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BearTrax Fellowship

The Hebraic Roots of our Faith

Questions & Answers

When people discover we keep the seventh-day Sabbath, commandment number 4 of the Ten Commandments, the usual question asked is, "are you Jewish"? When we answer NO, they get this puzzled look on their face. The question that generally follows is, "What are you"? We answer with what the Apostle John and the Apostle Paul has told us; we are sons of God.

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become sons of God, even to those who believe in His name". (KJV John 1:12).

The apostle Paul said:

"For you are all sons of God through faith in Yahshua haMashiach [Messiah Jesus]." (NASB Galatians 3:26).

We are sons and daughters of the Living God! Our answer usually creates further confusion and elicits numerous questions. Man is so used to religious affiliation labels such as Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Adventist, Lutheran, Church of Christ, Mormon and a myriad of others, that our answer just confuses them. Buy why?

Yahweh sent his only son Yahshua (Jesus) to instruct us and be an example for us. If we imitate him, we will keep the Father's instructions for our life - Torah. Yahshua was not part of any man-made denomination…Yahshua kept the Torah. He went to his death for us, and died a sinless man. If Torah was good for Yahshua, should it not also be good for us?

Men, not God (YHWH), make religious systems and denominations. YHWH gave us clear instructions on what he wants from us. It is so simple!

Question…Why are there hundreds of denominations? Answer…Because man has changed, altered, and confused the teachings and instructions of YHWH to conform to a particular way he wishes to believe, rather than follow God's way.

A church that embraces Yahshua's life and teachings is harder to find than one that preaches health, wealth and prosperity. Many churches have become more of a social club rather than a place set aside to worship the Father.

Why has this happened? Why are there seminaries and Bible Colleges teaching doctrine based on man's traditions, rather than Yahweh's commandments? Is this OK with YHWH?

Do you know that YHWH has provided instructions to us about:

· how we are live,

· how we are to treat one another,

· how we are to do business,

· how we are to choose our spouses,

· how we are to treat our spouses,

· how we are to educate and treat our children,

· what we are to eat,

· how we should choose our friends,

· how we are to worship,

· and much more…

In other words, He gave us an Instruction Manual For Life. It is called the TORAH. Is the TORAH a collection of rules we must obey? Is it legalism? Are we under the LAW? Absolutely NO! Out of love and devotion to our Savior and Redeemer, the one who created us, we follow His Instruction Manual for Life; the "Torah". After all, Yahshua says in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Keeping the commandments is how one expresses love.

Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

To fear God (Yahweh - YHWH) means to respect him, to honor him, to have faith in him, to love him, to stand in awe of his immeasurable holiness and worth; and above all to gratefully accept the priceless gift of salvation which he has made available through his only begotten Son, Yahshua the Messiah.

To keep His commandments needs little if any explanation. It simply means to obey YHWH's (God's) law (Exodus 20). Obedience is in fact an expression of faith, the fruit of faith, and the only reliable manifestation of true love of God. In other words, believers who love the Almighty should seek to obey His commandments, because faith without obedience is dead (1 John 5:1-3, James 2:17-26).

Can you detect a continuing theme so far? Three words stand out, Love, Faith & Obedience. To be complete as a believer, these three attributes must be manifested in one's life. They are mutually dependant upon one another. You cannot be one in Christ without all three manifestations working together in your life. It is impossible for one to claim they love God and yet live in disobedience to His word. It is a lie said to oneself.

Obedience is a vital pre-requisite to protection. For, believe it or not, divine protection is conditional; and the main condition believers must meet to qualify for protection is to add to their faith - obedience.

Many Christian brothers (some of whom have told us they've never even read the Bible) believe that those who embrace their Hebraic roots are a "cult" or, at the very least, "under the law" and practice "legalism" because we observe the Torah - God's original, eternal teaching and instruction.

While it is extremely disturbing to get bombarded by Biblically illiterate people, we also understand that most Christians don't even know what Torah is all about! Most people have taken for gospel the teachings of their "New Testament only" pastors - which, in reality is no different from the ancient rabbis who taught their Jewish brethren their man-made opinions (Oral Torah) of the real God-given Torah...hardly anyone ever starts to study for themselves, or to even ask themselves: What does the Bible actually say?

