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Nor DO THEY OBSERVE 24-hour shadow called Saturday.

They live under THE ROYAL LAW OF GOD'S KINGDOM, WHICH IS DIVINE LOVE.

Divine Love is NOT a shadow: He is THE REAL THING (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Divine Love is PERFECTION (Psalm 19:7).

Divine Love is JESUS HIMSELF (1 John 4:16).

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2016

HOW WE GOT THE BIBLE

The word Bible comes from the Greek biblia meaning "books".

As its name suggests, this Book is A COMPILATION OF Books inspired by the Holy Spirit and written over a period of approximately 1,600 years, from roughly 1,500 B.C. to 96 A.D. (2 Timothy 3:16).

What we know today as the Hebrew canon or Old Testament (Tanach) had been accepted by Jews as divinely inspired for many centuries and had been compiled by the THIRD CENTURY B.C., some 200 years before Jesus walked the earth (2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 1:1; 2 Peter 1:21).

The Old Testament is "the Bible" that existed when Jesus and His apostles taught and preached.

When Jesus told the Jews to "search the Scriptures", He was referring to the Tanach (John 5:39).

It was the Tanach that the Apostle Paul quoted and used, time and again, to argue and PROVE that Jesus is the Messiah.

That brings us to the NEW Testament (Brit Hadasha) written entirely IN THE FIRST CENTURY A.D.

The Early Church was very methodical in establishing the New Testament canon.

Several criteria were necessary in order for a writing to be accepted, among them:

1. The Book had to CONFORM TO THE FAITH: that is, Christian Truth recognized as normative in the churches.

2. The Book had to be written by an Apostle, or someone in immediate contact with the apostles.

3. The Book had to be well-known, widely circulated and accepted, and in continuous use by churches everywhere.

The Four Gospels, Acts, Epistles and Book of Revelation all meet this criteria.

They were ALL written by one of Jesus' Apostles, or a direct disciple of the Apostles.

They were ALL written IN THE FIRST CENTURY - NO LATER THAN 70 YEARS from the time of Jesus' public ministry.

The Gospel of Mark was written between 35-40 A.D. (WITHIN 7 YEARS of the Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord) and the Book of Revelation by 96 A.D.

I realize that the religion of Rome claims to be "sole guardian" of the Scriptures, particularly the New Testament, but such claims are false.

The Book of Romans DIRECTLY REFUTES their false claim saying that God's Word - was ENTRUSTED TO JEWS - NOT to Romans (Romans 3:2).

The Books of the New Testament were copied by diligent believers and circulated throughout the Christian world IN THE FIRST CENTURY.

The Roman RELIGION was invented IN THE FOURTH CENTURY.

To this day, despite vicious and relentless persecution by the Romans, there are over 5,700 SURVIVING MANUSCRIPTS.

This is UNHEARD OF for any other ancient writing.

Hence, when someone claims to have found the "lost books of the Bible" - they are FULL OF BALONEY.

ALL those "lost" books, without exception, CONTRADICT Scripture, hence were NOT Holy Spirit inspired.

They were NOT widely acknowledged or circulating among Christians in the Early Church, and were written - AT THE EARLIEST - in the SECOND century A.D. - 200 years or more AFTER Jesus' ministry.

Furthermore, they are called pseudepigrapha, which means "books with FALSE titles", FOR A REASON:

The so-called "gospel of Thomas" was NOT written by the Apostle Thomas, anymore than the so-called "Apocalypse of Peter" was written by the Apostle Peter.

God would be A PITIFUL "god" if He were UNABLE TO PRESERVE the integrity and purity of His written Word.

God's Word is TOTALLY reliable.

God's Word never fails.

God's Word is INFALLIBLE.

God's Word is ALWAYS true.

His Word is THE Truth (John 14:6).

His Word is ABSOLUTE, SUPREME AUTHORITY on EVERYTHING.

The Bible is GOD SPEAKING TO US.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2016

TRUE ISRAELISM

Is true Israelism observing the Torah’s 613 commandments?

Is true Judaism observing the 10 Commandments?

How about observing the Sabbath?

Or, observing Levitical dietary laws?

Is true Judaism studying the Talmud, Mishna and Tosefta?

The answer may surprise most, if not all of you:

NO.

That is THE MAN-MADE RELIGION called Judaism.

That, however, is NOT TRUE JUDAISM.

