1Peter 4:17-18
For the time has come for judgment to begin with the house of God. If judgment begins with us first, what will be the end for those who disobey the Good News of God?
18 Now, “if it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what shall become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

This is not an ‘article’ or ‘blog post’.  These are just some notes and scripture on Shavuot and this week’s Torah portion:

Shavuot!!
Exodus 23:14-17
Three Annual Feasts
14 “Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: 15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty); 16 and the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field. 17 “Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.

Exodus 34:22
22 “And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end.

Leviticus 23:15-22
The Feast of Weeks

¹⁵ ‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. ¹⁶ Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. ¹⁷ You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord. ¹⁸ And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord. ¹⁹ Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering. ²⁰ The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. ²¹ And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

²² ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the Lord your God.’”

Numbers 28:26-31
26 ‘Also on the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. 27 You shall present a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, 28 with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, 29 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30 also one kid of the goats, to make atonement for you. 31 Be sure they are without blemish. You shall present them with their drink offerings, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering.

Deuteronomy 16:9-12
9 “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. 10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. 11 You shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. 12 And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.

Acts 2:1-4
Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord^[a] in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
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B’midbar ~ means ‘in the wilderness’

The people were taken out of Egypt in the Exodus, and they were taught all about Yehova at Mt Sinai, and they were taught how Yehova intends for us to behave and live. The tabernacle was established.
Now in Numbers, we see how responsibilities are assigned to the tribes.
This is the time when the people will begin to live out the Torah instructions.

Numbers 1 – Census
Num 1:1-4
Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year [14 months] after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: ² “Take a census [census means to “lift up the head”] of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually, ³ from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies. ⁴ And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house.

tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred
tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred
tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty
tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred
tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred
tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred
tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred
tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred
tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred
tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred
tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred
tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred

Total of 603,550 [just men 20 and up and of fighting age]
This census firmly establishes their Hebrew identity in their minds.
Before the Exodus, they were just a mass of people in slavery in Egypt.

Exodus 30 says each in the census shall give half shekel of silver as ransom, and no plague shall be among them. Without the ransom, they may/will be affected by plagues. REV 18:1-4 (describes the Babylonian system).
Verse 4 says to come out of this system, and avoid the plagues. Only one church does not receive of the plagues, the church of Philadelphia. Who are these people?  Rev 7:4-9
People who are able to be counted, their ransom paid, equal the church of Philadelphia (Rev 3:7-13).
Rev 7:9 those who undergo the plagues of tribulation, but turn to Yehova, are those in white robes.

Matthew 17 describes taxes taken during Yeshua’s day.  He says those who are His go free.  Their ransom is paid by His death.

Mat 17:24-27
²⁴ When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” ²⁵ He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” ²⁶ Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. ²⁷ Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money;^[h] take that and give it to them for Me and you.” [Yeshua knows the temple tax to maintain Herod’s temple is not truth, but he supernaturally provides payment – a hint at what is to come, when His death will supernaturally provide the true ransom that must be paid]

Luke 21:25-28
The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁵ “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Yeshua tells them to “lift up their heads” ~ this does not mean to look up to the sky, it means to count yourself, as in a census, to count yourself among Yeshua’s people.
[Some people will count themselves, even though their ransom is not paid. 1John 3 tells us whose ransom is paid – it is those who walk in righteousness.
Those who walk in righteousness (Torah) will have their ransom paid and will be protected.  Those who do not walk in righteousness (Torah) will not have their ransom paid, and will suffer the plagues of tribulation.]

Num 1:45-46
So all who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war in Israel— ⁴⁶ all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

Bur for the Levites:
Num 1:47-53
But the Levites were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe; ⁴⁸ for the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying: ⁴⁹ “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel; ⁵⁰ but you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it; they shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall attend to it and camp around the tabernacle. ⁵¹ And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death. ⁵² The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, everyone by his own camp, everyone by his own standard, according to their armies; ⁵³ but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

East Side of the Tabernacle:
Tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.  These shall break camp first.

South Side of the Tabernacle:
Tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Gad.  They shall be the second to break camp.

¹⁷ “And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards.

West Side of the Tabernacle:
Tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin.  They shall be the third to break camp.

North Side of the Tabernacle:
Tribes of Dan, Asher, Naphtali.  They shall break camp last.

Numbers 3
The Sons of Aaron
Num3:1-4
Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. ² And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ³ These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests. ⁴ Nadab and Abihu had died before the Lord when they offered profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.

The Levites shall be given to the Aaron to serve.
Num 3:7
And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.

The Levites belong to Yehova:
Num 3:11-13
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ¹² “Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine, ¹³ because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.”

Census of the Levites, all one month old and older:

The families of the Gershonites (numbering 7500) were to camp behind the tabernacle westward.

The families of the children of Kohath (numbering 8600) were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.

The families of the children of Merari (numbering 6200) were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

Num 3:38-39
38 Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death. 39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.