Isn't it time you find out the truth instead of accepting the word of denominational seminary trained pastors, television preachers and other teachers who have an agenda? It is not that difficult!

Rather than to engage in endless arguments with our Christian brethren, we have composed the following short questionnaire. Please keep an open mind. Ask Yahweh to provide you with the ability to discern the TRUTH as we proceed.

Questionnaire for Mainstream Christians (Answers are discussed in detail, below.)

1. Was Jesus a Jew or a Gentile? (Don't laugh - many Christians don't know the answer to this!)

2. Why do most Christians refer to the Jewish Messiah as "Jesus" when Yahshua was His given Hebrew name? It's not that hard to pronounce; is it important?

3. Where in the Scriptures does God tell us to ignore the original, seventh day Sabbath - the day He Himself blessed and made holy (Gen 2:1-2)? (Please don't insist that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday because "Jesus rose on a Sunday"… this is NOT true!)

4. Christians insist that "the law" was abolished. How is that possible when sin is transgression of "the law"? When and by who was it abolished? Certainly not by Yahshua! He said He came NOT to abolish but to confirm (Hebrew: koom which means "establish/confirm)". Why would Yahshua's role as FINAL SIN SACRIFICE in any way negate Torah - God's original and eternal teaching and instruction? Yahshua is our "New Covenant" and "Sin Sacrifice". God gave us a New Covenant, not a new Torah! He never even mentioned Torah as He spoke about giving us a New Covenant (Jer 31:30-33/Heb.8:8-12)!

5. Most Christians insist that "the law" was "written on our hearts" (Jeremiah 31:33-34; Romans 10:4-8) and therefore, the "OT" no longer pertains to them. How can you know what "the law" is, if you don't first study and learn to obey it? Man is born into sin; he does not automatically know "right" from "wrong" - this is what Torah is all about.

6. In view of the fact that God said to celebrate the Biblical feasts forever (Leviticus 23:21, 31, 41, Exodus 12:14), why do you believe He wants you to ignore them now, simply because His Son died on the cross? Has "forever" come and gone, or somehow ended? He even uses the word perpetual...doesn't that still mean forever?

7. Did Sha'ul (Apostle Paul) actually say that, since Yahshua's death, we can eat whatever we want, meaning there are no more dietary rules?

8. If, as you believe, the Torah was "abolished" and the "Old Testament" is to be ignored - why are Christians still teaching the Ten Commandments or telling church members to tithe? Isn't it hypocritical to pick and choose what we want to believe of the "Old Testament, and ignore that part we don't like? Some call these "Cafeteria Christians".

9. Do the Scriptures command us to celebrate the birth or resurrection of the Messiah via Christmas and Easter? What's more, is it okay to lie to your children about the existence of Santa Claus and egg-laying rabbits? What do these things have to do with Yahshua's birth and death? For those who answer: "It's fun; it's tradition", please check the Bible to see what God says about man-made traditions...

10. Do you realize that the original followers of Yahshua and His disciples were all Torah observant? Do you realize that today's Christianity was spawned out of Catholicism, which totally twisted the teachings of Yahshua? That being the case, how can today's Christians claim that their respective churches are the "original church that Jesus built" when none of them observe Torah, and most of them ignore the seventh day Sabbath and the Biblical feasts? Does your church in any way resemble anything that Yahshua originally taught? Please check the Bible thoroughly before answering.

13. Do you really believe that by ignoring Torah you are provoking the Jews to jealousy (Romans 11:11:12)? Do you think Jews are going to be jealous of pork and shrimp eating Christians who ignore the true Sabbath and the Biblical feasts, and are asking the Jews to give up the entire half of the Bible that contains the Torah which is our only blueprint for moral living?

The answers to the above questions are discussed in detail below.

