December 4, 2018 was the last time I posted here.
That is nearly two months, by far the longest period of time between posts for me.
Why the hiatus?
I needed to take a minute to re-group.
I began this blog over two years ago, and the progression of articles documents my study, prayer, and effort to share what I’ve learned.

I spent over thirty years in mainstream church.
In a moment of tragedy and enormous crisis, I got on my knees before my Creator.
This changed everything for me, and you can read the details in my post called “My Testimony”.

When I began learning and studying Torah, and changing my life to do it, I was focused on learning. I was focused on transforming into a person who does as Yehova says.
Tracy and I made immediate changes in our lives.
We immediately began keeping the biblical Sabbath (the 4th of Ten Commandments).
We immediately began eating biblically clean, and we purged all the unclean foods from our home.
We began observing the biblical Feast Days.
Many people have undergone this change, and I’m sure they understand from their own experiences what this process of change looks and feels like.

But once we got settled, I started to look around me.
I began to compare this new life of obedience to Torah to the beliefs, thoughts, and ideas I’d known for my whole life as part of the mainstream church.
They were not one and the same.
Does it matter?
There are over 40,000 Christian denominations, all a little bit different.
Does it matter if what we were now doing was different than everything else?
Exploring this idea resulted in this blog.
After approximately 250 articles, I have learned much.
Each article represents many hours spent in the scriptures.
Each article represents time spent in prayer, time spent thinking and pondering, time going back to the scriptures again.

And I learned.
I set one truth in place, and moved onto another.
I built up the blocks.
I added more. Over and over again.

But where has it brought me?
Early on, I learned that the “Jesus” spoken of and worshipped in mainstream Christianity does not match our Messiah described in the scriptures. I found that His direct quotes are in opposition to what “Jesus” represents.
If this is shocking to you, please look up my early article called “Which Jesus Do You Love?”
If what I was learning about Yeshua Messiah in scripture was true, then it means that the masses do not know who He really is.
This was mind boggling.
This was tragic, and caused me a great deal of stress.
But I continued to dig in the scriptures.
I continued to put my trust in what the Word says.

I began to learn about the history of Israel.
Christianity, our government, our culture, our recorded history — all point to Israel formed in 1948 in the Middle East, following World War 2.
But when I read my bible, I see evidence that Israel is something else.
The events recorded in scripture detail a sometimes wonderful and sometimes tragic story about the nation of Israel.
I studied.
I learned.
I found scriptures that I never heard in church sermons.

And here is a really big deal:
I found out that anyone can “be Israel”.
I found out there is no such thing as a Gentile Believer.
Gentile simply means “the nations.”
Yehova (God) created mankind.
Men and women went off and did many things, often times in opposition to what Yehova wants of us.
It began early on, in the Garden with Adam and Eve.
And it has continued.
Disobedience.

I learned that “The Law” has a name. It is referred to as the Torah.
I learned that “The Law” is referred to as a perfect thing that brings life and blessing.
I never heard that in church in over thirty years worth of sermons!
But that is exactly what the bible says.
I also learned that Torah actually means teaching and instruction.
This is a good thing.
Teaching and instruction is something we receive from our parents early in our lives. We then receive additional instruction simultaneously to our parents’ instruction as we enter into Elementary school, then Middle school, then High school, and for some, advanced education in universities or in trade schools.
Teaching and instruction helps us to be successful.
It helps us to determine purpose.
It helps us to develop methods of taking care of ourselves and our families.

There is nothing at all wrong with teaching and instruction, provided the things being taught are true and accurate.
But Mainstream Christianity says “The Law” is a burden and a curse, and that no one can achieve it.
Scripture says otherwise.
Mainstream Christianity teaches us that “The Law” is only for the Jews.
The bible says otherwise.
Scripture says there is one law (Torah, teaching and instruction), for both the native born Hebrew and for the strangers among them.
We learn in scripture that the Torah is available to anyone who wants to be in covenant with Yehova.
When a stranger or sojourner accepts this covenant and lives among Israel, they become Israel.
Gentiles are just “the nations” – it is how Yehova refers to the people groups who are not Israel.

I studied all of these things, and I learned that Israel turned their backs on Yehova. They were divorced from the covenant and were scattered among all the nations of the earth.
This scattering was foretold by Yehova Himself.
The prophets warned as well.
But they turned their backs anyway, and they suffered the consequences. They were removed from being in covenant with Yehova, and they were scattered among the nations.
They lost thier identity.
They were absorbed into the nations.
They became “of the nations” or Gentiles.
This is one of the tragic parts of the story of Israel.

But Yehova foretold of their restoration.
The prophets speak of the restoration of Israel.
Many think the 1948 geo-political creation of a nation is what was foretold.
However, if we read about the details of the restoration of Israel, it does not match this “Israel” created by men.
It is yet to come, but is happening now!

