Tag: God

Mark Twain’s Insight: Pausing Amid the Majority

Mark Twain’s Insight: Pausing Amid the Majority

Mark Twain is credited with many profound quotes. There is one that I came across recently that really struck me. He said, “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” It reminds me that the majority of humanity does not know God. They don’t know the Son Yahoshua (Jesus). Scripture breaks this down further by saying there is only a remnant. “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?” (Micah 7:18)

Do you know of the parable of the ten virgins? There were five wise and five foolish. Have you read the words of Yahoshua where He warns us, “depart from Me I never knew you! You who practice lawlessness.” The message over and over is a remnant. In John 6:66 we read of many turning and walking away from Him. Because His teachings were too hard to accept. Only a few remained and He asked them, “are you going to leave also?” They responded, “where would we go? You have the words of eternal life.” They were the remnant.

Have you heard about the second Exodus? . . . Jeremiah 23:7-8. “So behold, the days are coming, declares YHWH, when they will no longer say, ‘As surely as YHWH lives, who brought the Israelite’s up out of the land of Egypt.’ Instead they will say, ‘As surely as YHWH lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel up out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.’ Then they will dwell once more in their own land.”

Before one begins to quote the overly taught phrase, “That is for the Jews.” Let me share another couple verses with you. Isaiah 56:1-8 is as clear as day. This is significant because it draws a conclusion few are prepared for which leaves them open to deception. Lets look at this passage in Isaiah.

This is what YHWH says: “Maintain justice and do what is right. For My salvation is coming soon, and My righteousness will be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast. Who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” Let no foreigner who has joined himself to YHWH say, “YHWH will utterly exclude me from His people.” And let the eunuch not say, “I am but a dry tree.” For this is what YHWH says: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, who choose what pleases Me. And hold fast to My covenant. I will give them, in My house and within My walls, a memorial. And a name better than that of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. And the foreigners who join themselves to YHWH to minister to Him, to love the name of YHWH, and to be His servants—all who keep the Sabbath without profaning it and who hold fast to My covenant—I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar. For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” Thus declares Adonai Elohim, who gathers the dispersed of Israel. “I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered.”

The second passage I want to draw the readers attention to is found in Romans 11. Here are verses 18-23 for your consideration. “do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God. Severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in. For God has the power to graft them in again.”

I hope this establishes in your mind the connectivity of God’s people and the nations. His desire is that ALL would come to the knowledge of the Truth. What is truth? His word is truth, John 17:17. You see even in a graft sometimes the graft doesn’t take and the branch then needs to be cut off. We are called to know Him by His word and His word is True. That Word is the Tanakh or as we flippantly call it today, “The Old Testament.” It isn’t either or it’s both and, for it is a continuation. Yahoshua told Pilate during His trial, “You say correctly that I am a King. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” His Word is Truth, Yahoshua came to testify of the WORD. It is a continuous revelation and a constant call to revival. To return to the Torah! The instruction of Elohim.

What is the sign of revival? Acts declares this as the sign of revival. “You see, brother, how many thousands there are of those who have believed. And they are all zealous for the Torah. . .” So then how is it that we are to live but obediently to the Word. And for what reason? So we can partake in the second exodus written of in the Prophets.

Jeremiah 30:1-3.
“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH. “This is what YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, the days are coming, declares YHWH, when I will restore from captivity My people Israel and Judah, declares YHWH. I will restore them to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they will possess it.’”

Jeremiah 31:7-10.
“For this is what YHWH says: “Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations! Make your praises heard, and say, ‘O YHWH, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!’ Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, including the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor. They will return as a great assembly! They will come with weeping, and by their supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk beside streams of waters, on a level path where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s Father, and Ephraim is My firstborn.” Hear, O nations, the word of YHWH, and proclaim it in distant coastlands: “The One who scattered Israel will gather them and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock.“

Zechariah 8:7-8.
“This is what YHWH of Hosts says: “I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous Elohim.”

Hosea 3:5.
“Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek YHWH their Elohim and David their king. They will come trembling to YHWH and to His goodness in the last days.”

Ezekiel 28:25-26.
“This is what YHWH Elohim says: ‘When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, I will show Myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will dwell in their own land, which I have given to My servant Jacob. And there they will dwell securely, build houses, and plant vineyards. They will dwell securely when I execute judgments against all those around them who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am YHWH their Elohim.’”

There is but a remnant that will see the Kingdom from the inside. Sadly, the majority of people will be looking at the Kingdom from the outside. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. They will say, didn’t we believe, didn’t we do, didn’t we? And they will only hear, “depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” They were in darkness believing they were in the light. But the light is Torah. So if you are not living in Torah you are indeed living in darkness. And no amount of believing will suffice. For those in the light walk according to the light. The light, the truth, these are the Word and the Word is the instruction and the instruction is Torah. This is the way of the Rabbi. May you experience true revival and become zealous for the Torah.

You are loved,
cj

Understanding Redemption Through Yahoshua: A Scriptural Journey

Understanding Redemption Through Yahoshua: A Scriptural Journey

“Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our Elohim, Yahweh is One. And you shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

The journey of redemption is lead by Yahweh. It is His desire to make us into who He made us to be. A restoration of His garden plan found in Genesis. “And He saw ALL that He had made, AND IT WAS GOOD.”

Luke 24:13-19 “And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus. It was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Yahoshua Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, ‘What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?’ And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, ‘Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?’ And He said to them, ‘What things?’

The scene is post crucifixion. Two disciples are walking together and discussing all that had transpired. They were saddened believing that all had come to an end. They were discouraged, and aimless. On their way back home presumably to resume that which they did before following the Messiah. When the very One they mourned appeared in their midst and began to question them. To ask them “What things?” seems out of touch but in reality it was the open door to bring the Scriptures to life. To open their eyes to the promises that had always been and now were. But first, Yahoshua needed to know what they understood and they revealed it in their answer to Him.

