Author Archives: YRM

Raising children from the Bible

Raising Righteous Children

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Raising Righteous Children

Today’s youth are facing a growing pandemic. Current statistics show that today’s young people encounter challenges that were unheard of decades ago. They are not learning the same core values that were impressed upon their fathers and grandfathers before them. The recent tragedy in Ferguson, Missouri, involving an African-American teenager and a city police officer is one of many recent examples of a lack of parental guidance. Consider the following statistics:

  • More and more children and teens are sexually active. By the time they graduate from high school, 7 out 10 girls and 8 out of 10 boys will have been sexually active.
  • The physical and spiritual con-sequences of teen sexual activity are severe. More than one million teenage girls in the United States become pregnant every year. Over 2.5 million new adolescent cases of sexually transmitted diseases occur every year.
  • Rates of substance abuse among children and teens are skyrocketing. Not surprisingly, 38 percent of all eighth graders have experimented with illicit drugs. Over 80 percent of today’s graduating seniors will have used alcohol, 42 percent will have used marijuana, and 52 percent will have used illicit drugs.
  • Teen violence is on the rise. Between 1988 and 1992, the arrests of juvenile homicide offenders climbed 93 percent. An estimated 270,000 guns are carried to school each day.
  • The pain of growing up in today’s world has left many youths hopeless. Suicide rates among American high school students have quadrupled in the last four decades. Sadly, 10 percent of adolescent boys and 18 percent of adolescent girls have made some attempt to take their own lives (parentingministry.org).

The preceding statistics speak volumes when it comes to the decline of today’s youth. The increase in illicit behavior should be concerning to all parents. While it may not be possible to help every child, we can take steps to ensure that our children and those children within our influence understand the difference between right and wrong. They are the future of this nation.Knowing that this world will likely only become worse with time, our children must be strong in the faith and remain faithful through many more challenges than faced by earlier generations. So as parents, how do we ensure that they are ready for such a time as this one? We must instill within them a love for Scripture and our Father’s moral values and precepts.

 

Be an Example

Deuteronomy 6 provides a method for achieving morally and spiritually upright children. It reads, “And thou shalt love Yahweh thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up,” verses 5-7. In Hebrew, this passage is called the shema, meaning, “to hear.” Our own good examples are the best ways to teach our children. As believers and parents, we are to love Yahweh with our heart, soul, and might. That means with our entire being. Yahweh should always come first in our lives. This includes fully obeying Him and following in the examples of His Son, Yahshua the Messiah. John in his first epistle says that it’s impossible to know Yahweh if we ignore or refuse to obey the commandments. So as parents, we must first set the example. Then we’re to teach Yahweh’s Word “diligently” to our children. This word comes from the Hebrew shanan. The Brown Driver and Briggs Hebrew Lexicon defines this word as, “to sharpen or to teach incisively.”

This means to be active and not passive when it comes to teaching our children Yahweh’s Word. We’re to spend time daily with them in the truth of our Heavenly Father. If we’re not doing this now, we’re falling short as parents. As Scripture commands, we’re to be teaching them all day long in various ways and circumstances. If we follow these instructions, Yahweh promises that our children will continue in the faith. We find this promise in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” If we raise our children in Yahweh’s Word, Scripture confirms they will not forsake His truth. This is a promise upon which we can rely.

The question is, how is it accomplished? The answer is in the shema. We’re to spend time with them daily, teaching them diligently, i.e., incisively, from Yahweh’s Word. For those parents who are negligent. in this, understand that if we take a passive approach, the likelihood of that child’s accepting and following the faith is greatly diminished. This information is not intuitive, but learned.

The sad reality is that many adults today, including countless parents, have little understanding of virtue and integrity. For this reason their children also lack this knowledge. People are asking today, why are children killing children and behaving in such violent ways? The answer lies with their parents and the fact that today’s generation is ignorant of simple morality. With so many now supporting gay marriage and abortion, how is it possible for today’s youth to accept Yahweh’s truth? This is why Deuteronomy commands that we as parents must first love and follow Yahweh with all our heart, soul, and might. If we’re going to help the next generation, we must ensure our generation is first living up to those standards.