NOR TRUE ISRAELISM.

If we define Israelism or Judaism as THE ETERNAL COVENANT that God made with Abraham, and later with Isaac and Jacob, ALL OF THE ABOVE, which comprises the RELIGION of Judaism, has PRECIOUS LITTLE TO DO with real Israelism or real Judaism.

For when God MADE His ETERNAL Covenant with Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Jacob) THERE WAS NO SINAI LAW, THERE WERE NO 10 COMMANDMENTS, there were no Levitical dietary laws, THERE WAS NO Talmud, NO ORAL LAW (Mishna), and NO Tosefta.

I’ll give you a moment to MEDITATE ON THAT.

God’s ETERNAL Covenant with Israel’s Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was ENTIRELY BASED ON A PROMISE:

A PROMISE which ALL THREE PATRIARCHS HAD TO COMPLETELY TRUST:

To enter into that COVENANT WITH GOD they had to be physically circumcised (a figure of HEART CIRCUMCISION performed by the Spirit ON THOSE WHO TRUST the Jewish Messiah for Salvation.

Heart circumcision manifested once the Messiah STRENGTHENED that eternal Covenant and CONFIRMED IT WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. (Daniel 9:27; Galatians 3:17; 1 Peter 1:18-19)

The Patriarchs had to COMPLETELY TRUST (believe, have faith in) God’s Promise.

If they TRUSTED God they were deemed to be righteous (Genesis 15:6)

There was NO LAW-KEEPING INVOLVED, NO OBSERVANCE of the 10 Commandments, dietary laws, or the 24-hour Sabbath, and NO STUDY OF THE TALMUD, when Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were around.

Ooops!

Well, WHO ARE YOU, Gentile, TO TELL ME WHAT A REAL ISRAELITE IS?

I’m A BELIEVER.

A believer in the Jewish Messiah who has studied His Word – NOT WHAT SOME “scholar” CLAIMS that He said, but WHAT GOD ACTUALLY SAID.

I’m one who BY THE GRACE OF YOUR GOD Yahweh has come to TRUST Yahweh completely, TRUST HIS Word COMPLETELY, TRUST HIS PROMISE completely, and TRUST His Messiah COMPLETELY.

I’m one who HAS EXPERIENCED Yahweh’s Presence, one who KNOWS Yahweh – INTIMATELY, in my INNERMOST being.

I’m one whose heart has been circumcised by His Ruwach haChodesh.

That’s why I can boldly call Him by His Name and not by the FEARFUL “G-d”.

And you can do WITH THAT WHATEVER you want.

THE RELIGION of Judaism was given to slaves and HAS PRODUCED NOTHING BUT SLAVES.

It HASN’T SAVED ONE soul in 3,500 years!

MOSES may have led Israel to freedom from Egyptian BONDAGE, BUT HE LEFT Israel IN SPIRITUAL BONDAGE!

Again:

MOSES may have led Israel to freedom from Egyptian BONDAGE, BUT HE LEFT ISRAELITES IN SPIRITUAL BONDAGE.

Because FREEDOM has never come from following “commandments”

(COMMANDMENTS ARE ORDERS AND ORDERS ARE FOR SLAVES).

Freedom ONLY COMES FROM THE SPIRIT.

And those who ARE LED BY God’s Spirit (Romans 8:14) are NOT slaves, WE ARE SONS.

As sons, we TRUST our Father’s Love.

We DON’T follow orders or “commandments” we FOLLOW LOVE…

WHEREVER He goes!

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016

ADVANTAGE: ISRAEL

There are, nonetheless, some great advantages to being A NATURAL Israelite, and even more to being a NATURAL Jew.

1. Messiah IS Jewish. (Luke 2:11)

2. Messiah came to “the lost sheep of the House of Israel”. (Matthew 15:24)

Although by His sheer Grace BILLIONS of Gentiles have come into Messiah’s Kingdom, He DID NOT come to Gentiles.

