And God said, “Look—I am giving to you every plant that bears seed which is on the face of the whole earth, and every kind of tree that bears fruit. They shall be yours as food.”

Genesis 1:29 (LEB)

We spend much of our efforts speaking about Sabbaths, feast days, justice, mercy and the importance that we should place on the instructions of the Creator. These are all very important subjects. There is a whole aspect of life that interlocks with these truths and helps us be in tune with nature while we do our best to follow the instructions of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We must learn to work with the natural world around us and not go to war with nature.

One of the ways we can achieve peace with nature is to follow the ways that Yahweh gave us. Fighting nature is going against the instructions of Yahweh. He told us how the world works, and it is a much better experience when we align ourselves with His ways.

Leviticus 26:2–6 (LEB): ² “ ‘You shall keep my Sabbaths, and you shall revere my sanctuary; I am Yahweh.³ “ ‘If you walk in my statutes and you keep my commands and you do them, ⁴ then I will give you rains in their time, and the land shall give its produce, and the trees of the field shall give their fruit. ⁵ And for you the threshing season shall overtake the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall overtake the sowing, and you shall eat your food to your fill and you shall live securely in your land. ⁶ And I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and there shall not be anybody who makes you afraid, and I will remove harmful animals from the land, and no sword shall pass through your land.

I used to spend much of my time on Sabbaths mowing the lawn and trimming everything, being what I refer to now as a “grass farmer”. Don’t misunderstand, I still like a neat lawn, but there was an obsessive compulsive component driving me in the past.

I was looking at some of the neglected areas around my house recently, and realized that I now have a sanctuary for bees, my own herbal pharmacy and wild plants to forage. I have been interested in plant medicine for a number of years and have been trying to learn the uses for the plants that have grown in the absence of a manicured lawn and field. It makes me believe that part of working with nature is using the plants it provides naturally, especially after reading the following section in the book of Jubilees.

Jubilees 10:10-14 (pseudepigrapha.com): And one of us He commanded that we should teach Noah all their medicines; for He knew that they would not walk in uprightness, nor strive in righteousness. And we did according to all His words: all the malignant evil ones we bound in the place of condemnation and a tenth part of them we left that they might be subject before Satan on the earth. And we explained to Noah all the medicines of their diseases, together with their seductions, how he might heal them with herbs of the earth. And Noah wrote down all things in a book as we instructed him concerning every kind of medicine. Thus the evil spirits were precluded from (hurting) the sons of Noah. And he gave all that he had written to Shem, his eldest son; for he loved him exceedingly above all his sons.

Jubilees is a book that was found in the caves of Qumran along with some of the oldest copies of scripture we have available to us. The narrative is similar to Genesis, however, it is written from the viewpoint of angels delivering the information to Moses. This may be a foreign concept to many Christians and actually make them cringe due to the strict adherence that is imposed in much of Christianity to the Westminster Confessions. However, we find Steven saying this very thing in the approved sixty-six book Bible.

Acts 7:51–53 (LEB): ⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in hearts and in your ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so also do you! ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, ⁵³ you who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed it!”

Some of the variety of plants that have started growing on their own around my house are Mullen, Aster, St. John’s Wort, Yarrow, Golden Rod and of course things such as Dandelion, Hawthorn and Burdock, all of which have unique medicinal uses. Many of these plants and others can also be eaten, and have sustained people for thousands of years before processed food took over society’s diet. It is interesting how the corrupt food chain we have today has caused us to need more pharmaceuticals. Many of the store bought drugs are simply synthetically made compounds of the plants growing around us. One cannot put a patent on a naturally growing weed, so there is a method to market these plants allowing there to be boatloads of money to be made by the different drug companies.

Other plant life that can be used for our health and well-being are lichens found growing on trees, mushrooms and even pine needles. Pine needle tea is a good source of vitamins A , C and Selenium, for example.

Genesis 3:18 (LEB): ¹⁸ And thorns and thistles shall sprout for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field.

Plants have been used for medicine at least as far back as Noah, and he even wrote it down in a book to pass down to his children. This plant medicine was used to combat diseases caused by disobedience to the laws of Yahweh and from the demons that were allowed to stay on the earth to test us. Today we read all the warnings about plant medicine and see how much disdain there is towards its use in the pharmaceutical industry and medical profession. Could we have the answers to many of our medical problems growing in our neglected fields and lawns? What is more beautiful, mowed grass or life saving flowers growing around us?

Of course, there are people who have capitalized on herbal medicine and have created a market for consumers to buy pills for everything from milk thistle to oregano. Too much of a good thing can be harmful and our ancestors consumed these products by making teas and tinctures out of the plants, not buying high concentrated tablets. Everything gets corrupted with corporate greed and the laziness of consumers.

Revelation 18:21–24 (LEB): ²¹ And one powerful angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “In this way Babylon the great city will be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again! ²² And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute players and trumpeters will never be heard in you again! And every craftsman of every trade will never be found in you again! And the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again! ²³ And the light of a lamp will never shine in you again! And the sound of a bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again! For your merchants were the most important people of the earth, because with your sorcery they deceived all the nations. ²⁴ And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints and all those who had been slaughtered on the earth.

Strong’s G5758 is the word translated to sorcery in this version of the Bible. This is how “Babylon” deceived the whole world.

φαρμακεία
pharmakeia, n.c., use of drugs, sorcery, potions; spells.

The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Septuagint (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Without being too conspiratorial, it is not very difficult to see how the world is being deceived by drugs, potions and spells. The food chain has been corrupted in the name of “science” when it is actually greed that is driving things. The pharmaceutical industry is making billions of dollars for treatments created for mysterious illnesses caused by the corrupt food chain and men doing heinous acts. Most people do not regard the dietary instructions given to us by the Father. This is the One who many believe created everything, yet do not have the faith to eat what He said to eat and not eat what He said was not food.

The context of these verses in Isaiah are at the time of the return of the Messiah when he will deliver the wrath of Yahweh. This is in the future, and the dietary instructions are still valid.

Isaiah 66:16–17 (LEB): ¹⁶ For Yahweh enters into judgment on all flesh with fire and his sword, and those slain by Yahweh shall be many. ¹⁷ Those who sanctify themselves and those who cleanse themselves to go into the gardens after the one in the middle, eating the flesh of swine and detestable things and rodents together shall come to an end!” declares Yahweh.

All of these subjects are connected. The best course of action one can take is to study the words of Yahweh and do what the Creator of everything said to do. Do not fight the laws of nature, of which Yahweh’s laws are at the root. Learn how to live off of the land and leave the corruptions of this world behind!

Have you found yourself in a place where you cannot tolerate the manipulation, control and inconsistencies found in organized religion? Do you still yearn for an understanding of a creator or meaningful relationship with God? Please check out my book where I discuss many topics about these issues based on my personal experiences from fifty years of involvement in organized religion.

Which of these three do you suppose became a neighbor of the man who fell among the robbers?” So he said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” And Jesus said to him, “You go and do likewise.”

Luke 10:36–37 (LEB)

In Christianity we often hear about “loving our neighbour”. When Jesus was asked which commandment was the most important, he first stated that loving God was the most important, then loving one’s neighbour was the second most important.

Luke 10:25–27 (LEB): ²⁵ And behold, a certain legal expert stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do so that I will inherit eternal life?” ²⁶ And he said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”* ²⁷ And he answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus, or the name he was given at birth, Yeshua, was quoting the Shema. Many Christians are not familiar with these verses in Deuteronomy because it was a law of the church to forbid saying these verses. Christian Emperor, Justinian, even banned the Jews from reading this in the synagogues.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (LEB): ⁴ “Hear, Israel, Yahweh our God, Yahweh is unique. ⁵ And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might. ⁶ And these words that I am commanding you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ And you shall recite them to your children, and you shall talk about them at the time of your living in your house and at the time of your going on the road and at the time of your lying down and at the time of your rising up. ⁸ And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as an emblem between your eyes. ⁹ And you shall write them on the doorframe of your house and on your gates.