 

Abraham More Than a Prophet

One man who understood this, and more importantly lived it, was Abraham. Not only was this patriarch faithful to Yahweh, but as we see in Genesis 18:19, he was also a good father. It reads, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Yahweh, to do justice and judgment; that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Scripture recognizes Abraham for many achievements. He left his family and home; he believed Yahweh when others would not, and he was a prophet. One of his greatest accomplishments, however, was his parenting. The Bible says that he taught his children to walk in the way of Yahweh and to follow in His justice and judgment.

Walking in the way of Yahweh is the same as obeying Him. If we as parents don’t impress upon our children the sanctity and holiness of His Word, then there’s little hope for their spiritual future. If they don’t learn how and why it’s important to honor the Sabbath, then they will likely never understand the sanctity or holiness of this day. The same applies to marriage and all other moral principles in the Word.

In the fourth chapter of Proverbs, Solomon explains why it’s important that our children follow Yahweh’s Word.  “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.”   Solomon is speaking to the children. He says that children are to listen to the instruction of their father. He gives four key benefits they will reap from it: understanding or knowledge of Yahweh’s Word; good doctrine or teaching; wisdom or discretion; and blessings.

When we obey our father we’ll be blessed and free from many of life’s other problems. This assumes that the father is living a life of righteousness. If the father is rebellious, then he will not be equipped to pass on these values to his children. There is one inescapable truth that impacts all men and that is that sin has consequences. For example, when we commit fornication, not only do we dishonor our own bodies, but we run the risk of pregnancy, STDs, and other life-changing factors. It’s amazing how one sin can change a person’s life forever. Contrary to what many want to believe, sin has real consequences. The simple truth is this, if we follow Yahweh and teach our children the same, we and they will be blessed. However, if we refrain from this parental responsibility, they will likely never have a love and concern for the Bible when they are grown. It’s amazing what we as parents can do when it comes to influencing our children. We have the ability to impress upon them the standards of Yahweh’s Word or the standards of this world.

 

Be Available for Questions

Be honest and forthright in answering your children’s questions. In Exodus 12:26-27 is an example of this principle: “And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of Yahweh’s Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.” This principle applies far beyond the Passover. If our kids ask us about Yahweh’s Word, we’re to use that as an opportunity to ingrain a love and interest in Scripture. If a child understands the reason why Yahweh says what He does, they are more likely to follow it. As parents, we’re not only to take time out and read to our children but also be available for questions. The mind of a child is like a sponge, soaking up everything it encounters. Having two girls of my own, I’m often surprised at their ability to process and understand information. They often grasp much more than we realize. It’s for this reason that we must be actively teaching them Yahweh’s Word.

Admonition of a Father

In Ephesians 6:4 Paul speaks specifically to fathers when he says, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Master.” The NIV reads, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of [the Master].” This is a reference to the father as the disciplinarian. Regardless of what some people want to believe, there are differences between mothers and fathers. One difference is how they respond and relate to their children. While mothers are normally more nurturing by nature, fathers are more inclined to be the disciplinarian. This is why Paul addresses this passage to the fathers. Fathers must not discipline excessively or abusively. This type of correction is not only counter-productive, and often creates long-lasting animosity between the child and parent.

Adam Clarke, in his well-known commentary, provides this insightful observation, “Avoid all severity; this will hurt your own souls, and do them no good; on the contrary, if punished with severity or cruelty, they will be only hardened and made desperate in their sins. Cruel parents generally have bad children. He who corrects his children according to [Yahweh] and reason will feel every blow on his own heart more sensibly than his child feels it on his body. Parents are called to correct, not to punish, their children. Those who punish them do it from a principle of revenge; those who correct them do it from a principle of affectionate concern.” Parents should never forget the reason for correcting their children. The motivation for correction should be rooted in love, not anger or hatred. The goal is to see that the child repents and changes his or her ways. Paul goes on to say that parents are to bring their children up in the training and instruction of Yahweh’s Word. The King James Version calls it, “nurture and admonition.” So along with correction, fathers should be active in teaching them Yahweh’s Word. Remember that Abraham was praised for instructing his children.