Luke 24:19-24 “And they said to Him, ‘The things about Yahoshua the Nazarene. Who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people. How the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.‘” Note here: Their expectation was of a Kingdom. That David’s throne would be reestablished with Yahoshua reigning in Jerusalem and Israel being reborn. Continuing now. “Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, they did not find His body. They came back, saying that they had also seen a vision. A vision of angels who said that He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.“

Yahoshua (Jesus) had spent three and a half years teaching them. He told them multiple times of His purpose. He even tells Pilate, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world. To testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate then asks, “What is truth?” Do you know what truth is? Do you know why He said, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice?” It is because truth is the Word and the Word is Truth. As Yahoshua says, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 18:37-38; & 17:17).

Luke 24:25-27. “And He said to them, ‘O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and to enter into His glory? Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” The Scriptures here being referred to, we call the ‘Old Testament,’ but is better understood as the Tanakh. All the answers, all Truth is found in the Word. That Word is (for clarity) the Old Testament. The promise of the New Covenant is that the Torah would be written on the hearts His people.

Jeremiah 31 says, “I will put My Torah within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Ezekiel 36 puts it this way; “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My Statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Hebrews 8 records this idea not because the commandments were burdensome but because of the fault of man. “For finding fault with them, He says, . . . I will put My Torah (instruction) into their minds and I will write it on their hearts.”

The cry of David’s heart should be the cry of every heart that calls itself a believer. “Make me know Your ways, O Yahweh; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your TRUTH and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. For You I wait all the day. Remember, O Yahweh, Your compassion and Your loving kindnesses, for they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions. According to Your loving kindness remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Yahweh. Good and upright is Yahweh. Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice. He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of Yahweh are loving kindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Yahweh, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.” Psalm 25:4-11

True revival is a desire for Elohim’s (God’s) instruction. It is a calling back to His instruction, a call to obedience. This was the instruction of Yahoshua who said, “If you love Me obey My commandments.” And, “Why do you call Me Adonai (Master), Adonai, and not do as I command?” We should desire His ways, His path, His instruction. Yahoshua said, “I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Did you know that the Torah is called, the way? It is also called the Truth and it is Life. Yahoshua is the Word made flesh, the Torah made flesh. Is any of this making sense yet?

In Deuteronomy you will find these passages . . .
5:8-10 “. . . but showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
7:9-11 “. . . who love Him and keep His commandments.”
10:12-13 “. . . to walk in all His ways and love Him. To serve Yahweh your Elohim (God) with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep Yahweh’s commandments.”
11:1 “You shall therefore love Yahweh your Elohim. And always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments.”
11:13 “. . . listen obediently to My commandments . . . love Yahweh your Elohim . . .”
11:22 “For if you are careful to keep all this commandment which I am commanding you to do, to love Yahweh your Elohim. To walk in all His ways and hold fast to Him.”
19:8-9 “. . .if you carefully observe all this commandment which I command you today, to love Yahweh your Elohim, and to walk in His ways . . .”
30:16 “. . . love Yahweh your Elohim, to walk in His ways and keep His commandments . . .”

Joshua 22:5 “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the Torah which Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you. To love Yahweh your Elohim and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and holdfast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Nehemiah 1:5-6 “. . . for those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
Daniel 9:4 “. . . those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
1 John 5:2-3 “By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and observe His commandments. For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”
2 John 1:5-6 “. . . not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.”

Therein lies the truth of the matter, the Torah, Elohim’s instruction was not done away with but was made manifest. It was done so through Messiah Yahoshua (Christ Jesus). He is the instruction that is now written on the hearts of those who love Elohim and keep His commandments. For as promised, we have the instruction now within us enabling us to walk in love. Both love for the Father and for our neighbor. To honor Elohim and His Sabbath’s, His Feast Days, His commandments and statutes. Through the power of our resurrected Adonai Yahoshua and the promised helper the Holy Spirit.

One day we will stand before the judgment seat. Many will hear something they are not expecting. Not because they didn’t hear the truth but because they didn’t keep it. Matthew 7:22-23 “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 from Me, you who practice lawlessness.‘” It wasn’t because they thought their works would save them it was because they were not following the commandments of Elohim. They were lawless, they were without Torah. They made it a practice to not do what Elohim expects of those who say they love Him. If you love Him, keep His commandments. This is the way of the Rabbi.

Luke 24:30-32, 35 “When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?'” “They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.”

What will you do? Yahoshua is the bread of heaven, the Word made flesh. Do you know Him? Do you know His Word? He reveals the Father, the Father never changes nor does His word. Therefore, it stands to reason if we want to truly know Yahoshua Messiah the Son of Elohim. You must know the Scriptures, Genesis to Malachi. And not only know them but obey them. Are you on the narrow road that leads to Salvation? Or, are you on the wide road that leads to destruction?

You are loved,
cj

Reviving the Sabbath: A Call to Return

Reviving the Sabbath: A Call to Return

Have you ever noticed that there is a day for everything? There are food days like ‘National Pie Day,’ or ‘National Hamburger Day.’ Food isn’t your thing? Try ‘Talk like a Pirate Day,’ or even ‘National Old Rock Day.’ if you can think it, it probably has a day. For instance, there is a day called ‘World Lazy Day.’ If being lazy isn’t appealing because of the labels, disguise your laziness with ‘National Sleep Day.’ I have known for sometime of a day known as ‘National Back to Church Sunday.’ Probably even promoted it a time or two.

It is a great concept really. Picking up on the idea of holidays, and focusing one on getting back to Church. An opportunity to invite friends through general conversation, masked in funny holiday’s. For instance this year National Talk like a Pirate Day is the Friday before Back to Church. Imagine you and your friends standing around the water-cooler. You say, “Arg ya mateys, won’t ya be joining me this Sunday for church and after some libations?” Churches have been known to put on extravagant services to entice interest, or to be more welcoming. A more salvation based message, friendly, loving, encouraging. The state of the world is troubling. It is clear that a day to come together in prayer and unity is needed.

