Galatians 5:22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about the fruit of the spirit.
As the ‘name’ implies, the fruit of the spirit is not of our own doing. We are of the flesh, but if we surrender our flesh to the spirit, that is when we get to see the fruit of the spirit in our lives.

The preceding verses in Galatians 5 tell us what we get from the flesh:
Galatians 5:19-21
¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

If you have read very many of my mini-teachings here at www.the2000yearfix.com, it is quite evident that I am teaching against what many millions of people believe.  I teach against many things that are taught in the mainstream church.
Why would I do such a thing?
Some will say that I am attacking the mainstream church.  Let’s take a look at the formal definition of ‘attack’ and evaluate if this is true.

Am I violent or hostile, engaging in a physical fight?  No I am not, and I sure hope to never be in such a position or situation.  #1 does not apply.

I think it is fair to say I criticize against, but I do not wish to argue, so #2 is at least partially true.

I have no intention of destroying anyone or anything, so #3 gets a no.

I am in no way militaristic, nor do I consider the people of the church my enemy, so #4 is a no as well.

Let’s go ahead and ask point blank why I share what I share…
I do not wish to fight, or to argue, or to destroy.
I am not engaging an enemy.
I share what I’ve learned in scripture with other people because I care about them. And, no, it does not matter if I’ve met you or not.
I do this out of love.
Could I just read my bible and keep my thoughts to myself?  Absolutely.  (and there are some who wish I would!!)
But the spirit does not allow me to remain silent.
I read, I pray, I learn.
And then I share, as I feel led to do.

My goal is to share what I share within the framework of this biblical definition:
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

If you see me deviating from these principles, please call me out on it. Immediately.
If not, please read these writings knowing that I believe them, and I share in the hopes of helping others.

…but why do I teach an idea that goes against mainstream doctrine?
Because Yehova (God) Himself said so…
Deuteronomy 30:1-5
“Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, ² and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, ³ that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. ⁴ If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you.

Wait…
What????

Yes, AFTER the captivity of Egypt, Yehova is again speaking of captivity, and an eventual return to all that He commanded in Torah.

Just after the Exodus, Yehova tells the nation of Israel they will be scattered due to their disobedience.
We see this later play out in scripture.
The ten northern tribes of the nation of Israel are scattered among all the nations because of their disobedience to Torah. They are divorced from the Covenant with Yehova.

It is prophesied here in Deuteronomy (by Yehova Himself) and in other places, that the scattered ten tribes will eventually return to Him, and return to Torah, and obey His voice, just as is stated in the verses above.

There are a great many people, from all around the world, from many different cultures, backgrounds, and even religions who are returning to Torah instruction.

It is not a fluke.
It is not a cult.
It is simply the truth of prophecy, straight from the very words of Yehova (God, our Creator).
Join us!!!  Don’t miss this fulfillment of prophecy.

Micah 4 is one of the places in scripture that refers to this gathering:
Micah 4:1-2
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the Lord’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And peoples shall flow to it.
² Many nations shall come and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.”
For out of Zion the law shall go forth,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

We are in those latter days.
“…the law shall go forth.”

It is happening.
It is fascinating.
And I’m humbled and grateful to be called.

My friend Lauren posted this earlier today, and it seems to go quite well with what I’m trying to say here:

I know I post a lot of things that most people disagree with, or find to be “weird.”
I’m not trying to be Jewish, even though it looks like that’s the case. I don’t want to be Jewish. I’m trying to do Bible things in Bible ways, because my relationship with my Father in heaven is FAR more important to me than what anyone, anywhere, thinks about me or my faith.
To many of you, I appear “legalistic”…
to you, I say don’t worry. Jesus is still my Savior and His blood is my salvation, not what I do. And one day, when I stand before Him, I’d much rather hear, “well DONE, my faithful servant” than “depart from me, I never knew you.” I know one thing is certain, I will never be accused of not being entirely sold out to the Father.
My hope is that one day, the Holy Spirit spurs you to dig into your faith deeper than you’ve ever been. And just maybe some of the stuff you see me post is the catalyst that opens your eyes. ❤

Are you ready for ROUND 3?
Let’s get to it!!