Yeshua fully embraced these words and “every word from the mouth of God”. The command to love our neighbour comes from Leviticus 19.

Leviticus 19:17–18 (LEB): ¹⁷ “ ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall surely rebuke your fellow citizen, so that you do not incur sin along with him. ¹⁸ You shall not seek vengeance, and you shall not harbor a grudge against your fellow citizens; and you shall love your neighbor like yourself; I am Yahweh.

When Yeshua went on to explain how to love one’s neighbour to the “legal expert”, he told him the story we know today as the parable of the good Samaritan. A Samaritan was one who was a descendant of the tribes of Israel that were not dispersed by the Assyrian empire. These would be who Yeshua described as “the lost sheep of the house of Israel”.

Luke 10:30–37 (LEB): ³⁰ And Jesus replied and said, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who both stripped him and beat him. After inflicting blows on him, they went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. ³² And in the same way also a Levite, when he came down to the place and saw him, passed by on the opposite side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan who was traveling came up to him and, when he saw him, had compassion. ³⁴ And he came up and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine, and he put him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ And on the next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him, and whatever you spend in addition, I will repay to you when I return. ³⁶ Which of these three do you suppose became a neighbor of the man who fell among the robbers?” ³⁷ So he said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” And Jesus said to him, “You go and do likewise.”

This was a hard hitting parable because the two Levite priests who went out of their way not to go near the person laying half-dead on the road did so not because they were being complete jerks, but because if they came in contact with a dead person they would be considered ritually unclean and not be allowed to do service in the temple until they went through a multiple day waiting period. They could have been on the way to work at the temple as they passed by. Yeshua was reinforcing his message of “mercy not sacrifice” to this legal expert.

To make it worse, Yeshua also made the hero of this story a Samaritan. The Samaritans were the prodigal sons that were lost, as far as those in Judaism were concerned. They were descendants of the tribes of the Northern kingdom of Israel that were scattered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. The Northern kingdom of Israel, called the house of Israel or Ephraim, is not taught in Christianity, yet the house of Israel is discussed frequently in both new and old testaments of the Christian Bible.

Matthew 15:24 (LEB): ²⁴ But he answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Yeshua is showing the “legal expert”, likely a Pharisee, that mercy is more important than sacrifice, and used a people group that he came to save and reunite with Judah. There is a lot of information packed into the story of the good Samaritan. We, as Christians, learn the importance of the Torah teachings of loving Yahweh and one’s neighbour, showing that Yeshua’s intention was not to make the law obsolete, but to uphold and explain its application. The Levite priests were so distracted by their duties as priests, that they overlooked the importance of human life. Human life always takes precedence over other laws. If one of these priests had become ritually unclean in the attempts of helping the half-dead man, there was a protocol they would have to follow. It may have disrupted their daily routine for a few days, but Yeshua was saying “big deal”, and used the hated Samaritan as the hero to emphasize these principles.

Matthew 9:12–13 (LEB): ¹² And when he heard it, he said, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ But go and learn what it means, “I want mercy and not sacrifice.” For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Sometimes we have to step out of our daily routine and get involved in messy situations. We need to study the word of God and learn to apply it as Yeshua taught us. Yeshua never made the law of God obsolete and Christianity is in this stupor thinking that God’s eternal laws do not apply to them. If this is the case, one would have to rewrite the Bible. Some have done this very thing by qualifying scripture with 19th century theology to ensure no one thinks we have to actually do what God said to do.

Matthew 5:17–19 (LEB): ¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one tiny letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all takes place. ¹⁹ Therefore whoever abolishes one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever keeps them and teaches them, this person will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash

And I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come! Assemble for the great banquet of God, in order that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of military tribunes, and the flesh of the powerful, and the flesh of horses and those seated on them,
and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, and small and great!”

Revelation 19:17–18 (LEB)

There are two great feasts spoken about in scripture. One is for those who have faith in Jesus (or Yeshua by his Hebrew name), and show this by following his ways, and one for those who do not. One feast is not good. It is the feast of vultures and every unclean bird that will eat the corpses of those who reject God. This feast is alluded to by Moses, and is not just limited to the famous imagery in Revelation.

Deuteronomy 28:25–26 (LEB): ²⁵ “Yahweh shall cause you to be defeated before your enemies; on one road you shall go against them, but you will flee on seven roads before them, and you shall become a thing of horror to all of the kingdoms of the earth. ²⁶ And your dead bodies shall be as food for all of the birds of the heaven and to the animals of the earth, and there shall not be anyone to frighten them away.

I realize these verses seem to be speaking about ancient Israel, and that the whole Bible is about Israel. Once we realize that the twelve tribes were drawn close to God and given the oracles of God, we can have a better understanding of the past, present and future. Israel is not limited to a political nation state on the Mediterranean Sea, and the twelve tribes that were in covenant at Mount Horeb did not all return in 1948. Some did: however, the tribes are still mostly scattered to the four corners of the earth.

Deuteronomy 4:27–31 (LEB): ²⁷ And Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations to where Yahweh will lead you. ²⁸ And you will there serve gods made by human hands, of wood and stone, gods that cannot see and cannot hear and cannot eat and cannot smell. ²⁹ But from there you shall seek Yahweh your God and will find him, if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. ³⁰ In your distress when all these things have found you in the latter days, then you will return to Yahweh your God, and you will listen to his voice. ³¹ For Yahweh your God is a compassionate God; he will not abandon you, and he will not destroy you, and he will not forget the covenant of your ancestors that he swore to them.

In another place, Yahweh tells us more about the birds of prey.

Isaiah 18:1–7 (LEB): 18 Ah! land of the whirring of wings, which is beyond the rivers of Cush, ² that sends messengers by the sea and in vessels of papyrus on the surface of the waters! Go, swift messengers, to a tall and smooth nation, to a people feared near and far, a mighty, mighty and trampling nation, whose land rivers divide. ³ All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers of the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains, you must look, and when a trumpet is blown, you must listen! ⁴ For Yahweh said this to me: “I will be quiet, and I will look from my dwelling place like clear heat because of light, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” ⁵ For before the harvest, when the blossom is complete and a blossom becomes ripening fruit, and one cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and one removes, tears away the tendrils. ⁶ They shall all be left for birds of prey of the mountains and for the animals of the earth. And the birds of prey will pass the summer on it, and every animal of the earth will winter on it. ⁷ At that time, a gift will be brought to Yahweh of hosts from a tall and smooth people, and from a people feared near and far, a mighty, mighty and trampling nation, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of Yahweh of hosts, the mountain of Zion.

It’s clear that Yeshua was referring to scriptures in the Old Testament when he talked about the vultures gathering where the corpses are located.

Matthew 24:27–28 (LEB): ²⁷ For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. ²⁸ Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

Finally, we see this feast of vultures spoken about at the end of times.

Revelation 19:17–18 (LEB): ¹⁷ And I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come! Assemble for the great banquet of God, ¹⁸ in order that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of military tribunes, and the flesh of the powerful, and the flesh of horses and those seated on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, and small and great!”

I certainly do not want to become bird food, and I would rather everyone else avoid this great feast. There is a much better feast planned for people than this one where the birds dine on the corpses of the people at war with God. We see this mentioned in places in scripture, and it is where I want to be. The feast I want to be part of is another feast spoken about by Isaiah. Aged wines and fat filled with marrow, and no more death are something we have to look forward to.