3. Salvation is FROM THE JEWS. (John 4:22)

4. They are God’s Chosen people – for all time. And God’s election and calling IS IRREVOCABLE. (Romans 11:29)

5. God HAS NOT REJECTED the Jews. (Romans 11:1-2)

On the contrary, most Jews HAVE REJECTED God by rejecting their Messiah. (Romans 11:28, 31)

6. God ENTRUSTED His Word to the Jews.

He DID NOT entrust His Word to Romans, He DID NOT entrust His Word to Seventh Day Adventists, NOR TO ANY OTHER Gentile, Johnny-come-lately FALSE prophet or prophetess. (Romans 3:2)

7. Jews will DEFEND Jerusalem, just prior to Messiah’s Second Coming, and WILL PREVENT IT FROM BEING DESTROYED (Zechariah 12:1-9)

8. They, along with some Levites, will be THE FIRST, among all Israelites, TO WELCOME BACK THE MESSIAH. (Zechariah 12:10-14)

9. Jerusalem will be THE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD during the Millennium, and Messiah will reign OVER THE EARTH from Jerusalem. (Zechariah 14:9, 16)

10. The 12 tribes will be reunited in Eretz Israel after Messiah’s SECOND Coming. (Ezekiel 37:11-14, 21-22)

11. After every last Gentile that will be saved has come into God’s Kingdom, then ALL ISRAEL will be saved. (Romans 11:25-26)

That means EVERY ISRAELITE WHO EVER LIVED. (Ezekiel 36:10; 37:11)

The only exception is evil Judas Iscariot.

The PARTIAL and TEMPORARY spiritual blindness of NATURAL Israel is so that through Abraham’s Seed (Yeshua) ALL NATIONS (Gentiles) will be blessed, as God promised Abraham. (Romans 11:11,25)

Once those NATIONS (goyyim) HAVE ENTERED His Kingdom…

THEN THE NATURAL DESCENDANTS of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob WILL MAKE IT IN BY VIRTUE OF GOD’S GRACE AND HIS ETERNAL PROMISE to the Patriarchs. (Romans 11:6)

And they, too, will become – ONCE AGAIN – “the Israel of God”.

Oh, the Wisdom, Faithfulness, Grace and Goodness of OUR God and Savior!

Oh, His never-ending love!

Thank you, Father. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit.

Thank you, ONE and MOST MARVELOUS, God!

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

TWO ISRAELS

“For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. WHAT COUNTS IS A NEW CREATION.

Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:15-16)

Paul’s statement in Galatians 6:16 begs the question: is there an Israel that is NOT OF God?

This verse, together with John 8:44 where Jesus tells NATURAL Israelites “you are OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL”…

And Revelation 2:9 where He refers to natural Jews as NOT BEING TRUE JEWS (those who SAY they are Jews, but ARE NOT, but rather are) “the synagogue OF SATAN” …

And with Revelation 3:9:

“I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, WHO CLAIM TO BE Jews though they are not, BUT ARE LIARS -- I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.”

These verses PROVE THAT THERE ARE TWO ISRAELS!

There is SPIRITUAL Israel and NATURAL Israel.

In Galatians 4:21-31 Paul likens NATURAL Israel (those who are born Israelites ONLY IN THE FLESH) to Hagar; and SPIRITUAL Israel (those who have become Israelites by being BORN-AGAIN OF THE SPIRIT) to Sarah.

He goes on to say that the Covenant made at Sinai, observed by FLESH Israelites, ONLY PRODUCES SLAVES LIKE Hagar. (Galatians 4:24-25).

But that those who are SPIRITUALLY BORN-AGAIN, FROM ABOVE (John 3:3-5) are children of heavenly Jerusalem WHO IS FREE. (Galatians 4:26)

Hence, we are FREE.

Born-again believers ARE NOT under ANY SORT OF bondage, but live IN THE FREEDOM of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Unless, of course, WE ALLOW man-made religion TO PUT US AGAIN IN BONDAGE:

And I’ll remind you again that the very word “religion” comes from the Latin religare, which LITERALLY MEANS to RE-BIND or PLACE IN BONDAGE AGAIN.

Pause and meditate on that.

The “Israel of God” is THE ISRAEL that is BORN OF THE SPIRIT.

It INCLUDES many natural Israelites (Messianic Jews) who have been born of the Spirit by receiving and trusting the Jewish Messiah as their only God and Savior.

It EXCLUDES everyone who is NOT born of the Spirit, whether they are Jew or Gentile in the flesh.