We are commonly taught that as Christians, we are no longer required to keep the law, the instructions given in Torah. We are in the New Covenant, and the law applied to the Old Covenant.  Jesus fulfilled the law, and now we don’t have to.  Besides, it was too hard for us, too difficult, and a curse to us.  That is why Jesus had to do it on our behalf.  Thank God for that, right?

As you know, I like to evaluate these ideas using scripture, as opposed to the things I was taught for three decades in the Mainstream Church.
DISCLAIMER:
By the way, this is not about bashing the church system. The church is comprised of many good men and women who do many good things in this world of ours. My evaluation of what scripture says vs. what gets taught is in no way meant to be disrespectful, and is not an attack on them.

Today, let’s take a look at several times Yeshua (Jesus, our Messiah) mentioned Moses in scripture.  We all know Moses, right?  He is the one who wrote down the Torah instruction, the law, as it was given to him by Yehova (God, Elohim, Adonai, the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac). We are taught that Jesus is the one who did away with the things Moses taught, by dying on the cross on our behalf.

So, knowing He did away with the law of Moses, it would make sense for Jesus to tell us exactly that when He refers to Moses.
Well, let’s find out what happens…

Here is what our Messiah said about the rich man and Lazarus:

Luke 16:19-31
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 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.’”

Cool story, bro! Right?
The important part is at the end, when the rich man wanted Lazarus to be sent to his brothers, that they might be warned.  He wanted his brothers to gain salvation, so they would not know this place of torment.
Abraham’s response is incredibly important.  Did Abraham say, “Your brothers just need to say the sinner’s prayer?”
No, he did not.
Did Abraham say the rich man’s brothers just need to believe in Jesus and they’ll be saved?
No, he did not.

He said this:
‘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.’

Are you saying that in the era of Jesus, we are being told by the Messiah Himself that Moses and the prophets taught everything we need to know to repent and be saved?
Yes, Jesus Himself just told us that!!  Let that roll around in your mind for just a bit.  Let in marinate a little…

Based on the very words of our Messiah in scripture, if we do not do as Moses and the Prophets taught, then not even one raised from the dead will persuade us to do the right things.

Did Yeshua (Jesus) mention Moses any other times in scripture, indicating that the things Moses taught are good and necessary? Yes, He did…

Let’s move on to Matthew 23:1-3
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, ² saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 

First of all, Matthew 23 is one of the harshest chapters in the whole bible. It consists of Jesus rebuking the Pharisees (the educated religious leaders of His time) for turning away from the word of Yehova (God) and burdening the people with their own traditions.

Yeshua (Jesus) begins by telling the people to “observe and do” what the Pharisees teach from Moses’ seat.  Through research, we learn that “teaching from the seat of Moses consisted of reading from the Torah scroll word for word.
Jesus is telling the people to observe and do the instructions that are given in Torah (the law).
Do you see the significance of this? 
We are taught that we are not to follow the law, but Jesus Himself is teaching that we are to observe and do what is in the law.

Yeshua (Jesus) then goes on to tell the people NOT to do what the Pharisees teach and do of their own accord, because they teach the traditions of man instead of the Word of Yehova.  Read the remainder of Matthew 23 to hear Jesus rebuking the Pharisees.  Warning – it is not pretty.  Your Messiah calls the powerful, well respected, educated religious leaders hypocrites, blind guides, fools, ‘dead men’s bones’, unclean, lawless, murderers, and a brood of vipers.
Hmmm, He doesn’t sugar coat anything does He?
How do you think He will treat the powerful, well respected, educated religious leaders of our day if they are teaching the traditions of men, instead of the Word of God?

In summary, Yeshua (Jesus) teaches in Matthew 23:1-3 that we are to observe and do the things that Moses recorded in the Torah. Yes, the law.

Still not convinced?  Let’s look at another time Yeshua refers to Moses during His own ministry.

