Continuing on with the things I’ve learned writing these articles.
Jesus is not the destination.

What did I just say?
“Grab yer torches and pitchforks.”
I’ve really stepped in it now…

But really, what do the scriptures say?
What is the point of religion?
What is our goal?

Yeshua Messiah [Jesus] said this:
John 14:6
⁶ Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Pretty much every Christian is familiar with this verse, as it is used much in our churches.
But do they understand what this verse is saying?
Our churches teach that Jesus is the be-all, end-all.
He is our Savior, and He is everything.
He is all we need in this life and the next.
Churches teach people to go to the cross and sit down.
Just stay there.  Months, years, decades, whole lifetimes.

But did you catch what Messiah ACTUALLY said?
“No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Jesus does not want us to stay where we meet Him.
Yes, He is vital.
His death and resurrection after living a sinless life is what is able to save us from the wages of sin.
What are the wages of sin?
Romans 6:23
²³ For the wages of sin is death…
And what is sin?
1John 3:4
⁴ Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
When we violate the law, the Torah, God’s instructions, we have committed sin. Our wages for that sin is death.
But Yeshua Messiah overcame death, and that is why He is able to forgive us and restore us.

So, yes, we must go to Jesus. We must go to Yeshua Messiah.
He is our Savior, and He is our only Savior.
But then what?
According to Him, we do not stay there.
We MUST go on to the Father.
We MUST go on to Yehova, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
“No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) says this:
Matthew 25:34
³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’
“blessed by My Father”
We MUST continue on to the Father.

Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) says this to those who think they serve Him:
Matthew 7:21
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.
Those who believe they serve Messiah will be told they are not to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Of those who call Him Lord, who will be allowed?
Those who do the will of the Father, Yehova, The Creator of all that there is, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Our Savior tells us we must go on to the Father.
We must know the Father.
We must do the will of the Father.

Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) says this:
John 5:24
²⁴ “Amen, amen I tell you, whoever hears My word and trusts the One who sent Me has eternal life.
We must trust in the One who sent Messiah.
We MUST trust in Yehova, Creator of all things and the King of the Universe.

Our Savior, Jesus, Yeshua Messiah has taught us how to pray:
Matthew 6:9-13
⁹ “Therefore, pray in this way:
‘Our Father in heaven,
    sanctified be Your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come,
    Your will be done
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’

Who is this prayer addressed to?
Jesus?
Nope.
It is addressed to the Father in heaven.
Do we pray that Jesus’ will be done?
Nope.
We pray that the Father’s will be done.
Where do we find the Father’s will?
In the law.
In the Torah.
In His commands, statutes, precepts, and instructions.

Psalm 119:137-144
¹³⁷ Righteous are You, Yehova,
and Your judgments are upright.
¹³⁸ You have commanded righteousness,
Your testimonies, and great faithfulness.
¹³⁹ My zeal has consumed me,
because my foes forgot Your words.
¹⁴⁰ Your word is thoroughly refined,
and Your servant loves it.
¹⁴¹ I am insignificant and despised,
yet I have not forgotten Your precepts.
¹⁴² Your justice is righteousness forever,
and Your Torah is truth.
¹⁴³ Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
yet Your commands [mitzvot] are my delight.
¹⁴⁴ Your testimonies are righteous forever
—make me understand, so I may live.

Our churches teach that Jesus is what we need (this is the beginning of truth, but not the whole truth).
Messiah is the starting point of our walk in salvation and sanctification.
He is not the destination, but the starting line.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob said His commands are forever, perpetual, for all generations, never-ending.
The prophets taught us to turn back to Yehova’s commands.
Messiah taught us to turn back to Yehova’s commands.
The Apostles teach us to turn back to Yehova’s commands.
Our churches teach us to abandon the commands.

Who will you believe?
God?
The Prophets?
Messiah?
The Apostles?
Or some guy who gives speeches at your church each week?

I have learned that what Yehova said is forever, truly is forever.

Deuteronomy 13:1
“Whatever I command you, you must take care to do—you are not to add to it or take away from it.”

Deuteronomy 4:2
You must not add to the word that I am commanding you or take away from it—in order to keep the mitzvot [commands] of Adonai your God that I am commanding you.

Deuteronomy 12:32
 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”

 Proverbs 30:5-6
⁵ Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
⁶ Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

Numbers 23:19
¹⁹ God is not a man who lies,
or a son of man who changes his mind!

Malachi 3:6
⁶ For I am Yehova, I change not…

Nothing in scripture changes.
God does not change.
But churches teach that everything changed.
Who will you believe?

In writing these articles over nearly two years, I have learned to start with Messiah, but to continue on to the Father and His ways, and that His ways are forever, perpetual, for all generations, and never-ending.