"It is the Spirit WHO GIVES LIFE; the flesh COUNTS FOR NOTHING” (John 6:63)

“For THE LETTER (given at Sinai) KILLS, but the Spirit GIVES LIFE”... (2 Corinthians 3:6)

Romans 2:28-29:

“For he is NOT a Jew, WHO IS ONE OUTWARDLY; neither is that circumcision, which is OUTWARD IN THE FLESH:

But he is a Jew, WHO IS ONE INWARDLY; and CIRCUMCISION IS THAT OF THE HEART, IN THE SPIRIT, AND NOT IN THE LETTER” .

Natural Israelites will always be God’s Chosen People:

But ONLY when they receive their Messiah INTO THEIR HEARTS, and experience HEART CIRCUMCISION -- performed by His Most Holy Spirit -- will they become “the Israel OF GOD”.

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

ALL THE CITIES OF ISRAEL

“But WHEN THEY PERSECUTE YOU IN THIS CITY, FLEE INTO ANOTHER: for verily I say unto you, YOU SHALL NOT HAVE GONE OVER THE CITIES OF ISRAEL, TILL THE SON OF MAN COMES.” (Matthew 10:23)

What did Jesus mean when He told His Disciples that He would “come” BEFORE they’d gone through all the towns in Israel?

Before I answer, I have two questions FOR YOU:

1. What is RULE #1 to properly understand Scripture?

Listen to the Holy Spirit, WITHOUT BIAS!!!

Seek Truth with all your heart: Seek His Will, NOT YOUR OWN!!!

2. And what is rule #2?

CONTEXT!!!

Scripture MUST BE READ AND UNDERSTOOD IN CONTEXT.

Otherwise, it won’t make sense, and/or the meaning WILL BE DISTORTED, or altogether LOST.

I’ve been Christian a long time, and I have heard and read the most ABSURD theories about what this passage means.

I have yet to find ONE minister, or ONE commentary, that properly explains this passage:

In fact, reading the myriad “commentaries” by supposed “theologians” on this portion of Scripture is not only AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY, but also DEVASTATING PROOF OF EDUCATED Christian IDIOCY.

Some have suggested that this refers to the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came.

Problem is that Jesus SPECIFICALLY said that “THE SON OF MAN” would come, NOT His Spirit.

One Nobel Peace Prize winning theologian went so far as to suggest that Jesus referred to His Second Coming taking place early in the first century, and that Jesus had been mistaken.

Had Jesus been wrong, HE WOULDN’T BE GOD.

He WOULD HAVE LIED, and (perish the very thought!) there would be NO REASON WHATSOEVER to believe ANYTHING that He said.

By the way, his dumb theory is DEBUNKED by Jesus in Matthew 24:48 and Luke 12:45.

THE WORLD can give that man all the recognition and Nobel Prizes it wants, he was A FREAKIN’ HERETIC.

Other theories are SO NONSENSICAL that they’re not even worth mentioning.

The most prevalent view among theologians is that Jesus referred to the destruction of Jerusalem and its (second) Temple in 70 A.D.

How UTTERLY RIDICULOUS!

Jesus DID NOT “COME” in 70 A.D.

Period: END of story.

Christian “theologians” would have A LOT MORE CREDIBILITY if they simply said “I DON’T KNOW”.

AT LEAST THE WORLD WOULD KNOW that THEY WERE BEING TRUTHFUL!

…RATHER THAN INVENT STUPID THEORIES, trying in vain to HIDE THEIR IGNORANCE, WHEN THEY REALLY HAVE NO CLUE.

TO WHAT, then, was Jesus referring when He told His Disciples that He would COME BEFORE they went over all the cities IN ISRAEL?

To HIS FIRST COMING!!!

Jesus was born in approximately 1 A.D. (since there’s no “ZERO” A.D.)

He began His public ministry 30 years later on or about 31 A.D.

And 3½ years later, He CAME TO ISRAEL OPENLY as their King, when He ENTERED ITS CAPITAL, JERUSALEM, riding on a donkey (Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:10; Luke 19:38; John 12:13):

Isn’t THAT EXACTLY what was predicted by the prophet Zechariah?

“This took place TO FULFILL WHAT WAS SPOKEN THROUGH THE PROPHET:

“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King COMES TO YOU, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” (Matthew 21:4-5; Zechariah 9:9)

The VERY SAME Greek word erchomai is used in Matthew 10:23 as in Matthew 21:5.