1. Was Yahshua (Jesus) a Jew or a Gentile?

Yahshua was a Torah observant, talit wearing, synagogue attending, Sabbath and feast-keeping, kosher Jew, who observed Yahweh's holy days of Passover, Tabernacles, and Pentecost. Are today's Christians, for the most part, walking in Torah, keeping the Biblical feasts, or the seventh day Sabbath as Yahshua did? Catholicism and many Christian denominations claim to be the "true religion" that Yahshua established. Yet, modern day "Christianity" has very little in common with the founder of their "faith"! Do you imitate Yahshua in your worship life? If not, why not?

2. Why do most Christians refer to the Jewish Messiah as "Jesus" when Yahshua was His given Hebrew name? It's not that hard to pronounce. Our Jewish Messiah's given name by the Father, through the Angel Gabriel to his mother Mary, was Yahshua (the Hebrew is spelled in various ways including Yeshua, Y'shua, etc.). "Jesus" was not His name, it is the Hellenized-Anglicized transliteration of "Yahshua". The name "Jesus" has no meaning, while Yahshua means "Salvation". Yahshua was never referred to by the name "Jesus" in His lifetime. Some people say that this is irrelevant, but our question is this: If your name were "John" or "Jill", why would you answer to "Bill" or "Betty"? Does it make a difference to you? Yes, Yahshua knows whom we are talking about when He is called "Jesus", but it's a lot more rewarding to call Him by His true given Name - the name that has a meaning, the name the Father our creator gave Him. There never was a messiah on this earth named Jesus.

3. Where in the Scriptures does God tell us to ignore the original, seventh day Sabbath - the day He Himself blessed, sanctified and made holy (Gen 2:1-2)?

You won't find anything in the Scriptures that references the changing of the Sabbath to Sunday, because it just isn't there! Some argue that Roman Emperor Constantine was responsible for changing the Sabbath to Sunday because he hated the Jews. Historical documentation however indicates it was a joint effort of Emperor Constantine and the Roman Catholic Church . No matter who instituted Sunday worship, in Yahshua's time, both Jews and Gentiles alike, regularly attended the synagogue for worship on the seventh day, and the fact that Gentiles in Antioch requested further instruction of Paul "on the next Sabbath" is irrefutable evidence that no separate Sunday (1st day) meetings were being held there by those early Christians.

The Gentiles were willing to wait an entire week, till the next Saturday, for a meeting because they knew that Paul and his companions did not normally meet for worship on a Sunday. Acts 13:42-44 tells us that, on the next Sabbath (Saturday) almost the whole city arrived for the meeting. Furthermore, the fact is, neither the Father nor the Son has ever claimed the first day as His own in any higher sense than He has each or any of the other laboring days. Neither of them has ever placed any blessing upon it, or attached any sanctity to it.

God calls the Sabbaths "My Sabbaths." The Sabbaths, weekly and annual, are His; they do not belong to us, nor are they "Jewish Sabbaths" or "Gentile Sabbaths." "Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you" (Exodus 31:13 emphasis mine).

Here, then, is the purpose of the Sabbath: ". . . it is a sign." A sign is a badge, a symbol, mark, or token of identity. Webster's Dictionary defines a sign as "a display used to identify or advertise a place of business or a product. Something indicating the presence or existence of something else." God commands His people to keep His Sabbaths as a sign. It is a sign between God's people and God: "It is a sign between Me and you." It is a badge or token of identity, advertising, announcing, or proclaiming certain identifying knowledge: ". . . that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you."

So that we have no excuse, God says, "I don't want you to do any work on that day. I don't want you to turn your attention to your own things." Nobody will be able to come to God and say, "I never had the time to spend time with You." The Bible tells us God expressly reserved the seventh day to Himself, placing His blessing upon it, and claimed it as His holy day. (Genesis 2:1-3.) Moses told Israel in the wilderness of Sin on the sixth day of the week, "Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord." Exodus 16:23.

Finally, wouldn't you think the one who created the Sabbath at the beginning of the world would certainly know what day the Sabbath was? SO…here are three questions for you to answer…use only scripture as the source of truth to find your answers:

a) What day did Yahshua worship on and keep as the Sabbath?

b) What day did Yahshua's apostles worship on keep as the Sabbath and after Yahshua's crucifixion and resurrection?

c) Where is the irrefutable evidence that "God changed His mind" and created another day for the Sabbath; where He instructed us to make His Sabbath on Sunday?

