2 Samuel 16:5 Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name [was] Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came.
Why do you think Shimei was cursing David? I believe it was because he was loyal to his “house” which was of Saul. Shimei didn’t like the fact that God had taken the throne away from his family and he despised David for it. This seems to be a key to false accusation, jealousy. In this case Shimei was jealous of David’s position.

6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men [were] on his right hand and on his left.
7 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue!
8 “The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you [are caught] in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!”
Notice the place that Shimei’s jealousy took him, he began to act on his jealousy by casting stones and cursing David and his servants. Was David a bloodthirsty man? While David certainly committed a “bloodthirsty” act in the premeditated murder of Uriah the Hittite, he didn’t practice this. So, is Shimei justified? The Scriptures don’t seem to support this. In fact, we learn that David was considered to be “a man after God’s own heart”. This doesn’t sound like someone who’s bloodthirsty. Further, Shimei calls David a “rogue”. This word in Hebrew is actually Belial and it means ‘without profit, worthlessness, destruction, wickedness’. This is quite the insult! And is David actually reigning in the place of Saul or was Saul reigning in the place of David? A question that probably needs a bit more study.

9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”
When being accused of something that’s not true, it’s nice to have people around you who will quickly come to your defense.

10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”
11 And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now [may this] Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the LORD has ordered him.
12 “It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day.”
Look at how David responds! He receives the stones…he receives what Shimei is saying, though it doesn’t appear to be true. This shows David’s heart of humility. David was willing to accept what didn’t seem to be true so that what might be true could benefit him. This is what the LORD was speaking to me about this passage. Is this how I would have responded? Probably not. Most likely, I would have tried to defend myself and supply a point by point rebuttal. David realized that His Father in Heaven allowed Shimei to come and say the things that he did and he was willing to listen for the Father’s voice in the midst of false accusation. This must be our heart when faced with this. We need to simply put our faith in the One Who holds our very breath in His hands knowing that He will not give us more than we handle! When we fail to listen for God’s voice in the midst of accusation, we are actually distancing ourselves from our Savior. Jesus said…And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. We’ve been given a promise that trials, tribulations, and difficulty will come our way. We’ve also been promised that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

So, the next time you are falsely accused, remember how David responded and do likewise. Keep in mind that God is the One Who allowed you to be in that circumstance and He has something for you to learn through. Be attentive to His Voice and allow the LORD to bring about the fruit of righteousness that He intends.

Upon speaking with professing believers, and discussing the necessity of Biblical obedience, all too often we hear, “Jesus said (in Matthew 22:37) that we are just to love God and our neighbor. That has nothing to do with us having to keep HIS Commandments.”

However, upon further investigation, we find that the Bible does not support this premise. In fact, the Bible says quite the opposite! Lets look at the Scriptures that were in existence when JESUS gave HIS answer to the question asked by “a lawyer” and see what those Scriptures actually have to say;

Lets begin with what was given to Moses and written by “the finger of GOD”, known as “The Ten Commandments”;

Exodus 20:4-6
You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:10 At the second giving of The Commandments, says the same thing.
“…but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

Deuteronomy 7:9
“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

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

Deuteronomy 11:13
‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul… (Notice; very similar wording used in Mat 22:37)

Deuteronomy 11:22-23
“For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do—to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him—23then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves.

Deuteronomy 19:9
and if you keep all these commandments and do them, which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and to walk always in His ways,

Deuteronomy 30:16
See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments…

Joshua 22:5
But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Notice: similar wording to Mat 22:37)

Nehemiah 1:5
And I said: “I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love YOU and observe YOUR Commandments…”

Daniel 9:4
And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments…”

So, when JESUS stated in Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Is HE changing the Law that GOD had set previously? Or is HE simply re-emphasizing it, knowing what “the lawyer” who asked the question, would be well aware of? That loving GOD is always spoken of in The Scriptures, as synonymous with keeping HIS Commandments?

We must also keep in mind who JESUS is according to what John the apostle says, in John 1:
Verse 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
If JESUS is The Word, and The Word IS GOD, then JESUS is GOD!
Verse 14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John is obviously stating that this YESHUA IS THE Word of GOD, who has come in human form. Now, ask yourself; “What Word is John referring to, as coming in human form?” The answer: The only Word of GOD written and recognized as The Word of God at the time of John’s writing; The Hebrew Scriptures which included The Torah(5 books of Moses), The Writings and the Prophets, or what is referred to today as The Old Testament.
So, JESUS in coming as The Word(GOD), Who does NOT change, (Malachi 3:6) cannot negate, do away with, set aside or break ANY of The Word that HE epitomizes, or else HE would prove HIMSELF a false teacher/prophet, according to that very word in:
Deut 13:1-5 (and elsewhere in The Scriptures)
“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ 3you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4You 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. 5But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.”

So, when JESUS states in John’s gospel:
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. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest 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.
We know that HE is not introducing a new set of commandments or negating those given in Old Testament. But in fact, HE is confirming them!

John also confirms The Commandments in his epistles.

1 John 5:2-3
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

2 John 6
This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

So, I hope by now that you are beginning to realize that what is being taught by so many today, regarding The Commandments of GOD not being relevant to today’s followers of MESSIAH, is simply NOT in accordance with The Word of GOD! I hope that you are beginning to realize that to love GOD “with all of your heart, soul and mind” IS to walk according to The Commandments of GOD!

When did “Grace” begin?

Because many have mistakenly thought that John 1:17 says that “grace began with JESUS” or “at the cross”, I offer the following list of verses from the Old Testament Scriptures, using the word “grace” (as found in the NKJV). May we be challenged in our thinking regarding HIS “grace” throughout the ages…

Genesis 6:8 – “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”

H2580 ïç• cheòn khane

From H2603; graciousness, that is, subjectively (kindness, favor) or
objectively (beauty):—favour, grace (-ious), pleasant, precious, [well-] favoured.

Same word used in:

Exodus 33:12-17 – “Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ ¹³Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” ¹⁴And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” ¹⁵Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. ¹⁶For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” ¹⁷So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

Exodus 34:9 – “Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”

Proverbs 3:34 – “Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.

Jeremiah 31:2 – “Thus says the LORD: “The people who survived the sword Found grace in the wilderness— Israel, when I went to give him rest.”

Zechariah 4:6 – 7 –“So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ⁷ ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!

And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”

Ezra 9:8 – “And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.

Here, a different word is used:

H8467 äpˆç”z t^echinnaòh tekh-in-naw’

From H2603; graciousness; causatively entreaty:—favour, grace,
supplication.

Then in the New Testament, the 119 uses of the word “grace” is from the Greek word “charis.”

G5485 ÷Üñéò charis khar’-ece

From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or
concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the
heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):—acceptable, benefit,
favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

Now, asking ourselves; What is this “divine influence upon the heart”? We would have to realize that it is the work of The Spirit of GOD as promised in

Jeremiah 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

and Ezekiel 36:27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

This was officially realized as recorded in Acts 2, in reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Feast of Weeks!

Contrary to popular belief today, which asserts that grace is in opposition to the Law, the ministry of the Spirit is in direct application of The Law of YHWH! But not according to man and being written on stone, but according to GOD and being written on the heart, confirming the work of the Spirit, as seen reflected through the life!

This helps us understand the verse that we began with;

John 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (Is this verse saying what today’s Christianity says? That grace began with the New Testament and cancels out the Law of Moses? Or is it saying that the ministry of the Spirit, accomplishing what Moses could not accomplish, is actually that “divine influence upon the heart” by the Spirit in conjunction with the Word of God, that existed at that time; which would be The Law of God, epitomized by JESUS as “the Word of God?” I believe that it is the latter!

How about Ephesians 2:8-10? For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is⁹not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. the gift of God,

Is Paul saying that “grace” is in opposition to the Law of God that existed at the time of his writing? How can he be?