Isaiah 25:6–8 (LEB): ⁶ And on this mountain Yahweh of hosts will make for all peoples a rich feast, a feast of aged wines, fat filled with marrow, filtered aged wine. ⁷ And on this mountain he will destroy the face of the shroud, the shroud over all peoples, and the woven covering over all nations. ⁸ He will destroy death forever, and the Lord Yahweh will wipe off the tears from all faces, and he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth, for Yahweh has spoken.

When we read “Yahweh has spoken”, this tells us whatever has been spoken will happen. Unfortunately, many teachers disconnect the Old Testament from the New Testament these days and will not even discuss the events in the book of Revelation. This is simply because it disrupts their doctrine to do so, or they believe these verses do not apply to them. We know all scripture is true and must be taken into account looking at future events.

Amos 9:13–14 (LEB): ¹³ “Look, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when the one who plows will overtake the one who reaps, the one who treads grapes will catch up with the one who sows the seed. And the mountains will drip sweet wine and all of the hills will flow with it. ¹⁴ And I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they will rebuild the desolated cities and will inhabit them. And they will plant vineyards and will drink their wine, and they will make gardens and will eat their fruit.

I am looking forward to having vineyards and olive groves. We often hear about the “marriage supper of the lamb”, as if it is only spoken about in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 19:6–10 (LEB): ⁶ And I heard something like the sound of a great crowd and something like the sound of many waters and something like the sound of powerful thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord God, the All-Powerful, reigns! ⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad and give him the glory, because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. ⁸ And it has been granted to her that she be dressed in bright, clean fine linen (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints). ⁹ And he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet of the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Plan on being part of the celebration feast with Yeshua. Do not become caught in the wrath of God and become food for the vultures!

Photo by Casey Allen on Unsplash.

“If you do not diligently observe all the words of this law written in this scroll by revering this glorious and awesome name, Yahweh your God, then Yahweh shall overwhelm you with your plagues and the plagues of your offspring, severe plagues and lasting illnesses, grievous and enduring.

Deuteronomy 28:58–59 (LEB)

God is referenced throughout our culture in North America likely because the people that settled here from Europe were in many cases fleeing religious persecution. At a minimum, they wanted freedom to worship in their own way. I have in mind such groups as the Puritans. I doubt they foresaw the way religion would evolve into mega-churches with prosperity preaching, or how songs such as Jelly Roll’s, “Need a Favor” would be broadcast across the airways and heard throughout the land.

The full catch phrase of Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor” is “I only talk to God when I need a Favor”. This song is brutally honest and probably true for many people. It is sad to hear someone refer to the one who created the universe and everything in it with such a way of disregard, and to see the apathy towards the things of God in our society.

Another instance of taking God along to our events happens every Sunday at NASCAR races. Someone prays to God before the race for the safety of the drivers and for the general enjoyment of the fans. Some of the people that pray even try to work the message of salvation into their prayer. Very clever indeed.

Amos 5:21–24 (LEB): ²¹ “I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your assemblies. ²² Yes, even if you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them, and I will not look at the fellowship offerings of your fattened animals. ²³ Remove from me the noise of your songs, and I do not want to hear the melody of your harps! ²⁴ But let justice roll on like the water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

There are countless other instances where God is dragged into our every day lives. Is He listening though? Does God think it is a good idea to pray for safety then send 40 cars on a mile long track travelling inches from each other at speeds of 180 miles an hour? Does God want to be talked about in country songs? One recent song I heard had a line “we still go to church on Sunday and drink beer on Saturday night”. I don’t have anything against drinking beer, but the song is just using the phrase “drinking beer” contrasted with “church on Sunday” to make a point that they casually go to church and live anyway they want the rest of the week. God is woven in our culture, but rarely do we find anyone who cares what God thinks, who God is, or what they should be doing to please God. If these questions are not asked then everyone is basically talking about an imaginary sky-friend that happily is brought along as a good luck charm.

Proverbs 28:9 (LEB): ⁹ He who turns his ear from listening to instruction, even his prayer is an abomination.

Turning our ear from instruction loses its meaning in English. This is not just some random set of instructions defined by a pastor, priest or religious denomination. The word being translated to “instruction” is the Hebrew word “Torah”, which are laws and instructions of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

There is no where in the instructions of God that I am aware of, where we are told to briefly leave our life of disobedience to ask for a favor from God, so we can carry on with our lives. The only “favor” we receive is the grace of conviction compelling us to return to His ways spelled out to us in scripture. This was only possible through His Son, Yeshua. Yeshua told us what to do and renewed the covenant with the Father. This means that we actually can covenant with God if we walk the path laid out by Yeshua.

Luke 22:14–20 (LEB): ¹⁴ And when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you that I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ And he took in hand a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸ For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the product of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ And he took bread, and after giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And in the same way the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you.

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jacob’s descendants were the only people that had a covenant with the Creator God Yahweh. Even they went out of covenant with no way to return due to disobedience. God sent His Son to gather the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” and through doing so, now the whole world can be saved.

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And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day of your bringing the wave offering’s sheaf—there shall be seven full weeks. Until the day after the seventh Sabbath you shall count fifty days; then you shall present a new grain offering for Yahweh.

Leviticus 23:15–16 (LEB)

Shavuot is traditionally the feast day that celebrates the marriage covenant between Yahweh and His people at Mount Horeb. It is also the feast that believers gathering on that day in the first century, received the breath of God (ruach), with tongues of fire, most commonly referred to as the Holy Spirit. Pentecost means fifty in the Greek language and this is where the “Pentecostal” churches derive their name.

Leviticus 23:15–16 (LEB): ¹⁵ “ ‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day of your bringing the wave offering’s sheaf—there shall be seven full weeks. ¹⁶ Until the day after the seventh Sabbath you shall count fifty days; then you shall present a new grain offering for Yahweh.

There are some differences of opinion on the placement of Shavuot in the calendar. Some take the counting from the Sabbath of Unleavened Bread (the day after Passover), and others count from the weekly Sabbath. The first method will cause Shavuot to land on random days of the week, and the other method will cause Shavuot to always be on a Sunday. This is why this year some were celebrating on Thursday and some will celebrate on Sunday.

One reason I believe the Sunday model of Shavuot makes sense is that it aligns with the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah, Yeshua. If he was crucified in a year when Passover fell on a Wednesday, then in order to fulfill His prophecy of three days and three nights in the grave, he would have risen at the end of the regular Sabbath and in time for the appointed time of First Fruits where the sheaf is waved on the day after the Sabbath.

1 Corinthians 15:22–24 (LEB): ²² For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own group: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming, ²⁴ then the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

There are clues in the New Testament that appear to show the counting starting on the first weekly Sabbath. We can see these days referred to as the first sabbath and second sabbath in scripture, but we have to use the translations that use the Textus Receptus manuscripts, such as the King James Version.

Luke 6:1 (KJV 1900): And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

The word for the “second sabbath after the first” is Strong’s G1207, meaning the second sabbath after Passover. Most Bible translations have dismissed this word and just translated it as “another sabbath”. Some Lexicons call this word a “ghost word” that crept in due to error. I believe it is a legitimate word describing the counting until the fiftieth day.

G1207
δευτερόπρωτος
deuteroprōtos
Thayer Definition:
1) second-first
2) the second of the first Sabbaths after the feast of the Passover

Pentecost is not an invention of the Church, and has nothing to do with Easter, but is a feast tightly woven into the fabric of the Creator. It was the time of the Feast of Weeks that Yahweh made His marriage contract with His people, the twelve tribes of Israel at Mount Horeb.