Would you believe the NT records in the Book of Acts alone the Apostles keeping the 7th day Sabbath over 84 times? This was long after Yahshua's death, burial and resurrection! Have you ever wondered why?

4. Christians insist that "the law" was abolished. How is that possible when sin is transgression of "the law"? When and by who was it abolished? Certainly not by Yahshua! He said He came NOT to abolish but to confirm (the Hebrew word is koom which means "establish/confirm)". Why would Yahshua's role as FINAL SIN SACRIFICE in any way negate Torah - God's original and eternal teaching and instruction? Yahshua is our "New Covenant" and "Sin Sacrifice". God gave us a New Covenant, not a new Torah! He never even mentioned Torah as He spoke about giving us a New Covenant (Jer 31:30-33/Heb.8:8-12)!

You won't find anything in the Scriptures to show that Torah was ever abolished. Many Christians have decided that when God said, "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts", He meant that His original Torah (teachings) would be rendered null and void. How many people today automatically know God's laws? How many actually obey his laws? If it were truly the case that God's laws were somehow imprinted in our hearts, there would be NO adultery, divorce, murder, hate crimes, abortion, lying, stealing, coveting - things that many Christians, too, are guilty of...

Yahshua said: Matthew 5: 17 Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah - not until everything that must happen has happened. If "ALL" hasn't happened yet, and heaven and earth have not passed away, then that must mean that His Torah is still valid....

5. Most Christians insist that "the law" was "written on our hearts" (Jeremiah 31:33-34; Romans 10:4-8) and therefore, the "Old Testament" no longer pertains to them. How can you know what "the law" is, if you don't first study and learn to obey it? Man is born into sin; he does not automatically know "right" from "wrong" - which is what Torah is all about.

Perhaps professing Christians need to look at this passage from another viewpoint: Unless we have read the "OT" (Old Testament) how can we automatically KNOW what Torah says? Yes, we have "the law"/Torah written on our hearts - but this does not mean we have an automatic knowledge of it just because we are "saved". It means we now have the desire for Torah! The heart is the "seat of desire". Why? Because it is the battleground over which God and Satan fight continually. Allegiance comes from the heart; as do concepts such as honor, loyalty, integrity and commitment. The heart sets apart greatness from merely "good". Without the heart no endeavor reflects the fact that we are created in the image of God. When one says, "God knows my heart", they are right. For the heart will manifest, and make known the real desire in our lives. Do you have an obedient heart?

6. In view of the fact that God said to celebrate the Biblical feasts forever (Leviticus 23:21, 31, 41, Exodus 12:14), why do you believe He wants you to ignore them now, simply because His Son died on the cross? Has "forever" come and gone, or somehow ended? If so, then please explain why Yahshua has so far only fulfilled FOUR of the SEVEN Biblical feasts....

No - "forever" has not come and gone. The words "perpetual" and "forever" meant forever then and it still means forever today. Those who embrace their Hebraic roots celebrate the Biblical feasts for one reason… because it is instructed by God in the Torah for Israel to observe these festivals forever (Leviticus 23:21, 31, 41, Exodus 12:14). (As believers in the Jewish Messiah Yahshua, YOU have become part of the Commonwealth of Israel ).

Yahshua observed these festivals, as did the early Messianic Jews and apostles such as Apostle Shaul/ Paul (Acts 20:16, 1 Corinthians 16:8, Acts 28:17). When Yahshua returns to this earth these festivals will be re-established worldwide (Zechariah 14:16-21). God has His appointed times! He does nothing without purpose. Why do we think we can simply ignore what He says?

Here's something to ponder. Yahshua has only fulfilled the first four of the seven Biblical Feasts. If He fulfilled the first four, what makes you think He won't fulfill the last three? If everything goes according to God's Plan and the first four feasts have been fulfilled, then the next feast to be fulfilled is Rosh Hashana - the Feast of Trumpets - Yahshua's return.

