Take time to ensure you are not being foolish…
And then make sure you are not arguing with fools.

Proverbs 26:4
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, else you also will be like him.

Proverbs 29:8-9
Mockers incite a city,
but wise men turn away anger.
If a wise man argues with a foolish man,
he rants or laughs, with no resolution.

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of Adonai is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 10:14
Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool is near ruin.

1Corinthians 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written, “He catches the clever in their craftiness.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He said this…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I continuously see people talking about non-Torah observant devout Christians in Torah communities.
They are spoken of as being brothers and sisters in Christ and part of the Kingdom.

It is absolutely not mine, nor anyone else’s responsibility to decide another person’s eternal fate. Only Yeshua Messiah has that authority, and even He says we will be judged by the Torah and not by Himself.
John 12:47-48
47 “If anyone hears My words but doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I came to save the world, not to judge the world. 48 The one who rejects Me and doesn’t receive My words has a judge; the word I spoke will judge him on the last day.

OK, now that we have that cleared up, please understand this post is not about self-righteousness, arrogance, criticism, condemnation, or anything else along those lines.
This post is about seeing what the scriptures say on this matter — and believing it.

Are non-Torah observant devout Christians part of the kingdom?
The scriptures decide this for us; not me, not you, and not anyone else. We do not get to decide if they are in or out.
We can only study scripture and show others what we find.

There are many scriptures that speak to this idea, but let’s look at one single concept.
The Sabbath.

Yehova says this about the Sabbath in Exodus 31
“‘Surely you must keep My Shabbatot, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations”

Key points:
1> Must keep My Shabbatot
2> Sign between Yehova and His people forever

Non-Torah observant devout Christians fail at #1 and therefore do not have the sign of being one of Yehova’s people in #2.

Yehova follows up with this information about His Sabbath:
“Everyone who profanes it will die, for whoever does any work during Shabbat, that soul will be cut off from the midst of his people.”

Key points:
3> Those who profane it will die
4> Their soul shall be cut off from the people

Again, these very bad things apply to Christianity.

If we look at no other scripture, we know from these words of Yehova that anyone who rejects His Sabbath is not one of His people, and is cut off from the people who ARE His people.
This includes Christians, Muslims, Hindus, New Agers, Atheists, etc, etc.

There is “Being-In-Covenant” with the Father, according to His instructions, and there is “Not-In-Covenant.”
People get to choose which they will be. Free will and free choice.

Does Yeshua Messiah tell us the same type of things?
Yes, He does.
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!’”

Key Points
1> Messiah says only those who do the will of the Father will be in the Kingdom.
2> People who say they serve Him will be rejected
3> Disqualifier?  Lawlessness!!

The will of the Father is that His people honor His Sabbath, among other things (that Christians also do not do).
He even says it is the sign of His people.
If you do not have the sign, you are not His people.
If you do not honor the Sabbath, then you are not doing the will of the Father, and Yeshua says you are not in the Kingdom.

This is all very simple. It is stated plainly in scripture by Yehova and Yeshua, among others.
But people ignore it because they want to believe something else.
Are we allowed to ignore the Word?
Are we allowed to reject the Word?
Are we allowed to delete things from the Word?
Nope, nope, and nope.

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 commandments of Yehova your Elohim that I am commanding you.
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.”
Revelation 22:18-19
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, Yehova shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book; ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Yehova shall take away his share in the Tree of Life and the Holy City, which are written in this book.
Proverbs 30:5-6
⁵ Every word of Yehova is purified.
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
⁶ Do not add to His words,
or else He will rebuke You and prove you a liar.

Shall we listen to what Yeshua says, and BELIEVE HIM?

Yeshua says this in John 10
25 Yeshua answered them, “I told you, but you don’t believe! The works I do in My Father’s name testify concerning Me. 26 But you don’t believe, because you are not My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life! They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

If you reject what Yeshua says about people who do not do the will of the Father (and therefore are not in the Kingdom) – then you do not know His voice, which means you are not one of his sheep.
Stop and think about that for a minute…  Do your thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and statements indicate that you do not know the things Yeshua says?  Or worse, that you reject the things Yeshua says?

In order to be His sheep, we must know the things He says and do them. We must follow Him.

Yeshua says that His sheep hear His voice and —- HE KNOWS THEM.
This is very important.
What does Yeshua say about people who do not do the will of the Father?
“‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!”
He does not know those who do not do the will of the Father, which means they are NOT HIS SHEEP.

I know very few people will agree with me on this idea, but you must realize this is what scripture says, the very words of Yehova and Yeshua.
This is not my idea, but our Creator’s.
Please pray about these scriptures, the very words of Yehova and Yeshua Messiah.
Please pray for those that call Him Master but do not do the things He says.

Luke 6:46
 “Why do you call Me ‘Master, Master’ and do not do what I say?”

More information with regard to the idea that lawless Christians are not part of the Kingdom:

For everyone debating against this idea—- Peter said the same thing.
He said those who misunderstand/twist Paul’s words AND the rest of the scriptures —- they will be destroyed.

Peter does not say they will be confused or mislead, but will still be least in the kingdom.
Nope, Peter says they will be destroyed for getting this stuff wrong.

Just in case people don’t understand this, he says it a second time:
If you follow the error of the lawless, you will lose your sure-footing.

2Peter 3:14-17
14 Therefore, loved ones, while you are looking for these things, make every effort to be found in shalom, spotless and blameless before Him. 15 Bear in mind that the patience of our Lord means salvation—just as our dearly loved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him. 16 He speaks about these matters in all of his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist (as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures)—to their own destruction.
17 Since you already know all this, loved ones, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing.