John 5:45-47
Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Wow, this direct quote of our Messiah is loaded, and not in a good way. He actually makes two important points in just a few words.

First Point:
Yeshua (Jesus) tells us that He will not accuse us of our wrong doing. Instead, Moses is the one who defines the accusations against us.  The Torah (the law) defines sin, and therefore, the writings of Moses are what will accuse us before the Father.
Did I just make that up?
Nope.

Check out the definition of sin, per Apostle John:
1John 3:4  Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 

Second Point:
Yeshua (Jesus) is telling us that He stands for and teaches the same things that Moses wrote down and taught.
Really?
Yes.  We see it through the direct quotes of Jesus. He always teaches that the law is to be observed and kept, all throughout scripture.

In this passage, Jesus says if we know the words of Moses, we will know and recognize Him.  And Jesus says if we don’t believe the writings of Moses, then how will we ever believe His words (because they teach the same thing).

Wow, straight from the mouth of our Messiah.  Are you taking notes?

I have just illustrated three times when Jesus validates and upholds the words of Moses in scripture.
But wait, this is all in error, right?
It doesn’t matter that Jesus said these things.
Why? Because at this point, He had not been crucified yet. He had not risen yet.  These words and these stories are before the New Covenant took effect.
Ahhhhh… all is right with the world.
Even though Messiah said these things, it all went away after his death, burial, and resurrection.

Not so fast…
Let’s look at what scripture tells us about the New Covenant.
Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 

Wait, the New Covenant does away with the law.  What is this “put My laws in their mind and in their hearts” stuff???
In the Old Covenant, the law was written in scrolls and on tablets and placed with the Ark of the Covenant.  Now the law is even closer to us, not further away or done away with!!
Really?????
Well, what does it say?
The law is not done away with… It is placed in our minds and in our hearts.

Another important item to note in this whole passage is this:
There was not fault with the Old Covenant.
Yehova gave His Word, and made a covenant with Moses and the people. He stated that it was forever, for all generations, never ending, perpetual.
But it ended.
Was it because the law was too hard for us?
Was it because the covenant was too hard and faulty?
No, check out Hebrews 8:7-9
⁷ For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. ⁸ Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— ⁹ not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.

We are told that the people were at fault, not that the covenant was at fault.
Because the people failed the covenant.
Because the people did not continue in His covenant…

The New Covenant shows His love for us, that He is willing to die on the cross to re-establish covenant with us, after we failed Him.
Study the idea that Yehova (God) divorced the people in the first covenant.
Study in the Torah what has to happen for someone to re-enter into covenant following divorce.  If you guess it requires a death, you would be right.

We are only on Installment #3 of this series of things our Savior actually said, and so far, everything points to keeping Torah.
Are you listening to your Messiah?
Are you comparing what He says to the things you’ve been taught?
Are you comparing what He says to the things you believe?
Are you comparing what He says to the things you practice?
Is your veil being lifted? Are you understanding?

Have you ever prayed heartfelt, desperate prayers, only to see them not be answered?
Were you disappointed?
How did you reconcile that in your mind?
Did you just assume it wasn’t God’s will, whatever it was you were asking?

My Facebook friend Lauren Duarte wrote a quick mini-teaching on this very topic.  She has given me permission to post it here:

If you want to ensure that your prayers over your family and friends are ANSWERED for healing, safety, etc… the very first thing you should do is make sure you yourself are doing what you need to be doing so that the Father can hear your prayers.

In my former walk as what I would consider a “mature Christian” (I no longer believe this to be the case looking back), I always wondered why He never answered my prayers when I asked for healing for others or for anything I ever petitioned Him for… it’s because I wasn’t being heard. And IF He DID hear me, I wasn’t living in such a manner that He would have desired to answer me, because I did everything in opposition to His will.

Check out these verses from scripture and see if your walk lines up with them. If they don’t, you know pretty definitively why He doesn’t answer your prayers:

Proverbs 28:9
“He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.” 