Now imagine going to Scripture. Rather than focusing on a man made day of worship, we could focus on the Sabbath. We could call it ‘Back to the Sabbath, Sabbath’ or “National 7th Day Sabbath” instead of back to Church Sunday? After all, one is found in Scripture, the other in Rome.

 “Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for Elohim. You have six days to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your Elohim. On it, you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

The Sabbath is a weekly National Day of Rest. It is a true National Day. I work for a company that was open on Labor Day. Now Labor Day is a day to honor the Laborers. However, they honored their employees by being open and making them work. If they were honoring Elohim, they would have given us the day off. They would also do so every week on the Sabbath, the seventh-day, we know today as Saturday. (I have written more on Sabbath and calendars here).

The Sabbath day isn’t just a mandate from Elohim, a statute, an ordinance, a commandment. It is a day He Himself observed in the beginning. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them. On the seventh-day Elohim was finished with His work which He had made, so He rested on the seventh-day from all His work which He had made. Elohim blessed the seventh-day and separated it as holy; because on that day Elohim rested from all His work which He had created, so that it itself could produce.” (Genesis 2:1-3)

Blessed is the man who does this. Blessed is the son of man who holds it fast. He keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it. He keeps his hand from doing any evil.” (Isaiah 56:2)

Many modern theologians will say that the Sabbath is done away and base that belief on Yahoshua. Sadly, they do not know Hebrew culture, they don’t know terms and idioms, they simply don’t understand. They don’t understand Matthew 5 or 12, Mark 2, John 5, Romans 14, Colossians 2, or Hebrews 4. Or when the disciples asked Paul to speak again on the first day of the week in Acts. They would rather cherry pick their verses than take the Scripture as a whole. What they claim the Pharisees of doing, they do themselves with their man made Sunday worship. And they are blind to it.

Imagine, a Church who calls on the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Who accept His Son Yahoshua as their Savior, the Messiah of Elohim. Would stop looking for loopholes and instead learn from the Messiah and His Apostles who kept the Sabbath Day. To turn back their foot from not keeping the Sabbath to keeping it. Oh, what a revival, we would see then.

“If you hold back your foot on Shabbat
from pursuing your own interests on My Holy Day;
if you call Shabbat a delight,
Adonai’s Holy Day, worth honoring;
then honor it by not doing your usual things
or pursuing your interests or speaking about them.
If you do, you will find delight in Adonai —
I will make you ride on the heights of the land
and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob,
for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.”
Isaiah 58:13-14

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

Exploring God’s Titles: Adonai and Elohim

Exploring God’s Titles: Adonai and Elohim

i have thought about this series for some time. How do i share my understanding in a way that leads you, the reader, into curiosity? To inspire a deeper look into Scripture. To light a fire within you to be like the people of Berea. Who received with joy, the words being taught to them. But then went and searched the Scriptures to see whether or not it was true. There are plenty of posts you can go over in which i will have touched on these ideas presented here. Although, not so succinctly as i will try in this series of posts. i will present the options and then give my ‘why’s’ trying to be fair to both sides in the end. These are the topics i will present over the next few days. Yahoshua or Jesus (see post); Rabbi or Teacher (see post); Adonai Elohim or Lord God (current post); Feast Days or Holidays; Sabbath or Sunday. In the end it will be my goal to have persuaded you to begin to evaluate your ‘why’s’. To ask the question of yourself, “Am I using mans justification or Elohim’s Word, to determine my beliefs?” Let’s continue.

Adonai Elohim or Lord God:
Many will say this is simply semantics and word play. However, I will say this, words are important and they carry meaning. It is why there is a saying, “Choose your words wisely.” As we look at definitions, things can get a bit muddled. When words are used to describe other words, it can become confusing. Add in historical context and you have opened up a giant can or worms. Adonai and Lord have overlapping meaning, ‘Master,’ being the primary meaning. Elohim and God essentially mean the exact same thing, Deity, Higher Power, Supreme Being. Elohim, however, does have a slight difference as it is plural by nature. Some will say this is representative of the Trinity, or Father, Son, Holy Spirit. It can also mean Divine Counsel. This is hinted to in the book of Enoch, which is not widely accepted. Whereas, God, is singular in nature. El is the singular vernacular for Elohim. For example, El Shaddai is translated into English ‘God Almighty.’

Lord is translated from Greek however its root is Babylonian, Ba’al, .Ba’al, is also the designation given in Scripture to refer to false gods, and deities, most notably Dagan or Dagon. Dagan was known as the fish god and his priests wore fish type hats. There is a large church based in Rome whose priests also wear hats resembling fish. When titles are used to refer to יהוה‎ YHWH and are not rooted in Hebrew, it becomes easy to generalize. This can minimize His importance. It also lends to syncretism or the blurring of lines. When actors or singers receive an award, they often thank god for their achievement. This could be for a part in a movie or a song that is full of every sort of filth. Which god do you think they are thanking? However, when someone says Adonai Elohim, or El Shaddai, you know that they are referring to the God of Bible.

Words are powerful and they have meaning. Whoever said, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” was lying. Words can hurt and that is why Scripture tells us to watch our words. Don’t talk idly or foolishly. We are told to let our yes be yes and our no be no. But perhaps most importantly, the Word says, “All who call upon the Name of Adonai YHWH shall be saved.” This passage in Romans isn’t just saying to know His name but take on His name. It seems to me that satan has a clear motive. He wants to mask or hide the true name and nature of Adonai Elohim YHWH. This makes it all the more important to know and use, to the best of our ability, the Hebrew expressions.