What is Paul’s basis for “faith” here? It has to be the same basis as established from Genesis. That is “believing what GOD has said” as in opposition to what man has said. We see that clearly in Genesis 26:5 “because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

That’s another one of those verses that today’s Christianity does not understand because of being told that the Law was given at Sinai…rather than it finally being written down at Sinai…

Back to Eph 2:8-10… Isn’t Paul saying that the work of grace, as being applied by the Spirit, is a gift and not something that can be attained by works of the flesh? And that the work of grace is in conjunction with the Word of God, which when believed is called biblical faith?

Isn’t Paul saying that GOD’S goal from the foundation of the world, is that HIS people would believe what HE has said?, that HIS people would believe and obey HIS Word? And that HIS people would be empowered by HIS Spirit to obey HIM, to keep HIS charge, HIS Commandments, HIS Statutes, and HIS Laws? (i.e. producing “good works”)

So, if we consider the concepts of “grace” and “faith” according to their definitions and usage in the Scriptures, and not according to the traditional applications of popular thought today, we must come to the conclusion that grace is NOT in opposition to GOD’S Law and neither is biblical faith! As a matter of fact, the folks that stir the ire of the Dragon in the Revelation (below) are folks that have harmonized those two concepts beautifully!

Revelation 6:10 says “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.

What was their “testimony?”

Revelation 12:17 “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

Again, today’s Christianity tries to establish that having faith in Jesus means to have nothing to do with the Commandments of God! They say that for you and I to “walk as JESUS walked” (as stated in 1John 2:5), because they have decided that “grace” has nothing to do with HIS Law, would be us walking in legalism! The truth is; Walking in opposition to HIS Law is walking in IL-Legalism, or what the Bible calls “lawlessness.”

Obviously, one of us wrong. After you have studied the above Scriptures, it is up to you which perspective to believe… God and HIS Word? Or man and his…?

May YHWH guide you by HIS Spirit to walk according to HIS Word…

Verse 17a “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets”

“destroy”: Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionaries

G2647

êáôáëýù kataluoô kat-al-oo’-o

From G2596 and G3089; to loosen down (disintegrate), that is, (by
implication) to demolish (literally or figuratively); specifically (compare G2646)
to halt for the night:—destroy, dissolve, be guest, lodge, come to nought,
overthrow, throw down.

Notice the context: It appears that HE is referring to BOTH the Law AND the Prophets. The context seems to suggest that whatever HIS intention is for EITHER, is HIS intention for BOTH. Has HE done away with the Prophets?

Verse 17b “I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

“fulfill”: Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionaries

G4137

ðëçñüù pleôrooô play-ro’-o

From G4134; to make replete, that is, (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a
hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute
(an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.:—
accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full
(come), fully preach, perfect, supply.

Same Greek word translated “fulfill” in;

Matthew 3:15 – Is JESUS saying here “to do away with all righteousness?”

Philippians 2:2 – Is Paul saying here “to do away with his joy?”

Colossians 1:25 – Is he saying here “to do away with the Word of GOD?”

2Thess 1:11 – Is he saying here “to do away with HIS good pleasure?”

Proponents of the belief that JESUS “fulfilled” the law from this point on in this chapter, thus “destroying” or “doing away with law altogether”, also say that HE intends to now introduce a “new standard” or set of laws state that HE now proceeds to negate the “Old Testament Law” throughout the remainder of this chapter. These people became known as “Antinomianists” during the 2^nd / 3^rd centuries. This word came from the Greek word for “lawlessness” found throughout the New Testament. (See References on page 2)

Here is what the Holman’s Bible Dictionary says about this early movement:

ANTINOMIANISM (an tih noh’ mih an ihsm) The false teaching that since faith alone is necessary for salvation, one is free from the moral obligations of the law. The word antinomianism is not used in the Bible, but the idea is spoken of. Paul appears to have been accused of being an antinomian (see Rom. 3:8; 6:1, 15). While it is true that obedience to the law will never earn salvation for anyone (Eph. 2:8-9), it is equally true that those who are saved are expected to live a life full of good works (see, for example, Matt. 7:16-20; Eph. 2:10; Col. 1:10; Jas. 2:14-26). Since we have been freed from the dominion of sin through faith in Jesus, we have also been freed to practice the righteousness demanded by God (Rom. 6:12-22).

In Legge’s “Forerunner’s and Rivals of Christianity” a work on the history of the Early Church, he states”

(in the late 2^nd to early 3^rd centuries) “Some well-known Church Fathers who came from Gnosticism were Epiphanius, who had been a Nicolaitan, Ambrose of Milan, who had been a Valentinian, and Augustine, who had been a Manichean for 9 years before joining the Catholic Church. All these Gnostic sects were distinguished by their rejection of the Old Testament Law, some of them even rejecting the Mighty One of the Old Testament, and some of them even equated the Mighty One of the Old Testament with the Evil One! In their rejection of the Old Testament Law, the Valentinian Gnostics even rejected all moral laws, leading to scandalous living.

The Marcionites were later on refuted, but they also contributed toward the aversion to, and even rejection of, the Old Testament. Manes and his followers, the Manicheans, from among whom Augustine came, “looked on Judaism with horror, rejected the Old Testament entirely…”

“LAWLESSNESS”

G458

Píïìßá anomia an-om-ee’-ah

From G459; illegality, that is, violation of law or (generally) wickedness:—
iniquity, X transgress (-ion of) the law, unrighteousness.

References to “lawlessness” in the New Testament:

Matthew 7:23 – And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Matthew 13:41-42 – The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.

Matthew 23:38 – Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matthew 24:12 – And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Romans 6:19 – I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members asof righteousness for holiness. slaves

2Corinthians 6:14 – Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

2Thessalonians 2:7 – For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work;

Hebrews 1:9 – (quoting from numerous Psalms & Prophets)You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness

1John 3:4 – Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

Please notice that the consistent use of this word “lawlessness” in these verses, contextually is describing some very serious consequences!

- In light of these verses is it safe for anyone to say that JESUS is saying in Matthew 5, that HE has “done away with ALL Old Testament Law?”

- When does JESUS say that this will be accomplished?

Matthew 5:18 – “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.”

When is that going to happen? Sometime in the future according to these verses:

2Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

Rev 20:11 – Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

Rev 21:1 – Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

Again, in light of what the Scriptures say, is it wise to say that JESUS in Matthew 5:17 is suggesting that The LAW of GOD is NOT relevant any longer?

You decide. I pray that you make your decision based on what the Scriptures are saying instead of what man is saying…

As I’m sitting here writing this blog entry the sound of fireworks echoes off Big Turkey Lake, just about 200 yards from my house. It’s the Independence Day weekend and nearly every community across America celebrates the independence of the United States with fireworks and celebration. What about independence? Is it a desirable thing? What do we desire to be independent from? What does the word “independence” even mean? I ask these questions primarily in the relationship of the professing church with her husband.

Independence is an interesting word. According to Webster’s Dictionary, online, independence is defined as “the quality or state of being independent.” The word “independent” comes from the Greek word “auto-nomos.” Now here’s a very familiar Greek word used here. Remember the Greek word used in the Scriptures, translated “lawlessness?” It is the Greek word “anti-nomos.” Nomos is the Greek word for “law.” The context of the text dictates whether it is used in reference to the Law, or Torah of Yahweh, or of the “works of the law,” that contains man’s additions and subtractions to Torah. That’s another subject for another time, but the important thing is to look at independence in light of the Christian, and even the Messianic Judaic practice and doctrine. Does it fit? Is it right?

Please look with me a little closer at the Webster’s definition of the word “independence” from the Greek word, “auto-nomos.” According to Webster’s definition it means, “not subject to control by others… self-governing….rule oneself…not affiliated with a larger controlling unit…not looking for others for guidance.” Just to dig in a little deeper let’s look at the phrase in the definition “self-governing.”

Self-governing is what this nation professes to be and how it started, right; the will of the people determining the law of the land – the majority rule? Well that’s not how it appears it was meant to be. At least we were told we were a republic, a nation of laws – a constitution that places parameters around the lawmakers in congress and the senate, guiding the decisions of the judges and the president. Of course we see how that isn’t working so well for us. Why? Autonomy! Self-governance!