Exodus 19:1–8 (LEB): 19 In the third month after the Israelites went out from the land of Egypt, on this day they came to the Sinai desert. ² They set out from Rephidim, and they came to the desert of Sinai, and they camped in the desert, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain. ³ And Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you will say to the house of Jacob and you will tell the Israelites, ⁴ ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and I brought you to me. ⁵ And now if you will carefully listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you will be a treasured possession for me out of all the peoples, for all the earth is mine, ⁶ but you, you will belong to me as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you will speak to the Israelites.” ⁷ And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and he placed before them all these words that Yahweh had commanded him. ⁸ And all the people together answered and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” And Moses brought back the words of the people to Yahweh.

This was not the first time that a covenant was made during Shavuot. The book of Jubilees, found in the caves of Qumran with our oldest transcript of Genesis, gives us a great history of the Feast of Weeks.

The Book of Jubilees translated by R. H. Charles 6:15-19:

15 And He gave to Noah and his sons a sign that there should not again
be a flood on the earth.
16. He set His bow in the cloud for a sign of the eternal covenant that
there should not again be a flood on the earth to destroy it all the days of
the earth.
17. For this reason it is ordained and written on the heavenly tables, that
they should celebrate the feast of weeks in this month once a year, to
renew the covenant every year.
18. And this whole festival was celebrated in heaven from the day of
creation till the days of Noah-twenty-six jubilees (1309-1659 A.M.) and
five weeks of years: and Noah and his sons observed it for seven jubilees
and one week of years, till the day of Noah’s death, and from the day
of Noah’s death his sons did away with (it) until the days of Abraham,
and they ate blood.
19. But Abraham observed it, and Isaac and Jacob and his children
observed it up to thy days, and in thy days the children of Israel forgot it
until ye celebrated it anew on this mountain.

The book of Jubilees is written as from angels narrating the law and history to Moses when he was on the mountain. Stephen makes reference to this in the book of Acts before he was stoned. I recommend reading the book of Jubilees because it gives a little more detail than Genesis.

Acts 7:53 (LEB): ⁵³ you who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed it!”

The instructions of the Creator were not first given at Mount Horeb to the “Jews”, as is falsely claimed today. God’s people were always given His instructions until they forgot them, or stopped doing them, and all twelve tribes were at Mount Horeb, not just the tribe of Judah.

Genesis 26:4–5 (LEB): ⁴ And I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and I will give to your descendants all these lands. And all nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring, ⁵ because Abraham listened to my voice and kept my charge: my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

The Creator, or Heavenly Father in New Testament terms, gave us His Spirit on this feast as it is recorded in the book of Acts.

Acts 2:1–4 (LEB): 2 And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in the same place. ² And suddenly a sound like a violent rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ And divided tongues like fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability to speak out.

This rushing wind is called Ruach in Hebrew. It is translated “spirit” from the Greek word Pnoe, which also means wind or breath. We get words such as “pneumatic” and “pneumonia” from the Greek word. Before this event, the disciples of Yeshua were in hiding and not very bold. Afterwards, they went out proclaiming the gospel.

John 16:7–15 (LEB): ⁷ But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment: ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in me, ¹⁰ and concerning righteousness, because I am going away to the Father and you will see me no more, ¹¹ and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. ¹² I still have many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them now. ¹³ But when he—the Spirit of truth—comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will proclaim to you the things to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and will proclaim it to you. ¹⁵ Everything that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he takes from what is mine and will proclaim it to you.

Once again the Father ratifies His covenant with His people on Shavuot. This time it is not with the blood of animals as in the past, but the blood of Messiah and His Spirit. What effect does this have on those present? It emboldened them to start preaching repentance to the commandments of God and the good news that was bestowed on all of mankind, to be able to share in the covenants of promise with the House of Israel and the House of Judah.

Galatians 3:13–14 (LEB): ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” ¹⁴ in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The curse of the law is death for breaking it, not the law itself. There were no sacrifices for breaking the ten commandments, only stoning and death by the presence of two to three witnesses. Yeshua brought a better sacrifice to the heavenly tabernacle that resolved this problem. The earthly sacrifices were insufficient and temporary.

Hebrews 10:1–18 (LEB): 10 For the law, possessing a shadow of the good things that are about to come, not the form of things itself, is never able year by year by means of the same sacrifices which they offer without interruption to make perfect those who draw near. ² For otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the ones who worship, having been purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? ³ But in them there is a reminder of sins year by year. ⁴ For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ⁵ Therefore, when he came into the world, he said, “Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but a body you prepared for me; ⁶ you did not delight in whole burnt offerings and offerings for sins. ⁷ Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— in the roll of the book it is written about me— to do your will, O God.’ ⁸ When he says above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin you did not want, nor did you delight in,” which are offered according to the law, ⁹ then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second, ¹⁰ by which will we are made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹ And every priest stands every day serving and offering the same sacrifices many times, which are never able to take away sins. ¹² But this one, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ from now on waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. ¹⁴ For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. ¹⁵ And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, ¹⁶ “This is the covenant that I will decree for them after those days, says the Lord: I am putting my laws on their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” ¹⁷ He also says, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will never remember again.” ¹⁸ Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

The book of Hebrews was written around the time the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, and the people needed comforting. Many dispensational Christians claim this book does not apply to Christians or the Church because it was written to the Hebrews. I disagree and believe it does an excellent job explaining the covenants and how the new covenant works. We are either part of the covenant with God or we are not. The covenant is with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, so any one that is a part of this must be grafted into the family of God. There is no “side deal” for the “Church”. Speaking to the gentiles, Paul gives this warning:

Romans 11:17–21 (LEB): ¹⁷ Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although you were a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a sharer of the root of the olive tree’s richness, ¹⁸ do not boast against the branches. But if you boast against them, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ Then you will say, “Branches were broken off in order that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Well said! They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand firm because of faith. Do not think arrogant thoughts, but be afraid. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

It is my opinion that after the house of Israel, that is the northern kingdom consisting of the ten tribes, was divorced from God and scattered, they seeded the whole world. Therefore, the house of Israel can come back out of the nations and be grafted back into the commonwealth of Israel. In contrast, Judah remained the keeper of the law.

Romans 3:1–2 (LEB): 3 Therefore, what is the advantage of the Jew, or what is the use of circumcision? ² Much in every way. For first, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

On Shavuot, remember that our spiritual ancestors were delivered from slavery in Egypt at this time and instructed in the perfect ways of the Creator. His Spirit was given to write these instructions on our heart and deliver us from evil and death. Repent and believe the gospel, so that your sins can be blotted out, and a refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord!

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Thus says Yahweh: “Stand at the roads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the way of the good is, and walk in it, and find rest for your inner selves. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Jeremiah 6:16

We lose sight of our past as society progresses and every day brings something new and enlightening to us. The lives our children are currently living would be completely foreign to our grandparents, and I am sure that our grandparents lived much differently then people one hundred years prior. It is possible to progress too far, especially when progressiveness seems to be defined by how far society is able to move away from the instructions of the Creator.

There is a Creator God who called a group of people out of the nations to deliver His message to the world. The world has always “progressed” far from the ways of God throughout history and ancient times. I am speaking of the specific God who created the universe and revealed Himself to people throughout history to deliver specific messages. These messages always involved warning people to turn from there wicked ways and practice justice and mercy. The Creator’s idea of justice is much different than how we define justice today.