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

Understanding the Role of Rabbi vs Teacher

Understanding the Role of Rabbi vs Teacher

i have thought about this series for some time. How do i share my understanding in a way that leads you, the reader, into curiosity? To inspire a deeper look into Scripture. To light a fire within you to be like the people of Berea. Who received with joy, the words being taught to them. But then went and searched the Scriptures to see whether or not it was true. There are plenty of posts you can go over in which i will have touched on these ideas presented here. Although, not so succinctly as i will try in this series of posts. i will present the options and then give my ‘why’s’ trying to be fair to both sides in the end. These are the topics i will present over the next few days. Yahoshua or Jesus (see last post); Rabbi or Teacher (Current Post); Adonai Elohim or Lord God; Feast Days or Holidays; Sabbath or Sunday. In the end it will be my goal to have persuaded you to begin to evaluate your ‘why’s’. To ask the question of yourself, “Am I using mans justification or Elohim’s Word, to determine my beliefs?” Let’s continue.

Rabbi or Teacher:
This comparison isn’t all that consequential. The point that i want to make with it is the mind set it produces. Let me start with simple definitions from dictionary.com. First, “teacher: a person who teaches or instructs, especially as a profession; instructor.” Second, “rabbi: the chief religious official of a synagogue, trained usually in a theological seminary and duly ordained, who delivers the sermon at a religious service and performs ritualistic, pastoral, educational, and other functions in and related to the role of a spiritual leader of Judaism and the Jewish community.” In most schools, elementary to university, a teacher teaches the student to know information. It is the teachers goal to instruct their student in a way that they become knowledgeable in whatever subject. A Rabbi on the other hand was to make mini versions of themselves. They would instruct their disciples in a manor that reproduced a mirror copy. In other words the disciples goal was to become just like his rabbi.

In Matthew 23:8 Yahoshua says, “But you are not to let yourselves be called ‘Rabbi’. Because you have one Rabbi, and you are all each other’s brothers.” Given the definitions above you can see why this was important to emphasize. If the goal of a Rabbi was to reproduce himself it stands to reason that Yahoshua would warn against it. The goal now is to become like The Rabbi, Yahoshua. For He alone is who we are to be like. Let’s take a look at Philippians 3.

Paul, who was a Pharisee and well learned scholar of Torah said this about his knowledge. As well most likely a mirror copy of his rabbi. “Yes, I gave it all up in order to know Him [Yahoshua Messiah]. That is, to know the power of His resurrection. And the fellowship of His sufferings as I am being conformed to his death. So that somehow I might arrive at being resurrected from the dead.” He was no longer concerned about imitating a man like himself. He wanted to imitate The Rabbi, Messiah Yahoshua. Paul continues his discourse to the Philippians in this way. “It is not that I have already obtained it or already reached the goal — no. I keep pursuing it. In the hope of taking hold of that for which the Messiah Yeshua took hold of me. Brothers, I, for my part, do not think of myself as having yet gotten hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead, I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by Elohim’s upward calling in the Messiah Yahoshua. Therefore, as many of us as are mature, let us keep paying attention to this; and if you are differently minded about anything, Elohim will also reveal this to you. Only let our conduct fit the level we have already reached.”

When Paul later writes about imitating him, he emphasizes the point by saying, “For I imitate Messiah.” The idea is that we become like our Rabbi Yahoshua. To do what He did, say what He said, walk as He walked. Yahoshua said, “These things that you have seen Me do, even greater things will you do when I go to the Father.” Why would they do those things? Because, they were to be like Him, mirror images of Messiah. It is where the term ‘Christian’ comes from. It was a derogatory term that was warn as a badge of honor. To be called a ‘Christian’ meant that you were a mirror image of Messiah. Being called a ‘Christian’ today does not carry the same meaning.

The goal i have now is to be a disciple of Rabbi Yahoshua. To learn from Him and to be like Him in word and deed. There is an expression. It is “to walk in the dust of the rabbi.” It can also be a blessing: “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.” It means to walk so closely to Him that you begin to mimic even His mannerisms. For a long time i looked at Jesus as my teacher. He was instructing me and that was sufficient. But as i walked that road i found it easy, wide, and unchallenging. Oh sure i messed up but grace made everything inconsequential. Now with the fuller understanding of the idea of Yahoshua as Rabbi being a ‘Christian’ has a whole new meaning. Sure i don’t always get it right and i am far from perfect. Yet, i strive to be more and more like my Rabbi, Messiah Yahoshua, every moment of every day.

i don’t want to be merely taught by Yahoshua, i want to be like Him. i want to be covered in the dust of my Rabbi. On the flip side, i hope these posts teach you. i hope they stir a longing within you to desire the Way of The Rabbi. May you be covered in the dust of your Rabbi Yahoshua.

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

Yahoshua vs Jesus: Exploring Name Significance

Yahoshua vs Jesus: Exploring Name Significance

i have thought about this one for some time. How do i share my understanding in a way that leads you, the reader, into curiosity? To inspire a deeper look into Scripture. To light a fire with in you to be like the people of Berea. Who received with joy, the words being taught to them. But then went and searched the Scriptures to see whether or not it was true. There are plenty of posts you can go over in which i will have touched on these ideas presented here. Although, not so succinctly as i will try in this series of posts. i will present the options and then give my ‘why’s’ trying to be fair to both sides in the end. These are the topics i will present over the next few days. Yahoshua or Jesus; Rabbi or Teacher; Adonai Elohim or Lord God; Feast Days or Holidays; Sabbath or Sunday. In the end it will be my goal to have persuaded you to begin to evaluate your ‘why’s’. To ask the question of yourself, “Am I using mans justification or Elohim’s Word, to determine my beliefs?” Let’s begin.

Yahoshua or Jesus:
The first question i usually get is, “Why not Yeshua?” The reason i choose to use the name Yahoshua is rooted in the Torah. A story of victory, and salvation. Taking what was common and presenting it as redeemed. The Name has meaning that is not filtered through transliteration or translations or passed through cultures. It is pure and it teaches, the name alone teaches. It originates with Joshua son of Nun. Well, there isn’t definitive more assumed but it seems historically reasonable. Joshua in Hebrew is Yahoshua. In Numbers 13:16 we read where Moses gives Hoshea the name Yahoshua. Hoshea by itself means Salvation. Yah is a condensed version of Yahweh or Yahovah which we can see in Psalm 68:4. Of course you will need to get a hold of a Bible that at least references the Hebrew names. The 1599 GNV is available online at Bible Gateway (see the footnotes). So Moses was reminding the people through the name of his successor. Yah is Salvation. Yah’s Salvation was leading them to the promised land. The same is true for our Messiah. Yahoshua, Yah’s Anointed One is our Salvation. Through Him alone we enter the Promised Land. Although similar the same argument cannot be made for the name Yeshua. We do not say HalleluYes, we say, HalleluYah, which is Praise Yah!

