers in the Temple and to the people. Is there a Temple now? No. Are the Levites within the land dependent upon others for their livelihood? No. So there is much of the Instruction, the Torah, that we are unable to observe. This doesn’t negate the whole but rather accentuate the purpose of Torah and that has always been relationship with Elohim.

Yahoshua says, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.” John 519-20 ~ If Elohim never changes, the system never changed but our understanding of it is skewed because of bad interpretations throughout the years dating all the way back to Yahoshua. “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me.” Shouldn’t we get to know Moses if we truly want to understand Yahoshua? In Messiah’s High Priestly prayer found in John 17 He says, “I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your word.” What word? The Torah and the living Torah made flesh in the person of Yahoshua.

Yahoshua later says, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one— I in them and You in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” Elohim cannot deny Himself, He cannot lie, He cannot contradict Himself, therefore our understanding must align with the whole of Scripture. To walk according to the Gospel, the good news of Messiah, is to Walk in Unity with the Instruction of the Father through the Torah, the book of Instruction. To walk in the Commandments of Elohim and His statutes of which are possible today.

What of Elohim’s instruction can be followed? That which reflects the heart of the Father. His 10 Words, the Ten Commandments, to Love Elohim with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves sums up the whole of the law. Yet, what does it look like to love and honor Elohim if not to observe His Torah? To walk as the Rabbi walked in perfect unity with the Father and in response to His prayer for us in John 17. To be one with Him as He is one with the Father, to be in Him and He in us as the Father and the Son are one. What veil are you living under, what tradition of man is clouding your vision, what response will you give Messiah when He says, “Why do you call me Adonai, Adonai, and not do what I command?“

This is the Way of the Rabbi . . .
You are loved,

cj

A Baseball Analogy

A Perfect Game ~ For to this you have been called, because Messiah also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

Let me give you a sports analogy. In baseball a pitcher starts by stepping on the mound with a dream of throwing a perfect game. Every pitcher wants to be the one to do it. It has been done only 24 times in MLB history. They did it, they completed a perfect game, these pitchers are examples to the rest of the league. Of course they had help from their team, but still, it rests on the pitcher for the most part. Just because it has been accomplished, doesn’t mean it is no longer a stat. As well, a pitcher who starts on Monday, fails to throw a perfect game doesn’t give up. On Thursday, the next time he steps on the mound the dream is the same, “Today is the day!” It remains the hight of pitching, greater than a no-hitter, which has only been done 326 times in MLB history and that is a dream of a pitcher as well. Think about it this way each team has 162 regular season games. There are 30 teams in Major League Baseball . . . needless to say, there are a lot of games played each season. Still there have only been 24 perfect games thrown and only 326 no-hitters. It is quite the feat.

Yahoshua, completed a perfect life. He didn’t end the way, He merely showed us how. Elijah was taken in a fiery chariot, Enoch walked with Elohim, Melchizedek was a high priest before there was an Israel. i am not saying these men were perfect but they were as close to it as one could be, perhaps they pitched no-hitters. Here is my point, Yahoshua, didn’t come so that man could live without order. He came to defeat sin and death by paying the ultimate price. Shouldn’t we as a sign of gratitude, live as He lived, with the help of the Holy Spirit? Not flippantly, ignoring His Feast Days, His Sabbath’s, His Commandments. Yet, that is exactly what the Church is doing. They have separated themselves from the nation of Israel when in actuality we are grafted in. They have adopted holidays, which many debate have pagan influences. i work for a person who claims to be pagan. They talk about their pagan origins and they express how funny it is to see “christians” celebrate their holidays. Whether or not it is wholly true it is partially true and that alone should get the Churches attention. It doesn’t.

Folks will say that it isn’t possible to keep the commandments. They will quote passages of Scripture to make their point. Such as Acts 15:10 ~ “Now then, why do you test Elohim by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?” What many fail to realize or connect to this verse is Acts 15:23 ~ “For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” When the Jerusalem Council met and were discussing the inclusion of gentile believers they weren’t saying, since they can’t keep the Law no one should have to, nor did they believe that the Law was done away with, as Paul demonstrates time and time again. No, what they were doing was not heaping on them generations of mans traditions added to the simplicity of walking with Elohim. The Torah is not burdensome as Yahoshua clearly demonstrated while He walked among humanity. The council wasn’t saying, ‘we failed to throw a perfect game so let’s get rid of that stat so the rookies don’t have an unnecessary burden put on them.’ No indeed.

This adoption by the church has given license to the same to forget the “Feasts of YHWH” as He declares them. “These are the feasts of YHWH, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their seasons.” (Leviticus 23:4) They aren’t Jewish feasts, Hebraic feasts, Israeli feasts, they ARE YHWH’s Feasts, Holy Convocations, Forever. i don’t know what your definition of forever is but my forever hasn’t even come close to an end. It seems we have used Messiah as an excuse to forget the ways of the Father. Yahoshua is the fulfillment of the law, many claim, but the term is better translated ‘fulness’ and it leads us to a better understanding away from the influences of man. He came to set the record straight, pitch the perfect game, show humanity a more perfect way; The Way. We may never achieve that level of perfection but it should be our goal every time we step on the mound.

If you fail to throw a perfect game on Monday, dust yourself off. And on Tuesday with the same resolve, with prayer, begin your day with the intention of throwing a perfect game. “Today is the day!” Do not grow weary, do not give up, for the Holy Spirit is at work writing the Torah on your heart. Hebrews quotes Jeremiah, who quotes Elohim, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares YHWH: I will put My laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.” To what covenant are the gentiles grafted into? There is only one covenant, and by the grace of Elohim, He writes it on our hearts and on our minds. Paul tells us, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Messiah Yahoshua has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of Elohim in Messiah Yahoshua. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, Elohim will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” (Philippians 3:12-15)

This is the Way of the Rabbi ~

Feel free to email questions to questions@thewayoftherabbi.com or drop a comment below.