Psalm 66:18
“If I had cherished sin [disobedience to the law] in my heart, the Lord would not have listened…”

Proverbs 1:28-29
“Then they will call on me and I shall not answer them, and they will come early to my presence and they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and they did not choose the worship of the LORD.”

John 9:31
“We know that God does not listen to sinners [those who disobey the law]. He listens to the godly person who does his will” [obeys his law].

Let’s define sin for that verse above (using scripture, of course):
“Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law; sin is the breaking of law. ” 1 John 3:4

John 14:21
“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” 

1 John 5:3
“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,” 

Now, what happens if we DO obey his commands?

James 5:16
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. ” 

Proverbs 15:29
“The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” 

And once He can hear us, He tells us that He WILL answer us:

John 14:13-14
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” 

John 15:7
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” 

Matthew 18:19
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.” 

1 John 5:14
“And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” 

And now that I do these things, I SEE the results. I SEE people being healed. I SEE my requests being answered. I SEE the fruit of my walk being laid down right in front of my eyes.
And it is SUCH A BLESSING.

 

Here goes installment #2 of What Jesus Ever Said

We’ve seen the funny memes of “Things Jesus Never Said”.
But what about the things He really did say?
I’m thinking that is more important, right?
I’ll be posting things our Messiah, Yeshua, really did say.
Please compare them to what you have been taught.
What will you do if they don’t match?

Let’s take a look at John 14:15 and John 14:21 today. Both are direct quotes of your Messiah:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
and
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”

We all know what He means here.
Obviously, He is speaking about the two greatest commands, right?
Well, not so fast.
We are given the two greatest commands (another direct quote of Yeshua) in Matthew 22:37-39
³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

There you have it.  Two new generic commands to follow in the Era of Jesus.  Each one of us gets to decide how to love God and how to love our neighbor in our own way, since He didn’t give us any detailed instructions.
Simple and easy, just the way we like it.
Well, like I said, not so fast…

Let’s look at these verses in context.
Here is the whole conversation, including verses 34-40

³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

OK, let’s slow down and take a good look at what is going on here.
1.  Verse 36 tells us that a Pharisee lawyer was specifically asking Yeshua (Jesus) a question about the law, about the Torah.
This alone tells us that Yeshua was not creating generic New Testament doctrine.  He is simply referring to the words of the Father in the Torah instructions, commonly referred to as ‘the law”.
2.  In case we get confused about this concept, Yeshua (Jesus) clarifies for us exactly what He is saying in verse 40.
He indicates He is simply paraphrasing the Law and the Prophets.
What is the Law?  It is God’s instructions to those who choose to follow Him.  Yehova (God) said His instructions are perpetual, everlasting, never ending, and for all generations.
What did the Prophets teach us?  Every single prophet taught the wayward people to turn back to Torah and follow the instructions of the Father.

If that is the case, we should be able to find the Two Greatest Commandments in the Torah (the Law) and the Prophets, right?
Check this out:

Deuteronomy 6:5
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 11:1
“Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.

Deuteronomy 13:1-4
“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

OK, what about the Second?
Check out Leviticus 19:18
“…but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
and
Zechariah 8:17
Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the Lord.”

Ahhh, so am I saying the Two Greatest Commandments are not new doctrine, but are simply what we are taught in The Law and The Prophets?
No, I am not saying that.  
Your Creator and your Messiah are saying that.
Will you listen to Them?
Will you believe Them?
Will you follow Them?
Will you love Them?

And just in case you don’t think this applies after the Death, Burial, and Resurrection, your Messiah said this in Revelation, referring to future times:

Rev 22:14
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.

And your Messiah describes His saints in Revelation 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

And your Messiah said this in Matthew 24, regarding future end times:
Matthew 24:20
And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
Why would He mention the Sabbath for future end times, if He didn’t expect people to be keeping the Sabbath, just as we are told in the 4th of the 10 Commandments?

And your Savior said this in the Great Commission:
Matthew 28:18-20
¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Be sure to not forget about verse 20.
Messiah expects us to teach everyone to observe all that He commanded…
And this is obviously referring to post resurrection future times.