Jesus is a transliteration of Iesus, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Yahoshua. The letter ‘J’ was not introduced into the language until the 17th century. When it was introduced, it had a soft sound. It was used the same way as in Hispanic cultures today, like in the name Juan. In Greek however the sound of the I is literal I E SUUS. It is completely different. If we take the name Juan, the English transliteration is John. This might be fine for the average Joe but we are talking about the Name of Elohim! “You are not to use lightly the name of Adonai your Elohim. Because, Adonai will not leave unpunished someone who uses His name lightly.” Exodus 20:7 tells us. We should be intellectually honest. At minimum, we should call our Messiah by the English version of His Hebrew name, Joshua. Still even greater is honoring His given name, Yahoshua. Even if you choose a different spelling. However, i find my argument pretty compelling for Yahoshua.

For more on this topic you can check out the menu bar, “Why Yahoshua and other names and titles.”

Feel free to leave a comment below or ask a question@thewayoftherabbi.com

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

Preparedness in Faith: Lessons from the Ten Virgins

Preparedness in Faith: Lessons from the Ten Virgins

Throughout Scripture the term “to be sleeping” has meant not necessarily to be asleep. It has meant to be ignorant of a thing or unaware. It has also meant, ‘to be dead’. i recently had a word stand out to me while reading Matthew 25:1-13. This is the parable of the 10 Virgins. i read it, prayed, and read it again, over and over. i just felt that there was something there. This is where it hit me, “They all became drowsy and slept.” They became tired, or bothered, bored perhaps. Then they gave in to neglect, and slept. All of them were asleep until they heard the cry, “Here comes the bridegroom!” It is at this time that we find out that half of the virgins were unprepared. They did not bring enough oil for their lamps. Now oil is symbolic of preparation, anointing, provision, knowledge, understanding and even wealth in some circumstances.

So what can we take from this? First, let us look at the passage in its entirety.
“The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. The foolish ones took lamps with them but no oil, whereas the others took flasks of oil with their lamps. Now the bridegroom was late, so they all went to sleep. 6 It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, ‘The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him!’ 7 The girls all woke up and prepared their lamps for lighting. The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ But as they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. Later, the other bridesmaids came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they cried, ‘Let us in!’ But he answered, ‘Indeed! I tell you, I don’t know you!’ So stay alert, because you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Throughout Scripture Israel, the Hebrew Nation, has been referred to as the Bride. They entered into covenant relationship with Elohim. YHWH, divorces them for their unfaithfulness. Yet, He is constantly wooing them to come home. He even promises to them through Jeremiah restoration. The renewed covenant found in Jeremiah 31, is a beautiful picture of restoration. This restoration reiterates an invitation to the nations, that is, the gentiles. This we read in Paul’s writings, as well, Peter, James and John. Not to be left out we see it in Luke, Mark and Matthew as above. We can also read about this invitation in the Tanakh, it wasn’t a new idea brought by the Messiah. It was simply taught that now is that time, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” We the gentiles along with those of Israel who know Messiah, form the Ekklesia. We are apart of the New Covenant written of in Hebrews and presented by Messiah Himself. Which means as the ‘Church’ has stated often, we are the bride of Messiah. However, we must enter through the Messiah. So that the fullness of the covenant can now be written on our hearts and minds.

Do you have a hobby? Something you like to do and do regularly? Is there an activity that you do or a group that you like to participate in? Maybe you really enjoy where you work or it is simply spending time with family. In all of these instances, if you begin to tire or take a break from it, neglect can creep in. You can become bothered or even bored with what you are doing. Like marriage for instance. You love your spouse but there are times you want to be alone. In those moments, guard your hearts. Boredom can set in. You might even notice a bothered spirit about things you once didn’t recognize. Soon, neglect, and the once sacred covenant is broken or hanging by a thread. Once one falls asleep they don’t know until they wake up what a mess things have become. Some don’t realize it at all. When they wake up, they expect someone else to provide them with something to make it right. This is an unattainable expectation. It is the scenario five of the virgins found themselves. They wanted the prepared ones to provide for them rather than take responsibility for themselves.

In the parable of the 10 virgins we read that they became drowsy and slept. The term drowsy and slept has many meanings. One of which is neglectful and forgetful. In other words it could be that they began to neglect the covenant. They may have started to forget portions of the fullness of the covenant, thereby falling asleep. The 10 virgins are symbolic of believers in Yahoshua. They are waiting on Him to bring them to the wedding banquet. As time went on and it appeared that He was late the virgins got tired and fell asleep. All of them! Now there was a shout. They awoke as they now knew the time was coming that they would enter the banquet. Five of the virgins had enough oil in their lamps. Remember oil represents preparation, anointing, provision, knowledge, and understanding. Five awoke from their neglectful ways and were ready for the coming Bridegroom. Five awoke from their neglectfulness and were unprepared. They didn’t have the necessary knowledge or understanding and it was too late!

We all have the Word of Elohim. It is available to every single person in every single language now with AI and smartphones. No one will have an excuse for not being prepared. Unfortunately, wolves have crept into the Ekklesia and have brought a teaching of neglect to Elohim’s Word. They preach a different gospel and because most believers have become bored and lazy they do not know any better. They refuse to search out the scriptures to see if what they are being taught is true. Rather they cling to a few passages to justify their lazy neglectful ways. They sit under pastors who know more quotes from their spiritual heroes, than they know of Scripture itself. They know that Yahoshua is the Word made flesh. However, they fail to realize that the Word is the Torah. The Son of Yahweh is the very expression of Elohim, His Word made flesh. If we know Yahoshua, the Word, then we know Elohim. If we love Yahoshua, we will do as He commanded. We will not be neglectful of the covenant.