During the millennium the Festivals of Yahweh, those sacred memorials of His greatest acts in the Program of Salvation, will be observed by all the nations of the world. This amazing fact is amply proved in the prophecy of Zechariah, where we find a whole section (chapter 14) devoted to the keeping of the Feast of Tabernacles during the Messiah's millennial reign. Listen to what God also says to us through the prophet Isaiah 66:22-24:

For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. 24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. (KJV)

If we will celebrate the feasts with Yahshua when He returns, then why shouldn't we be celebrating them now?

7. Does the "New Testament" actually say that, since Yahshua's death, we can eat whatever we want - meaning there are no more dietary laws?

When read in context, the answer is "No". Dietary Laws always were, and still is, God's Law. God never said pork, shellfish, etc. were food! People called it food…in rebellion against God. The passages in question in the "New Testament" deal with animals God gave us to eat and whether they are ceremonially clean and can be eaten at that time. Even in Peter's vision (Acts 11), Peter would never have eaten the kosher animals that had been in contact with treife (non-kosher) animals. The vision was to show that the kosher animals were no longer considered unclean because they were among the treife. This was illustrating that the Gentiles were now to be accepted! The rest of the passage in Acts 11 shows that this is the correct interpretation and what the vision was all about.

God initially created a perfect universe. He provided everything in balance, including nature. Man is the one who has messed it up (but that is the subject for another time). He even created a sanitation system, a clean-up crew, so that when creatures died, they were disposed of by this sanitation system. Who is this clean-up crew?...they are the creatures He created to feed off the dead carcasses such as hawks, vultures, osprey, pigs, dogs, and others on the land. In the sea He created the shrimp, crabs, and lobsters to feed off the dead. He also created the clams, oysters, scallops and other bi-valves to filter the refuse and filth from the water. Dead, decaying creatures can carry disease…they are unclean; that is precisely why God told us not to eat the creatures he created to dispose of the dead. He loves you, He wants us to be clean…His desire is for you to be healthy.

8. If the Torah was "abolished" and the "Old Testament" teachings are to be ignored - why are Christian pastors still teaching the Ten Commandments or telling church members to tithe? Isn't it hypocritical to pick and choose particular items what we want to believe of the "Old Testament and ignore the rest?

The Ten Commandments appear in two places in the Bible - in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. Neither version conveniently lists the commandments from one to ten, which is presumably how they would appear when posted. In the most commonly referenced passage (Exodus 20), the commandments cover 17 verses and encompass at least 14 imperatives. Concerning tithing; in the New Testament tithe and tithing are found eight times (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; 18:12; Hebrews 7:5-6,8-9). But all of these passages refer to the Old Testament scripture. In view of this fact, it seems that today's church pastors should never ask for tithes because, according to their own teaching, tithes are "old testament" laws that were abolished...

9. Do the Scriptures command us to celebrate the birth or resurrection of the Messiah via Christmas and Easter? What's more, is it okay to lie to your children about the existence of Santa Claus and egg-laying rabbits? What do these things have to do with Yahshua's birth and death? For those who want to answer: "its fun; its tradition", then please check the Bible to see what God says about man-made traditions...

You won't find Christmas and Easter anywhere in the Bible. Those holidays were man's idea. Satan encouraged us to insert paganistic traditions into the church to lead us away from the Truth. What's more, it is not okay to lie to your children about the existence of Santa Claus and egg-laying rabbits. Lying is a sin that breaks the Ninth Commandment. Can you honestly say that you've never said to your kids: "Santa Claus is coming soon to bring you toys, so you'd better be good!" or "Look! The Easter bunny brought you some colored eggs!" Is it okay to tell a "little" lie? Since when? Is human tradition worth the cost of making us guilty of sinning in God's eyes?

10. Do you realize that the original followers of Yahshua and His disciples were all Torah observant? Do you realize that modern Christianity was spawned out of Catholicism that totally twisted the teachings of Yahshua? That being the case, how can today's Christians claim that their respective churches are the "original church that Jesus built" when none of them observe Torah, and most of them ignore the seventh day Sabbath and the Biblical feasts? Does the worship in your church in any way resemble what Yahshua originally taught? Please check the Bible thoroughly before answering.