Num 3:40-41
Then the Lord said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names. 41 And you shall take the Levites for Me—I am the Lord—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.”

Num 3:46-47
And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs. 48 And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”

Num 4:1-20
Census and duties of the Sons of Kohath

Hosea 2
Say to your brethren, ‘My people,’^[a]
And to your sisters, ‘Mercy^[b] is shown.’

God’s Unfaithful People

² “Bring charges against your mother, bring charges;
For she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband!
Let her put away her harlotries from her sight,
And her adulteries from between her breasts;
³ Lest I strip her naked
And expose her, as in the day she was born,
And make her like a wilderness,
And set her like a dry land,
And slay her with thirst.

⁴ “I will not have mercy on her children,
For they are the children of harlotry.
⁵ For their mother has played the harlot;
She who conceived them has behaved shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
Who give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my linen,
My oil and my drink.’

⁶ “Therefore, behold,
I will hedge up your way with thorns,
And wall her in,
So that she cannot find her paths.
⁷ She will chase her lovers,
But not overtake them;
Yes, she will seek them, but not find them.
Then she will say,
‘I will go and return to my first husband,
For then it was better for me than now.’
⁸ For she did not know
That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil,
And multiplied her silver and gold—
Which they prepared for Baal.

⁹ “Therefore I will return and take away
My grain in its time
And My new wine in its season,
And will take back My wool and My linen,
Given to cover her nakedness.
¹⁰ Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers,
And no one shall deliver her from My hand.
¹¹ I will also cause all her mirth to cease,
Her feast days,
Her New Moons,
Her Sabbaths—
All her appointed feasts.

¹² “And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees,
Of which she has said,
‘These are my wages that my lovers have given me.’
So I will make them a forest,
And the beasts of the field shall eat them.
¹³ I will punish her
For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense.
She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry,
And went after her lovers;
But Me she forgot,” says the Lord.

God’s Mercy on His People

¹⁴ “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak comfort to her.
¹⁵ I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

¹⁶ “And it shall be, in that day,”
Says the Lord,
“That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’^[c]
And no longer call Me ‘My Master,’^[d]
17 For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals,
And they shall be remembered by their name no more.
¹⁸ In that day I will make a covenant for them
With the beasts of the field,
With the birds of the air,
And with the creeping things of the ground.
Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth,
To make them lie down safely.

¹⁹ “I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
²⁰ I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the Lord.

²¹ “It shall come to pass in that day
That I will answer,” says the Lord;
“I will answer the heavens,
And they shall answer the earth.
²² The earth shall answer
With grain,
With new wine,
And with oil;
They shall answer Jezreel.^[e]
23 Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth,
And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy;^[f]
Then I will say to those who were not My people,^[g]
‘You are My people!’
And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’”

Luke 16:1 to Luke 17:10
The Parable of the Unjust Steward

16 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. ² So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

³ “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’

⁵ “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶ And he said, ‘A hundred measures^[a] of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures^[b] of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ ⁸ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

⁹ “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail,^[c] they may receive you into an everlasting home. ¹⁰ He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. ¹¹ Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

¹³ “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

The Law, the Prophets, and the Kingdom

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. ¹⁵ And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

¹⁶ “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.¹⁷ And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.

¹⁸ “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰ But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹ desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell^[d] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

²⁷ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

Jesus Warns of Offenses

17 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! ² It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.³ Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,^[a] rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you,^[b] saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

Faith and Duty

⁵ And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

⁶ So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. ⁷ And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? ⁸ But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? ⁹ Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.^[c] 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

 

According to scripture, if we are in covenant with Yehova, our body is no longer our own, but a Temple for the Ruach.
We are told to not defile our temples.
Defilement of our temple can be in the form of sexual immorality, eating unclean foods, gluttony (even with clean foods), addiction/abuse of harmful substances (smoking, alcohol, etc).
As we run the race of sanctification, let’s take stock of our lives and figure out if we are defiling our temples.
Pray on these things…

Revelation 22:14-15
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

These are the words of our Messiah, our Savior, Yeshua.
While all scripture is true and important, I try to pay particular attention to the things Yeshua said.  Direct quotes of our Messiah are vital, and especially when He is giving a warning.

Do we understand these warnings?
Do we slow down and evaluate them?
The consequences are typically horrific.
With much at stake, do we pass by these warnings, assuming they apply to someone else, but not us?

If we make this mistake, it will be a disaster of epic proportions.
And there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Yes, here I am again, writing about warnings.
Will I ever stop?
Not as long as the Ruach leads me to write. People need to know these things…
Nobody likes warnings.  People seem to like the warm, inviting, loving scriptures (and rightfully so — they are awesome!!).

But let’s dig into this one.
I get the fact that sorcerers and the immoral will not have the right to the tree of life, and will not be welcome into the city of New Jerusalem (heaven on earth – see Rev 21).
But what is this ambiguous statement about those who love and practice a lie??
What in the world? I used to be confused by this, and I’d just skip it.