That is why the Gospel, the GOOD NEWS OF God’s Kingdom, HAD TO BE PREACHED FIRST to Israel. (Matthew 10:5-6)

Only AFTER the Gospel was preached to all Israel, and AFTER MOST OF ISRAEL REJECTED Jesus as their King, did Peter open the doors of the Kingdom and loosed Gentiles into it (Matthew 16:19; Acts 10, entire chapter).

Hence, Jesus’ words that His Apostles would not have gone through all of ISRAEL’S cities until He CAME into Jerusalem, OPENLY, AS THEIR KING!

You really need to be a theologian to mess this one up!

That this is THE CORRECT meaning is further proven by the fact that Jesus gave these instructions TO THE TWELVE in Galilee, RIGHT AFTER He enlisted them. (Matthew 10:1-15, 23)

In other words: “guys, this is what I’m sending you to do throughout Israel for the next 3½ years: I will COME into Jerusalem as King of Israel, BEFORE you’ve visited ALL its towns and villages”.

That is why the Gospel CONTINUED TO BE PREACHED ONLY IN ISRAEL – even after Jesus’ death, Resurrection and Ascension – for some 14 years, until ALL ISRAEL (ALL ITS CITIES, towns and villages) had heard the Gospel and, for the most part, REJECTED THEIR MESSIAH.

Then, AND ONLY THEN, were Gentiles ushered into the Kingdom. (Acts 10:44-48; 13:46)

Jesus CAME to Israel AS THEIR KING for THE FIRST TIME when He appeared IN JERUSALEM riding a donkey in 35 A.D.

He will COME to Israel AS THEIR KING THE SECOND TIME when He appears IN JERUSALEM on a future Sukkot. (Zechariah 14:3-4, 9)

They REJECTED Him the FIRST time.

They will RECEIVE HIM, and WEEP FOR having rejected HIM, the SECOND time. (Zechariah 12:10-14; 13:6)

Jesus ALWAYS does WHAT HE SAYS!

He CAME TO ISRAEL, AS their Messiah King, BEFORE His Disciples had preached the Good News of His Kingdom IN ALL OF Israel’s cities.

Glory to Him forever!

He meant -- and DID -- EXACTLY what He said.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2016

PETER

The Apostle Peter has gotten a bum rap.

There’s no middle ground when it comes to Peter.

Christians either idolize him, or debase him.

Some want to turn him into “the rock” on which the Church was founded. Others look down on Peter, as “that guy who denied Jesus three times”.

Peter was a human being in need of God’s grace, just like the rest of us.

He went from simple fisherman to leader of the Church.

Jesus gave Peter the singular honor of turning loose both Jews and Gentiles into the Kingdom of God (the keys of the Kingdom). (Matthew 16:18-19; Acts 2:22-40; 10:44-48)

He had a moment of human weakness in which he denied the Master, but later reaffirmed his love for Him, to the point of giving his very life. (John 21:19)

Peter had flashes of great spiritual revelation (Matthew 16:17; Acts 10:9-15), and times when he wished (if the Gospels are any indication) that he’d kept his big mouth shut.

In case you’re wondering, I can REALLY identify with Peter!

One moment he’d say: “you’re the Christ, the Son of the living God”, while the other disciples weren’t sure who Jesus was, nor had the guts to speak up.

Other times, he’d say something silly, like when he proposed to build a tent for Jesus, another Moses and another for Elijah on the mount of transfiguration. (Mark 9:5)

Peter wasn’t much of a writer. He was more of a talker. But what he wrote was choice. There are some real spiritual gems in the Book of Acts, and in his two epistles, 1 and 2 Peter.

Evidently, Peter was very important, when satan (that evil SOB!) asked specifically for him so he could “sift him as wheat”. (Luke 22:31)

Evidently, Jesus saw something good in Peter. That’s why He made him leader of the apostles and the early Church. (Matthew 10:2; Luke 5:8-10)

Peter LOVED JESUS WITH ALL HIS HEART. He was a man of great faith. How do I know?

He’s THE ONLY PERSON IN HISTORY, besides Jesus, TO HAVE WALKED ON WATER.

Sure, his natural mind eventually interfered, and he started to sink. But he did take a few steps on it. (Matthew 14:28-31)

Not only was Peter restored to the ministry, he was so anointed that he made a lame man walk (Acts 3:6-10) raised the dead (Acts 9:40) and, as he walked around, HIS SHADOW WOULD HEAL EVERY SICKNESS. (Acts 5:15-16)

And he never even asked for a dime!