 

Nurturing of a Mother

From 2Timothy 1:5 we learn that mothers, too, have a responsibility of imparting Yahweh’s Word to their children. “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” Paul praises Timothy’s mother and grandmother for Timothy’s devotion. Some people view the role of full-time mothers as degrading and unneeded. Those who hold this opinion could not be more wrong. Full-time mothers should be praised for their commitment to their families. Being a full-time mom isn’t easy and it’s no less important than any other position. A full-time mom might possibly have the most important position in the family. Mothers spend the most time with their children and have more opportunities to share Yahweh’s truth and be an influence. Their role in the development of that child is enormous. It wasn’t a coincidence that Paul praised Lois and Eunice for their nurturing and guidance of young Timothy.

As seen from the Bible, both the father and mother have pivotal roles in the upbringing of their children. This is why children often suffer in single parent homes. Fathers and mothers fill different needs in a family and when one parent is missing there is going to be a deficiency in the raising of that child. The story of Timothy continues in 2Timothy 3:15. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Messiah Yahshua.” Paul says here that Timothy knew the Scriptures from a child. It was his childhood that made him the man he was. This goes back to what Yahweh says in the shema and what Solomon says in the book of Proverbs. If parents teach their children Yahweh’s Word early, they will retain that knowledge when they are grown. Timothy’s success can be traced back to the devotion of his mother and grandmother. If not for them and Yahweh’s Word, his life may have been vastly different. Many children suffer today simply because they lack the nurturing that Timothy had, as well as others like him. It cannot be impressed upon parents enough the impact and influence they have on their kids. If we use our time wisely, we can impact our children in ways that will follow them all their days.

 

Two Examples, Two Outcomes

In closing, let’s consider two examples of parenting. In 1Samuel 2:18 we find the example of the boy Samuel. It reads, “But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice…And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with Yahweh, and also with men.”

Who was this extraordinary boy? He was the son of Elkanah and Hannah. The Bible says that Hannah was barren or unable to have children. One year when Elkanah and Hannah went to Jerusalem to worship Yahweh, Hannah prayed for a son and promised Yahweh that if He would answer her prayer, she would dedicate her son to His service. Yahweh answered Hannah’s prayer; she kept her word and gave her son to Eli the priest. From the beginning, the Bible confirms that Samuel’s parents were people of devotion and integrity. It says that they would go up every year to worship and sacrifice unto Yahweh. The Bible says that Samuel grew in favor with both Yahweh and men.

In the end, Samuel proved to be one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. He never deviated or forsook Yahweh’s truth; he remained strong and was a beacon of light for those who served Yahweh. It’s important to realize that Samuel’s walk began as a child; he served Yahweh as a child, and continued serving Him when he was grown. The same cannot be said about the sons of Eli. “Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make Yahweh’s people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against Yahweh, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because Yahweh would slay them,” 1Samuel 2:22-25.

The Bible states that Eli’s sons were wicked and rebellious. They defiled Yahweh’s worship and caused Israel to sin. While the Bible doesn’t provide much detail as to how Eli raised his sons, he obviously fell short. However, with the exception of his sons, Eli was a good man and served Yahweh faithfully. The sad reality is, parental neglect by ministers isn’t all that uncommon. Many ministers are so concerned about others that they become complacent with their own families. Even though it’s often difficult, those who minister must achieve a balance between the ministry and their families. They cannot neglect the one for the other. Consider this, if a minister has problems in his personal life, how is it possible for him to effectively minister to others? Raising children is an enormous responsibility, but well worth the work and effort. There is nothing more rewarding than to watch your children grow up as respected adults with a love for you and their Heavenly Father.  For more info like this please read our booklet: Restore the Lock in Wedlock

 

by: Randy Folliard

 

Yahweh's Restoration Ministry building and office

Holts Summit Sabbath Fellowship

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Holts Summit Sabbath Fellowship