What lessons can we take away from the 10 Virgins? First, preparation, we must know that we know what we know. We must have the necessary understanding, study to show yourself approved. Listen and Obey, the Word of Elohim. Yahoshua said, “IF you love Me, you WILL OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS.” Yahoshua said, “Be watchful! Don’t let anyone deceive you.” Don’t get caught in the trap of New vs Old. It is one collection of writings, The WORD of Elohim. The Tanakh and the Apostles writes all point to the Torah. Do not get wrapped up in New vs Old Covenant. It is the same covenant but secured in a permanent way through the blood of Messiah Yahoshua. It is no longer simply written on stone, and it no longer requires the works of the Levitical Priesthood. It is in our hearts and minds. We have the seal of the Holy Spirit.

To dig a little deeper into the “Old Covenant” vs the “New Covenant”, you can read more about this topic. Check out this series of posts on Melchizedek titled Every Wind of Doctrine. i go into more detail on Melchizedek in these two posts: Levitical priesthood < Melchizedek (p2) and The Simplicity of Melchizedek’s Priesthood (P3).

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

The Dangers of Success: Lessons from Jeroboam and Aaron

The Dangers of Success: Lessons from Jeroboam and Aaron

What do Moses, Aaron, Gideon, Samson, Solomon, Elijah, David, the Hebrew Nation, cj, and countless others have in common? When successful, at peace in rest and comfort, a relaxed spirit allowed Satan an opening. Success can lead to a sense of self-righteousness and pride. This happens if one is not careful to remember the One Who brought the success. We can say all day long that: “Every good and perfect gift is from above. Coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. Who does not change like shifting shadows.” But if we allow our own feelings to interfere, and we say, “Look what I have done!” We crack the door open for the devouring lion. There is much to be proud of. We can say, “Look at what Elohim chose to do through me.”

Success has another ugly head, the one that defies Elohim to maintain its power. We can look at many stories in Scripture to find this to be true. Today, I want us to look at Jeroboam. He was the first King of Israel after the Kingdom was split in two. It was taken from Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. In fact modern Israel is only one of the tribes of Israel, Judah. Jeroboam, in a move to keep his new found Kingship made some terrible decisions. 1 Kings 12:25-33 Tells the story, we will look at parts of it here.

“Nevertheless Jeroboam said to himself, “Now the kingship will return to the house of David. For if these people continue going up to offer sacrifices in the house of Adonai in Jerusalem, their hearts will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. Then they will kill me.”

Jeroboam found that his success was in jeopardy. He feared an awakening of the heart to Yahweh which would bring about a reunification of the Kingdom. If the people sought Adonai Elohim they would desire His ways over mans. So to establish his rule he made some changes.

“After seeking advice, the king made two calves of gold. He then said to the people, “You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough! Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ He placed one in Beit-El [Bethel] and the other in Dan. The affair became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one [in Beit-El and] all the way to Dan [to worship the other]. He also set up temples on the high places and made priests from among all the people, even though they were not descended from Levi.”

Does this at all ring a bell? Look at what Aaron did at Mt. Sinai while Moses was on the mountain. “When the people saw that Moses was taking a long time to come down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get busy; and make us gods to go ahead of us; because this Moses, the man that brought us up from the land of Egypt — we don’t know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Have your wives, sons and daughters strip off their gold earrings; and bring them to me.” The people stripped off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. He received what they gave him, melted it down, and made it into the shape of a calf. They said, “Israel! Here is your god, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!” On seeing this, Aaron built an altar in front of it and proclaimed, “Tomorrow is to be a feast for Adonai.” We are a fickle people.

Coincidentally, Jeroboam, like Aaron instituted his own feast days. “Jeroboam instituted a festival. In the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, similar to the festival held in Jerusalem. He went up to the altar in Beit-El to sacrifice to the calves he had made. He placed in Beit-El the priests he had appointed for the high places. He went up to the altar which he had set up in Beit-El on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had chosen on his own, and instituted a festival for the people of Israel; he went up to the altar to burn incense.”

Sadly mans tradition of creating his own feasts to celebrate and honor Elohim has continued. The church today ignores His appointed feast days. They essentially call Elohim a liar. “Yahweh said, ‘And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and you shall keep [it] a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.’” Apparently, forever means, just until I change My mind, except, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Or they will argue that the Feasts are for Israel. Yet again they ignore two things. First, that the gentiles are grafted into Israel. Second, that the feasts were to be celebrated by those who would join themselves to Israel. Instead, the church has said, “We will celebrate Christmas and Easter. We will call Sunday holy. God will like it because we said so.”

You know who else has this mindset? Yahoshua talks about this in Matthew 15:9 “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.” Isaiah wrote something similar, “Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.” Ezekiel writes, “Her priests do violence to My Torah and profane My holy things. They do not distinguish between the holy and the common. They teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean. And they shut their eyes to the keeping of My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.”

What would happen if the church today began to seek Yahweh as His word describes. Isaiah says in 58:13-14 “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of Yahweh honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in Yahweh, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth, I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.” Imagine seeking after Elohim as He desires us to, it sounds pretty awesome to me. This is the way of the Rabbi.

Do you think Satan has a hand in the western church? In that he is influencing it to stray just enough off course that they dishonor Elohim. All the while thinking that they are worshiping Him. It’s been done before. Ecclesiastes tells us that there is nothing new under the sun. Paul thought he was doing the will of Yahweh when he was persecuting the followers of Yahoshua. Then he came face to face with Him. He realized then he was fighting the very Elohim he was trying to protect. The Sabbath is important to Elohim. Throughout the Torah and the Prophets He declares it. To the point that Elohim exiled the nation. So why would we think any different today.