Yeshua Messiah says those who keep the commands will have access to the Tree of Life and will be able to enter the city of New Jerusalem (where the elect will live with Yehova).

Yeshua also says who will not be in the Kingdom:
Those who love and practice a lie will not be there

Rev 22:14-15
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. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

The lies that Yeshua speaks of should not be a surprise to us.
Jeremiah told us about it way back when…

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

So what about mainstream Christians who chase after lies?
They are also spoken of in scripture:
2Tim 4:3-4
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.

 

Our world is full of spiritual dangers.
Evil is all around us.
Ephesians 6:12 tells us this:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

What are we to do?
Ephesians 6:10-11
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Yehova and in His mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of Yehova, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
First of all, we must remember it is the power of Yehova that will defeat evil. We do not do this in or of our own power.
Secondly, we must put on the full armor of Yehova.
Not just the parts and pieces that we like, but the whole armor.
How?
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore, take up the full armor of Yehova, so that you may be able to resist when the times are evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm.
We must resist, and stand firm!
Ephesians 6:14
Stand firm then! Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.
Again, stand firm!
And wear truth and righteousness!
Ephesians 6:15
¹⁵ Strap up your feet in readiness with the Good News of shalom.
Be ready!!
And be ready with the Good News!
Ephesians 6:16
¹⁶ Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 
We must have faith!! 
It makes us impervious to the attacks of the evil one!
Ephesians 6:17
¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of Yehova. 
And don’t forget the awaiting salvation, for those who endure until the end.
And more importantly, recognize your weapon.
We do not fight evil with the weapons of men, but with the Word of Yehova!
Ephesians 6:18
¹⁸ Pray in the Ruach on every occasion, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, keep alert with perseverance and supplication for all the kedoshim.
And do not forget to pray, on every occasion.
Be alert.
Persevere.
And pray for all the saints [kedoshim, the elect, the saved, those in covenant with the Father].

We know from scripture that danger lurks.
We live in this world, but we are not of this world.
In Ephesians 6, we are given instructions on what to do about the evil all around us.
All of the instructions revolve around the good things of scripture, not by focusing on the evil things of this world.

I’ve seen Torah communities take a dreadful turn towards the study of evil.  Instead of concentrating on the scriptures, some have shifted their focus, their time, and their energy to studying the deceit, lies, and evil in this world.
Nonstop.
I did not find this in the instructions above.
Nowhere in Ephesians 6 are we told to go out and search for and study the evils around us.
But that is exactly what many do, and they do so thinking it is a good thing.
This scripture is often quoted as their reason why:
Ephesians 5:11-12
¹¹ Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them— ¹² for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that are done by them in secret.
We are told to expose the evil of darkness.
It says so, right there in Ephesians 5.
But does it really?
How do we reconcile this idea with Psalm 101:3?
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
How do we not set wicked things before our eyes, and yet seek out, study, and research wicked things in order to expose them?

We are commanded to study and meditate upon the Torah. We are to write it upon our doorposts and teach it to our children.
Nowhere in scripture are we told to chase after and study all the evil and dark things of this world.
But what about that thing in Ephesians 5?
but rather expose them—

Well, let’s take a closer look at that.
When I read Ephesians 5:1-20, I see a very different meaning than if I only consider verses 11-12.

EPHESIANS 5:1-20
Walk in the Light
Therefore be imitators of Yehova, as dearly loved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Messiah also loved us and gave Himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to Yehova for a fragrant aroma. 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed—don’t even let these be mentioned among you, as is proper for kedoshim. 4 Obscene, coarse, and stupid talk are also out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 Know for certain that no immoral, indecent, or greedy person—who is really an idol worshipper at heart—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Messiah and Yehova.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things Yehova’s judgment comes on the children of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For once you were darkness, but now in union with Yehova you are light. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather refute [expose] them— 12 for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that are done by them in secret. 13 Yet everything exposed by the light is being made visible, 14 for everything made visible is light. This is why it says,
“Wake up, O sleeper!
Rise from the dead,
and Messiah will shine on you.”
15 So pay close attention to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise. 16 Make the most of your time because the days are evil. 17 For this reason do not be foolish, but understand what Yehova’s will is. 18 And do not get drunk on wine, for that is recklessness. Instead, be filled with the Ruach, 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to Yehova— 20 always giving thanks for everything to Yehova the Father, in the name of the Yeshua the Messiah.

Context is everything.
Are we told to chase after the evils of the world and expose them?
Nope.
First of all, let’s take a close look at the word “expose” used in verse 11. When we look at the Greek, it appears to be a mistranslation.
If we go to the interlinear, the definition of the word elencho is as follows:
ἐλέγχω elénchō, el-eng’-kho; of uncertain affinity; to confute, admonish:—convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke, reprove.
Elencho is translated as “expose” in most bibles, but this definition is not included in the Strong’s or Thayer Lexicon.
The word “expose” is used as part of the “Outline of Biblical Usage” and many people think this is a definition. However, it is important to understand that the “Outline of Biblical Usage” simply shows how the word is used in the King James version of the bible, regardless of whether or not it is the right translation.
If we refer to the Strong’s definition and Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, we get the actual definition, not a recording of how the word is used (right or wrong) in KJV.
This changes everything. We are not to go out and research the evil things of this world, looking to “expose” them.
Instead, verse 11 is telling us to refute, confute, and admonish the evil things of darkness. How does this idea line up with the other 19 verses in this passage of scripture?