Throughout the scriptures, we are told to turn back and repent. It is the ancient path that we are to turn to, despite teachers today telling us that we can forsake the commandments of God and His ancient paths. This is pure deception, and people accept this teaching because they say in their heart, “We will not walk in it.”.

Popular Bible versions have had anything about commandment keeping scrubbed from their pages where possible. An example of this is found in Revelation chapter twenty-two. The newer versions that do not use the Textus Receptus manuscripts, are clearly obfuscating the scripture. First, the King James Version:

Revelation 22:14–15 (KJV 1900): ¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

The English Standard Version, along with many others have a different rendering of these verses:

Revelation 22:14–15 (ESV): ¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

One could argue that “those who wash their robes” are doing so by keeping the commandments; however, these words make it much easier to draw subjective meanings from the text. People will say “we will not walk in it” .

I am not implying that the King James version of the Bible is necessarily better than some of the other versions. The King James version was translated from a different manuscript than many of the modern translations. Following the “ancient paths” is something that seems God has made clear to those who seek Him diligently, but if one wants to serve God in a casual manner, these ancient paths are hidden. Is it “those who wash their robes” or “they that do His commandments”? Let the reader decide and act accordingly.

Pastor Andy Stanley is a very good example of one who has progressed to the point of abandoning the ancient paths that Jesus taught. These ideas are not new at all though. All one has to do is study the teachings (or what’s left of them) of the first century heretic, Marcion, who had a similar message as Andy Stanley. The following is from an article in churchleaders.com:

Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta, argues that Jesus’ new commandment—to love one another (John 13:34)—“replaced all the old commandments.” Although the 10 Commandments “played a significant role in God’s creation of the nation of Israel,” he writes, “Jesus’ death and resurrection signalled the end of that covenant and all the rules and regulations associated with it.”

The result, Stanley says, is that Christians, as “participants in the new covenant,” are “not required to obey any of the commandments found in the first part of their Bibles.” Instead, they’re “expected to obey the single command Jesus issued as part of his new covenant: As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

People such as Andy Stanley have pitted Jesus against the Father and Creator God all through history. This was the message of Marcion too. Yahweh the Creator told us to ask for the ancient paths and prophesied there would be people like Andy Stanley that would say, “We will not walk in it”.

John 14:23–26 (LEB): ²³ Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and will take up residence with him. ²⁴ The one who does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me. ²⁵ These things I have spoken to you while residing with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name—that one will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything that I said to you.

Jesus only spoke the words that His Father spoke. This is where the commandment to love one another came from. It is one of the two great commandments.

Mark 12:28–34 (LEB): ²⁸ And one of the scribes came up and heard them debating. When he saw that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² And the scribe said to him, “That is true, Teacher. You have said correctly that he is one and there is no other except him. ³³ And to love him from your whole heart and from your whole understanding and from your whole strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴ And Jesus, when he saw that he had answered thoughtfully, said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to put a question to him any longer.

The only way to love people as Jesus loved them is to follow the commandments. No one can love someone while stealing, lying and cheating them. The scribe in the above account knew that keeping the commandments was a higher calling than burnt offerings and sacrifices. Those things were necessary because people didn’t keep the commandments. Jesus told him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”, because Jesus saw that this scribe was starting to “get it”.

The idea that we must simply love people the way Jesus loved people, and that this is the only commandment, is an interesting concept. In one sense it is true, because it is the fulfillment of the law to love one another; however, without the complete instruction, it leaves people to define love for themselves. More recently we see this path of “love is love” that Andy Stanley is embracing, rather than the love defined by Jesus. Are we able to love people by telling them things contrary to the way God defined love? For more about this, please refer to this article at the Baptistpress: Andy Stanley’s Stance on Homosexuality Questioned.

Jesus loved people by pointing them to the ancient paths. These are the ways of His Father. If we give them the necessities of this life without preparing them for meeting the Creator, then we have not loved them.

John 8:10–11 (LEB): ¹⁰ So Jesus, straightening up and seeing no one except the woman, said to her, “Where are those accusers of yours? Does no one condemn you?” ¹¹ And she said, “No one, Lord.” So Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”

In this story, the woman was accused of adultery. The accusers tested Jesus by asking if she should be stoned. In order for her to be stoned under the law, there would have to be two or three witnesses and also the man. Jesus could not accuse her under the law because he knew the law. The point of Jesus coming to earth was so that there was forgiveness for these types of sin. Under the law, the only solution for adultery was stoning. There was no sacrifice or offering to bring to the priest to receive forgiveness for breaking these commandments. We will never know if this woman was guilty of committing adultery, but Jesus told her to “go and sin no more”. In order to “go and sin no more” we must be able to define sin. The only way to define sin is by the words of the Torah, which is the instruction of God the Father.

It is common in Christianity to say that the stipulations of the new covenant are different than that of the old covenant. This idea of “new” and “old” makes us think this way. The “new” covenant should be looked at as a refreshing of the “old” covenant with the means to be able to stay in covenant available to us. One could argue that we have not seen the fulfillment of the new covenant based on the Jeremiah quote we find in the letter to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 8:11 (LEB): ¹¹ And they will not teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.

This sounds more like Millennium kingdom language because we still have to teach our fellow citizens about God. Everyone certainly does not know Him yet, but they will. It is up to us to point people to the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) and what He taught. He taught the ancient paths of His Father. It is unfortunate that today, people like Andy Stanley are leading the masses astray. To be fair, he is just an example of thousands of leaders and denominations progressing themselves out of the kingdom of God. I pray for wisdom and guidance from the Spirit of God sent to us to deliver the truth so that we will not be deceived and believe the lie.

Isaiah 24:1–6 (LEB): 24 Look! Yahweh is about to lay the earth waste and is about to devastate it, and he will twist her surface, and he will scatter her inhabitants. ² And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the female slave, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the one to whom he lends. ³ The earth shall be utterly laid waste, and it shall be utterly plundered, for Yahweh has spoken this word. ⁴ The earth dries up, it withers; the world languishes, it withers. The elevated of the people of the earth languish, ⁵ and the earth is defiled beneath its inhabitants. For they have transgressed laws; they have passed by statutes; they have broken the everlasting covenant. ⁶ Therefore a curse devours the earth, and the inhabitants in it suffer for their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth burn, and few men are left.

The earth is going to suffer great losses, and already has, because people have broken the eternal covenant by transgressing God’s laws. Yeshua came to empower us to be able to keep the eternal covenant, not make it obsolete. The ancient paths are always better to follow than those paths presented by the progressives. Repent and believe the gospel!

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And the earth is defiled beneath its inhabitants.
For they have transgressed laws;
they have passed by statutes;
they have broken the everlasting covenant.

Isaiah 24:5 (LEB)

I enjoy engaging with strangers on social media to discuss religious topics because there is no shortage of opinions and willingness to debate. I am exposed to many belief systems that otherwise would be unknown to me. Leaving the religious echo chamber is something I strongly recommend because when everyone thinks they believe exactly the same way about God, discussion about God ends, and the conversation turns to such things as sports and the weather.

One has to be thick-skinned in the social media religious world because when someone disagrees they will often damn a person to hell or say hurtful things “out of love” and concern. Perhaps this is the reason people are less likely to engage in person anymore. The more tolerant people supposedly become, it seems the less tolerance society has for dissenting opinions. This is especially true if the opinions are against the narrative being projected from government, media and religious institutions. Society is becoming more programmed with less ability to critically think and discuss thought openly. Authoritarians love this trend as it makes the population, congregation, or organization member easier to control and swindle. I suppose this is why discussing politics and religion is considered taboo.