The Greek word, “autonomous” means “independent from the law,” or “having the right or power of self-government.” The United States of America was born out of a revolt against the authority of England. In short the people of the American colonies of England rebelled against their government, defeated England and formed its own government, by the people for the people. I’m not here to debate whether that was a right thing or a wrong thing. I’m just looking at if for what it really is. The USA became autonomous from England through rebellion against England’s authority. Now what does that mean to mankind in his professed relationship with his Creator? Since then she has rebelled against her own laws. It appears that rebellion is deep seated in mankind. Scripture even says that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and said in Torah to not allow a witch to live! Rebellion of HIS creation is a serious matter with the Creator.

Pastor Ron Hyre, Josh Brown, and I are currently working on a new video series, contextually going through the Book of Galatians. A letter, written by the Apostle Paul to the Galatians, this book of the so-called New Testament is pivotal in the establishment of doctrine, especially in the professing church. It is commonly called the church’s “Magna Carta,” and more commonly, “The Christian’s Declaration of Independence.” Let’s take a look at these ascribed titles and perceived doctrine concerning The Book of Galatians, in light of the definition of the word “independence.”

Please, just use some common sense, logic, and more importantly, the Scriptural context, and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you concerning this issue. Think about it; The Christian’s Declaration of Independence from what? The church says that the reborn Christian is now free from the Law, or Torah of Yahweh. The Christian, in his or her mind, is now “independent” of the Torah! Consider that Yeshua, or Jesus, as he is known in the professing evangelical church, is called the Living Word in John Chapter One. And as we’ve said so many times, the only Word they had at that time was Torah, the Prophets, the writings of Psalms and Proverbs, and the historical books of Kings, Chronicles, Joshua, Ezra, and so forth. So the church is declaring their independence from the Word of Yahweh contained in these Scriptures, and in effect declaring their independence from Yeshua, the Living Word! How does that work? By being “independent” the church as said she is “autonomous” and now has the authority and the ability of self-governance, apart from the guidance of the Word of God, both written and Living, in the person of Yeshua!

The Roman Catholic Church readily admits that they believe they have this autonomy, in connection with their change of the Sabbath day from the seventh day (Sabbath) to the first day, the venerable day of the sun, commemorating the sun God Mithra. That is self-governance, apart from the confines of Scripture and the authority of our Creator who is the Word and spoke the Word, and commanded that we obey HIS Word! But Paul says in Galatians Three that the Scripture has confined all under sin! John says in 1st John 3 that sin is lawlessness – anti-nomos! This is rebellion! Self governance, autonomy, is born out of rebellion against the Creator. The rebellion of the created against their Creator – who do you think will win in the end?

The declaration of independence from the Torah, or Law of Yahweh, breaking loose the bonds and the confines of Scripture is rebellion. But this autonomous living is really a falsehood. Men believe they have autonomy, and are living as such, but in reality are not free from the Torah; the Law of Yahweh. Even if men refuse to bow down on this side of eternity, declaring that Yeshua, The Living Word is LORD, they will ultimately do it when they face HIM in eternity. But then the bowing to HIS sovereignty is too late to afford entrance into HIS kingdom. In Matthew Seven Yeshua (Jesus) said that those who practice lawlessness (anti-nomos) will not be allowed into HIS kingdom. HE said that HE will tell them to depart from HIM, that HE never knew them, addressing them as “you who practice lawlessness.” These who are anti-nomian have declared themselves autonomous – able to govern themselves outside the authority of the Creator and HIS Torah – Law.

I believe it is time for a serious re-think on the part of the church, and indeed those in Messianic Judaism. The problem Paul addresses in Galatians is the same anti-nomian, autonomous declaration of the influencers, born out of the Law of Judaism. The Law of Judaism is Torah mixed with the autonomous rabbinic additions and subtractions to Torah. They were saying that the Galatians needed to be circumcised, become a Jew, and through them have access to the kingdom through Abraham. But the Word of Yahweh (in fact Yeshua – see 1st Peter 1) says that it is by faith in the Seed – Messiah, not the seeds, or descendents of Abraham, who have access to HIS kingdom. Faith is defined by Paul as coming by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Yahweh – Torah those proclaiming Torah. Through believing and doing HIS Word – faith, we access grace, changing our heart of stone into one of flesh. This new heart, given us through the work of grace, has Torah written upon it, and through the work of grace, HE causes us to walk in HIS statutes and keep HIS commandments. We are free from lawlessness and now are willing slaves to HIS righteousness. We are not independent of HIM and HIS Word. We are not autonomous!

Autonomous self-governance produces man’s doctrine or additions and subtractions to HIS Word, whether it is rabbinic self proclaimed authority, or so-called church fathers, we must be like the Bereans and subject their doctrine, and our every thought and action to the Torah of Yahweh, for we are not autonomous from the rule of HIS Torah. If we believe we are, then we are not HIS, for we have removed ourselves from HIS kingdom and into one that is merely a figment of man’s futile imaginations. These vain imaginations have produced feast days that are not keeping with HIS commanded Feasts that teach us about HIM and HIS plan of redemption. In our self governance we have cast off the very authority that gives us the foundation for the Redeemer HIMSELF! We have left ourselves, the lowly pot to fend for ourselves in our arrogance, forgetting that the Potter will destroy those pots that are displeasing to HIM. But if those pots, which are now displeasing to HIM, repent and begin to please HIM by faith, believing and obeying HIS commandments, by grace through faith, HE will restore them to a place in HIS kingdom. We must repent while we have opportunity because the great and terrible Day of the LORD is coming upon the sons of disobedience.

Finding Fault with Us 

Scripture is Final Authority

One of the positions held by some in the Messianic community has its counterpart in some traditional Christian circles; that Yeshua is not Elohim. The only valid discussion of this topic is that Scripture must be the final authority in all matters.

It is good when we can agree with the fact that Scripture is the final authority. Of course the catholic faith believes the pontiff; the Catholic Church has the authority to change the Scripture. But to those who say the Scripture is the final authority in all matters, let us take the thought a little deeper. The question is; do each of us believe that, contextually throughout, it is the unchanging final authority. The problem I see that we as men have is this; we see portions of text and we can’t see how it all fits so we determine there was a change, or in some people’s minds, a contradiction. My basis for exegesis rejects both those thoughts. I believe it is the fault of our human understanding that gets in the way. This is my preface to the discussion.

The Fault is With Us

Hebrews 8 is very telling in this argument. The discussion in the Book of Hebrews has to do with the understanding of men, apart from the Scripture mixed with faith, that the Spirit might reveal Truth. The writer of Hebrews is speaking to Hebrews that profess faith in Yeshua as Messiah but were still stuck on the Aaronic/Levitical priesthood as the object of their faith. They, in their human reasoning, were not looking past the priesthood given at Sinai as a picture of the reality and seeing the Messiah in it. I believe the eternal Priesthood of Messiah Yeshua has always been the authority but men took authority for themselves. The Levitical/Aaronic priesthood was to offer sacrifices and serve in the tabernacle and so by doing those things according to the pattern they would be teaching Torah that would lead the people, and themselves, to Messiah. Faith in Messiah was available then as it is now.

So how does Hebrews 8 speak to this issue? In this; the writer, in contrasting the priesthood of Levi and Aaron with the Priesthood of Messiah says in Verse 8, “Because finding fault with them…” There was a fault at issue here, but not what is commonly taught – a fault with the Torah. Torah is perfect, holy, good, and just. Scripture tells us that and I’m sure, based on our agreement that Scripture is the final authority that we agree on that point. The fault at issue in Hebrews 8 is the priesthood of men and the people’s devotion to that priesthood as opposed to seeing and devoting one’s self to the Great High Priest of Messiah and becoming priests to HIM.

The problem always has been us! That’s why Yeshua is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world – provision made for the lawlessness of men to be reconciled to the Holy Elohim. The fault was with “them.” The fault is with us! The fault was not “it.” HE – Torah is the light that shone to expose the fault in “them.” Thy Word is a light. John 3 says that the light exposes the darkness. And we know from John that HE is that light. So the light is good – the Word, specifically the Torah – The Living Torah. The fault is with frail and lawless humanity who believes that he knows better that Torah. The Torah is the Law and it exposes the lawless. Those who, by grace through faith, become born again are re-born to no longer be lawless or in opposition to Torah – becoming bondservants to righteousness – the Torah.