Ephesians 5 tells us:
– to walk in the light
– how to behave
– not to allow ourselves to be deceived
– it is disgraceful to even speak of these dark things
– tells us to be wise, not unwise
– do not follow false doctrine, but be filled with the Ruach.
– verse 19 is important – do not speak of these disgraceful things, but instead, “speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to Yehova”
– and give thanks

Just as Psalm 101:3 tells us not to place evil things before our eyes, Ephesians 5:19 tells us not to speak of these things.
Does this mean they cannot be mentioned, ever, for any reason, or at any cost?
No, we are to refute them.
If someone tries to introduce evil ways into our body of believers, we are to refute and admonish those evil ways. We do not allow them.
Verse 19 is telling us to not make these things our focus.  We are not to seek them out, study, research, and expose them.
The remainder of verse 19 helps this context by telling us what we are to do. Do we concentrate on and discuss the evils of this world?
Nope.
We are to:
Instead, be filled with the Ruach, 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to the Lord— 20 always giving thanks for everything to God the Father, in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Our focus is to be upon truth and righteousness.
We are to walk in faith, to stand firm!
We are to pray.
We are to wield the weapon of Yehova, and that is His Word.
We are to focus on good things, the things of Yehova.
We do not have to sort out all the evil deceit and deeds of this world.

It is dangerous to extract Ephesians 5:11-12 from all of Ephesians chapters 5 and 6 and create [false] doctrine with them out of context. The mistranslation or misuse of the Greek word ἐλέγχω elénchō does not help, but reading the whole chapters in context will sort that out for us, even without looking it up.

It is extremely important that we study the scriptures, and not just take one or two verses and create new ideas with them as they stand alone.
No, I do not believe we are to expose dark matters.
They exist. Everywhere. All around.
We are not to put them before our eyes.
We are not to speak of these disgraceful things.
Instead, we are to focus on this, just as it is commanded:
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Shema Israel, ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI Echad
⁴ “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ Love Yehova your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These words, which I am commanding you today, are to be on your heart. ⁷ You are to teach them diligently to your children, and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. ⁸ Bind them as a sign on your hand, they are to be as frontlets between your eyes, ⁹ and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Now, having said all of this, and looking at a few scriptures, I am not saying we should all stick our heads in the sand…

Yes, evil exists.
Yes, it is all around us.
If a situation arises where it needs to be addressed, or even rebuked, then do so.
Do not ignore it.
The point I’m trying to make today is in regard to those who seek out all of the evil they can possibly find.
People who study it non-stop, and even worse, post it in Torah fellowship groups non-stop, forcing everyone else to have it before their eyes.
If you are one of those people, take stock and determine why you are doing this.
Is it because you find it interesting and fascinating?
Is it because you find it entertaining?
Do you prefer this over a Torah portion study?

Are there really nice people in churches?
Of course there are.
There are really nice people in my neighborhood too.
There are really nice people in hospitals, at restaurants, and just about everywhere else that we go.
Sometimes there are people who are not very nice.
And once in a while, we hear about people who are creepy and evil, usually on the news after they have committed an atrocity.

But let’s concentrate on people in churches.
There are wonderful people who volunteer in the nursery, teach Sunday School, work as greeters, and volunteer in the church coffee bar.  There are other nice people behind the scenes and not as visible.  There are people who show up during off times to clean the church.  There are people who give rides to the elderly and the disabled.  We could go on and on, with many different scenarios.
But suffice it to say, there are many really nice people in church.

Here is my question…
Does it matter?

Really.
Think about it.
Does it matter if people are nice?
It certainly doesn’t hurt, in the context of everyday life.
But what about the context of being in covenant?
What about the context of eternal life?

For these answers, we must go to scripture and not to the thoughts of men and women.

Lots of nice people in churches claim Jesus as their Savior, and they claim to follow Him.
But what does Yeshua Messiah say about it?
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!’”

Most people are familiar with this bit of scripture, but how many slow down to study this, to fully understand what Yeshua Messiah is saying?
This is one of the most important statements in all of scripture, so it is quite imperative that we understand.

First of all, who is being addressed here?
Atheists?
Nope.
Satanists?
Nope.
Pagans?
Nope.
Unbelievers?
Nope.

Messiah is speaking to people who claim to call Him Lord.
He is speaking to people who believe they follow Him.
What does He tell them?
Not everyone calling Him their Master will be allowed into the Kingdom.
Oops.
That’s not good.
Actually, this is horrific!!
Can you imagine thinking you served and followed Messiah for all of your days, only to find out in the end that He didn’t even know you?

Whose fault is this?
This is a disaster of epic proportions for many.
Who is at fault?
Does Messiah tell us?
He does, in fact:
Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
This disaster is not Messiah’s fault.
This tragedy is because people chose to be workers of lawlessness.
This describes the entire mainstream Christian doctrine and population.
They teach the law is done away with…
What does Messiah say about it?
Matthew 5:17
 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets!”
Could He be any more clear?
The Torah gives us the law.
The Prophets all teach us to follow the Torah, the law.
Again, could Yehsua Messiah be any more clear in what He is telling us?
No.
In order to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, we must do the will of the Father.

Churches teach that we are to come to Jesus, and accept Him as our Savior.
And then what?
Nothing.
Go to church.
Give your offerings and donations.
Volunteer in the children’s ministry.
Be nice.

But what does Messiah tell us?
Do we come to Him and stick around forever?
Nope.
He gives us further directions.
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.”
Yes, we must come to Yeshua.
He is the way.
He is the truth.
He is the life.
But then what does He say?
He speaks of going on to the Father.
Messiah is not the end of our spiritual journey.
He is the starting line.
The finish line is the Father.
We must go to Yehova, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Again, refer to Messiah’s instructions about who gets to be in the Kingdom:
“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 do the will of the Father will be in the kingdom.