We are warned throughout scripture of false teaching.
Deuteronomy 13 and 18 give us the criteria to test for a false prophet. And the warnings continue…
Ezekiel and Jeremiah warn us.
2Peter 3:15-16 is a HUGE warning.
“…as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;”

2Timothy 4:2-5 tells us where we end up:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. ⁵ But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

If we are to believe scripture (and I do), the warning that Timothy gives is real.  We should be able to see this problem all around us, and we do.
If scripture is to be believed, the warning Peter gave is true and valid. It shows us that Paul’s writings (as well as the scriptures – Torah and Tanakh at that time) were already being twisted into false doctrine.
Men who were alive with Yeshua observed the twisting of scripture almost immediately.  How sad is that?

So, what is it to believe and practice a lie?
If we fall prey to the false teaching that is rampant in the world, then this warning applies to us.  We have the truth available to us.  We have scriptures available to us.  We carry the truth in and out of church, week after week, year after year, decade after decade, all while believing the lies of false teaching.

Yehova promises His understanding of scripture to us, if we just ask for it in faith.

James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Falling prey to false teaching will not be a valid excuse on the day of judgement.
We will not be able to defend ourselves with “Well, my pastor said…”

Why not? Because we have the truth in our very hands.  And we have the promise of Yehova that we’ll be able to understand it.

1John 2:24-27
²⁴ Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵ And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. ²⁷ But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

In Matthew 7 Yeshua (Jesus) tells people “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

How is it possible that billions of Christians can read this horrific warning and dismiss it without even thinking about it???
How can billions of Christians think, “Wow, that sucks for someone else, but not me…”?

Really??? Something as significant as the Messiah rejecting you, and saying He never knew you?
Why would He not know you? Because you are a worker of lawlessness.

Here is the full passage:
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

But the law was done away with. We are no longer under the law.

SAYS WHO???
Not Yeshua (Jesus), our Messiah.
He says those who do not keep the law are not welcome in His kingdom.

BUT MY PASTOR, and many generations of pastors, have said so, that the law is done away with.

WHO WILL YOU BELIEVE????
Your Messiah, or your pastor?

Who has the authority to make these decisions?
Matthew 28:18
And Yeshua (Jesus) came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

Did you catch that? ALL authority. Not some of it… ALL OF IT.
If Yeshua has ALL authority, how much is left over for your pastor to have?

That’s right. NONE.
Your pastor has NO authority.
Pastors proclaim they have authority, based upon a paper hanging on the wall in their office.
A paper they paid many thousands of dollars for.
But does it give them any authority?
Not according to Messiah.

And yet, with absolutely no authority, pastors and priests and ministers and popes and bishops and deacons (and whatever else you want to call them) go out into the world, with NO AUTHORITY, and proclaim that the law is done away with.

Your Messiah, your Savior, the Son of the Living God, says that is a big load of dung (I’m paraphrasing, of course).
Direct quotes of your Messiah say otherwise, and He has ALL OF THE AUTHORITY.

Here is one of HIS quotes:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

AND ANOTHER:
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”

AND ANOTHER:
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”

AND ANOTHER (from the beginning of this study):
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”

I could go on and on…
And I have not even started quoting the Father yet.

Who will you believe?
Your Messiah, or your pastor?

Your pastor is selling death.
Your pastor is selling ‘gnashing of teeth’
Your pastor is claiming to have authority to defy what Messiah says over and over again.

Do you believe the lies of your pastor, whether intentional or accidental?
Does Messiah say anything about believing a lie?

AGAIN, A DIRECT QUOTE OF MESSIAH:
Revelation 22:15 describing those who are not welcome in the Kingdom:
But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Did you catch that last part?
ANYONE WHO LOVES AND PRACTICES A LIE

Are you loving and practicing a lie?
Are you in violation of the warning Peter gave us?
It is important to answer these questions using scripture.
My prayers go out to all who need wisdom and understanding (myself included!!).

 

Rev 3:15-16
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. Oh, that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶ So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spew you out of My mouth.

It is a very difficult thing to confront our brothers and sisters who are living a lukewarm Torah life. So very difficult…

Is it possible for those who are ‘Torah Observant’ to need correction?  Yes, it is. Not just for our brothers and sisters, but for ourselves as well. Not only should we be willing to correct others, but we should welcome correction also.
None of this is about legalism or criticism, but a simple love for the truth.

Here are a few reasons in scripture why this is important:

Hebrews 10:26-31
For if we keep on sinning willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but only a terrifying expectation of judgment and a fury of fire about to devour the enemies of God. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the Torah of Moses dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severe do you think the punishment will be for the one who has trampled Ben-Elohim underfoot, and has regarded as unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the One who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “Adonai will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

1John 2:3-6
³ Now we know that we have come to know Him by this—if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God is truly made perfect. We know that we are in Him by this— ⁶ whoever claims to abide in Him must walk just as He walked.