Who Is Yeshua to You?

Having prefaced what I believe is contextually the basis for our discussion it important to ask yourself these questions: Who is Yeshua to you? If HE is not part of the Elohim, equally Elohim with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, then who is HE? The writer of Hebrews puts forth the case that HE is greater than the priesthood of man and that HE is greater than the angels. Other than angels (both fallen and those still in the service of Yahweh) and men, the only other entity is Elohim. What other category would Messiah fall into, if not men, angels or Elohim? The Scripture rules out men and angels so what’s left?

I’m making an effort to not write a book here – to make this really long, but a look at Hebrews is important. Chapter One says that HE, Messiah, has been appointed heir of all things. HE is the Son of Yahweh, and being the only begotten Son HE has the attributes of Yahweh. Yahweh is Elohim, therefore HIS Son, having the attributes of HIS Father, is equally Elohim, being heir of ALL things. HE “by inheritance” obtained a more excellent name than they (angels). Verse Five tells us that HE was begotten by the Father. Verse Six commands the “angels of Yahweh to worship HIM (the Son). Since worship is only to be given to Elohim – Yahweh, then Yeshua must be the fullness of Elohim. Colossians 2:9 says, “For in HIM dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in HIM, who is the head of all principality and power.” The “Godhead” is speaking of the “divinity” and the Hebraic counterpart can only be Elohim – Yahweh. And since this says “In HIM,” and we know that it is talking about Yeshua, contextually from Colossians 2:8, then the fullness of the Elohim dwells in HIM bodily, and HE, Yeshua – Elohim is the head of ALL principality and power. That would have to make HIM Elohim, and as the writer of Hebrews says, HE is not an angel nor just a man made perfect. HE, Yeshua – Elohim is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World. HE is not a created being like angels or men. When speaking of Elohim it seems we speak in circles. And in fact we do. Because the Father is Elohim along with the Son and the Holy Spirit, then when we use the Name Yahweh, and Yeshua, and Messiah and Ruach in connection with Elohim and that Adonai our Elohim is One, it can make a man’s head spin. That’s because the comprehension of this ONE being present in the three different expressions of Who HE is- is more than our human minds can fathom. It is enough to know that in HIM dwells the fullness of Elohim.

Hebrews 1:8 says “But to the Son HE says, “Your throne O God, is forever and ever.” And in Verse 10, “You, Lord (Father still speaking to Son), in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of YOUR hands. They will perish, but YOU remain; and they will grow old like a garment; like a cloak YOU will fold them up, and they will be changed, But YOU are the same, and YOUR years will not fail.”

The language is clear, to me, that Yeshua, being the Son of God is God – The True Living God. The human mind in and of itself cannot understand the Elohim – Godhead. So we try to couch HIM in terms that we can understand and it never works. It is like trying to cram a100 pounds of sand in a 5 pound sack. It won’t fit. This, I admit, is an imperfect illustration. But consider the Scripture that speaks of trying to put new wine into an old wineskin or sewing a new piece on an old piece of fabric – it’s the same thing. You see my human mind cannot understand the Elohim. But the understanding of HIM that we need is through Yeshua who is the pattern. But beyond the pattern HE is the reality. This is contextually, I believe, what Scripture says.

Man’s Faulty Understanding Versus the Truth Written and Revealed by The Holy Spirit

In a recent discussion the beliefs on this subject by two “scholars” were used as evidence that Yeshua is not Elohim. According to William Barclay, (a man I don’t know and don’t know for sure what he believes) “When the world began, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the nature of the Word was the same as the nature of God. The Word was there in the beginning with God. It (HE) was through the agency of the Word that everything else came into being. Without the Word not one single thing came into being.” I part company with calling the Word “it.” But the rest of it speaks a powerful Truth that supports the position that I believe is Scripturally accurate. The Word is Yeshua, the Voice of Yahweh, who is Yahweh, who Created everything that has been created and HE is greater than all of creation, being the Creator. Since all is framed on the Word – the Voice of Yahweh, then it is sustained by the same Word – unchanging and reliable from before the foundation of the world – HIS character and nature. Paul says in 1^st Corinthians, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which Yeshua Messiah.” The lack of a definite article, posited by proclaimed Greek scholars William Barclay and James Moffat, makes the Greek word “theos” of the third phrase of the passage in John 1 to be an adjective. I can’t agree with their conclusion based on the context of Scripture. Whatever man says Yahweh says HE is Elohim. I take HIS Word above the word of men. The whole of Scripture says HE is Elohim. The absence of a “definite article” in a couple of sentences in Scripture cannot abrogate the context of Scripture.

When Messiah walked with the two disciples on the Emmaus Road HE declared who HE was to them by Torah and the Prophetic writings.

Let’s examine Isaiah 8:6-7, a prophecy concerning Messiah.

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon HIS shoulder. And HIS name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of HIS government and peace there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over HIS kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord will perform this.” Isaiah under inspiration of the Holy Spirit said these things.

Peter, in 1^st Peter 1:11 says that the prophets (Isaiah included) had the Spirit of Messiah in them. Isaiah having Messiah in HIM – being born again, as Paul said, “Messiah in us, the hope of glory,” speaks of Messiah’s first coming and saying that HE is Mighty God. Messiah didn’t refute HIS divinity and so then how can man? Remember the fault is with us who look for a loophole. And when we divorce the continuity of Scripture, the eternal nature of the unchanging Word and make it subject to our flawed, faulty human understanding, and take portions out of that context we find ourselves not understanding. It is the flesh versus the Spirit battle that is waging continually. The Spirit gives understanding where the flesh in its arrogance opposes the Spirit who wants to write Torah on our hearts, put it in our minds and cause us to walk in HIS commandments. Romans 8, once again is applicable. The flesh CANNOT be subject to Torah. Torah is not of the flesh, and is not abrogated. It is the nature of Elohim and therefore the nature of those who are born again of the Spirit. Born again ones now have a choice that they didn’t have in the pre-born again state; the ability to submit to Torah in the Spirit. The Spirit, like Yeshua, is equally Elohim.

Torah-Yeshua-The Eternal Pattern 

The Flesh’s Inability to Understand and Submit to Torah

Some questions have been raised that are very timely, considering what Yahweh is revealing to us from the Holy Scripture. First of all the argument is this; If what we believe is sound and from Scripture then no one can argue against it. And if that which we believe and declare is from the Holy Spirit then the scholarship of the flesh can’t answer it, as in the flesh will submit to it. It is right on the surface that the flesh can’t answer it and can’t rightly argue against it. But there is a rub to that. Since the flesh CANNOT submit to the Torah (Romans then it will refuse to acquiesce to the Truth even though the Truth is Scripturally irrefutable. The flesh is unable to submit. It is only done when one is willing to admit that ALL men are liars and only the Word of Yahweh is true. And this only happens by taking HIM at HIS Word, doing it, and then recieving understanding. Submission – humbling one’s self must come first.

Test the Spirits – The Replacement Messiah

As for the Holy Spirit’s involvement – 1 John tells us to test the spirits. There is only one way to do that. Everything has to line up with Torah. John says anyone who cannot say that Yeshua came in the flesh is not of Yahweh. The qualifier is; who do you say that Yeshua is? If you say HE is not Elohim then you are not of Yahweh. It has been posited by one writer that Messiah is not the Ancient of Days. Elohim is the Ancient of Days. If HE is equally Elohim – and HE is – then HE is the Ancient of Days. HE was not created, HE is the Creator. John 1 and Colossians 1 are just a couple of places you will find this in Scripture. Furthermore, since HE is Elohim, the Son, who is a Torah keeping Son, submitted to HIS Father, HE could not have changed the Torah or broken Torah. If the messiah you profess came in the flesh broke Torah or set up a system that caused men to believe they can violate the commandments of Torah, then HE is not the Messiah and the one who says he is certainly is not of Yahweh. This is the replacement messiah – anti-messiah (christ).