This week in the social media world, I was told that I was not saved because I did not believe ultra-dispensational theology, I allegedly deny Paul, and I do not believe Jesus is God the Father. I have discussed hyper-dispensationalism and ultra-dispensationalism in my blog many times, and there are whole groups of people that believe this way. Granted, no one will introduce themselves by saying, “Hi I am a hyper-dispensationist”, but it is easy to spot after a little conversation. Hyper-dispensationalists believe that Paul’s letters are the only part of the Bible that apply to believers today. One cannot quote any scriptures from the Old Testament, the Gospels or any other letters to those in this belief system because they supposedly were written to people that were in a different dispensation, and do not apply to people living currently in the “age of grace”. The particular group of people I bumped into apparently also believe that anyone that does not believe this way has not experienced salvation.

Ephesians 3:1–5 (KJV 1900): For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, ² If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: ³ How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, ⁴ Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ⁵ Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

The phrase “dispensation of grace” is right here in the King James Bible, so it has to be true, right? I suppose this is one of the reasons there are “King James only” people. We loose the word “dispensation” if we dare to read a different version of the Bible.

Ephesians 3:1–5 (LEB): 3 On account of this I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles ² —if indeed you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace given to me for you. ³ According to revelation the mystery was made known to me, just as I wrote beforehand in brief, ⁴ so that you may be able when you read to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ ⁵ (which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit):

One cannot assume Paul was discussing John Darby’s 19th century dispensationalism theology in these verses based on the King James Bible’s translators choice of the word “dispensation” in this verse. This belief system, that Paul was the only apostle that believers should listen to, started with a first century heresy called Marcionism, named after its founder, Marcion.

The reason I am bringing all this up right now is to ask the questions, “Who is saved?” and “What is a Christian?” Are these Ultra-dispensationalists the only people that are saved as they claim? What about the idea the Jesus is God the Father? Some will say one cannot be saved without believing this way, yet Paul spells out the roles quite plainly.

1 Corinthians 15:20–28 (LEB): ²⁰ But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since through a man came death, also through a man came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own group: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s at his coming, ²⁴ then the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For it is necessary for him to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be abolished is death. ²⁷ For “he subjected all things under his feet.” But when it says “all things” are subjected, it is clear that the one who subjected all things to him is not included. ²⁸ But whenever all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, in order that God may be all in all.

I am not claiming to understand the complete nature of God, but there are clearly reading comprehension problems in Christianity. Out of all of the denominations, sects and theologies, who believes enough of the “right stuff” to be saved? There are people that never contemplate their belief system and “believe what they believe”, then there are people that only believe what their denomination tells them, their favourite evangelist says, or that which is accepted by current societal norms. Has anyone ever wondered what God, the Creator of heaven and earth, may have to say about all of this? The only words we have directly from the mouth of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, come through Israel. This is true even if someone says that they only come from Paul now. God did not simply address Israel, He addressed the whole world through Israel.

Isaiah 24:1–6 (LEB): 24 Look! Yahweh is about to lay the earth waste and is about to devastate it, and he will twist her surface, and he will scatter her inhabitants. ² And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the female slave, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the one to whom he lends. ³ The earth shall be utterly laid waste, and it shall be utterly plundered, for Yahweh has spoken this word. ⁴ The earth dries up, it withers; the world languishes, it withers. The elevated of the people of the earth languish, ⁵ and the earth is defiled beneath its inhabitants. For they have transgressed laws; they have passed by statutes; they have broken the everlasting covenant. ⁶ Therefore a curse devours the earth, and the inhabitants in it suffer for their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth burn, and few men are left.

This is the reason I have seemingly turned my back on organized religion. No one appears to be concerned about what God says He wants us to do. People are making things up as they go, and this is prophecy, if we choose to read it.

Jeremiah 23:16–22 (LEB): ¹⁶ Thus says Yahweh of hosts: “You must not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are deluding you with visions of their mind, They do not speak from the mouth of Yahweh. ¹⁷ They are continually saying to those who disregard the word of Yahweh, ‘Peace it will be to you,’ and to each one who walks in the stubbornness of his heart they say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you.’ ¹⁸ For who has stood in the council of Yahweh, that he has seen and heard his word? Who has listened attentively to his word and heard it? ¹⁹ Look, the storm of Yahweh has gone forth in wrath, even a whirling tempest. It will whirl upon the head of the wicked. ²⁰ The anger of Yahweh will not turn back until his doing and until his keeping the plans of his mind. In latter days you will look closely at it with understanding. ²¹ I have not sent the prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. ²² But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have caused them to turn from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.

My goal is to do as much as God said to do that I possibly can in light of what Yeshua taught us. “Who has listened attentively to his word and heard it? ” God tells us exactly what he expects from us if we listen attentively.

Isaiah 56:1–7 (LEB): 56 Thus says Yahweh: “Observe justice and do righteousness, for my salvation is close to coming, and my justice to being revealed. ² Happy is the man who does this, and the son of humankind who keeps hold of it, who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it, and who keeps his hand from doing any evil.” ³ And do not let the foreigner who joins himself to Yahweh say, “Surely Yahweh will separate me from his people.” And do not let the eunuch say, “Look! I am a dry tree!” ⁴ For thus says Yahweh, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, and choose that in which I delight, and who keep hold of my covenant. ⁵ And I will give them a monument and a name in my house and within my walls, better than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. ⁶ And the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh to serve him and to love the name of Yahweh, to become his servants, every one who keeps the Sabbath, so as not to profane it, and those who keep hold of my covenant, ⁷ I will bring them to my holy mountain; I will make them merry in my house of prayer. their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,”

Many people use religion for control, while many people are deceived into thinking that Paul said we don’t have to do what God said anymore; however, this was prophesied long ago, and even Peter, in one of his letters, warned us that there would be those who twist the words of Paul. God will always want us to do what He said, and Yeshua reinforced this by making it possible for those who have “broken the eternal covenant” to return to the covenant and be part of the family of God. Therefore, repent and believe the gospel!

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Now these were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. They accepted the message with all eagerness, examining the scriptures every day to see if these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men.

Acts 17:11–12 (LEB)

Gnosticism is a belief system that puts the hope of salvation in knowledge of the divine. One who studies scripture and asks questions that are not popular with religious hierarchy is sometimes labelled as a Gnostic. I have heard people say that it can be detrimental to study scripture too much or delve into books that are unapproved by the church.

Gnosticism was also a first century belief system which taught that the Creator God was a lesser entity and created everything without permission from the supreme God, and that He didn’t know there was a god greater than He. In this heresy, Jesus was sent from the “greater” god to free mankind from this Creator God who held mankind captive with rules and commandments. We still see this mindset in the church today with the mentality that “Jesus kept the commandments so we don’t have to”. This belief system also seems to be similar to hyper-dispensationalism. Here is the definition of hyper-dispensationalism from theopedia.com:

Hyper-dispensationalism (or sometimes ultra-dispensationalism), as opposed to traditional (or classic) Dispensationalism, views the start of the Christian church as beginning with the ministry of the Apostle Paul after the early part of the book of Acts. Although variations exist in specifics, all hyper-dispensationalists view the four Gospels and many of New Testament Epistles as applying to the pre-Pauline Jewish-Christian church or to the future Davidic Kingdom; not directly applicable to the predominantly Gentile Church of today.

Hyper-dispensationlists will say that the four Gospels and books such as James and Hebrews, do not apply to believers in the “age of grace”. Many people unknowingly believe this because they do not study. They find themselves in a stupor of echoing this type of nonsense because they have no grounding in the Word of God. The first century heretic, Marcion, taught a similar message in which only the letters of Paul applied to believers. However, the letters of Paul were written to specific groups of people about specific problems these people were encountering. We do not know what prompted the letters, and we are also missing context from letters that were sent to Paul from these various churches. A new doctrine such as hyper-dispensationalism should not be derived from Paul’s letters. Likewise, no one should be deceived into thinking that Paul was starting a new religion with a new group of people, void of the law of God.