This is an easy and simple lesson, with just a few scriptures quoted.
This is not hard.
And yet, it is a lesson that many cannot wrap their heads around.
It is a lesson that many cannot comprehend.
Why?
Because it is scary.
Because it is tragic.
Because it means nice people are not included in the kingdom.

There is nothing wrong with being nice.
It is preferred.
I’d much rather hang out with nice people than a bunch of jerks.
But eternity is not based on being nice.
Here is where it gets confusing.
Those who follow the words and the ways of the Father are nice, because the words and the ways of the Father result in nice behavior.
But there are people who are nice while rejecting the words and the ways of the Father.
Don’t be confused by this.
To prevent confusion, we are given tests in the scriptures to see if we understand this concept. One test is in the Torah, part of the Old Testament, and one test is given in the New Testament.
There is no excuse for being unaware of this test.

Deuteronomy 13:4-5
…for Yehova your Elohim is testing you, to find out whether you love Yehova your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁵ Yehova your Elohim you will follow and Him you will fear. His commands [mitzvot] you will keep, to His voice you will listen, Him you will serve and to Him you will cling.
In Deuteronomy, Yehova equates following His commands and hearing His voice with loving Him.
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 Yehova 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.
In 1John, we are again told to keep the commandments. This is a test to find out if we really know Him or not.
Knowing Him is equated to keeping the commandments and walking as He walked.
Don’t forget about this direct quote of Messiah:
John 10:14
¹⁴ “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me…
John 10:27-28
My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life! They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
Messiah says His sheep know Him and follow Him.
Scripture tells us that to know Him we must keep the commandments and walk as He walked.
Messiah DOES NOT say this:
John 10:14
¹⁴ “I am the Good Shepherd. I know nice people in church and nice people in church know Me…
John 10:27-28
Nice people in church hear My voice. I know nice people in church, and they follow Me. ²⁸ I give nice people in church eternal life! They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

Nope, that isn’t what He says.
Messiah says this:
John 14:15
 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
and this…
John 14:21
²¹ He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.
and this…
John 15:10
 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

In case this is still confusing, we are told directly what is expected of us, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Yehova, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
and again in the New Testament:
Revelation 22:14
¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
From the beginning of the scriptures to the end of the scriptures, Yehova communicates to us what He wants of us.
He communicates what He requires of us, so that He knows we love Him.

Nice people in churches.
And what do these nice people in churches do?
They teach the opposite of what Yehova, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob says.
They teach the opposite of what the Prophets tell us.
They teach the opposite of what Yeshua Messiah teaches.

We are talking about millions, probably billions of people.
Is it possible for that many people to get things drastically wrong?
Not only is it possible, it was foretold by Jeremiah the prophet.
Jeremiah 16:19-20
¹⁹ O Yehova, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
²⁰ Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?
These things that I’m showing you in scripture, that are hard to believe, nearly impossible to wrap our heads around…
And yet, Jeremiah warned us of this situation long ago.
Can Jeremiah be trusted in this?
Jeremiah 1:9
Then Yehova put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And Yehova said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Yes, we can trust these words, as they are the words of the Creator of all things.
Jeremiah says people will one day realize we have been taught nothing but lies.
Who taught us these lies?
Nice people in churches.
Do these lies cause a bit of confusion, but everything is ok in the end?
Nope.
These lies are worthless and unprofitable.
Nothing good comes from them.
Salvation is good and profitable.
But these lies do not result in good and profitable things.

What do they result in?
We are told in verse 20.
²⁰ Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are not gods?
These lies (false doctrine) result in man making up their own gods.
But they are not gods.
And if they are not gods, then they cannot grant salvation.
Are we warned elsewhere in the scriptures about our imaginations?
In an indirect (but very important way) we are given these warnings:
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 commandments [mitzvot] of Yehova your Elohim that I am commanding you.
Deuteronomy 12:32
“Whatever I command you, you must take care to do—you are not to add to it or take away from it.”
Proverbs 30:5-6
Every word of Yehova is purified.
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
⁶ Do not add to His words,
or else He will rebuke You and prove you a liar.
Revelation 22:18-19
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, Yehova shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book; ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Yehova shall take away his share in the Tree of Life and the Holy City, which are written in this book.
It requires the use of our imagination to add to or take away from the Word.  We are instructed not to do so. The consequences shown in Revelation 22 are especially startling…  It will cause you to lose your place in the kingdom, not to mention suffering plagues.
Jeremiah says that using our imaginations to create doctrine and beliefs will result in us making up gods who are not gods.
And if we serve made up gods, they can do us no good.

So, again, what about nice people in churches?
They add to and take away from the Word.
They say the words and the ways of Yehova are obsolete, when Yehova says they are forever.
They say that Yeshua Messiah did away with the law, when Messiah Himself specifically says that He did not.

It is ok to enjoy our friends and family in our lives.
It is ok for us to love and care for nice people in churches.
But it is not ok for us to defy the words of Yehova and Yeshua and decide they are part of the kingdom, when scripture says otherwise.

Pray for them.
Just as Mosheh prayed for and interceded for the people he led.
They rebelled and failed.
Yehova wanted to destroy them.
But Mosheh prayed for them.
Be a leader like Mosheh.
Pray for nice people in churches.
Friends, family, total strangers.
Yeshua says they are not part of the kingdom, and we need to pray they will have a change of heart and pass the tests of knowing and loving Yehova and Yeshua.