Holts Summit Sabbath FellowshipJoin our Holts Summit Sabbath Fellowship in mid-Missouri, near Jefferson City and Columbia. For those not familiar with Yahweh’s Restoration Ministry, we are an assembly with strong family values and with an uncompromising stand on the Bible. We believe in harmonizing the Old and New testaments and teach the true Name of the Heavenly Father, Yahweh. We also proclaim the Son, who was originally named Yahshua, a name that means “Yahweh is salvation.” The Savior’s mission is reflected in His Name–to bring the message of salvation to earth. We look to our Savior for salvation, realizing that only through Him do we find redemption and forgiveness of sins. We also observe the seven annual Feast days, along with the seventh-day Sabbath. If you earnestly desire the truth of the Word and not man’s traditions, we welcome you.

About Us and Our Location

Our Holts Summit Sabbath Fellowship is located outside of  the city limits in a beautiful rural setting. The ministry sits on 5 acres of wooded property off of a blacktop county road 1.5 miles from Highway 54.  We have our own campground for tenting and RVs. We currently have 6 full RV hookups and multiple tenting sites with power. If you are interested in camping please call the ministry (see below). Our 16,000 square foot complex houses our ministry offices, TV studio, sanctuary, fellowship hall, classrooms, playrooms, bathrooms, library, conference room and more. For dining we can seat 106 inside our fellowship hall and 80+ outside on our verandas and courtyard.

What Is a Typical Sabbath Like?

Our Sabbath day consists of a Bible study starting at 11:30am (children’s class starts at this time as well), services at 1:30 pm and a communal meal following the service approx. 3:30pm (don’t forget to bring something kosher). After the meal brethren fellowship for several hours. Many brethren remain here until around the end of Sabbath. The environment is very friendly and laid back. We have been blessed with a large number of children. If you will be bringing children with you, the family friendly environment will sure to be a delight.

What Should I Do?

To ensure that all is done decently and in order (1Cor. 14:40) please respect our beliefs and present any opposing beliefs only to a minister. Only modest dress honorable to Yahweh is acceptable. This means at least a dress shirt for men and either dresses or loose-fitting slacks for women. All women will be expected to wear a head covering during worship services and Bible studies, 1Corinthians 11.Ministry, please abide by our guidelines. If you have a day in mind you would like to visit,  give us a call at 573-896-1000 and let us know you are coming and any special arrangements you or your family may need. If you are seeking baptism on your visit we will need to schedule a counseling session with Elder Alan Mansager or Pastor Randy Folliard.

For More Information

To learn more, please contact the Ministry toll free at 844-899-6438 or view our Plan a Visit page. Yahweh’s Restoration Ministry is located at 11608 County Road 4031, Holts Summit, MO.

Holts Summit, Missouri, is near the following cities:

Jefferson City, MO
Columbia, MO
New Bloomfield, MO
Ashland, MO
Boonville, MO
Fulton, MO
California, MO
Tipton, MO
Eldon, MO
Osage Beach, MO
Lake Ozark, MO
Camdenton, MO
Westphalia, MO
Linn, MO
Huntsdale, MO
Chamois, MO
Kingdom City, MO
Mexico, MO
New Florence, MO
Tascumbia, MO
Meta, MO
Vienna, MO
Belle, MO
Hallsville, MO
Montgomery City, MO
High Hill, MO
Springfield, MO

See our other Sabbath locations.

Christianity and modern worship

Modern Worship Has Lost Its Way

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What is Christianity?

A spiritual malaise is plaguing Christianity today, which is leading to a widespread decline in church attendance. Eighty percent of churches are stagnant or losing membership. A 2013 Pew Research survey found that only 37 percent of Americans attend church regularly. Three in 10 say they never or rarely go. Ask most pastors what percentage of inactive members they have – they’ll say anywhere from 40 percent to 60 percent. When I was a youth it seemed as if everyone went to church. The result of that general religious environment was a more law-abiding society and a culture in which people showed more care and concern for one another.