In the beginning, Gentiles were considered to be immoral heathens and Pagans because they worshiped every kind of "god" except Yahweh Himself. But yet, it was always Yahweh's will for the Gentile nations to receive His Salvation (Isaiah 49:6, 42:6)

God told Abraham that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). Early Messianic Jews did not understand that this was God's will and proclaimed the Good News of the Messiah only to Jewish people. The controversy in the First Century was not if it was Jewish to believe in Yahshua but whether Gentiles could be included without having to become Jewish. This problem was addressed by the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:1-31).

(NOTE: Many people have misunderstood the proceedings at the Jerusalem Council to mean Gentiles were only required to perform certain acts - without realizing that Acts 15 is referring to the numerous man-made laws (the Oral Torah created by the Rabbis and not the Torah itself!)

When the early Messianic Jews took the Good News of the Messiah to the Gentiles, a great number were brought into the Messianic faith. By the end of the first century A.D., the number of Gentile believers outnumbered the Jewish believers by a ratio of two to one! This occurred primarily because there were (and still are) more Gentiles in the world than Jewish people. Through the years, as the number of Gentile believers increased, they began to dominate this Messianic faith.

Gentile believers, not understanding the Hebraic roots of their faith and God's eternal covenant with Israel, incorporated pagan practices of the Greeks and Romans into their beliefs. Eventually, as the sheer numbers of Gentiles surpassed the Messianic Jews, the "Christian" faith became divorced from their Hebraic roots (Romans 11:1-2) altogether. This "de-Judaizing process" continued until Gentile Christianity emerged as the dominant representative faith in the Messiah. In one of the greatest paradoxes in history, it became alien for a Jew to believe in Yahshua as his Messiah!

11. Yahshua said He came NOT to abolish but to fulfill/establish/confirm (Matthew 5:17). He also said that until all has been accomplished, and heaven and earth have passed away, not one "jot or tittle"/the smallest letter or stroke would disappear from the Torah (Matthew 5:18). Has ALL been accomplished yet? Have heaven and earth passed away yet? If not, why are you ignoring Torah? Since Yahshua said He did NOT come to abolish Torah, we MUST adhere to Torah! The Bible clearly shows that Yahshua was a devout Jew who did not come to abolish the Torah of His Father, but to magnify, establish, and confirm it! As we continue to read Matthew 5, verse 19 and 20 clench the previous two: 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot (words/commands) and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (emphasis mine)

12. The Bible in several places states that God's Word is FOREVER. "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89). Did "forever" end at the beginning of the "New Testament"? Has "forever" come and gone?......God said His Word is FOREVER. "Forever" didn't end last Tuesday, so why are Christians negating His Torah already? "As for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the LORD, "from now and forever." (Also see Isaiah 59:21 and 1 Chronicles 16:15.)

"Forever" hasn't come unless "everything has happened that must happen" and "heaven and earth have passed away" (Rev.21:1). Has the heavenly Jerusalem already come down from heaven to the earth (Rev.21:2)? Has Satan already been punished and cast into the lake of fire? (Rev.20:10.) Has the Great White Throne Judgment occurred already? (Rev.20:11-12.) Has Yahshua already returned and established the Kingdom of God (Rev. 10:1-7 and Rev.19:6, 11-16)? You see, it is not that difficult to understand.

13. Do you really believe that by ignoring Torah you are provoking the Jews to jealousy (Romans 11:11:12)?

Do you think Jews are going to be jealous of pork and shrimp eating Christians who ignore the true Sabbath and the Biblical feasts, and are asking believers to give up the entire half of the Bible that contains the Torah which is our only blueprint for moral living?.......Yahweh used the Jews to spread the Word about Himself and His Son. If He hadn't "scattered the Jews into the nations" you would never even have heard of Yahweh or Yahshua! Yet many supposed "Christians" openly hate the Jews and condemn Israel for their defensive actions in Gaza while supporting their enemies that surround them. Christians are commanded to spread the Gospel to the entire world; this includes your Jewish brethren!.......Christians have killed millions of Jews and been responsible for persecuting them in one way or another for centuries. Remember the Inquisition and the Crusades? Tens of thousands of Jews were tortured and killed by Christians in the name of "Jesus". Can you blame them for their feelings about Christians and Jesus? And now Christians want to beat them over the head with the "New Testament" by insisting, "Jesus nailed the law to the cross" and "You're going to hell unless you start believing in Jesus"?