 

 

The Scriptures contain much information.
Throughout the ages, men and women have written much about the scriptures, adding thoughts and ideas, and various commentaries.
Some of those writings might be helpful, but much of it is harmful, promoting false doctrine.  Much of these writings are in direct conflict with what the scriptures say.

So how do we sort it all out?
Study of scripture is a good thing.
Discussing scripture with others is a good thing.

But if you find yourself lost in a sea of ideas and opinions, how are you to sort it out and find solid ground?

Here are a couple hints in the scriptures:
Solomon tells us there is no end to the number of books that men have written, and that studying all of it is tiring.
Ecclesiastes 12:11-12
¹ The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. ¹² And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.
And since Solomon sees the difficulty in wading through endless information, he gives us some advice:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear Yehova and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
¹⁴ For Yehova will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
Do you see what he is telling us?
Going back to the very basics, in the most simple form, do these things:
1. Fear Yehova [for He will decide our eternal fate]
2. Keep His commands [for this is how He will know we love Him]
For this is the duty of all mankind.
These two things are the big picture.
If we believe and accept these two basic things, and do them, it will go well for us.

We are told a similar idea in Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 29:29
“The secret things belong to Yehova our Elohim, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever—in order to do all the words of this Torah.”
Yehova understands His mysteries, and they may not be revealed to us. But it is ok.
We have been given the information we need to to all the words of this Torah.

Referring back to Ecclesiastes, keeping His commands is the whole duty of mankind. Deuteronomy tells us we’ve been given all we need to know to keep His commands, as they are given to us in the Torah.
It does not matter if we understand all the mysteries of the heavens. That is not our purpose, nor is it important.
We may find those mysteries very interesting.
We may study and discuss and ponder.
That is ok, as long as we do not forget our most basic purpose.
Fear Yehova.
and…
Keep His commands.
Praise Yah!

And if you believe these things are no longer relevant, here are a couple New Testament references, written after the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Yeshua Messiah:

1John 5:3
³ For this is the love of God—that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

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.

Revelation 22:15 [saying who will be in the kingdom]
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. 

How should we pray?

In the midst of a tragedy in 2014, I realized I had been praying wrong my whole life. Instead of making hopeful requests sprinkled with doubt [as I had always done], I learned to pray that night with faith.

To be more specific on how to pray, though, we always need to go to the scriptures to find the answers.
This first verse is HUGE when it comes to prayer.
Proverbs 28:9
One who turns his ear from hearing Torah —even his prayer is an abomination.
We find in the scriptures that if we are not obeying the words and the ways of the Father, then our prayers are an abomination to Him. So step one is to learn and follow the ways of Yehova.

The Lord’s prayer is universally known, but I’m not sure people take it seriously, or even understand it.
Matthew 6:5-13
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Amen, I tell you, they have their reward in full! 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room; and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, shall reward you. 7 And when you are praying, do not babble on and on like the pagans; for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 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.
Yeshua Messiah is instructing us to meet privately and intimately with the Father when we pray. We are told to keep it simple and straightforward. There is no need for eloquent, long-winded, wordy prayers, and especially this – – we are not to say ‘fancy’ prayers for the sake of others around us who might hear.
Then we get to specific instructions, the Lord’s prayer. He is not telling us to repeat this sample prayer word for word, as it is often done. He is not showing us what to pray, He is showing us HOW to pray.
‘Our Father in heaven, sanctified be Your name.
This is a simple greeting of reverence for the Creator of all things.

Your kingdom come,
This is an acknowledgment that His kingdom will come, and portrays our anticipation for that day to come.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Another acknowledgment of His will [which is His Word, His instructions, His Torah] – and our alignment with His will, that it might be done. Not only in our own lives, but throughout mankind, and that His will would be done on earth, just as pure and holy as His will is in the heavens.

Give us this day our daily bread.
This statement is two fold…
One – a simple prayer that Yehova will meet our needs each day. Food, clothing, shelter – basic needs.
Two – bread is a symbol for the Word all throughout the scriptures. This is a prayer for His Word to be what guides us each day.

And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
This is a simple prayer for forgiveness, that we would be granted forgiveness when we fail. But at the same time, it is a prayer to state that we have forgiven men/women who have harmed us.
We see the absolute importance of this in Matthew 6:14-15 (directly following the Lord’s prayer)
“For if you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Our own forgiveness is dependent upon our ability to forgive others. Better get er done…

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. And lastly, a prayer request for strength of spirit to not walk into temptation, and therefore, sin. Paul goes into great detail about living in the spirit and not in the flesh. Our flesh will fail, and will sin. We are told that if we live in the spirit, it is impossible for us to sin.

I did a bible app search for ‘prayer’ and came up with about 142 references. ‘Pray’ came up with 340 references in the scriptures. There is more to learn about prayer in the scriptures than what I’ve covered in this short study, but this is the simple gist of it:
1. Follow the words and the ways of Yehova, otherwise, our prayers are an abomination to Him.
2. Pray in a manner as Yeshua describes above.
Not word for word [as in reciting the Lord’s prayer], but concept for concept as it might apply to your life on any given day.

Why should we consider honoring the Sabbath, observing the biblical feast days, and keeping the Torah [the Law]?

Look for the things that Yehova said are forever, never-ending, for all generations, or a perpetual covenant.
Neither Paul nor anyone else has the authority to override what Yehova said stands forever.

Malachi 3:6
“For I am Yehova, I do not change…”
Numbers 23:19
Yehova is not a man who lies,
or a son of man who changes his mind!