2 Peter 3:14–18 (LEB): ¹⁴ Therefore, dear friends, because you are waiting for these things, make every effort to be found at peace, spotless and unblemished in him. ¹⁵ And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our dear brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom that was given to him, ¹⁶ as he does also in all his letters, speaking in them about these things, in which there are some things hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, as they also do the rest of the scriptures. ¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, because you know this beforehand, guard yourselves so that you do not lose your own safe position because you have been led away by the error of lawless persons. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

I heard a church leader once say we don’t even need to study scripture because we simply need to “believe in Jesus” to be saved. Does God want us to be this dumb in our faith? How can one “believe” in someone that they don’t know anything about? Wouldn’t this thought process open one up to deception? In other words, if we are ignorant about the character of God, revealed through Moses and the prophets, if we do not know what Jesus said, and about the nature of His character, wouldn’t that enable people to invent their own versions of God? An easy way to be deceived is to believe Jesus was talking to someone else. If the congregation allows the pastor be the only one to tell them about God, who checks to see if what the pastor is saying is true?

Isaiah 56:9–12 (LEB): ⁹ All wild animals in the field, come, to devour, all wild animals in the forest! ¹⁰ His watchmen are blind, none of them know. They are all dumb dogs; they are unable to bark, panting, lying down, loving to slumber. ¹¹ And the dogs have a greedy appetite; they are never satisfied. And they are the shepherds! They do not have understanding. They all turn to their own way, each one for his own gain, every one of them. ¹² “Come, let me take wine, and let us carouse with intoxicating drink, and tomorrow will be like today, very great indeed.”

I have read about secret societies where the average member is kept in the dark about the symbolism and beliefs of the society, and only are given more information if they are deemed worthy to move up in rank. This is where the terms “esoteric” and “exoteric” are used. Exoteric knowledge is the simple meanings or what the general membership is given, where esoteric knowledge is only for the initiated.

Hosea 4:6 (LEB): ⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from acting as a priest for me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

An example of exoteric knowledge is having the average church believer thinking there is a “rapture” where they will be whisked away to heaven to see all their loved ones that have died at any moment, when Bible scholars will debate each other at a much higher level of knowledge. They do not allow some of this information out of their circles and just give the general membership something very basic to understand. Many religious leaders do not think the average person can handle what is in the Bible, so they spoon feed what they think the membership is able to comprehend. I am not just talking about pastors and their congregations, this happens on a much higher level in denominations and seminary. This is why pastors in some churches are not allowed to preach on certain subjects and why congregants are not “allowed” to question certain doctrines. Seminaries indoctrinate future pastors with “proper” doctrine. These situations are starting to be exposed as more people study for themselves and start questioning organized religion. There are also “whistle blowers” from within organizations coming to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:7–12 (LEB): ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is at work already; only the one who now restrains will do so until he is out of the way, ⁸ and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth, and wipe out by the appearance of his coming, ⁹ whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with every unrighteous deception against those who are perishing, in place of which they did not accept the love of the truth, so that they would be saved. ¹¹ And because of this, God sends them a powerful delusion  so that they will believe the lie, ¹² in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but delighted in unrighteousness.

Ask a pastor why the Sabbath is on the first day of the week instead of the Biblical seventh day and see what type of answer one is given. The typical answer is that Jesus resurrected on Sunday. Another answer is that it is not addressed in the New Testament, or we can call any day we want a Sabbath now etc. If pushed too far with the mountain of scripture supporting Sabbath keeping, along with the statement from the Catholic church saying they changed the Sabbath to show they have more authority than scripture, the conversation can get very unfriendly quickly. People will echo what they have been taught to the death about the Sabbath, yet if one lets scripture lead them, it is undeniable that changing the day to Sunday is a tradition that has “made void the law of God”.

Isaiah 56:6–8 (LEB): ⁶ And the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh to serve him and to love the name of Yahweh, to become his servants, every one who keeps the Sabbath, so as not to profane it, and those who keep hold of my covenant, ⁷ I will bring them to my holy mountain; I will make them merry in my house of prayer. their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,” ⁸ declares the Lord Yahweh, who gathers the scattered ones of Israel (still I will gather to him, to his gathered ones).

If one is a dispensationlist, then these scriptures supposedly do not apply because Paul freed them from the laws of the mean Creator God. Meanwhile, the adversary laughs at the deceived ones losing the blessing of the Sabbath. The word “gentile” and “foreigner” are synonymous.

Once one studies scriptures for them self and takes to heart what is being said, the exoteric information given to the masses will not suffice. When the Creator of the universe says something and stamps it with His royal decree, it cannot be undone by any religion, pope, theologian or pastor spoon feeding pablum to the congregation. “Thus saith the LORD” or “the word of the LORD” in King James English means whatever preceded or follows these words will happen, and no one can stop it.

On the Messianic and Hebrew roots side of the aisle people are also trying to limit what one can study or talk about. There are those who do not allow anyone to discuss the name of the Creator just as in Judaism. They insult and mock calling people “sacred namers”. The latest item I have seen is those forbidding the discussion of the feast days or the Hebrew language, calling it a stumbling block. The logic according to these people is that we are not allowed to celebrate the feasts until we are in the land, therefore there is no reason to discuss them. It goes back to certain ones simply wanting to control other people.

Religion has been used throughout the ages to control people. Most recently we saw how the government worked with churches to push government mandates during the pandemic. We had people such as Franklin Graham giving his followers medical advice that echoed the government’s stance, and the pharmaceutical companies which were giving money to those promoting their products. Governments work closely with religious organizations they control through tax exemption status. This is nothing new, and not very different than the way pagan temples were run in the Roman Empire.

Don’t be dumb. Be like the synagogue of Berea by studying scripture and asking hard questions. The Father will send these deceptions to see if we love Him enough to see through the lies. The deception is real and one has to be prepared.

The featured photo by Michal Matlon on Unsplash.

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I invoke as a witness against you today the heaven and the earth: life and death I have set before you, blessing and curse. So choose life, so that you may live, you and your offspring, by loving Yahweh your God by listening to his voice and by clinging to him, for he is your life and the length of your days in order for you to live on the land that Yahweh swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them.

Deuteronomy 30:19–20 (LEB)

I have witnessed the deterioration of organized religion and society in a fifty year timeline of situational observation which is hard to ignore. As a child I learned about the Ten Commandments and Bible stories in Sunday school and was even taught the “golden rule” in secular education. The golden rule is a Biblical principle that tells us to treat people the way we would want to be treated.

Matthew 7:12 (LEB): ¹² Therefore in all things, whatever you want that people should do to you, thus also you do to them. For this is the law and the prophets.

Secular education taught the essence of “the law and the prophets” when I was in grade school, yet today most of the church has abandoned the teachings of Jesus, which was the law and the prophets. Jesus, or in Hebrew, Yeshua, told us we would know people by their fruits. The Apostle Paul expanded this and gave us a list from the Torah of how we should expect people to behave that are in covenant with Yeshua.

Galatians 5:22–24 (LEB): ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh together with its feelings and its desires.