You are loved
cj

Remnant (narrow is the way and few find it)

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.” Matthew 7:23
i wonder how many read this passage of Scripture and think that this is for the world and not those who think they are in the “Church.” Let’s look at the whole of this passage and break it down. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Adonai, Adonai,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Adonai, Adonai, did we not prophesy in YOUR NAME, and in YOUR NAME cast out demons, and in YOUR NAME perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ ” This passage of Scripture, if it doesn’t make you tremble, should at least admonish you to take Paul’s advice, “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;” (Philippians 2:12).

Before we dive into what Adonai meant we need to understand what the title Adonai means? Well, first it is translated into English as Lord, and therefore defined as; a person who has authority, control, or power over others; a master, chief, or ruler. We use the term Lord mostly today which derives from the greek and comes from the root, BA’AL. This is why i like the to use Adonai, which comes from the Hebrew and is more fully translated as, “MY Master.” So according to Yahoshua, in the end, many will say to Him, “Adonai, Adonai!” These people coming to Him will recognize Him as their Master, their Lord. They continue to say, “didn’t we do . . .” They believe they were working in the Name of Yahoshua. Saul, later Paul, when he was persecuting the followers of the Way, before his conversion on the road to Damascus, thought he was doing the Will of Elohim. Yet, admittedly, he lacked true understanding of and relationship with YHWH. He was following mans tradition and not the Will of the Father in heaven. Today, likewise, many are following mans tradition and lack relationship with the Father and the Son. Yet, they strive in the name of . . .

To be a true disciple, one must walk in the way of the Rabbi, the Teacher. To put on Messiah. To become like him. Paul even says, “Imitate me as I imitate Messiah.” What did Messiah do? Only that which the Father said. Yahoshua is recorded as saying, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” He also says, “Why do you call Me Adonai, Adonai, and not do what I command you?” i have said this a lot recently, but it is worth repeating, Yahoshua is the WORD of Elohim made flesh. He is the fullness of Torah, not the end of it. He is the example of Torah, not the abolishment of it. He came to live it out so that we could imitate Him not throw it out. He came to set the record straight. He admonished the religious leaders of His day for their man made traditions and rules and commands. He would do the same today.

Let’s look at Paul for a minute as he confesses his passion for his understanding of Elohim. “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Yahoshua of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” (Acts 26:9-11) ~ Here Paul tells us that his zeal for Elohim led him to persecute that which he did not understand. Even though he was versed in Torah, and the prophets. What he should have known he did not recognize because of his commitment to the Pharisaic traditions. This has been something religious leaders have done since the dawn of time, attempting to worship in their own way. Even with clear instruction not to.

Deuteronomy 4:1-2 ~ “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that YHWH, the Elohim of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of YHWH your Elohim that I command you.”

Revelation 22:18-19 ~ “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, Elohim will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

These warnings should be taken extremely serious. They are not just statements made in the wind but are reflective of the heart of Elohim who desires a personal relationship with his creation. Micah declares, “Does YHWH take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does YHWH require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your Elohim ~ The voice of YHWH will call to the city And it is sound wisdom to fear HIS name:”

The first covenant with Israel was one of blood and stone. The new covenant is one of flesh and spirit. However, it is still with the house of Israel. “Behold, the days are coming, declares YHWH, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares YHWH. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares YHWH: I will put MY laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be MY people.” This passage in Hebrews is from Jeremiah 31:31-34.

So if this new covenant is simply the old covenant written on the hearts of Israel and Judah, how do the Gentile nations become partakers? Paul writes to the Romans, “Rather through their [Israel and Judah] sin salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.” And later he writes, “For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?” But by what means and for what purpose but to make salvation available to all as it was meant in the Torah! By being joined together with Israel, simply grafted in as Paul explains is this same letter to the Romans. “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partakers with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.” There is no distinction of people but there is a distinction of those who are in covenant with YHWH. That is . . . we ‘SHEMA’ which means, hear and obey.

“Shema Israel, YHWH our Elohim is One. You shall love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” It is with the heart that we love, with our soul we commit, with our mind we come to know and in our strength we serve. The two greatest commandments, love Elohim, and love our neighbor, this reveals the heart of the covenant. “You shall have no other gods before Me,” this reveals our commitment, much like the marriage covenant and why it is used as a symbol of our relationship to Messiah. We are told to meditate on His Word day and night, to know Him, is to love Him. Finally to serve Him with all we have and all we are for some everything comes easy because they have little. For others it is difficult because they have much.

This brings us back to the beginning. Narrow is the path that leads to life and few find it. “Why do you call me Adonai, Adonai, and not do as I command?” His command is the Torah, the unmistakable relationship covenant bound by our desire to keep in fellowship with our Creator. There are two paths, a religion that is based on mans tradition is the same as no religion at all which is to say without relationship. For can one truly say they know Elohim and yet forsake His Ways? But to be in covenant doesn’t mean perfection but it does mean holiness. It does mean striving. It does mean running the race to win, by training to run the race. Practice Torah, for it is the instruction manual, the guid book, to acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with Elohim. Do not find yourself on the other end of the saying, “Depart from ME, I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness.”

This is the way of the Rabbi.
You are loved,
cj