Resisting the Rhema of the Holy Spirit

Stephen told those who were ready to stone him that they resisted the Holy Spirit just as their fathers did. They resisted the Spirit’s work – speaking rhema to them – revealing the Truth that was polar opposed to their tradition that they held to tighter than the Truth. Their resistance of the Holy Spirit was in their holding on to their tradition and refusing to embrace the Truth – simply taking HIM at HIS Word and doing what HE said. In doing that the resistance to the Holy Spirit ceases and HE is free to speak and enable – grace. Rejecting the pure milk of Torah was resisting the Holy Spirit and is the spirit of anti-messiah. HE is the goal and purpose of Torah and Torah is the language of the Holy Spirit.

Plan A – The Only Plan

The argument from the beginning has been whether man believes what the Creator said or what the enemy has suggested that appeals to the flesh – that wants to be large and in charge. We all suffer with the same malady. Every man, except Yeshua, who has entered into this world, including Adam and Eve, were created with a heart bent on lawlessness. That’s why Yeshua is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The plan – the only plan (no plan B – only plan A) is eternal.

Faith Accesses Grace

I can’t make anyone see this. I can’t teach it to anyone. No man can. Revelation can only come by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1). A man, submitted to the Holy Spirit, can only present Scripture and it’s up to the individual to decide to submit to the Torah simply take HIM at HIS Word and do it. That is when the work of the Spirit’s work of grace begins. It is only by doing by faith that grace comes and revelation happens. We are saved by grace THROUGH faith – through believing. Believing in the sense it is presented in the Scripture, cannot be separated from doing. Faith without works is dead. The doer is blessed. Grace only comes through faith. Grace is the enabling to both will and do for HIS good pleasure. If you are waiting to understand the commandments before you submit to them – HIM, then you will never do them. Apart from doing them you will not understand them or HIM. HE is the Torah! Think about it! If you are born again, remember what happened. I will speak for myself. I knew I was in trouble. I was headed down a bad road and was unable to turn around. I knew I was wrong. I didn’t even know why or how, in many ways! But I heard of a Savior named Jesus. I began to look for HIM. After looking for several months HE found me. I embraced HIM, not really knowing anymore about HIM other than I had read and had been told that through HIM I could find eternal life, peace, and my life could turn around. I certainly did not understand HIM. But I took HIM at HIS Word and took the step of faith (believing and doing) and asked HIM to come in and take charge of my life. HE did and I’ve never been the same. I experienced HIM through obedience. At that moment I began to get to know HIM. The intimate relationship with HIM has continued as I continue to know HIM by the same way – I take HIM at HIS Word and do what HE said and in so doing HE reveals more of HIMSELF to me – more of HIS character and nature. And as HE reveals and as I walk the more I am walking as HE walked. Chicken or egg, egg or chicken, which came first. We can argue that forever, but the thing I see in Scripture is that doing comes first. That is faith, and through faith grace (the divine influence on the heart with the reflection in the life) is accessed and made a reality in and through us.

Torah – The Holy Scriptures and The Word of Yaweh

The Truth is this and cannot be argued contextually; Torah is the Holy Scripture – the Word of Yahweh. The Prophets and the Writings and the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James, and Jude simply are showing that Messiah is the reality of the shadow – the Pattern given Moshe on the mountain – while teaching and preaching a return to Torah. This is real repentance. Paul did not deviate from that. When he is read apart from Torah his writings become subjective to man’s wisdom. When Paul is checked against Torah, as the Bereans did, by faith in Torah, then it will be seen that Paul was a Torah observant teacher of Torah as Yeshua commanded in Matthew 5, establishing all that HE said in the giving of Torah and forevermore!

Finally, and I know most will not agree with this, but a careful study of Scripture reveals it – Torah was from the beginning. In fact, it preceded the beginning because Torah, the righteous standard of the righteous ONE, is the righteous standard for all men who would be grafted into Messiah! This has been available since creation!

The Eternal Priesthood

The priesthood preceded Sinai. The priesthood preceded the Levites and Aaron and his sons. The tabernacle preceded the temple and the Tabernacle preceded the tabernacle. Yahweh does not live in a house built by the hands of any man – not even Solomon! Moshe met the Pattern on the mountain. The Pattern is Yeshua since all the Feasts – the Sabbath included – the tabernacle, the sacrifice, the priesthood are all done according to the Pattern. That’s what Moshe was told – to see that everything was done according to the Pattern he was shown on the mountain! The Pattern is eternal – the Pattern is Yeshua, the Lamb slain, the Pattern is Yahweh – the Name of Elohim! All of Torah points to HIM. All of Torah’s purpose and goal is Yeshua, Elohim the Son, who is the Passover Lamb of Yahweh. Since HE was slain from the foundation of the world, being the Passover Lamb, Passover then is according to the eternal pattern – Passover existed in the eternal prior to the shadow given in Exodus! Because of the eternal existence of the shadow, to see the eternal can only be done by practicing the shadow. It is the same for all of Torah!

The Eternal Pattern and The Shadow

The shadow does not replace the Pattern – Messiah. But, by observing the shadow we see clearly who the Messiah is and that is how we know HIM. It is who HE is. Apart from who HE is we CANNOT know HIM! The shadow of the tabernacle, the Aaronic priesthood, and the sacrifice, are now replaced by the Pattern, in that Yeshua has come as Great High Priest, in the Tabernacle not made with human hands, and is the Sacrifice once for all. HE entered into time and space and fulfilled the prophecy concerning HIM. But the shadow of the Feasts, Sabbath and HIS righteousness has not ceased. Studying the Torah, the instructions to build the tabernacle, the instructions for the priesthood, the Torah life of love for HIM and for one another is how we know HIM. We cannot say we love HIM while rejecting HIS commandments. We cannot say we know HIM in rejecting HIS commandments! To love HIM is to love who HE is. To know HIM is to know who HE is. You can’t say you love HIM and know HIM while not loving and practicing what HE does and did.

Messiah Yeshua perfectly obeyed Torah, obeying HIS Father, and completely fulfilling the prophecy concerning HIMSELF. HE stayed true to who HE is. And John enjoins us to “walk as HE walked!” When we walk as HE walked we will know who HE is – we will know HIM and HE will know us. AND when we stand before HIM at the end we will not hear HIM say, “I never knew you, depart from ME you who practice lawlessness.”

Who is “The Israel of GOD?”

In Galatians 6:16, Paul makes a statement, when he refers
to “the Israel of GOD,” that has caused no small amount of
confusion among believers today. Who are they? And, who
aren’t they? These two questions are what I hope to answer
in this article. In order for me to do that, we must go back
into the history of Israel and find their beginnings. Lets go
back and look at the man that the Israelites, Islamics AND
Christians can all refer to in their ancestry; Abraham.

Genesis 12:3
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your
name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Notice that he is told to leave:

• His country: His homeland, Mesopotamia or Babylon.
• His family: His posterity/pedigree and/or blood relatives.
• His father’s house: His birthright or inheritance.

Notice that he is promised:

• A land that GOD will lead him to and give to him.
• To be a great nation: A posterity surpassing the onethat he is leaving.
• To have a great name: A birthright (name) greater than his own.