A person who behaves in this manner through the Spirit is not affected by the law of God, or Torah. The Torah is what points out our short comings, life in the flesh or sin. Those who operate in the flesh, void of the indwelling Spirit writing the laws of God on their heart, will not be part of the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19–21 (LEB): ¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, things which I am telling you in advance, just as I said before, that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

This list that Paul gives us is not for us to define by our own methods. The church has let societal norms define what is acceptable to God, instead of going to the “glossary of terms” that is found in the Bible. Children are not taught right from wrong as defined by scripture at their places of worship, instead they are given a more trendy set of morals. Of course, I am painting Christianity with a broad brush by these statements. There are still Bible teaching churches today, but what will the state of these churches be a hundred years from now? Three hundred years? What will it look like? I know some Christians are looking for a “rapture” of the church any day, just as believers of earlier generations were expecting the second coming of Christ. Instead they should be studying to learn how to be acceptable on that day, whatever or whenever it may be.

2 Peter 3:1–13 (LEB): 3 Dear friends, this is already the second letter I am writing to you, in both of which I am attempting to stir up your sincere mind by a reminder, ² to remember the words proclaimed beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ above all knowing this, that in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing, following according to their own desires ⁴ and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued just as they have been from the beginning of creation.” ⁵ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that the heavens existed long ago and the earth held together out of water and through water by the word of God, ⁶ by means of which things the world that existed at that time was destroyed by being inundated with water. ⁷ But by the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

⁸ Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. ⁹ The Lord is not delaying the promise, as some consider slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will disappear with a rushing noise, and the celestial bodies will be destroyed by being burned up, and the earth and the deeds done on it will be disclosed. ¹¹ Because all these things are being destroyed in this way, what sort of people must you be in holy behavior and godliness, ¹² while waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by being burned up and the celestial bodies will melt as they are consumed by heat! ¹³ But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness resides.

Peter does not mention anything about a secret rapture, just that we should be living a life of holy behaviour and godliness as the day of the Lord approaches where everything will be burned. People will get further and further away from what is considered holy behaviour and godliness as the years fly by leading up to His return.

2 Timothy 3:1–9 (LEB): 3 But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come, ² for people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ hardhearted, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, savage, with no interest for what is good, ⁴ traitors, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God, ⁵ maintaining a form of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid these people. ⁶ For from these are those who slip into houses and captivate foolish women loaded down with sins, led by various kinds of desires, ⁷ always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these oppose the truth, people corrupted in mind, disqualified concerning the faith. ⁹ But they will not progress to a greater extent, for their folly will be quite evident to everyone, as also the folly of those two was.

Jannes and Jambres were sons of Balaam who opposed Moses, just as people are opposing the truth today. The truth was given through Moses by God. It is not by accident Paul is comparing the rejection of Moses to the rejection of the truth.

John 17:17 (LEB): ¹⁷ Sanctify them in the truth—your word is truth.

The kingdom of Judah completely forgot the truth until a renovation of the temple unearthed the word of God given through Moses.

2 Kings 22:4–6 (LEB): ⁴ “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, and let them count the money being brought to the temple of Yahweh that the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people, ⁵ and let them give it into the hand of those appointed doers of the work at the temple of Yahweh. Let them give it to the doers of the work who are at the temple of Yahweh to repair the breach of the temple: ⁶ to the skilled craftsmen, to the builders, to the masons, and to buy timber and hewing stones to repair the temple.

Picture a church building project years after the word of God has been completely forgotten. This is already the case in some denominations.

2 Kings 22:8–10 (LEB): ⁸ Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the scroll of the Torah in the temple of Yahweh,” and Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan and he read it. ⁹ Shaphan the secretary came to the king and returned the king a word, and he said, “Your servant poured out the money found in the temple, and they have given it into the hand of the doers of the work appointed over the temple of Yahweh.” ¹⁰ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Then Shaphan read before the king.

In modern times this would be like the deacons giving the money to the workers renovating the church. After cleaning out a closet of junk, they discovered a Bible from the 20th century and started to read it, having never read any scripture in their life.

2 Kings 22:11–13 (LEB): ¹¹ When the king heard the words of the scroll of the Torah, he tore his clothes. ¹² Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Acbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the servant of the king, saying, ¹³ “Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and for the people and for all of Judah concerning the words of this scroll that was found. For the wrath of Yahweh that is kindled against us is great because our ancestors did not listen to the words of this scroll to do according to all that is written concerning us!”

Once the King heard what was in God’s instructions he turned the kingdom around. This is what we should do to avoid the wrath of God. It is called repentance. Repentance is not aimlessly walking in a new direction, it is following the instructions of God.

2 Kings 23:1–3 (LEB): 23 So the king sent word, and all of the elders of Judah and Jerusalem gathered to him. ² Then the king went up to the temple of Yahweh, and all of the men of Judah and all of the inhabitants of Jerusalem were with him, including the priests, the prophets, and all of the people from smallest to greatest; and in their hearing he read all of the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been found in the temple of Yahweh. ³ Then the king stood by the pillar, and he made a covenant before Yahweh, to go after Yahweh and to keep his commands and his warnings and his statutes with all of his heart and with all of his soul, to keep the words of this covenant written on this scroll. Then all of the people joined in the covenant.

The King went on to remove all of the abominations from the kingdom. The sun god paraphernalia, the male prostitutes that were in the temple, the false priests, were all removed. Asherah images were destroyed and burned.

2 Kings 23:4–7 (LEB): ⁴ Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the second priests, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out of the temple of Yahweh all of the objects made for Baal and for the Asherah and for all the host of heaven, and he burned them outside of Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and then he carried their ashes to Bethel. ⁵ He removed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem and who offered incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. ⁶ He brought out the Asherah image from the temple of Yahweh outside of Jerusalem to the Wadi Kidron and burnt it at the Wadi Kidron; then he pulverized it to dust and threw its dust upon the tombs of the common people. ⁷ He tore down the shrines of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of Yahweh, where the women were weaving shrines for the Asherah.

Once they destroyed the items God warned against, they started doing the things that God commanded.

2 Kings 23:21–25 (LEB): ²¹ Then the king commanded all of the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as has been written on the scroll of this covenant.” ²² For they had not kept this Passover from the days of the judges who had judged over Israel or during the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. ²³ But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was kept for Yahweh in Jerusalem.

²⁴ Moreover, the mediums and the spiritists, the household gods and the idols, and all of the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, Josiah removed in order to establish the words of the law written on the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the temple of Yahweh. ²⁵ There was not a king like him before him, who turned to Yahweh with all of his heart and with all of his soul and with all of his might according to all of the law of Moses, nor did one arise like him afterwards.

It’s hard to imagine that the modern church is at the same place Judah was before King Josiah heard the words of God read from the Torah scroll found during temple renovations. The same sun god holidays are observed, Asherah poles are brought into the church for certain celebrations, the mediums and spiritists have their place in the new age teachings so prevalent in the church today. I am not sure if any denominations have male prostitutes, but history will likely repeat itself.

The abominable symbology of the mystery religions of Isis, Ishtar, Asherah, Horus, Moloch and all the Baali had to do with sexual immorality as defined by the God of Israel. This is fitting because breaking the covenant of Yahweh and conducting business with other gods is sexual immorality in itself. Therefore, we see all through history that the sex gods and goddesses are representative of all the false religions. This is more apparent today than it has been in recent history, but we are paying the penalty of keeping the fertility rites of other gods alive in the church for the last 1500 years.

Revelation 2:20–23 (LEB): ²⁰ But I have against you that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, the one who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and deceives my slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ And I have given her time in order to repent, and she did not want to repent from her sexual immorality. ²² Behold, I am throwing her into a sickbed and those who committed adultery with her into great affliction, unless they repent from her deeds. ²³ And I will kill her children with deadly disease, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

Loving God with all our heart and soul means we will hate the things God hates and love the things God loves. Take the instructions of God seriously. A casual disregard will bring curses and destruction to one’s life.

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