If that isn’t enough, get a red letter bible and read only the words of Yeshua Messiah. Take notes.
You’ll find that Messiah teaches exactly what the Father teaches, which is His Torah, the Law.

John 7:16
16 Yeshua answered, “My teaching is not from Me, but from Him who sent Me.”
John 12:49-50
 “For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and speak. 50 And I know that His commandment is life everlasting. Therefore what I say, I say just as the Father has told Me.”

If that isn’t enough, because of what you’ve been taught about Paul’s writings, read 2Peter 3:14-17. We are warned that misunderstanding Paul’s writings [and the rest of the scriptures] will result in our destruction — if we follow the error of the lawless.
¹⁴ Therefore, loved ones, while you are looking for these things, make every effort to be found in shalom, spotless and blameless before Him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that the patience of our Lord means salvation—just as our dearly loved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him. ¹⁶ He speaks about these matters in all of his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist (as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures)—to their own destruction.
¹⁷ Since you already know all this, loved ones, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing.

If that isn’t enough, read everything Paul wrote.
Take notes.
You’ll find that he fully upholds, obeys, and supports obeying the Torah instructions (the Law), even though some of his writings sound like they are speaking against keeping the law (they are not).

Paul always kept the biblical Sabbath
Acts 17:2
As was his custom, Paul went to the Jewish people; and for three Shabbatot, he debated the Scriptures with them.
Acts 18:4
⁴ And he was debating every Shabbat in the synagogue, trying to persuade both Jewish and Greek people.

Paul believed ALL of the Torah
Acts 24:14
“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything written in the Torah and the Prophets.”

Paul Stated that we are to uphold the Torah laws
Romans 3:31
Do we then nullify the Torah through faithfulness? May it never be! On the contrary, we uphold the Torah.

Paul taught from the Torah
Acts 28:23
²³ They set a day to meet Paul and came to him at his quarters in large numbers. From morning until evening he was explaining everything to them, testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them about Yeshua from both the Torah of Moses and the Prophets.

Paul obeyed the Torah
Acts 21:24
²⁴ Take them, and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. That way, all will realize there is nothing to the things they have been told about you, but that you yourself walk in an orderly manner, keeping the Torah.
Romans 7:25
²⁵ Thanks be to God—it is through Messiah Yeshua our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself serve the Torah of God; but with my flesh, I serve the law of sin.

Paul delights in the commands of the Torah [just like David, a man after God’s own heart]
Romans 7:22
²² For I delight in the Torah of God with respect to the inner man…”

Paul told us to imitate him, which would include knowing, believing, obeying, teaching, and delighting in the Torah.
And this is in the context of Paul imitating Messiah, walking just as He walked
1Corinthians 4:16
¹⁶ I urge you therefore—be imitators of me. 
1Corinthians 11:1
Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Messiah.

If that isn’t enough, you’ll have to decide which Paul you wish to follow.
Pro-Torah Paul
or
Anti-Torah Paul

If that isn’t enough, you can look at what the scriptures say about who will be in the kingdom (and who will not be in the kingdom):
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “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!’
In the kingdom – those who do the will of the Father (Torah)
Not in the kingdom – those who practice lawlessness

Revelation 22:15-15
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. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
In the kingdom – those who keep the commandments
Not in the kingdom – various sinners and those who love and practice a lie

What lies are mentioned in Revelation 22?
The lies that Jeremiah warned us about
Jeremiah 16:19-20
19 O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
20 Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

Still not good enough?
How about passing the tests given in Deuteronomy 13 and 1John 2
Deuteronomy 13
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.
1John 2
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Still not enough?
How about simply listening to Messiah and following Him?
John 10:27-28
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Do you hear His voice and follow the things He says?
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”
John 15:10
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

Will you hear, “I never knew you. Depart from Me you workers of lawlessness”?
Or will you hear, “Well done good and faithful servant”?

Deuteronomy 18:15-19
¹⁵ “Yehova your Elohim will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst—from your brothers. To him you must listen. ¹⁶ This is just what you asked of Yehova your Elohim in Horeb on the day of the assembly when saying, ‘I cannot continue to hear the voice of Yehova my Elohim or see this great fire any more, or I will die.’  ¹⁷ “Yehova said to me, ‘They have done well in what they have spoken. ¹⁸ I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him. ¹⁹ Now whoever does not listen to My words that this prophet speaks in My Name, I Myself will call him to account.

We see a glimpse (one of many) of Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) in Deuteronomy 18.
Let’s take a look at some key points here in these verses.

—Yehova will raise us a prophet like Mosheh
—We must listen to Him
—Same situation as when the people wanted Mosheh to intecede with Yehova on their behalf
—Yehova’s words will be in the mouth of this prophet
—And He will speak all that Yehova commands
—Whoever does not listen to the words of Yehova from this prophet will be called to account by Yehova (not a good thing)