Do you hear your Savior speaking?
Can you hear what He is saying?
Does it match what you have been taught?
Does it match what you believe?
Does it match what you practice?

By the way, some people teach and believe that the Torah instructions, The Law, is only for Jewish people.
Let’s debunk that idea.

Exodus 12:49
“One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”

and Leviticus 24:22
“You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am the Lord your God.”

and Numbers 15:15-16
One ordinance shall be for you of the assembly and for the stranger who dwells with you, an ordinance forever throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord. ¹⁶ One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger who dwells with you.

Check out Galatians 3:29
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

And check out Romans 11 about being grafted into the nation of Israel if you are a believer in Messiah:

I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, ³ “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? ⁴ But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ⁶ And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.^[c] But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
⁷ What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. ⁸ Just as it is written:
“God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.”
⁹ And David says:
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
¹⁰ Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.”
¹¹ I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. ¹² Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
¹³ For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, ¹⁴ if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
¹⁶ For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷ And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. ²² Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness,[f] if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. ²³ And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
²⁵ For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

Links to other articles in this series:

#1 Things Jesus Ever Said
#2 Things Jesus Ever Said

We’ve seen the funny memes of “Things Jesus Never Said”.
But what about the things He really did say?
I’m thinking that is more important, right?
I’ll be posting things our Messiah, Yeshua, really did say.
Please compare them to what you have been taught.
What will you do if they don’t match?

Here goes #1
Matthew 7:21-23
“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. Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

QUALIFIER:  he who does the will of my Father in heaven.
DISQUALIFIER:  workers of lawlessness
ANY CONFUSION?  Check out what Romans 10:13 says:
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
And we see a similar statement in Joel 2:32
And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord
shall be saved.

How can scripture tell us these things point blank in both the New and Old Testaments, and then Yeshua (Jesus) Himself tells some people who call on His name to depart and that they will not be part of the Kingdom of Heaven?
How can Romans 10:13, Joel 2:32, and Matthew 7 all be true, if they seem to be in opposition?

In order to call on His name, you must know Him.
You must know His voice.
You must know His words.
You must love Him.
And if you love Him, you will do the things He says to do.
What if you love the Jesus you have been taught about, but it really isn’t the Messiah in scripture?

If this idea offends you, or intrigues you…
Stay tuned.
As we explore the things Messiah really said, we’ll sort out if you know Him, or if you know  some other Jesus.

OK, I had to make one of the others…
Here you go:

#2 Things Jesus Ever Said

I spent over three decades in the mainstream church.
I was taught a doctrine that requires Paul to have a higher authority than either Yeshua (Jesus) or Yehova (God).

First of all, is that even possible?
Can a man, even if he is an apostle, override the things that Yeshua and Yehova told us?

Can a man, an apostle, say things that override what Yeshua said in prophecy for future times, after this apostle is no longer around?

Before we go any further, I am not a Paul-basher or a Paul-denier.
Paul was an apostle, chosen by Yeshua on the road to Damascus (instead of that Mathias guy).
Paul was inspired by the Ruach (holy spirit), and everything he said is true, inspired scripture.

So what’s the problem then?
Some (not all) of his writings are misunderstood and incorrectly taught.

Wow, really?  A knucklehead like me is going to counter accepted mainstream teachings that have been around for too many generations to count?

Yes.
Yes, I am.

Why?  Because I read scripture.
Most people are told what the bible says and means by seminary trained men.
Experts.
Educated religious leaders.
Check out Matthew 23 to see what Yeshua (Jesus) thought of educated religious leaders of His time.  Warning, it is not pretty…

Anyway, if you believe ‘the law’ has been done away with, as is taught in mainstream churches, I give you this challenge today:
1.  Read the direct quotes of God (Yehova, YHWH, Adonai, Elohim) in the bible.
2.  Read the direct quotes of Yeshua (Jesus, Messiah, the Christ) in the bible.
3.  Compare what they say to your doctrine and the things you have been taught.
4.  When you see they don’t align and are sometimes complete opposites, it is time to make a decision.
5.  Will you follow your Creator and your Savior, or will you follow what men teach about the writings of Paul?