User-Friendly ‘Worship’

In treating the symptoms of declining attendance rather than the cause, many ministries are switching from Bible-based teachings to pleasing the congregation any way they can just to fill their pews. Today’s church culture has tried to become user-friendly through milquetoast teachings. It’s called seeker-sensitive. The aim is to find ways to make attendance attractive and entertaining – competing with Disneyland, Hollywood, and Broadway. Many larger ministries are turning to consumer business models. They take surveys to give the congregation what they want. And what they want is a Starbucks in the vestibule. And to hold services at Buffalo Wild Wings, as one church has started doing. Provide youth areas with Xboxes and three-tiered playgrounds, and run live social media feeds during worship. Many ministries today have lost touch with their whole purpose. The Apostle Paul was very concerned about today’s lack of Bible teaching. He prophesied about it to the young Timothy in 2Timothy 4:2: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Fables is “moothos” in the Greek, meaning a fictional tale. Clearly we are seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy today. How many churchgoers are truly interested in the pure, unadulterated Word in our culture? How many hunger for sound doctrine and desire above all to conform to it?  Astonishing Bible Truths Your Church Never Taught >>

Many Reasons for Today’s Attendance 

Motives for church attendance are all over the map. Most of them have little to do with the Scriptures.

The following are seven key reasons people attend church today.

  • A majority go to church because it is all about them. They go to feel good and feel good about themselves. Many are looking for entertainment, and if they find their church getting boring, they shop around. So what is Christianity?
  • A second reason many attend is to socialize. They go to touch base with friends or to find new ones. They see it as a club or like a stop at the corner cafe.
  • A third reason is all about the pastor: they like his charisma or his speaking style, or maybe he’s a good singer. Or else they are drawn to his friendliness. Or to his family. Or they like the prestige of going to his big, impressive church building.
  • Many attend for the sake of their children. They like the youth programs. For many, it is all about youth activities. If the youth program changes or dies, they go church shopping.
  • For others, it is all about networking. They go for business contacts, or to schmooze with prospective employers who attend there.
  • Some simply have never been anywhere else and do not know any different. They grew up in their church, have always attended there, and will die going there. Others attend a church half-heartedly only because a spouse or friend wants them to. Some go just to ease their guilt. They show up a couple times a year, usually around the pseudo-holy days.

Most all of these are self-centered reasons for worship in the 21st century: it’s all about me. Does this church fit me and how do I look in it, Like shopping for a coat.

  • The last reason some attend church today is to find truth. Not meaning to be cynical here, but I call this the last reason not just because it’s last on my list, but because it is fast becoming the least popular motive for weekly attendance.

Those in this category sincerely want to honor, serve and please the Creator they worship. They know that their salvation depends on it and are willing to make whatever life changes are necessary toward that end, even hard things like humbly repenting of their sins and living a different life as shown in the Word. Those with hearts desiring to serve Yahweh are the ones who will one day serve as priests in His Kingdom if they stay faithful to Him.  Considering the popularity of all the other reasons, going to church in an earnest desire to find and follow truth probably will never rise above its last-place status today. Not until Yahshua returns, at least.

Dedication Soon to Be Enforced

When that time comes this list will be turned on its head as everyone will worship in sincerity and truth – or else. All other self-centered, superficial reasons will be unacceptable. Yahshua said in John 4:23: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. Yahweh is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

True devotion that pleases Yahweh is serious business. It is not about the worshiper but all about the One who is worshiped. It is about giving Him the honor He demands by living His Word. Back in the day, attending services for the sole purpose of worship would not even be a question. Only a few decades ago many more churchgoers searched the Scriptures in a sincere desire to get their lives and worship right. They read their Bibles and knew intuitively that devotion was all about truth and conforming to it. Far more had hearts hungering to learn what the Bible taught and especially – and this is key – to change their lives and follow what Yahweh expected of them. Today that kind of conviction is dying. Paul warned about this very thing that was also happening in his day. He said,  “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Messiah unto another good news: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the good news of Messiah. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other good news unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed,” Galatians 1:6-8.