John 3:36
He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Luke 13:24-30
Then Yeshua said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ Once the Master of the household gets up and shuts the door, and you’re standing outside and begin knocking on the door, saying, ‘Master, open up for us,’ then He will say to you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will start to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your company, and You taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Get away from Me, all of you evildoers!’” ²⁸ “There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ And they will come from the east and west and from the north and south, and they will recline at table in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And indeed, some are last who shall be first, and some are first who shall be last.”

Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

Revelation 22:14-15
¹⁴ How fortunate are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 

John 14:24
He who does not love Me does not keep My words. And the word you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. 

Matthew 7:13-14
“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.”

Deuteronomy 11:26-28
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— ²⁷ the blessing, if you listen to the mitzvot of Adonai your God that I am commanding you today, ²⁸ but the curse, if you do not listen to the mitzvot of Adonai your God, but turn from the way I am commanding you today, to go after other gods you have not known.

I could go on and on, but that is enough.
We are given many warnings in scripture that obedience out of love for Yeshua is extremely important.
These warnings are not my thoughts and ideas, but are the inspired word of Yehova. These warnings are truth.  A harsh truth, maybe, but truth none-the-less.

What if people we care about have a lukewarm attitude towards the Word?
What if people we care about don’t care to do the things of Torah?
What are we to do?  Is it loving to allow them to continue in rebellion to the Word?

Jude 1:22 tells us to have mercy for our faltering brothers and sisters:
“And have mercy on those who are wavering—“

So we are to forgive, and tolerate their lukewarm behavior.
We are to smile and give them hugs and allow them to rebel against the Word.
Ummm, wait, I only showed you verse 22. Verse 23 is critical to this idea.  Here is the whole thing:

“And have mercy on those who are wavering— ²³ save them by snatching them out of the fire”

Wow, that gives it a different context altogether.
How do we snatch them out of the fire?

Matthew 18:15-17
“Now if your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault while you’re with him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand.’ ¹⁷ But if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to Messiah’s community. And if he refuses to listen even to Messiah’s community, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.

1 Timothy 5:20
Correct those who continue sinning in the presence of everyone, so that the rest also may fear.

Galatians 6:1
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught doing something wrong, you who are directed by the Ruach, restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness—looking closely at yourself so you are not tempted also. 

James 5:19-20
My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that the one who turns a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Luke 17:3
“Keep yourselves alert! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15
¹⁴ If anyone does not obey our message in this letter, take special note of him and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. ¹⁵ Yet do not consider him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Again, I could keep quoting scripture, but that is enough.
We are to correct our brothers and sisters, so that we might help them onto the narrow path that leads to life. And we are to accept correction for the same reason.

Love is not tolerating rebellion to the word, allowing our friends to remain contrary to Torah. Tolerance and acceptance of their behavior are the easiest things, but we are not called to do easy things.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:11-15
¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up—just as you in fact are doing.
¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who work hard among you and are over you in the Lord and correct you, ¹³ and to esteem them beyond all measure in love because of their work. Keep shalom among yourselves.
¹⁴ We urge you, brothers and sisters, correct the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ See that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

My friend Matthew pointed out that we are to build each other up.  Sometimes, the process of building requires the use of a hammer. Building something is not always quiet and easy.
Sometimes it is noisy and requires some pounding…

It is not my intent to “hammer” anyone, as I do not want to be a clanging cymbal, without love.
But it is my intent to snatch my brothers and sisters from the fire, thus showing mercy, just as we are instructed to do by Jude.
This is not legalism or criticism.
This is simply reading the Word and believing it.
If I believe these warnings, then my love for others requires me to share them.
Not to condemn, but to help.
Even if people don’t welcome these warnings.

If you see me being lukewarm, please bring it to my attention immediately.
If you see your brothers and sisters being lukewarm, confront them in love and mercy (scriptural definitions, not man’s definition).
If you are lukewarm in your behavior, please take the warnings in scripture seriously, and do not rebel against your brother who is trying to help you.

This is not so much an article/teaching, with a central idea or theme like most of my blog posts. This is simply my notes and some scripture as I read through the Torah portion…

Leviticus 25:1-27:34
Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
Luke 13:1-33/John 10:22-42/Luke 14:1-15:32

Let’s discuss a few key points from this portion…

The land (and all things) belong to Yehova, and do not belong to us.
Even the promise land “given” to Israel was not really given to them.
The land was provided to them by Yehova.

Leviticus 25:23
“Moreover, the land is not to be sold permanently, because the land is Mine. For you are sojourners with Me.”
Psalm 24:1
The earth is Adonai’s and all that fills it—^[a]
the world, and those dwelling on it.
Deuteronomy 10:14
Behold, to Adonai your God belong the heavens and the highest of heavens, the earth and all that is in it. 