Through Abram/Hagar (Egyptian slave) comes the son of the
flesh; Ishmael. Through Abraham/Sarah comes the son of promise; Isaac, his son; Jacob, who was eventually renamed by GOD; Israel. The natural tendency is to take the blessing given to Abram is being applicable to the nation Israel, or the descendants of Jacob/Israel. Lets read the blessing again: “I will make you a great nation (Heb:”goy” or non-Jew); I will bless you and make your name great; and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you,
and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

If the application of this blessing is in accordance to
genealogy for the Israelites, why then JESUS’ words in John
chapter 8:37-45, to the Jewish scribes and Pharisees (who
were claiming that very blessing as a result of them being
born Israelites?);

I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” 39They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our
father.”(We must remember that Abram was NOT an Israelite. He
was a Gentile from Babylon!)Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” 42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks
from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
45But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

It sure sounds like YESHUA is pronouncing a curse on these
MESSIAH rejecting Israelites! (“You are of your father the
devil!?!”) And this in spite of them attempting to substantiate that Abraham, and ultimately GOD was their father! So, how can the Scriptures be interpreted as saying that EVERYONE born an Israelite is a recipient of the blessings given to Abraham? If they cannot, then WHO are those in line for the blessings promised to Abraham? What do the Scriptures say? Well, looking again at what JESUS says in John 8 above, we begin to see what the criteria is for receiving the blessing: – Verse 39; “you would do the works of Abraham”

• He left his country.
• He left his family.
• He left his father’s inheritance.
• He “obeyed My (YEHOVAH’S) voice, kept My charge, My Commandments, My statutes, My Laws” (Genesis 26:4).

It doesn’t sound like these scribes/Pharisees realized what it
would take for them to receive the blessing given to /
through Abraham. They also would have to:

• Leave their country. Meaning that they could not be as devoted to Land/Nation of Israel, as they were supposed to be devoted to YHWH…
• Leave their family. (or literally; “to leave one’s pedigree”) No longer could they trust in ancestral lineage for identification, but now would have to leave their family behind and follow YHWH!
• Leave their father’s house. Meaning that they would have to detach themselves from their inheritance, their birthright, and start all over!
• Obey HIS voice, charge, commandments, statutes and Laws. Meaning that they too would have to reject ANY/ALL “additions to and/or subtractions from” HIS WORD! (i.e. no more Oral Torah and/or Mishnah)
• verse 42; “you would love me” (YESHUA) By implication; “as your brother” or (fellow Israelite) Leviticus 19:17-18 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” / 1John 4:20-21 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.To say that you love GOD while at the same time being guilty of hating HIS MESSIAH, is NOT consistent with doing “the works that Abraham did!”
• verse 43; “you would understand…and listen to My(YESHUA) Word.”

To say that you love JESUS/YESHUA, while at the
same time being guilty of rejecting HIS Word, is NOT
consistent with doing “the works that Abraham did!”

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

So, we see that JESUS knows who aren’t children of
Abraham or children of GOD. It appears that HIS disciple,
John (by references to his epistle above) knew as well!
And Matthew records for us that JESUS confirms that same
criteria (required of Abraham) again for those who would
follow MESSIAH, then and now!

• Matthew 19:28-30 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

So, is it safe to assume (based on the writings of Moses,
Matthew and John) that unless a person is willing to leave
their citizenship (country), their pedigree (family), their
inheritance (father’s house), and their man-made religion,
they not only are NOT doing “the works of Abraham” but
they also are not meeting the criteria that JESUS established
for following HIM? I believe so, at least according to the
above Scriptures…

So, who is “the Israel of GOD” that Paul refers to in
Galatians 6:16? The Israel of GOD are those descendants of
Israel that receive YESHUA/JESUS as the atoning sacrifice
for their sins, who receive the HOLY SPIRIT into their lives
and reject their citizenship in the earthly Jerusalem in
exchange for a citizenship in “the NEW Jerusalem coming
down out of heaven from GOD, prepared as a bride adorned
for her husband.”(Revelation 21:2)

For most of professing Christians it is recognized as Sunday. But is that merely traditional Christianity or is it Biblical? And does it really matter? Does God care what day we observe Sabbath, or if we observe it at all.

Well what does Scripture really say? And what does man say?

Roman Catholic Confessions

James Cardinal Gibbons, The Faith of our Fathers, 88th ed., pp. 89.
“But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify.”

Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism 3rd ed., p. 174.
“Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
“Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her-she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.”

John Laux, A Course in Religion for Catholic High Schools and Academies (1 936), vol. 1, P. 51. “Some theologians have held that God likewise directly determined the Sunday as the
day of worship in the New Law, that He Himself has explicitly substituted the Sunday for the Sabbath. But this theory is now entirely abandoned. It is now commonly held that God simply gave His Church the power to set aside whatever day or days she would deem suitable as Holy Days. The Church chose Sunday, the first day of the week, and in the course of time added other days as holy days.”

Daniel Ferres, ed., Manual of Christian Doctrine (1916), p.67.
“Question: How prove you that the Church hath power to command feasts and holy days?
“Answer. By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of, and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same Church.’

James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore (1877-1921), in a signed letter. “Is Saturday the seventh day according to the Bible and the Ten Commandments? I answer yes. Is Sunday the first day of the week and did the Church change the seventh day -Saturday – for Sunday, the first day? I answer yes . Did Christ change the day’? I answer no!
“Faithfully yours, J. Card. Gibbons”

The Catholic Mirror, official publication of James Cardinal Gibbons, Sept. 23, 1893. “The Catholic Church, . . . by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.”
Catholic Virginian Oct. 3, 1947, p. 9, art. “To Tell You the Truth.”

“For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday.We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the[Roman Catholic] church outside the Bible.”
Peter Geiermann, C.S.S.R., The Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (1957), p. 50.

“Question: Which is the Sabbath day?
“Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.
“Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
“Answer.We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”
Martin J. Scott, Things Catholics AreAsked About (1927),p. 136.

“Nowhere in the Bible is it stated that worship should be changed from Saturday to Sunday …. Now the Church … instituted, by God’s authority, Sunday as the day of worship. This same Church, by the same divine authority, taught the doctrine of Purgatory long before the Bible was made.We have, therefore, the same authority for Purgatory as we have for Sunday.”
Peter R. Kraemer, Catholic Church Extension Society (1975),Chicago, Illinois.

“Regarding the change from the observance of the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Sunday, I wish to draw your attention to the facts:

1. That Protestants, who accept the Bible as the only rule of faith and religion, should by all means go back to the observance of the Sabbath. The fact that they do not, but on the contrary observe the Sunday, stultifies them in the eyes of every thinking man.
2. We Catholics do not accept the Bible as the only rule of faith. Besides the Bible we have the living Church, the authority of the Church, as a rule to guide us. We say, this Church, instituted by Christ to teach and guide man through life, has the right to change the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament and hence, we accept her change of the Sabbath to Sunday.We frankly say, yes, the Church made this change, made this law, as she mademany other laws, for instance, the Friday abstinence, the unmarried priesthood, the laws concerning mixed marriages, the regulation of Catholic marriages and a thousand other laws.

“It is always somewhat laughable, to see the Protestant churches, in pulpit and legislation, demand the observance of Sunday, of which thereis nothing in their Bible.”

Protestant Confessions

Protestant theologians and preachers from a wide spectrum of denominations have been quite candid in admitting that there is no Biblical authority for obse rving Sunday as a sabbath.
Anglican/Episcopal
Isaac Williams, Plain Sermons on the Catechism , vol. 1, pp.334, 336.
“And where are we told in the Scriptures that we are to keep the first day at all? We are commanded to keep the seventh; but we are nowhere commanded to keep the first day …. The reason why we keep the first day of the week holy instead of the seventh is for the same reason that we observe many other things, not because the Bible, but because the church has enjoined it.”

Canon Eyton, The Ten Commandments , pp. 52, 63, 65.
“There is no word, no hint, in the New Testament about abstaining from work on Sunday …. into the rest of Sunday no divine law enters…. The observance of Ash Wednesday or Lent stands exactly on the same footing as the observance of Sunday.”

Bishop Seymour,Why We Keep Sunday.
We have made the change from the seventh day to the first day, from Saturday to Sunday, on the authority of the one holy Catholic Church.”

Baptist

Dr. Edward T. Hiscox, a paper read before a New York ministers’ conference, Nov. 13, 1893, reported in New York Examiner , Nov.16, 1893.
“There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will be said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week…Where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament absolutely not.

“To me it seems unaccountable that Jesus, during three years’ intercourse with His disciples, often conversing with them upon the Sabbath question . . . never alluded to any transference of the day; also, that during forty days of His resurrection life, no such thing was intimated.

“Of course, I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history…But what a pity it comes branded with the mark of paganism, and christened with the name of the sun god, adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and
bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism!”
William Owen Carver, The Lord’s Day in Our Day , p. 49.