As you study these things, pray for understanding as James 1:5-8 tells us to do:
⁵ 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.

If you take on this challenge and see the disparity between mainstream doctrine and the words of your Creator and Messiah, you will wonder how this could have happened.
Don’t feel dismayed. It was a problem in the first century church, just as it is today.
Peter warned us of this problem way back then.  Unfortunately, the mainstream message violates Peter’s warning…

2Peter 3:14-18
¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; ¹⁵ and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—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; ¹⁸ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Obadiah is a book with only a single chapter in the Old Testament (or Tanakh), and sits just after the book of Amos and before Jonah.

I’m sure I’ve looked at the book of Obadiah at some point in my life, but I’m sure it was during my mainstream days.  That was when I was taught the Old Testament is just a bunch of cool old stories about people that no longer exist.
It doesn’t apply to any of us in the Jesus-era…
(This is the point where you should hear fingernails on a chalk board in your head).

While I share scripture in this blog, and my goal is to teach truth of scripture, this post is going to be a bit more speculative.
Why is that?
Because this ‘thing’ has not yet happened.
Please keep in mind what I’m about to write is of a pondering nature, as opposed to “this is what scripture says, therefore we can label it as truth”.

Having been in the mainstream church for many years (decades, actually), I was taught to always support the nation of Israel. No questions asked. Period.
If I learned something that didn’t seem right, or that I didn’t understand, this was always the default:
Genesis 12:3
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

That settles it, right?
Well, no, not exactly.
First of all, this proclamation is given to Abram.
It is a promise to him as he begins this journey of faith.
Some teach that this blessing extends perpetually to all of Israel, since Israel was born of Abram. But does it say that?
No, it does not.
There are perpetual covenants and perpetual statements in scripture, but they are clearly identified as such.

Whether this promise of blessing and curse applied just to Abram, or to all of Israel forever and ever is not the point of this discussion.

Where am I going with this?
For the last several years, I’ve been led by the spirit (the Ruach) to have a disdain for the current nation of Israel and the Star of David. This “leading” went against the grain. It went against all I had ever known about Israel.  Bless them and be blessed, curse them and be cursed.  
I have very strong feelings of repulsion (yes, I said repulsion – a very strong word!!).
I didn’t understand.
We are supposed to bless Israel.
No matter what.

It took me over a year to listen and accept.  I was very cautious to test the spirits, as we are told to do.
I believe this comes from Yehova, and I’ve spoken with other believers who feel the same way, for the same reasons.

Then Yehova started showing me in scripture who Israel really is.
Wait…
What???
Israel is something different than this????

Yes, believe it or not…
I won’t go into a miles-long discussion of the history of Israel, the people of Yehova, but here is the gist of it:
The line started through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob had a brother named Esau and they were not friends.
Israel became powerful in Egypt through the actions of Joseph, but were eventually enslaved there for 400 years.  Their escape/rescue from Egypt is known as the Exodus. It was a supernatural event, orchestrated by Yehova, often referred to as God in English bibles.
The people brought out of Egypt consisted of both the descendants of Abraham as well as many foreigners.  All were welcome.
Over a great length of time, the people had forgotten how to follow the ways of Yehova.  He gave the people His ways, His instructions, via Moses.  He wrote some of His instructions on stone tablets using His own finger (twice!!), and some of the instructions were given to Moses  to write down for the people.
Eventually, the people of Yehova split into two Kingdoms.  Judah, the southern kingdom consisting of two tribes, and Israel, the northern kingdom, consisting of ten tribes.
Both rebelled against Yehova.  Judah partially returned to obedience and covenant.  Israel, though, was divorced from their covenant and scattered among the nations of the world.
It is prophesied that the tribes would one day be restored as one, and enter into covenant again with Yehova (through the efforts of Yeshua, otherwise referred to as Jesus in English bibles).