This gives us a better understanding of the story of the rich young ruler.
Matthew 16:21-24
Yeshua said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you own, and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” ²² But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving, for he had much property. ²³ Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “Amen, I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

If the earth and all that is in it belongs to Yehova, then we should not have any trouble letting go of what we have to help others.
Gaining and hoarding wealth should not be our goal in life.
The world teaches that he who dies with the most toys will win.
Torah teaches us that being “not of this world” involves helping others.

In the Jubilee year, all debts are forgiven, and the possession of property reverts to the original owners, as it was awarded to the tribes/families from Yehova.
If one falls on hard times, and sells his property, the ownership reverts back to the original family during the Jubilee year.
It is an economical reset.
It sets an even playing field once every 50 years.
It prevents the gross accumulation of wealth and property.

If we understand that we truly “own” nothing, and that we are not to hoard and accumulate for ourselves, we get a better understanding of this:

Matthew 6:31-33
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² For the pagans eagerly pursue all these things; yet your Father in heaven knows that you need all these. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Even our basic necessities are to be provided to us, through faith in Yehova.
Do you trust Him?
Do you trust His word?

However, we need to keep this in mind…
The promise of secure living comes with a caveat:

Leviticus 25:18
“Therefore you are to keep My statutes and observe My ordinances, and carry them out, so that you may live securely in the land.

Secure living, without worry, depends upon us keeping His statutes and observing His ordinances.
Just submit. Agree that His will is greater than our own.

Is it His will for us to go on mission trips to China?
Is it His will for us to go to Mexico on Spring break and build a home for someone?
Is it His will for us to start a ministry, file for 501C3 tax status, and purchase commercial property, and asking the congregation to pay for all of it?

How do we define His will?
Psalm 40:8
I delight to do Your will, O my God. Yes, Your Torah is within my being.

His will for our lives is simply to know and do Torah.
There is nothing wrong with mission trips, provided you teach truth.
There is nothing wrong with beginning a ministry, provided you teach truth.
But in the simplest form, His will is for us to listen to Him, recognize His voice, and submit to what He would have us do.
Matthew 11:30
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

1John 2:3-6
Now we know that we have come to know Him by this—if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God is truly made perfect. We know that we are in Him by this— ⁶ whoever claims to abide in Him must walk just as He walked.

Would an apostle, a man who learned directly from Yeshua, tell us to walk just as He walked if it were too hard for us?

Back to the Torah portion…
Leviticus 26:3-14  [Faithfulness Ensures Blessings]
(Read aloud)
Leviticus 26:14-39 [Faithlessness Ensures Misery]
(Read aloud)

Deuteronomy 11:26-28
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— ²⁷ the blessing, if you listen to the mitzvot of Adonai your God that I am commanding you today, ²⁸ but the curse, if you do not listen to the mitzvot of Adonai your God, but turn from the way I am commanding you today, to go after other gods you have not known.

Which do you choose?
Blessing or Curse?

Deuteronomy 30:19-20
“I call the heavens and the earth to witness about you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live, ²⁰ by loving Adonai your God, listening to His voice, and clinging to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell on the land that Adonai swore to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob—to give them.

Which do you choose?
Life or Death?

Luke 13:24-30
Then Yeshua said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ Once the Master of the household gets up and shuts the door, and you’re standing outside and begin knocking on the door, saying, ‘Master, open up for us,’ then He will say to you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will start to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your company, and You taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Get away from Me, all of you evildoers!’”

²⁸ “There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ And they will come from the east and west and from the north and south, and they will recline at table in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ And indeed, some are last who shall be first, and some are first who shall be last.”

Let’s take a closer look regarding entering the narrow door:
“Make every effort” (some translations say to strive to enter)

The word is G75 in the Strong’s concordance.
agōnizomai

The definition given by Strong’s is:
to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), figuratively (to contend with an adversary), or genitive case (to endeavor to accomplish something):—fight, labor fervently, strive.
Entering through the narrow door is not something we just wander through by accident.
It requires determination and great effort.
We must “strive” to enter.

We do so how again?
We submit ourselves to Yehova’s will.  We do that by keeping His statutes, ordinances, and commands.

It takes a while to sort out scriptural truth from the doctrine and traditions we’ve been taught our entire lives… Even when we learn truth in scripture, the life-long ideas and concepts of church culture are hard to change. Reading scripture and having an academic understanding needs to then translate into a change of how we think and behave.  That transition is difficult…

I’ve been doing a great deal of study regarding the idea of being unequally yoked.  Not just in relationships, as most people tend to think of this term, but also with regard to fellowship. I’ve also been studying the idea of disobedience to the Word, and the consequences of disobedience.

Our general mainstream doctrine has taught us that we are to be seeker-friendly.  I don’t know who coined this phrase, but we don’t find it anywhere in scripture. In Acts, we see there is a minimum commitment required to be “in the fellowship,” with an expectation that Torah will be learned and implemented on a weekly basis.
We are taught the idea that ALL are called and MANY are chosen (and some, like Rob Bell of the emergent church movement, will say ALL are called AND all are chosen), but what does scripture say?