Jeremiah writes in chapter 7, 8 Look! You are relying on deceitful words that can’t do you any good. 9 First you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, offer to Ba‘al and go after other gods that you haven’t known. 10 Then you come and stand before Me in this house that bears My name and say, ‘We are saved’ — so that you can go on doing these abominations! 11 Do you regard this house, which bears My name, as a cave for bandits? I can see for Myself what’s going on,” says Adonai.

The western church has been so successful that pride has crept in. No one wants to admit that they are wrong. They have fallen in love with their traditions that they ignore Elohim’s Feast Days. This is a dangerous practice. And we should be asking the questions. What did Yahoshua mean when He said, “If you love Me, OBEY My commandments”? What are we doing? Who are we honoring? What is truth?

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

Are We Encouraging Weak-Willed Christianity?

Are We Encouraging Weak-Willed Christianity?

Warning: This post is going to sound very judgmental, cynical or snarky, it is not my intention. i don’t know how to ask the questions without them sounding so. Or perhaps it’s just me. i came across a post recently that touted 45,000 person attendance at a crusade. Impressively 5,500 came forward for the altar call. In a later post the idea of a fresh spiritual awakening may be occurring. They mentioned other points for why they believe this way. Notably, two of the current top ten secular songs in the nation are Christian. One of which is a collaborative effort between the current top Christian artist and a very popular secular artist. Which in my opinion takes some of the mystique away from its popularity. It’s not a terrible song, certainly not as heretical as some of the Christian songs out there have become. Heretical might be too strong a word, maybe lyrically challenged is better. Still are these signs of a true spiritual awakening?

Of the 5,500 who responded to the altar call at the crusade, the attendees were panned by the film crew. Many didn’t look like first-timers. Now, i admit this is a judgment call but as you look at them this was a familiar occurrence. Many wearing the attire of a nominal Christian, with religious symbolism adorning their bodies. Was this their yearly trek to Mecca or Jerusalem? Did they go there to pay their respects? Were they seeking forgiveness for the past years’ failings? Perhaps the altar call had feeders to initiate participation. This setup encouraged those hesitant participants. They might have been waiting for someone else in their area to ‘go first’? i am not suggesting here that altar calls are bad or unnecessary or even unproductive. i simply want to see genuinely passionate people. Who seek to truly repent of their way of life and seek to walk with Yahoshua.

Before i continue let me express this thought. i understand struggle. Sin isn’t foreign to me as Scripture says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of Elohim.” i even understand the idea Paul writes so passionately about in Romans 7:15-20. “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do. But the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it. But it is sin living in me that does it.”

The question i have is this, have we as a church fostered a pattern of weak willed Christianity? And have we done so based on poor interpretation of Scripture, and lazy reading. In Romans 6:12 Paul writes: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. Do not let it make you obey its passions.” Later in chapter 7:7 he writes: “What then shall we say? That the Torah is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the Torah, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the Torah had not said, ‘You shall not covet.‘” We have become too dependent on Chapter and Verse, and Sectional headlines. For example in Romans, in the ESV, Chapter 7 has a heading, “Released from the Law.” If you read that then read the passage where will your mind go? It is like those suggestive recordings where the line you read is what you hear the recording say. If you read it another way then you will hear what you read. I don’t understand how that works exactly but it is by the power of suggestion.

Remove chapter and verse, remove headlines and what will you read Paul saying? Sin is bad. The law (Torah) tells us what sin is. It should be avoided at all costs. The struggle is real. Thank Elohim through Messiah Yahoshua for revealing to us and granting us His grace and mercy. We should do our best at keeping the Torah. Perhaps if we were intellectually honest with ourselves and with Scripture, we wouldn’t be in such a state. The interpretation affects the Church, the Nation and the World.

How do we get to a real faith awakening. An awakening in which the Ekklesia, and those desiring to join themselves to it, want to be obedient. Desiring what the Word of Elohim says, “Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” How do we recognize genuine heart change? We know through Scripture that seed lands on many different types of ground. Let’s look at the Parable of the Sower from Luke 8:4-8. “A large crowd had gathered. They came from town after town. Yahoshua saw the crowd and told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the path and was stepped on, and the birds flying around ate it up. Some fell on rock; and after it sprouted, it dried up from lack of moisture. Some fell in the midst of thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. But some fell into rich soil, and grew, and produced a hundred times as much as had been sown.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear with, let him hear!”

In this parable what is the manageable aspects? First, we can’t know the ground of someone’s life so like the sower, we plant seed everywhere. We water everywhere. We seek the good everywhere. Second, if we are the seed that finds the rocky ground, we must adjust our surroundings. If we find weeds, it is crucial to change our environment. “If you love Me, obey Me.” Yahoshua said. We must express the importance of following the Way. Only then is importance placed on shielding oneself from the world. Am i thankful for an Elohim who forgives? Who looks at the heart of repentance and judges them based on the actions of Yahoshua? Yes, one million times YES! However, this does not excuse me to then continue in sin. Even Paul writes, “So then, are we to say, ‘Let’s keep on sinning, so that there can be more grace’? Heaven forbid! How can we, who have died to sin, still live in it?”

Let me be clear, i am not against Christian music, nor am i against evangelistic crusades. What I am questioning is, at what compromise are we doing these things? At what expense do we undertake these actions under the guise of Christianity and inclusion? If we are unwilling to preach the whole of the gospel. Of which Paul himself teaches in Romans. Yet it is hid under the faulty headlines like, “Released from the Law.” If we began to teach the importance of Torah. Along side the amazing gift of grace, would we see the hundredfold increase Yahoshua said of the good soil? If we called those who responded to the message out of worldly living. Would we see them flourish rather than whither? This is the Way of the Rabbi.