It would take days to study all of this, and to support it with scripture.  Go for it my friends!! Read and pray and learn who Israel is today!!

Now, back to the point of this discussion…
I briefly mentioned that Jacob had a brother and that they were not friends.  In fact, Esau stated that he would slay his brother Jacob (another enormous study in and of itself).
Prophecy tells us quite clearly that the line of Esau, the Edomites, would occupy and rule in the promise land of Israel and Jerusalem during end times. We are also told in prophecy that they will be destroyed by fire.
This is not good, right?

If you want to study this concept, check out Ezekiel and Isaiah.  You can also see the beginnings of all of this by studying Esau and Jacob in Genesis.

But now…
Finally to the point.

Many people around the world have been returning to Israel.
The process of gaining citizenship in Israel is called Aliyah.  It is my understanding that in order to do so, you must deny Yeshua Messiah (Jesus).
I read a number of documents and articles, and here is just one excerpt:

“Jews who are seeking to make Aliyah today, are forced to fill out a form which asks the question, “Have you ever been a Messianic Jew or have you ever believed in Yeshua as Messiah?”  As a Messianic Jew the choice is to either lie (something anathema to true bible believers) or risk being turned down immediately the minute you answer in the affirmative.”

While I do not know anyone who has personally sought after Aliyah and Israeli citizenship, I do know people who know people pursuing Aliyah.
I have been told that belief in Yeshua Messiah is a deal-killer, and that they must lie about this in order to be granted Aliyah.

Here is what I know in scripture regarding this:
Matthew 10:32-33
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. ”

In 1948, the nation of Israel was established through the efforts of the League of Nations (now the United Nations).  Since then, many people have returned to their ‘homeland’ by completing the requirements of Aliyah.
Does this sound like prophecy being carried out?  Does this sound like it is scriptural, and of Yehova?
Do you believe that returning to the land should involve denying our Messiah?
No, me either…

And yet, these people describe a “calling”.
They feel a supernatural calling to return to the land.

My question, and what I’m pondering, is whether or not this is a good thing.
Prophecy says Edomites, a line of people in conflict with the true nation of Israel, will occupy the land during end times.
Revelation 3:9 tells us this (words of Yeshua):
Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.  A similar statement is made in Revelation 2:9 as well.

Ezekiel and Isaiah tell us that Esau’s descendants will take back his birthright by the sword and through deceit. And we see this possibly tied together in the book of Genesis.
Gensis 3:15
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

For several years, I have wondered why I am repulsed by the Star of David and the geo-political nation of Israel, while many other people feel drawn to it.  This has bothered me a great deal.
How can there be two conflicting ideas permeating the Torah movement?
I believe it comes down to the continuing struggle between Esau and Jacob.

We are told this in Matthew 13:24-30
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
²⁴ Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.²⁶ But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. ²⁷ So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

We are told that the tares will be gathered first, and will be bound and burned. The wheat will be gathered second, and will be kept safe.

Matthew 24:29-31 tells us when the elect will be gathered:
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Yeshua Messiah Himself tells us when the elect will be gathered.  “After the tribulation of those days…”

Tares go first, wheat is gathered second.

I learned yesterday that the book of Obadiah is about the destruction of the Edomites, the line of Esau.
Here is the entire book (it consists of only one chapter):

The Coming Judgment on Edom
¹ The vision of Obadiah.
Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom
(We have heard a report from the Lord,
And a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying,
“Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle”):

² “Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
You shall be greatly despised.
³ The pride of your heart has deceived you,
You who dwell in the clefts of the rock,
Whose habitation is high;
You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’
⁴ Though you ascend as high as the eagle,
And though you set your nest among the stars,
From there I will bring you down,” says the Lord.

⁵ “If thieves had come to you,
If robbers by night—
Oh, how you will be cut off!—
Would they not have stolen till they had enough?
If grape-gatherers had come to you,
Would they not have left some gleanings?