For Many, Progress Stops at Conviction

What Is Christianity?We are facing an age-old dynamic. Many who hear our message on television, online, or in our publications are intrigued by what we teach. But just like the Greeks listening to Paul on Mar’s Hill, a majority are only curious and once their curiosity is satisfied, they fade away. When it comes to taking new found understanding of truth to heart by putting the Bible’s clear teachings into practice, that’s where dedication typically nosedives. We counsel people at baptism that they now must be faithful to the Sabbath and Feasts the rest of their lives. They are making a permanent commitment and living a new and different life now, with Yahweh coming first in everything. It is a covenant they make with Him. This is basic, and only those willing to do that are going to be chosen for the Kingdom.

No Lasting Satisfaction in World

Many find their fulfillment in this present world. Paul had a short-term follower named Demas who also had too much love for this world. Love not the world, John wrote, nor the things in it. If you do, then the love of Yahweh is not within you. Yahshua’s parable of the sower is a reprimand for the weak of will. The seed sprouts but then dies out. It requires too much sacrifice to change their lives. They are happy with the status quo. They are comfortable in their sins. Or at least not uncomfortable enough to repent of them, which means change their lives, and be blessed by Yahweh. But when things begin to heat up, worldly pursuits will mean nothing. That day will reflect the same short-term change in attitudes in our nation that followed the attacks on

Yahshua’s parable of the sower is a reprimand for the weak of will. The seed sprouts but then dies out. It requires too much sacrifice to change their lives. They are happy with the status quo. They are comfortable in their sins. Or at least not uncomfortable enough to repent of them, which means change their lives, and be blessed by Yahweh. But when things begin to heat up, worldly pursuits will mean nothing. That day will reflect the same short-term change in attitudes in our nation that followed the attacks on 9-11, when people feared the future and frivolities faded fast. A lack of commitment to Him leads Yahweh to say, “I never knew you, depart from me. You have no deep regard for me. You never took me seriously when you had all the opportunity to do so. You didn’t have time for me when you pursued your worldly goals.” False teachings have led millions to count on winning the Prize by doing nothing but believe. They want salvation but apparently not enough to run the race. Yahshua hates the something-for-nothing attitude. He was clear when He said that to live by the Word would not be a walk down Easy Street. He said those who follow the Scriptures would not win any popularity contests. He promised, “In the world, you will have tribulation.” Today’s popular perception is that you can be blessed with health, wealth, and prosperity just by claiming a belief. As 2Timothy 4 tells us, that is fiction. Only in the life to come will true blessings reign. Yet, the trials that always come with obedience are nothing compared with the blessings in Kingdom life. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us,” Romans 8:18. Paul wrote in 2Timothy 3:12: “Yea, and all that will live piously in Messiah Yahshua shall suffer persecution.”

Committing Your Life Is the Whole Key

If the whole point and purpose of learning truth is to apply it, as the Scriptures abundantly teach, why the lack of com-mitment to do that today? Learning without doing is just a mental exercise, in Yahweh’s eyes a waste of time. If you agree that the Sabbath is the seventh day, but continue doing your chores, shopping, and golfing on Saturday, then you are no better off than the heathen. If you agree with Scripture that the Feasts are the only holidays commanded by Yahweh and kept in both Old and New testaments, and made for all His people in every era, but you never observe them with His body of believers, then your endorsement is pointless and useless. Knowledge without real life application will get you nowhere. If you have proved the sacred Names of the Father and Son and correctly recognize that only in His Name do you find salvation, Acts 4:12, but you don’t commit to calling on, and worshiping in His Name, then you may as well disavow it. If we really respect Yahweh, if we actually serve Him as we say, then we will honor His Name as He commands: “I am Yahweh: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images,” Isaiah 42:8. His name appears in the Old Testament’s source manuscripts 6,823 times. That should be enough to prove its importance, shouldn’t it? James in 4:17 says enlightenment is serious business: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Knowing Yahweh’s word and not following it is tantamount to sin.