When Yahoshua ate with sinners he didn’t join in their sin, he called them to repentance. He said, what you are doing is wrong, here is a better way. A way that leads to life. On a popular national Christian radio show a DJ said, “Jesus partied with sinners.” This error wrapped in some truth, like pigs in a blanket. Yes, he was ridiculed by the religious leaders for socializing with sinners. However, He didn’t condone their sin. He pointed them to a more excellent way. We, as scripture says, are to mingle with sinners. We are all sinners. However, we do not condone or excuse sin. When we leave Scripture open ended, we don’t tell the whole truth of Elohim’s Word. We are helping no one, least of all, ourselves.

The world is going to hate us. Why? Because we condone their practices? We say nothing of their high places? We party with them? No, it is the opposite. They are going to hate us because we set ourselves apart. We do this morally, and for lack of a better word, religiously. Not to say we are better than them but to say, the Elohim we serve is a better WAY. We say if it isn’t of Elohim, we don’t want it. If Elohim condemns it, we don’t want it. Yahoshua said, “Your sins are forgiven, now go and sin no more.” He said, “Follow Me.” He said, “The things that you have seen Me do, even greater things you will do. When I go to the Father.” Don’t you desire a more excellent way? Paul said, “Imitate me as I imitate Messiah.” In other words we are to Imitate Messiah. This is the Way of the Rabbi.

What should one do then? Seek Yahoshua. Read Scripture from the beginning to the end as ONE body of work. Understand that as gentile believers we are grafted into the people of Elohim and with that perspective read the Word. Find a Torah friendly Ekklesia that teaches that our foundation and root is Torah even as followers of Yahoshua. Who was the WORD made flesh. Desire a better way, the Way. Yahoshua said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by Me.”

Remember: Sin is bad. The law (Torah) tells us what sin is. It should be avoided at all costs. The struggle is real. Thank Elohim through Messiah Yahoshua for revealing to us and granting us His grace and mercy. We should do our best at keeping the Torah.

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

From Israel to the Ekklesia: Embracing Our Holy Identity

History is full. i often look back on my life. i wonder what it would have been like if i had taken a different path. It was my Jr. Year of High School and i wanted to be a history teacher. i have always liked history. i can watch biographies and historical accounts without getting board. I enjoy reading history too. recently I have been studying Antiochus IV, often referred to as Antiochus Epiphanies. Antiochus was the King of Syria and captured Jerusalem in 167 B.C. He set a monument to Zeus in the Temple and slaughtered a pig on it. He persecuted the Jews living in his Kingdom mercilessly. He banned any Torah observance in stead making laws that required the breaking of Torah. In other words, as the Torah taught to honor the Sabbath, Antiochus required everyone to work on the Sabbath. The Torah taught to not eat unclean animals, Antiochus required the eating of pig and other unclean animals. The Torah taught to honor the Feast Days, Antiochus outlawed them. Antiochus banned Torah study, circumcision, and Jewish life essentially. Forcing Hellenization, the assimilation of Greek culture within Judaism.

These events lead to the Maccabean revolt which allowed for the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. It also led to a period of Jewish self-rule. It is the foundation for modern day Hanukkah, known during the time of Yahoshua as the Feast of Dedication. Something mentioned in Scripture recorded by the Apostle John (10:22-23). “Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Yahoshua was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.”

The purpose of the Torah, is that it serves as the contract of the covenant made with Israel. (Exodus 19:5-6) “Now if you obey Me fully. Keeping My covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” The purpose of Israel was to be a nation of Priests to the nations. A light in the world. A set-apart people of Elohim to point the nations to Elohim.

In what we call the New Testament, gentiles are grafted into Israel and as a whole we are called priests. The Apostle Peter writes, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Elohim’s special possession. That you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of Elohim. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” The idea that believers in Yahoshua are now a royal priesthood, a holy nation, should call us to action. Yahoshua said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” What commandments? Yahoshua, is the Word, that is the Torah, made flesh. He is the fullness of the commandments. We are to be like Him. This is the Way of the Rabbi.

Early followers of Yahoshua weren’t called Christians, but Followers of the Way. Although, there is reference to the Ekklesia being called Christians in the book of Acts, it was a derogatory term. A word however used often by the Ekklesia to refer to Followers of the Way is saint. Unfortunately the term has been hijacked and turned into an honor only achievable by the most pious of people. The word derives from the Hebrew word Qodeshim. This is from Qadosh and Qadash. Remember from a couple weeks ago: Qadash means clean, consecrated, dedicated, pure, and sanctified. It also means set apart. For I am (Qadosh) Elohim, Holy-One, Sanctuary. So what does Qodeshim mean? It means ‘The Set-Apart Ones’. This isn’t a pious term this is a sign, a mark, a title.

We are the Qodeshim of Elohim, The Set-Apart Ones. We are called to be set-apart. We are a chosen people, a holy (Qadash) nation. A royal priesthood, Elohim’s special possession. If this is true, why would we want to assimilate into the culture around us. To mimic Greek culture in our worship practices? We are called to workout our own salvation with fear and trembling, take the narrow way. We are to be Qodeshim, set-apart from mans tradition, the Apostle Matthew records in his Gospel. “They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules, man made traditions.” Why do we want to follow the ways of Antiochus? To follow his decrees and his laws for the Jews of his time. Why do we want to follow the ways of Constantine, who wrote letters following the Nicene council. In which he attempted to separate from Torah. Something the early Ekklesia never did. Peter writes of Paul, “He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand. Which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.“

Paul himself writes, “What shall we say, then? Is the Torah sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the Torah.” He goes on to say, “So then, the Torah is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.” It is in fact the Torah that marks us as being Set Apart, Qodeshim. We are the Ekklesia, the gathering of the saints. The Qadash people of a Qadosh Elohim. We are to be a light to the world around us. “Come out of her My people!” That is to come out of the ways of the world and the mystery religions of the pagan nations. To be holy. To be Set-Apart. To be royal priests. To be a chosen people. To no longer live by the ways of the nations around us but by the way of the Kingdom. “Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Be Qodeshim, be apart of “The Set-Apart Ones,” of Elohim.

This is the Way of the Rabbi,

You are loved,
cj