Matthew 22:14
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 7:13-14­
“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.”

OK, we’ve already reached an Ugly Truth.
Am I saying that NOT everyone is called? Am I saying that NOT everyone can be part of the Kingdom of Heaven?
No, I’m not saying it.
Scripture says it.
Is it easy or is it difficult to be in the Kingdom?
Yeshua (Jesus) Himself tells us the path leading to life is difficult.

Am I sure about this?
That seems awful…

Matthew 15:21-26
²¹ Now Yeshua left from there and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a Canaanite woman from that district came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, O Master, Ben-David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.” ²³ But He did not answer her a word. And when His disciples came, they were urging Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” ²⁴ But He responded, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ So she came and got down on her knees before Him, saying, “Master, help me!” ²⁶ And answering, He said, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

We see in this story that Yeshua, our Messiah, has no interest in this woman.
She is a Canaanite.
He would not answer her.
He would not even acknowledge that she existed.
The apostles asked Yeshua to send her away, as she was annoying.
Does that sound seeker-friendly to you?
Yeshua said He came ONLY for the lost sheep of the House of Israel, which apparently, did not include her.
Not my idea or my words, but this is what we actually see in scripture, the very words of our Messiah and the apostles.

How is it possible that the Son of Yehova, our Messiah, our Savior, could ignore this woman?
Well, let’s check scripture…

Genesis 24:1-3 (Abraham speaking to his servant, regarding Isaac)
Now Abraham was old, advanced in years, and Adonai blessed Abraham in everything. ² Then Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who managed everything that belonged to him, “Now put your hand under my thigh, ³ so that I may make you take an oath by Adonai, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling.

Genesis 28:1 (Isaac speaking to Jacob)
So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, commanded him and said to him, “Don’t take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

Why is this precedent set? Why is this so important?

We get the answer in Deuteronomy 7:1-6
“When Adonai your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out many nations before you—the Hittite and the Girgashite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you—² and Adonai your God gives them over to you and you strike them down, then you are to utterly destroy them. You are to make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. ³ You are not to intermarry with them—you are not to give your daughter to his son, or take his daughter for your son. ⁴ For he will turn your son away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of Adonai will be kindled against you, and He will swiftly destroy you. ⁵ Instead, you are to deal with them like this: tear down their altars, smash their pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their carved images with fire. ⁶ For you are a holy people to Adonai your God—from all the peoples on the face of the earth, Adonai your God has chosen you to be His treasured people.

Whoa, an angry, hateful, genocidal God of the Old Testament on display???
No.
If you look at the details, we find these people worshiped false and evil gods. Not only was Israel instructed to destroy these un-holy people, they were told to destroy their pagan alters, pillars, Asherah poles, and their carved (graven) images.
These people were identified as being evil, and not part of the Kingdom. These other people groups were known to sacrifice their own children to their gods, as we see in Deuteronomy 12.

Deuteronomy 12:2-3
You must utterly destroy all the places where the nations that you will dispossess served their gods—on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. ³ You are to tear down their altars, smash their pillars, burn their Asherah poles in the fire and cut down the carved images of their gods, and you are to obliterate their name from that place.
Deuteronomy 12:30-31
Do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.’ ³¹ You are not to act like this toward Adonai your God! For every abomination of Adonai, which He hates, they have done to their gods—they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

Yehova instructed Israel to destroy these people groups so that they themselves would not be corrupted. Israel was instructed to not intermingle with these people, as it would result in their corruption.
As we know from reading scripture, Israel did not obey this command, the Canaanites (and other people groups) lived on, and they intermingled with Israel, resulting in Israel’s destruction, and the scattering of the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Some people are not welcomed by Yehova?  How could this be?  Isn’t ALL of Creation good and holy?
We can go further back in Genesis, nearly to the beginning, to get another hint…
Genesis 3:15
I will put animosity between you and the woman—between your seed and her Seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.

I don’t know all the fine details of this concept, but it seems there are people groups on the earth that are her Seed, and people groups that are his seed. I’ve heard a number of theories about this, but I don’t buy into all of them…  Some people believe this refers to physical genetics, others believe it refers to a person’s spiritual nature only.
It doesn’t matter, though.
The important idea to come away with is the fact that there are those who are called, and those who are not called, just as Matthew 22:14 alluded to (“For many are called, but few are chosen.”).  

There are people of her Seed (Creation of YHVH), and people of his seed (not the Creation of YHVH).  If that sounds very strange to you, do some research regarding the Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6:4, Numbers 13, and various other places in scripture (I’m sure you’ve heard of Goliath, right?). The Nephilim lead me to believe the issue is at least partially physical genetics…

I got side tracked with that idea, but let’s get back to the ideas of being unequally yoked and disobedience to the word.
We are given many, many warnings in scripture about disobedience, and what the consequences are of disobedience.

For whatever reason, I tend to write about these warnings more than anything else. Spiritual calling, or personal interest??  Either way, it is what I do, and not everyone likes it.  In fact, some hate it.