“There was never any formal or authoritative change from the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath to the Christian first-day observance.”

Congregationalist

Dr. R. W. Dale, The Ten Commandments (New York: Eaton &Mains), p. 127-129.
” . . . it is quite clear that however rigidly or devotedly we may spend Sunday, we are not keeping the Sabbath – . . ‘Me Sabbath was founded on a specific Divine command.We can plead no such command for the obligation to observe Sunday …. There is not a
single sentence in the New Testament to suggest that we incur any penalty by violatingthe supposed sanctity of Sunday.”

Timothy Dwight, Theology: Explained and Defended (1823), Ser. 107, vol. 3, p.258.
” . . . the Christian Sabbath [Sunday] is not in the Scriptures, and was not by the primitive Church called the Sabbath.”

Disciples of Christ

Alexander Campbell, The Christian Baptist, Feb. 2, 1824,vol. 1. no. 7, p. 164.
“‘But,’ say some, ‘it was changed from the seventh to the first day.’ Where? when?and by whom? No man can tell. No; it never was changed, nor could it be, unless creationwas to be gone through again: for the reason assigned must be changed before the observance, or respect to the reason, can be changed! It is all old wives’ fables to talk of the change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day. If it be changed, it was that august personage changed it who changes times and laws ex officio – I think his name is Doctor Antichrist.’

First Day Observance , pp. 17, 19.
“The first day of the week is commonly called the Sabbath. This is a mistake. The Sabbath of the Bible was the day just preceding the first day of the week. The first day of the week is never called the Sabbath anywhere in the entire Scriptures. It is also an error to talk about the change of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. There is not in any place in the Bible any intimation of such a change.”

Lutheran

The Sunday Problem , a study book of the United Lutheran Church (1923), p. 36.
“We have seen how gradually the impression of the Jewish sabbath faded from the mind of the Christian Church, and how completely the newer thought underlying the observance of the first day took possession of the church.We have seen that the
Christians of the first three centuries never confused one with the other, but for a time celebrated both.”

Augsburg Confession of Faith art. 28; written by Melanchthon, approved by Martin Luther, 1530; as published in The Book of Concord of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Henry Jacobs, ed. (1 91 1), p. 63.
“They [Roman Catholics] refer to the Sabbath Day, a shaving been changed into the Lord’s Day, contrary to the Decalogue, as it seems. Neither is there any example whereof they make more than concerning the changing of the Sabbath Day. Great, say
they, is the power of the Church, since it has dispensed with one of the Ten Commandments!”

Dr. Augustus Neander, The History of the Christian Religion and Church HenryJohn Rose, tr. (1843), p. 186.
“The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance, and it was far from the intentions of the apostles to establish a Divine command in this respect, far from them, and from the early apostolic Church, to transfer
the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday.”

John Theodore Mueller, Sabbath or Sunday , pp. 15, 16.
“But they err in teaching that Sunday has taken the place of the Old Testament Sabbath and therefore must be kept as the seventh day had to be kept by the children of Israel …. These churches err in their teaching, for Scripture has in no way ordained the first day of the week in place of the Sabbath. There is simply no law in the New Testament to that effect.”

Methodist

Harris Franklin Rall, Christian Advocate, July 2, 1942, p.26.
“Take the matter of Sunday. There are indications in the New Testament as to how the church came to keep the first day of the week as its day of worship, but there is no passage telling Christians to keep that day, or to transfer the Jewish Sabbath to that day.”

John Wesley, TheWorks of the Rev. John Wesley, A.M., John Emory, ed. (NewYork: Eaton & Mains), Sermon 25,vol. 1, p. 221.
“But, the moral law contained in the ten commandments, and enforced by the prophets, he [Christ] did not take away. It was not the design of his coming to revoke any part of this. This is a law which never can be broken …. Every part of this law must
remain in force upon all mankind, and in all ages; as not depending either on time or place, or any other circumstances liable to change, but on the nature of God and the nature of man, and their unchangeable relation to each other.”

Dwight L. Moody D. L. Moody,Weighed andWanting (Fleming H. Revell Co.: New York), pp. 47, 48.
The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. This fourth commandment begins with the word ‘remember,’ showing that the Sabbath already existed when GodWrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when they will admit that the other nine are still binding?”

Presbyterian

T. C. Blake, D.D., Theology Condensed, pp.474, 475.
“The Sabbath is a part of the decalogue – the Ten Commandments. This alone forever settles the question as to the perpetuity of the institution . . . . Until, therefore, it
can be shown that the whole moral law has been repealed, the Sabbath will stand . . . .The teaching of Christ confirms the perpetuity of the Sabbath.” AND finally,What does Scripture really say?
Exodus 16:22-30
22 And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ” 24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. 25Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath,
there will be none.” 27 Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. 28And the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? 29 See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

Exodus 20:8-11
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the
seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Exodus 31:12-18
12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘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.
14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off
from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord.Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ” 18And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the
Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Exodus 35:1-3
1 Then Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said to them, “T hese are the words which the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord.Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”

Leviticus 23:1-3
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. 3 ‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.

Numbers 15:32-36
32 Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the
congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15
12 ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your
daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant
and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand
and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Nehemiah 13:15-21 15
In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about
the day on which they were selling provisions. 16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet
you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” 19 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be
shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.
20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the
wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!

Isaiah 56:1-7
1 Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness,
For My salvation is about to come, And My righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the Lord Speak, saying, “The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”; Nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.”
4 For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me,And hold fast My covenant, 5 Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off. 6 “Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant— 7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

Isaiah 58:13-14
13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Jeremiah 17:19-27
19 Thus the Lord said to me: “Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20 and say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah,
and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. 21 Thus says the Lord: “Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22 nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. 23 But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction. 24 “And it shall be, if you heed Me carefully,” says the Lord, “to bring no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work in it, 25 then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, accompanied by the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall
remain forever. 26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and from the lowland, from the mountains and from the South, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, bringing sacrifices of praise to the house of the Lord.
27 “But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.” ’ ”

Ezekiel 46:1-12
1 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. 2 The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost. The priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings. He shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. 3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance to this gateway before the Lord on the Sabbaths and the New Moons. 4 The burnt offering that the prince offers to the Lord on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish; 5 and the grain offering shall be one ephah for a ram, and the grain offering for the lambs, as much as he wants to give, as well as a hin of oil with every ephah. 6 On the day of the New Moon it shall be a young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish. 7 He shall prepare a grain offering of an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah. 8 When the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way. 9 “But when the people of the land come before the Lord on the appointed feast days, whoever enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate; and
whoever enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. He shall not return by way of the gate through  which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate. 10 The prince shall then be in their midst. When they go in, he shall go in; and when they go out, he shall go out. 11 At the festivals and the appointed feast days the grain offering shall be an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to
give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah. 12 “Now when the prince makes a voluntary burnt offering or voluntary peace offering to the Lord, the gate that faces toward the east shall then be opened for him; and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he did on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he goes out the gate shall be shut.

Matthew 12:1-15
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate
the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of
Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” 9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. 11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more
value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

Mark 2:23-3:6
23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and
ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?” 27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” 1 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or
to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they
might destroy Him.

Luke 6:1-11
1 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. 2And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not
lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” 5And He said to them, “T he Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” 6 Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the
Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. 8 But He knew their thoughts,and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.”And he arose and
stood. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” 10 And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 11 But they were filled with rage, and discussed with oneanother what they might do to Jesus.

Luke 13:10-17
10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the
synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Luke 14:1-4
1 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then He answered them, saying, “Which
of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

John 5:8-18
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” 11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ” 12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing
come upon you.” 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His
Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 7:14-25
14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” 16 Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” 20 The people answered and said, “You have a demon.Who is seeking to kill You?” 21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” 25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly
the Christ? 27 However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”

John 9:14-16
14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

Colossians 2:16-17
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of  things to come, the substance is of Christ.