Let me share with you the unbelievable words of Martin Luther, an icon of the Protestant Reformation, from his article On The Jews and Their Lies written in 1543..... What then shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of Jews? Since they live among us and we know about their lying and blasphemy and cursing, we can not tolerate them if we do not wish to share in their lies, curses, and blasphemy. In this way we cannot quench the inextinguishable fire of divine rage nor convert the Jews. We must prayerfully and reverentially practice a merciful severity. Perhaps we may save a few from the fire and flames [of hell]. We must not seek vengeance. They are surely being punished a thousand times more than we might wish them. Let me give you my honest advice. First, their synagogues should be set on fire, and whatever does not burn up should be covered or spread over with dirt so that no one may ever be able to see a cinder or stone of it. And this ought to be done for the honor of God and of Christianity in order that God may see that we are Christians, and that we have not wittingly tolerated or approved of such public lying, cursing, and blaspheming of His Son and His Christians. Secondly, their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed. For they perpetrate the same things there that they do in their synagogues. For this reason they ought to be put under one roof or in a stable, like gypsies, in order that they may realize that they are not masters in our land, as they boast, but miserable captives, as they complain of incessantly before God with bitter wailing. Thirdly, they should be deprived of their prayer-books and Talmuds in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy are taught. Fourthly, their rabbis must be forbidden under threat of death to teach any more... Fifthly, passport and traveling privileges should be absolutely forbidden to the Jews. For they have no business in the rural districts since they are not nobles, nor officials, nor merchants, nor the like. Let them stay at home...If you princes and nobles do not close the road legally to such exploiters, then some troop ought to ride against them, for they will learn from this pamphlet what the Jews are and how to handle them and that they ought not to be protected. You ought not, you cannot protect them, unless in the eyes of God you want to share all their abomination.....To sum up, dear princes and nobles who have Jews in your domains, if this advice of mine does not suit you, then find a better one so that you and we may all be free of this insufferable devilish burden - the Jews...

Christianity today wants to tell the Jews that the God that was borrowed from them (the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) has come in the form of a man they are supposed to worship? Christianity demands of the Jews that they throw away their Tanach ("Old Testament) because Christians believe Jesus' death on the cross automatically negated ALL of God's original teachings? Christianity wants them to believe they should throw out the original God-breathed Word and adhere to "the other half" of the Bible in which the Apostle Paul said things that Gentiles have misunderstood and misinterpreted as negating Torah? Christianity wants them to give up the idea of the Yahweh-commanded Sabbath and the Biblical feasts - the very feasts that Yahshua is STILL in the process of fulfilling???.

Have some compassion! In order to win the heart of a Jew, you must first remember that Yahshua was a Torah observant, seventh day Sabbath and Biblical feast-keeping, kosher Jew! You must realize that the reason most Jews do not and cannot believe in Him is because their "spiritual eyes" have not yet been opened. GOD Himself will open their eyes in due time. In the meantime, our job as Believers is to be kind and understanding, and to educate ourselves on exactly what it is about the Torah that Jews refuse to let go...While you're at it, maybe you will learn that you're supposed to be keeping Torah, as well!

Does any of this make sense to you? God did not intend for His scriptures to be difficult to understand. He did not intend for us to "dig-out" some hidden doctrines from cleverly disguised scripture. No my friends; in fact, most people could not read in the ancient times…only the educated could read the scrolls. So, YHVH instructed the priests to read the Torah to all the people every seven years so they could know and understand His word. His word is not hard to understand.

We can learn so much from just studying the scriptures…BUT…when you do, be prepared for some surprises! Like us, if you truly seek God and His truth, you will have to ask yourself some serious questions like; why do I do things CONTRARY to what God has asked of me. More often than not the answer will be, "because that is what I was taught at church!" TRADITION! There is nothing wrong with tradition, UNTIL it interferes with or replaces the will of our God and creator. God made it abundantly clear in both the OT and the NT that we are not to add to nor take away from God's word. Does God lie? Does He change His mind? NO! In fact, He also states in both the OT and NT that He does not change! "I am the Lord, I change not….For ever, O Lord thy word is settled in heaven" (Mal 3:6, Ps 119:89). "Yahshua [Jesus] the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever" (Heb 13:8 CJB).