Everyone loves the pleasant scriptures, promising blessing and hope and love, and rightfully so. They are wonderful, uplifting promises given to those who are in covenant with Yehova, and who have the testimony of Yeshua.

But — there are many serious and harsh warnings in scripture, and many of these warnings carry severe consequences if we fail to heed those warnings.
I research and write about these things, not out of hatred for others, but out of love for others.
I don’t do it to be discouraging.
I don’t do it to condemn others.
I don’t do it to be legalistic.
I don’t do it to criticize others.

I do it to educate and to encourage, and to keep people I care about from suffering the consequences of these warnings. I don’t do it due to a lack of compassion for others. I do it because of compassion for others.
I am willing to do the difficult things. I am willing to learn about these warnings and communicate them to others who are violating those warnings.
People don’t seem to like that.  In fact, they seem to hate it.
It is much easier to shut my mouth and smile and wave…
But that is not loving. We are to love our neighbor as ourself, and sometimes that includes saying hard things.

For one example, I know people in ‘Torah Observant’ fellowship who do not keep and honor the Sabbath.
Some have jobs that require them to work on the Sabbath. As in every Sabbath, for months and years, with no obvious intention to make any changes.
Others observe the Sabbath in general, but will sometimes go to college football games or the movies, travel on flights, or whatever…  Scripture does not tell us to honor and keep the Sabbath when convenient.  Scripture does not say to honor and keep the Sabbath, unless you have a job that requires you to work Saturdays.
Scripture tells us to fiercely guard the Sabbath.

In Exodus 31:13, we are told to keep the Sabbath.
“Speak now to Bnei-Yisrael saying, ‘Surely you must keep My Shabbatot, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so you may know that I am Adonai who sanctifies you.

The Hebrew word used for ‘keep’ is ‘shamar’.
Does shamar mean to casually observe something, when it is convenient to you? Does shamar mean to eventually observe something, when it fits in better with your life someday?

Here is what Blue Letter Bible gives us for a breakdown on the Hebrew word of shamar:
to keep, have charge of
to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
watch, watchman (participle)
to watch for, wait for
to watch, observe
to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)
to keep (within bounds), restrain
to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)
to keep, preserve, protect
to keep, reserve

Do you get a better feel for the word and the concept?
We are to keep, guard, protect, watch, treasure, preserve, and celebrate the Sabbath.
Does that give it more significant meaning?
Does that give us a better emphasis on the importance of keeping the Sabbath?

What else do we know from scripture regarding the Sabbath?
Exodus 31:14
14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.

Did you catch that?
“Shall surely be put to death”
“Shall be cut of from his people”

The consequences of not keeping and honoring the Sabbath are quite serious.
Death.
Cut off.
Want some of that?
Ummm, no thanks!!

Are there more details in scripture that reveal the importance of the Sabbath?
Again from Exodus 31:13
“…for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations”

The Sabbath is not a random, strange command given in ancient times that has no relevance to our culture today.
It is literally a sign between Yehova and His people.
Do you want to have this sign, or do you want to go without this sign?

What is the function of a sign?
It is to place a label on something.
Signs identify.
Signs provide vital information.

Yeshua says this in Matthew 7:23
“Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

Is it possible that Yeshua does not know these people because He cannot recognize their “sign”?  This verse identifies them as being lawless.
The command to keep and honor the Sabbath is given to us in Torah, in what is commonly referred to as ‘the law’.
Is this a scary thought?
If we do not keep and honor the Sabbath, and therefore do not display the sign of Yehova’s people, it may result in Yeshua not knowing us.
This is not a good thing.
This is, in fact, the ultimate of worst things.
What could be any worse, than to be rejected by Messiah?

Do you see how study of scripture indicates some very harsh consequences for disobedience? Do you see how communicating concerns about these warnings is actually loving, as opposed to showing a lack of compassion?
Communication of unpleasant things is born out of compassion and concern and love.
Even though it is difficult to engage people and tell them things they don’t want to hear, it is the loving thing to do.

The Sabbath is just one example of many.
When people study and learn Torah, and proclaim to be “Torah Observant,” but openly reject doing the things of Torah, the consequences will not be good.

Yehova says in Deuteronomy that He places before us life or death, blessing or curse.
It is our decision to choose which one we want. And the evidence of our choice is on display for all to see, through our actions. What we do and what we don’t do.
But it doesn’t matter if it is on display to me or to you…
What matters is how Yehova perceives our lack of obedience.
There are so very many warnings in scripture regarding this idea.

Please remember that if you read my writings and think I’m being negative, take a second to think about it.
Is it loving to share truth and to warn of possible consequences?
Or is it love to smile and keep our mouths shut?

If we care about people, we speak up.
We disciple, we teach, we remind them, we hold them accountable to the Word.
If a warning given out of love is rejected, so be it.
But we have to try.