⁶ “Oh, how Esau shall be searched out!
How his hidden treasures shall be sought after!
⁷ All the men in your confederacy
Shall force you to the border;
The men at peace with you
Shall deceive you and prevail against you.
Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap^[a] for you.
No one is aware of it.

⁸ “Will I not in that day,” says the Lord,
“Even destroy the wise men from Edom,
And understanding from the mountains of Esau?
⁹ Then your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed,
To the end that everyone from the mountains of Esau
May be cut off by slaughter.

Edom Mistreated His Brother

¹⁰ “For violence against your brother Jacob,
Shame shall cover you,
And you shall be cut off forever.
¹¹ In the day that you stood on the other side—
In the day that strangers carried captive his forces,
When foreigners entered his gates
And cast lots for Jerusalem—
Even you were as one of them.
¹² “But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother
In the day of his captivity;
Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah
In the day of their destruction;
Nor should you have spoken proudly
In the day of distress.
¹³ You should not have entered the gate of My people
In the day of their calamity.
Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction
In the day of their calamity,
Nor laid hands on their substance
In the day of their calamity.
¹⁴ You should not have stood at the crossroads
To cut off those among them who escaped;
Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained
In the day of distress.

¹⁵ “For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near;
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.
¹⁶ For as you drank on My holy mountain,
So shall all the nations drink continually;
Yes, they shall drink, and swallow,
And they shall be as though they had never been.

Israel’s Final Triumph

¹⁷ “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness;
The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. ¹⁸ The house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them, And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,” For the Lord has spoken.

¹⁹ The South shall possess the mountains of Esau, And the Lowland shall possess Philistia. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim And the fields of Samaria. Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
²⁰ And the captives of this host of the children of Israel Shall possess the land of the Canaanites As far as Zarephath.
The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad Shall possess the cities of the South. ²¹ Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion
To judge the mountains of Esau,
And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

Verse 18 stands out to me…
¹⁸ The house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them, And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,” For the Lord has spoken.

We know from scripture that the tares are gathered and destroyed first, and the elect are gathered second, after tribulation.
Ezekiel, Isaiah, and other references tell us the line of Esau will live in the holy land at end times, and will be destroyed.
Verse 18 tells us that there will be no survivors of the house of Esau – followed by these words:  “for the Lord has spoken.”
When Elohim has spoken, you can absolutely bet that what was said is true and will happen.

So, after much rambling, and referring to many different sources of scripture and many different ideas, this is what is floating in my head:
Regarding those who are seeking Aliyah, to return to the geo-political nation of Israel and gain citizenship where we are told the line of Esau shall live and rule —
Are they the Edomites being gathered in the land, in order to fulfill what Elohim said in verse 18 above? Must they be gathered so that none may survive, as is foretold, from the very words of Yehova?
What about those who love the geo-political nation of Israel and the Star of David?
Is this just a lack of discernment?
Do they have a righteous calling on their life to do so, just as I have a calling on my life to reject it?

Yes, I recognize this idea will be very offensive to those who feel the calling to love and support the current nation of Israel, or to even return to the land and claim it as their heritage.  The idea I’m presenting is awful for those people if it is true.

But my goal is to search out scripture and find truth.
I want to know why I am offended by the Star of David, while others embrace it.
I’ll be praying about this as James tells us to pray:

James 1:5-8
⁵ 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.

Disclaimer…
Please do not see my comments as showing disrespect for the true people of Yehova, the true people and nation of Israel.
The same thing goes for the promise land.  I am fascinated by the thought of one day being called to the promise land, as we are told will happen.
But not until then.  Not until Yeshua makes it happen, not the United Nations.
I have absolute love and respect for the true entities that are of Yehova.  I am just questioning the counterfeits that are mentioned in scripture…

 

For several weeks, I have not been able to log in to my blog…
It worked one day and WordPress did not know who I was the next.
No changes in login information, no email change, no password change.

All was good, and then it wasn’t…

Now it seems as though I can get back in, without making any changes to anything.
This post is a test, so to speak.

Let’s see what happens!!