Here are some [but not all] of the references in scripture showing that Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) is the prophet like Mosheh:
—
First off, He’s definitely from “among the brothers” of Israel, so that’s a good start. The Prophet must be Jewish, and Yeshua’s heritage was from the tribe of Judah.
—Both were shepherds – Yeshua said, “I am the good shepherd”, and Mosheh also tended sheep – figuratively and literally.
—Both fasted for 40 days and nights – Mosheh while on Mount Sinai, and Yeshua in the Judean desert, when being tempted by haSatan
—Both spent time in Egypt as children (as Yeshua had to be hidden there for a while as a baby to escape Herod)
—Both were born at a time when evil kings pronounced death to all Hebrew baby boys in the area – Pharaoh had commanded all Hebrew baby boys to be drowned at birth, and Herod had issued a command to kill all baby boys under the age of two. Both were miraculously rescued from that threat
—Both were called by Yehova to lead and save
—Both did miracles to testify to their Yehova-given authority
—Both were given Yehova’s public stamp of approval with an audible voice from heaven, heard by the crowd – Mosheh at Sinai, and Yeshua at his baptism
—Both gave up great riches to lead a humble life of service and poverty – Mosheh from the palace of the King of Egypt, Yeshua from the heights of heaven. Both were noted for their great humility (Numbers 12:3, Hebrews 11:26-27, Philippians 2)
—Both were initially rejected by the Hebrews when the foretold salvation didn’t seem as if it was going to happen. When Mosheh first challenged Pharaoh, things got a lot worse for the Israelites, leading to despair and anger. Yeshua’s crucifixion looked like a hopeless defeat. Both salvation situations initially looked like the promises were not going to come true. But they did.
—Both were criticized by their own families – Mary and Yeshua’s brothers in Mark 3:20-21, and Mosheh’s sister and brother in Numbers 12:1.
—Both were willing to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of those they were leading, and to pay for the sins of their people – Mosheh in Exodus 32, and Yeshua’s own readiness to die on our behalf is evident in the Garden of Gethsemene
—Both miraculously provided the people with bread to eat – manna was sent from heaven [accomplished by Yehova] for the Israelites and Yeshua famously fed the multitudes. Twice.
—Both were accepted by Gentiles – Mosheh’s father in law, a Midianite, instantly believed (Exodus 18:10-11) The Egyptians too came to believe that the Yehova of Israel was real and true. And the non-Hebrews readily accepted Yeshua’s message of salvation.
—Under Mosheh, all those who believed him, those who followed the instructions and put the sacrificial blood on their doors, were saved from death. This means that all those who left Egypt had taken a step of faith and been saved. They were no longer just Hebrews ethnically, they had become a faith community. Similarly, under Yeshua, all those who appropriate his sacrificial blood, shed for us to save us from the power of death have entered into the faith community of those who follow Him.
—Seven weeks (50 days) after the Exodus, the Israelites waited upon Yehova to receive the Torah – now that they had been saved, how then should they live? Yehova gave Mosheh His covenant and instructions on how to live as a faith community. Seven weeks (50 days) after the resurrection, the disciples waited as Yeshua instructed them to receive the Holy Spirit, and the ekklisia was born – a new faith community.
—Both of their faces shone with the glory of heaven, as was noted by people who saw them – Mosheh had to wear a veil over his face because it was beaming so much, and Yeshua’s disciples saw His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration.
—Mosheh chose 12 spies to explore Canaan, and Yeshua chose 12 disciples. Mosheh appointed 70 rulers over Israel, and Yeshua sent 70 disciples out to share the gospel
—Mosheh led the people out from slavery into… the wilderness. 40 years of wandering, hardship, and a lot of lessons learned the hard way – but all with Yehova’s help and presence. The promised land would come only later. Yeshua has redeemed us into… life with Him, still on this fallen earth. A limited time not without pain and struggle, and many lessons learned the hard way – but all with Yehova’s help and presence. The life we were created for with no sickness, pain or death is yet to come.

 Yehova says we must listen to Yeshua.
Did Yeshua Messiah refer to this idea?

Luke 6:46
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”

John 10:27
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

Yehova’s words will be in the mouth of this prophet…

John 7:16
Yeshua answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”

John 12:49-50
For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Matthew 23:2-3
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ Therefore whatever they tell you ^[a]to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.”

Yeshua Messiah tells us to do what is read from the seat of Mosheh.
A little research will show that the Torah [the Law] is read word for word from the seat of Mosheh, without any added commentary.

Yehova —the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob— told us that He would send a prophet like Mosheh.
We are told that we must listen to Him.

Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) taught the same things that Yehova taught in the Law.
We’ve all been taught that the law is done away with, but the only One who can save says otherwise.
These are the words of Messiah:
John 14:15
“If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.”
John 14:21
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
John 15:10
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
Do you listen to Him?
Do you hear Him?
Do you know His voice?
Do you do the things He says?
Does He know you love Him, in the way that He commands?

If the “Law is done away with” then how do we explain these words of Messiah?
Matthew 5:17-18
 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fully teach it [pleroo; fill up, full, complete, fulfill]. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled [gianomai; to fulfill]

Messiah tells us He did not come to do away with the law, but that He came to fully teach it. And He did fully teach it, both in His words and in His actions by living it out flawlessly.
He then goes on to say that not a single penstroke of the law will change until heaven and earth pass away.

We are given this test in the New Testament, after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, to determine if we even know Him:
1John 2:3-6
³ Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of Yehova is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. ⁶ He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

If we claim to know Jesus, but do not keep the commandments, then we are a liar and do not really know Him. [says scripture, not me]

Do you know Him?
Or do you know what you’ve been told about Him?
Did you know the prophets warned us long ago that our religious institutions woud teach nothing but lies?

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

If all of what I’ve written here seems strange and not right, go back and review the direct quotes of Jesus (Yeshua Messiah).
He says that His sheep know His voice, and then He gives them what??? [Let’s add verses 28-30 to John 10:27 quoted above]
John 10:27-30
 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and My Father are one.”

Please do this…
Get a red letter bible and study all the words of Messiah, and nothing else.
Take notes.
Then decide if His words match what you believe.
You’ll then have to make a choice.
Choose wisely, because His sheep are given eternal life.
You don’t want to be found a liar as in 1John 2:3-6.

Messiah tells us how to get into His kingdom in Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “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!’