Please do not consider my thoughts as criticism.
My thoughts, and the scripture I post to support my thoughts, are intended to help.
Maybe it is painful, but sometimes the truth hurts.
And sometimes the truth is ugly.

Let’s end this on a positive note, though…
Back to the Caananite woman that Yeshua would not speak to…
Do you know how that story ends?
She showed great faith before Yeshua.
And how did He respond?
He said, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
So what do we learn here?
We learn that the uncalled can have faith in Yeshua, and be accepted by Him. No further details are given about this woman, but we see that Yeshua delights in her faith, just as we see with the Roman centurion in Matthew 8.
As harsh as it sounds that there might be “UNCALLED” people in the world, it is awesome to see evidence in scripture that the uncalled can be included, if they have faith.

And this is what is expected of us:
Matthew 22:37
And He said to him, “‘You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

And how do we accomplish this?
Matthew 22:40
⁴⁰ The entire Torah and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

John 14:15
 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Please recognize that my evaluation and discussion of the warnings in scripture are meant to be helpful.
I am not criticizing and hating.
I am snatching loved ones out of the fire, just as Jude tells us to do:

Jude 1:22-23
And have mercy on those who are wavering— ²³ save them by snatching them out of the fire; but on others have mercy with fear—hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Should we accept or reject the input of others, when they are using scripture to look out for our well being?

From Proverbs 5
“How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned reproof!
¹³ I would not listen to my teacher’s voice
or incline my ear to my instructors.
¹⁴ I was almost in utter ruin amid
the community and congregation.”

Proverbs 6:23
For the law is a lamp, Torah a light,
and corrective discipline the way of life,

Proverbs 9:7-8
Whoever corrects a scoffer is asking for insult.
Whoever reproves a wicked man gets abuse.
⁸ Do not correct a scoffer or he will hate you.
Rebuke a wise man and he will love you.

Proverbs 10:13
Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,
but a rod is for the back of one lacking sense.

Proverbs 10:17
One who heeds discipline is on the path of life,
but whoever ignores correction goes astray.

Proverbs 10:21
The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of understanding.

Proverbs 15:10-12
Stern correction awaits one who forsakes the way.
One who hates reproof will die.
¹¹ Sheol and Abaddon are before Adonai—
how much more the hearts of people!
¹² A mocker dislikes one who corrects him;
he will not go to the wise.

Proverbs 15:31-33
One whose ear heeds
a life-giving reproof dwells among the wise.
³² Whoever avoids correction despises himself,
but whoever heeds reproof acquires understanding.
³³ The fear of Adonai is the discipline of wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 24:24-26
Whoever tells the guilty,
“You are innocent,” people curse him and nations revile him.
²⁵ But for those who convict the guilty there will be delight—
good blessing will come upon them.
²⁶ An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

Proverbs 27:5-6
Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
but excessive the kisses of an enemy.

 

 

1Samuel 15_23-24
For rebellion is like the sin of divination and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry. Since you have rejected Adonai’s word, He has also rejected you as king.”
²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned! For I have transgressed against the word of Adonai and your words—because I feared the people and listened to their voice.

This bit of scripture tells us that rebellion to the Word of Yehova is like the sin of witchcraft…
Being stubborn against the Word is iniquity and idolatry.

Can we agree that in scripture, the sins of witchcraft and idolatry are considered to be extremely bad?  If we are to believe what these verses are saying, rebellion to the word of Yehova is equally as bad.

And we get this in Hebrews 10:26-31
For if we keep on sinning willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but only a terrifying expectation of judgment and a fury of fire about to devour the enemies of God.  ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the Torah of Moses dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses.^{[h] 29} How much more severe do you think the punishment will be for the one who has trampled Ben-Elohim underfoot, and has regarded as unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the One who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “Adonai will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

If you have studied the word, but do not do the things you’ve learned in the word, what is the reason for your rebellion?

My goal with this post is not to criticize you, but to show you how serious this is.

1John 2:4
The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

James 1:22-23
²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror— ²⁴ for once he looks at himself and goes away, he immediately forgets what sort of person he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks intently into the perfect Torah, the Torah that gives freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts—he shall be blessed in what he does.

From James Chapter 2
V14 ~ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can such faith save him?
V17 ~ So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.
V18-20 ~  But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder! ²⁰ But do you want to know, you empty person, that faith without works is dead?
V22 ~ You see that faith worked together with his works, and by the works his faith was made complete.
V24 ~ You see that a man is proved righteous by works and not by faith alone.
V26 ~  For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

James 4:6-8
But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says,“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
⁷ Therefore submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded!

My goal is to encourage you in the Word!!
Do not just learn scripture, but do the things you learn.
It is how we show our love for Messiah (John 14:15 ~ “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”).

James 5:19-20
My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that the one who turns a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

This bit of scripture debunks the “Once Saved Always Saved” mentality, as does Hebrews 10 listed above.
Learn the Word and be doers of the Word.
Hyper-grace is death.