There is a question now thyat you must now deal with! To find the answer to this question we suggest you first go to our Father in prayer. Ask Him to reveal the TRUTH to you; seek His guidance and direction in your life. If you are sincerely a truth seeker, He will place the answer in your heart. The Question is; do I follow the traditions of men, or, do I follow the will of my Father and Creator?

The Barna Group, a research and opinion pollster firm just released some facts that will startle you:

"Growing numbers of people now serve as their own theologian-in-residence," said George Barna, president of Barna Group, on releasing findings of one of the polls on Jan. 12. In the Barna survey, 71 percent of American adults say they are more likely to develop their own set of religious beliefs than to accept a defined set of teachings from a particular church. Even among born-again Christians, 61 percent pick and choose from the beliefs of different denominations. For people under the age of 25, the number rises to 82 percent. Many "cafeteria Christians" go beyond the teachings of Christian denominations to embrace parts of other world religions. Half of Americans also believe that Christianity is now just one of many faith options people can choose from (44 percent disagree with that perception). Residents of the Northeast and West were more likely than those in the South and Midwest to say Christianity has lost its status as the favored American religion. Christians expressed a variety of unorthodox beliefs in the poll. Nearly half of those interviewed do not believe in the existence of Satan, one-third believe Jesus sinned while on earth, and two-fifths say they don't have a responsibility to share their faith with others. (Emphasis ours)

We will leave you with the statement made by Yahshua to the Pharisees about their traditions; He told them, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 Their worship of me is empty, because they teach human rules as doctrines.' 8 You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." 9 Then he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition! (Mark 7:7 ISV- Emphasis is ours)

There is a saying "history repeats itself". That statement has tremendous truth…but too often, especially our representatives in Washington ignore the truth. In this instance however, people today do as the Pharisees did in Yahshua's time. History is not repeating itself…it just continues sliding down the slippery slope of disobedience to God's word. Many profess faith in God but do not even know Him! Just as Yahshua said to the Pharisees, their worship is vain, not knowing whom they worship and learning the doctrines of man, not God. A belief imparted by parents or other authority figures such as a pastor or teacher that God exists, is not sufficient to establish contact with Him.

How long do you think God will exercise His restraint? How long will he put up with a people who reject His word, who insult Him by incorporating pagan practices into their worship, who follow the traditions of men over His commandments? Look at the signs and you will see that time is drawing to a close. It has been said if you want to know what time it is on God's calendar - keep an eye on Israel for it is God's timepiece. The scriptures relating to Israel's prophetic role in the end times are numerous. The world's nations are coalescing toward the final conflict. He is gathering together His people; His people are Israel…those who profess and acknowledge Yahshua haMashiach as their Savior and keep the commandments of God. Are you part of the Commonwealth of Israel ?

Friends, be like the Bereans ; question and investigate everything you hear and read. Why? The best answer to that question is, BECAUSE YOUR ETERNITY DEPENDS ON IT! If it does not match-up with God's word, His commandments and His statutes, ignore it. The more you study His word, the more God will reveal to you.

Again, WHO are the children of Israel? Anyone who believes in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! As a grafted in Gentile believer YOU are to be Torah-obedient! Torah is not a "tradition"; it is God's commandments - without which the world would not have a blueprint for behavior. The feasts are not a "tradition". They were commanded!

The Bottom Line Is

Torah was NOT abolished on the cross. Our past SINS were abolished; the need for a SIN SACRIFICE was abolished - NOT Torah! Yeshua was God Incarnate who offered Himself as our Final Sin Sacrifice. Nothing more! God used to demand animal sacrifices for sins; THAT is what was abolished on the cross; not God's original commands and teachings - which He clearly stated would last FOREVER! Yeshua came to abolish the man-made, rabbinical teachings that were totally off the mark; NOT Torah, our guide-book for life!

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