In this statement, Yeshua Messiah is speaking to believers. He is speaking to people who claim to have served Him, calling Him their Master.
And yet, He does not know them.
They did not do the will of the Father, which is the Torah.

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Are you lawless?
Will you be sent away, when you were expecting to hear, “Well done, My good and faithful servant”?

We all have a basic understanding that our [hopeful] destination is “heaven”.  Heaven is spoken of in our churches and even in our non-religious culture.  People who hate religion and ‘God’ still want to end up in “heaven”.
If you’ve been to any funerals, the deceased is ALWAYS smiling down on us from a better place, no matter how wretched of a human being they might have been. We are all promised that we’ll get to see them again one day, when we also go to this magic place in the sky.
Funerals are about comforting grieving friends and family.  They are not about teaching anyone the truth.

All it takes is about thirty minutes of bible study to figure out this is all bogus.  There is no magical heaven-place off somewhere in the universe, where the deceased can hang out in comfort while smiling down on all of us, watching us go about our lives.

We are told in Revelation where “heaven” is…
Heaven is right here on earth.
Nobody is going anywhere, folks.
Let’s take a look at Revelation 21-22.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
² I also saw the holy city—the New Jerusalem—coming down out of heaven from Yehova, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 
³ I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying,
“Behold, the dwelling of Yehova is among men,
    and He shall tabernacle among them.
They shall be His people,
    and Yehova Himself shall be among them
    and be their God.
⁴ He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes,
    and death shall be no more.
Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer,
    for the former things have passed away.”

⁵ And the One seated upon the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new!” Then He said, “Write, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
⁶ Then He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will freely give from the spring of the water of life.  ⁷ The one who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But for the cowardly and faithless and detestable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars—their lot is in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

⁹ Then came one of the seven angels holding the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
¹⁰ Then he carried me away in the Ruach to a great and high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Yehova, ¹¹ having the glory of Yehova—her radiance like a most precious stone, like a jasper, sparkling like crystal. ¹² She had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels. On the gates were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Bnei-Yisrael—¹³ three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.  ¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel speaking with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.  ¹⁶ The city is laid out as a square—its length the same as its width. He measured the city with the rod—12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. ¹⁷ He also measured its wall—144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. ¹⁸ The material of the city’s wall was jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every kind of precious stone—the first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; ²⁰ the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, carnelian; the seventh, yellow topaz; the eighth; beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. ²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls—each of the gates was from a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.
²² I saw no temple in her, for its Temple is Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot and the Lamb. ²³ And the city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of Yehova lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb.  ²⁴ The nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it.  ²⁵ Its gates shall never be shut by day, for there shall be no night there! ²⁶ And they shall bring into it the glory and honor of the nations. ²⁷ And nothing unholy shall ever enter it, nor anyone doing what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Book of Life.

REVELATION 22
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life—bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of Yehova and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the city’s street. On either side of the river was a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  ³ No longer will there be any curse. The throne of Yehova and of the Lamb shall be in the city, and His servants shall serve Him. ⁴ They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.  ⁵ Night shall be no more, and people will have no need for lamplight or sunlight—for Adonai Elohim will shine on them. And they shall reign forever and ever!

We get a glimpse of heaven on earth in Revelation 21 and 22. It is the City of New Jerusalem.
This is the destination of those whose names are written in the Book of Life.  This is the destination of the elect, the saints, the saved.
This is where the Tree of Life exists.
This is where the saved will dwell with the glory of Yehova.

Who gets to go there?
We are told in Revelation 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.
Right there you have it…
Those who keep the commands of Yehova are allowed to enter.
Who is not allowed into New Jerusalem?
We see in Revelation 22:15
¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Those who love and practice a lie.  This is referring to those who seek, hear, love, and follow false doctrine.
Jeremiah told us all about it way back in the day.
Jeremiah 16:19-20
¹⁹ O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
²⁰ Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

Is there anywhere else in scripture that tells us who gets to enter the kingdom of heaven, and who does not?
Matthew 7:21-23 [Direct quote of Yeshua Messiah]
²¹ “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!’

Messiah Himself tells us point blank who gets to be in the kingdom:
Those who do the will of My Father.
Yehova gave us His will and told us to do it.  The Torah.
Am I wrong about this?
What does Yeshua say in verse 23 above?
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
In this phrase, Messiah is speaking to people who thought they followed Him. People who thought they were going to heaven.
Messiah says He does not know them.
He rejects them and tells them to depart from Him.
Why?
Because they practice lawlessness.
They do not uphold the will of the Father, which is the Torah.

Is this really important?
“This can’t be important, because I’ve been taught the opposite my whole life.”
Messiah also said this:
John 14:15
 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
and this…
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
and this…
John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Seems like this idea is highly important to Yeshua Messiah.
Messiah says this is how He will know if we love Him.

“Yeah, but, all we have to do is “come to Jesus” and we are good, right?”
Well, what does Messiah have to say about it?
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.”

Yes, we must start with the forgiveness that Messiah offers.
This is critical. There is no other way.
But we don’t stay there. We don’t sit at the foot of the cross and remain there for the rest of our lives.
It is a starting point on this journey, not the finish line.
We must continue on to the Father.

We all desire to end up in heaven, even those not willing to admit it.
How do we get there?
Easy.
We must do the will of the Father.
This is not what any of us have been taught, just as Jeremiah pointed out in ancient times.
We have inherited lies about what heaven is.
We have inherited lies about how to get there.

I highly encourage you to read your bible and sort it out in prayer.
Do not take my word for anything.
Study it.
Pray about it.
Go find the truth, because you will not get the truth sitting in a church pew.