Study the Scriptures for yourself and see if you can find where the Bible says that Sabbath has been changed from Saturday to Sunday. And, if you can, find a contextually sound example in Scripture that negates the disciple of Messiah from observing Sabbath.Have a blessed Sabbath. It begins this (FRIDAY) evening and ends Saturday evening. Delight in it, it is the LORD’S Sabbath created for HIS children, you and me.

Man’s Law Versus God’s Law

The Commandments and Doctrines of Men

• The commandments and doctrines of men are of no effect against the indulgence of the flesh.
• Practicing God’s commandments, by faith, results in life.
• The commandments of God are positively effectual when practiced by faith.

Colossians 2:20-23 says that the commandments and doctrines of men are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

We see story after story in the mainstream press of the painful results of men overtaken by the indulgence of the flesh. The flesh has an insatiable appetite for all things sensual. The word sensual simply means those things that titillate the senses. Face it. Our bodies are nothing but sensually focused. But the body is simply the means to gratify the sensual appetite. The sensuality that must be satiated is in the inner man. It is the center of man –the inner man – that our English Bibles translate into the
“heart” of man.

Yeshua – Jesus said what comes out of a man defiles that man; it is what proceeds from the heart of man. So the important factor is the consistency of the heart of a man. What is the consistency of the inner man? That is determined by a man or woman’s choice.

To make that choice, in the positive, one must be a believer in the God of the Bible. HE is the ONE who has shown us the wickedness of heart by revealing to us HIS standard of
righteousness through HIS Word. Every man or woman will come to the understanding that their practices are lawless – transgressing the Law of God. Even if they never see a
Bible or one is read to them, the Almighty Creator will reveal each person’s sin, and need for HIS salvation to them, just as HE did to Abraham.

The Book of Galatians tells us that the Scripture preached the gospel to Abraham. At the time of Abraham there was no written Word. They had no Bible. We place God in a box when we limit HIS ability to our sensual capabilities of sight and sound. The Scripture –Yeshua, the LIVING WORD preached the gospel to Abraham. Abraham believed HIM, obeyed, and it was accounted to HIM as righteousness. We are made righteous by
believing what God has said. True belief, however, results in doing what we believe. One can say they believe that eating a balanced diet will make their life better, but if they do
not eat balanced their belief is merely intellectual assent. It is not true belief. True belief acts on belief.

Please understand. I am not singling out any one man, who has fallen, as a subject of ridicule, as if he is the only man that has ever fallen through unbelief. As well, I am not pontificating from a position of sinless perfection myself. I simply want to put the
emphasis where it belongs: The commandments and doctrines of men have no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

The professing church has, for all her existence, fallen back on her own power to maintain herself. She professes to be following Messiah, while looking to HIM as the Author and Finisher of her faith, but all the while relying on the “fences” she erects, and in her own determination of what is acceptable to God.

A Biblical understanding of the concept of church, being the body of Messiah, will show it to be in existence since the Beginning. The concept of church is the same as synagogue. Each word embodies the concept of a gathering of people, especially those who profess faith in the God of the Bible. Since the Garden there has been a church and man has known what is acceptable to God. HE has never left man to “figure it out” for himself.
HE has told us. But, beginning in the Garden, man improvised, attempting to put his own stamp on God’s instructions and that resulted in a fall from grace that has passed sin and death down throughout the generations of mankind.

Falling from grace is absolutely not what man, who understands the fearful aspects of falling into the hands of the Living God, desires. But an accurate Biblical understanding of grace is vital to the follower of the Biblical Messiah. Grace, according to the Strong’s Greek Lexicon, is the Greek word “charis” which means “the divine influence on the heart, with the reflection in the life.” Grace is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is God (divine) to change our hearts and continually working to transform us into the very image of God’s own Son. We know that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Living Word (from Genesis to Revelation) and we know that HE said the Spirit would not speak on HIS own but only
remind the converted believer of what Yeshua said. We also know that Yeshua only spoke the Words of HIS Father. The Spirit “writing God’s Law on our hearts and putting HIS Law in our mind is the realization of the New Covenant, promised in Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31. The Spirit speaking the Words of Yeshua, who spoke the Words of the Father, and causing us to walk in HIS statutes and commandments, is grace at work, implementing the New Covenant in the life of a true convert to Messiah Yeshua. So, falling from grace, is not submitting to the work of the Spirit of the Living Word, writing God’s Law on the heart and putting it in the mind, and instead following after the
commandments and doctrines of men that are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. By implication the commandments and doctrines of the Father are of great value
against the same indulgences.

The commandments and doctrines of no value against the indulgences of the flesh are the established non-biblical traditions and understandings of the Word of God. Eve began it
(maybe Adam did but we only read Eve’s words) when she added, “…nor shall you touch it” to the commandment of the LORD. That set her up, and us, to fall from grace. God,
throughout the annals of time, has warned HIS people against this “replacement” theology. By adding a little of man’s wisdom here and there, including the replacement of the commandments of God with improved upon commandments of men, we are
practicing syncretism that God has explicitly forbidden. Aaron did it when the golden calf was fashioned to worship a god that was no god at all, and then declaring the practice a feast unto the LORD. The professing body of the LORD God has continued to do that for all time, in spite of the fact that the LORD sent many prophets (man killed them) and HIS Son to warn men to return to the Truth. Consider the practices of the professing church
that have their roots and rituals established in paganism. Consider how the professing church calls these pagan practices a “feast unto the LORD.”

We, just as Adam and Eve, have made ourselves easy prey to the enemy, Satan, by our continued practice of syncretism. Syncretism in the modern professing church is no different than it was at any other time in history. We erect our own fences, initially out of good intentions, and those fences take away from actual faith in the LORD and a submission to the Lord and HIS work of grace. Once that has been done it is easy to begin to look at other things that are in opposition to righteousness of God as established in Scripture. We begin to consider these traditions of men as foundational. However the problem is that the foundation is built upon shifting sand instead of the Rock of the Truth of God’s Word. Everything becomes subjective to man instead of being subjective to God’s Word. The result is a mindset that makes it impossible to “hear” the voice of the
Spirit, who only speaks Words that are purely the commandments of God. We are so steeped in our traditions that we can’t, or don’t want to hear the Truth. The lie has become comfortable. But when the trial comes the lie is of no value against the temptation. Yeshua said we shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set us free, when believed and acted upon. Yeshua – Jesus said “Sanctify them by Your Truth, Your Word
is Truth,” in HIS prayer for us to our Father.

The result of non-biblical traditions, practiced by professing believers, is that the commandments of God become of no effect in our lives. Yeshua was very pointed in HIS warning to the Scribes and Pharisees. HE said, “You have made the commandment of God of no effect by your traditions.” Of no effect, means that the intended affect of practicing the commandments of God, by faith, is nullified by non-biblical traditions. This leaves a man or woman easy prey with no defense against the wiles of the devil. Yeshua, in dealing with Satan’s temptation, used Deuteronomy to do combat with the
enemy. The Word, believed and acted upon, had an effect on the enemy. The Word of God left HIM powerless. Yeshua not only believed the Word, HE was the Word, and HE practiced the Word. It is the same for us. If we practice the commandments and doctrines of the Almighty and eschew the commandments and doctrines of men we will leave the enemy powerless in his schemes to derail us. To use the Word of God effectively against
the schemes of the devil we must study the Word of God, in its entirety, in context, and allow the Spirit of God to write it on our hearts and cause us to walk in HIS precepts. Victory is only accomplished through faith in Messiah, the LIVING WORD.

The fall of other men, who have been looked upon as pillars of the faith, is a warning to all who profess to be followers of the Messiah. We must examine ourselves to see if we are of the faith, as Scripture commands us to do. The faith must be in the Biblical Messiah who is the Scripture. There will be no contradiction or shadow of turning. We examine ourselves in light of HIS Word and by this we know that we are being led by the Spirit, who is God, or by our flesh – the ways of man. We are warned by the Scripture: The ways of man seem right to him but they end in death. Sin brings death. Sin is rejecting the commandments of God – Lawlessness, according to the Word. The professing body, all over the world, is awaking to this Truth. HE is calling us all to come out of our Egypt. Will we respond?