In Ezekiel 4, Yehova communicated His duration for Israel to be separated and out of covenant. 390 years was the timeframe.
However, Torah requires a punishment to be multiplied by seven if the guilty party does not repent.
Israel did not repent, and their separation went from 390 years to 2730 years.
Wow, that is a very long time.
From man’s point of view, this period of time is astounding and we really can’t wrap our head around it.
80 years is what we know.
And it takes our entire lifetime to come to know an 80 year period.
How can we comprehend 2730 years?

The separation began in about 720BC when the Assyrians defeated Israel and began scattering them.
Add 2730 years, and we get approximately 2009/2010 timeframe.
The exile/curse/punishment/scattering ended just recently.
Many people throughout all the nations of the earth began “waking up” to the Torah at this time.
Many people throughout the world began studying the ways of the Father and following His ways, contrary to what world religion has taught us for a very long time.
During the very long scattering, the people did not have the Torah.
They did not have understanding of the ways of the Father.
But now we do have it.
We have access to understanding.
If you don’t know about these things, go back and review some of my blog posts. I go through the scriptures and communicate what I learned as I learned it.
It is a fascinating journey, and it is fascinating to be alive during a time spoken of in ancient scripture.
It is also a tragic time, to realize that all I was taught in thirty years in Mainstream Christianity was false.

Jeremiah told of this.
Jeremiah the prophet warned us this would be the case.

Jeremiah 16:19-20
¹⁹ O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
²⁰ Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

If Jeremiah is correct, then what he is telling us is a tragedy for mankind, over many generations.

Why is it possible for Tracy and I to be “called to Torah”, to read and understand the ways of the Father, when we missed it for thirty years.
But even more importantly, why has our family and friends not been able to see it? How can we show them something so clear to us in scripture, and other people not “get it”?

So I had to study it.
And study it I did, and the scriptures speak very clearly about this idea. I detail the concept using scriptures in my blog.

Early in this “process” I was angry with organized religion.
You will probably notice this in my early to mid-blog articles.
But then something happened.
I studied Moses in detail.
He was appointed by Yehova to be a leader of His chosen people, to bring them out of Egypt (which represents “the world”).
But the people grumbled and complained.
The people were rebellious and longed for their life in the world (Egypt).

We see this in James 4
Don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with Yehova? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Yehova. 

Moses had to lead a group of people who wanted the things of the world (Egypt) and not the things of Yehova, Abba the Father.
Their rebellion was so very bad that Yehova wanted to destroy them.

Did Moses get out of the way and let that happen?
Did he make popcorn and sit back to watch the destruction?
No.
Absolutely not.
He fell on his face before Yehova over and over and over again.
He prayed for the rebellions and grumbling people.
He interceded for them with Yehova, and each time, Yehova relented.

That is where I am now.
I see a whole world of people rejecting the teaching and instruction of Yehova. I see a whole world of grumblers and complainers, people in rebellion to the Father.
I see a whole world rejecting the choice of life and blessing as it is described in scripture, and instead, they are running as fast as they can for the things that bring death and curses.
[Please read Deuteronomy 28 to learn of the blessings and curses.]

I am no longer angry with the church.
I pray for them, hoping to be able to intercede for family, friends, and total strangers.
I study scripture and tell people what it says, but sadly, many do not like it.

Yeshua, Messiah, the Son of the Living God, our Savior, our Sacrifice, our Lamb, our Lion of Judah, He who has all authority in heaven and on earth, He who will separate the sheep from the goats, He who will determine the fate of every human who has ever lived, Jesus in the English versions…

He said this…

Matthew 7:13-14
¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

If Messiah said it, I know it is true and can be trusted.
Our churches don’t teach this.
They tell us to raise our hand in the back row and accept Jesus into our heart with a sinner’s prayer, and you now have eternal salvation.

Is that what Yeshua Messiah said above?
No, it isn’t.
He said the path is narrow and few will find it.

This is when reality hits.
Do we believe the things that Messiah says?
He says some really beautiful and wonderful things.
He establishes some wonderful promises for mankind.
But He also says some very difficult and harsh things.

Our eternity is at stake here.
Will we listen to the difficult things He says?
Will we believe the difficult and harsh things He says?
This is the reality of our world today.
Israel has been scattered and separated for many generations.
Yehova is beginning to call His chosen home again.
The scriptures tell of a second exodus, greater than the first.
Anyone can be His chosen if they listen to Him and follow Him.

Will you listen and follow?
Will you find the narrow path?
The scriptures tell how to do so.
Many think and believe they are on the narrow path, when (according to scripture) they are not.

Please pray on these things…
Pray for those who reject Messiah.
Pray for those who claim to follow Him, but do not (and don’t realize it).