Take the Responsibility

Once you cross the threshold of understanding and know in your heart what is right and true, you are then held responsible for it. Yahweh from that point forward holds you accountable for following it. That includes all of the Ten Commandments and His laws. If after conviction you turn back, Hebrews 6 equates it to sin for which there is no remedy. If you have seen and proved the truth but do nothing further with it, you bury the gift of understanding Yahweh gave you. And He will hold you accountable. We must walk in all the light Yahweh gives us. Obstacles and roadblocks keep many of the easily discouraged from following truth. Our culture itself breeds laxity and nonresponsibility. Making bad choices leading to alcohol abuse or nicotine addiction is excused by the popular rationalization that it is not your fault; you can’t help it, you have a disease. Many lack the integrity to take responsibility for their actions. Today’s society contributes greatly to that irresponsibility. We have no-fault insurance, no-fault divorce, and no-fault attendance policies. A denial of responsibility is followed by a lack of commitment. Nowhere is this more serious than in serving Yahweh. But the biggest impediment to repentance and the need to put into practice what Scripture commands lands squarely in the laps of the clergy. The assault on biblical teachings of obedience saturates pulpits everywhere.

Faith Alone?

Church after church will tell you that all you need is faith. Nothing more. If salvation truly comes from faith alone, then 99.9 percent of the Bible would be unnecessary. One verse stating such belief could replace all 31,102 verses in Scripture. Yet, no such verse exists. Forget hundreds of passages of New Testament instruction and example in righteous obedience to Yahweh’s Word. Never mind the Savior’s three and one-half years of teaching how to live according to the Word, as well as His own example of obedient living while He walked this earth. Forget all that He taught His disciples and us as well, about how to live, “As the Father gave me commandment, so I do,” He said in John 14:31. Yahshua plainly said that only the one who does the will of His Father will enter the Kingdom of heaven, Matthew 7:21. In Matthew 19:17 He said if you seek everlasting life, then keep the commandments. A favorite “proof” text for belief alone is Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Master Yahshua, and shalt believe in thine heart that Yahweh hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” You see, confession and belief—that’s all you need, many say. If that’s true, then why obey? Because of the next verse: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” When you believe to the point of righteousness then you put your belief and understanding into daily practice. That is what righteousness means. It is from the Greek meaning holy, set apart. How? Through obedience. He said the same thing in John 3:16, where “believeth in Him” entails “committing to” in obedience. See Hebrews 5:9. Paul wrote in 1Corinthians 15:34: “Awake to righteousness and sin not.” Sin is disobedience. Sin is breaking of the law, 1John 3:4. Righteousness means not sinning. It means obedience.

Luke 1:6 tells us that John the Baptist’s father and mother were both righteous. Does that mean they just had faith alone? Let’s see: “And they were both righteous before Elohim, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of Yahweh blameless.” Obedience to the commands makes one righteous. Yahshua told a woman in Luke 11:28 who was trying to reduce His blessing for His mother Miriam, “Rather, blessed are they that hear the word of Elohim, and keep it.” Keep means to observe, obey. The obedient are those who are blessed. You can’t be a sinner and righteous at the same time. You can’t be doing righteousness but thinking wickedness. Or thinking obedience but living a life of disobedience.Yet millions are under the illusion that it can be done. You can live for yourself and still have everlasting life awaiting you just because you claim you believe. You can’t be a sinner and righteous at the same time. You can’t be doing righteousness but thinking wickedness. Or thinking obedience but living a life of disobedience. Yet millions are under the illusion that it can be done. You can live for yourself and still have everlasting life awaiting you just because you claim you believe. Others think they can go halfway and still be saved. James 2:10 tells them, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” One way or another we all will face the One who inspired the Book. Now is the time to make the most of the opportunity each of us has been given to worship Him in truth and live for Him.

Religious Hucksters Everywhere

A lot of megachurches pander to the selfish interests of their audiences. They set a low standard for many ministries to emulate.

Their audiences just want to feel good, so they are served a smorgasbord of warm and fuzzy preaching. Nothing controversial.

  • Throw in lots of psychology and sociology.
  • Spin a never-ending web of low-impact yarns with a visual circus on jumbotron screens. That way they’ll keep coming back for more feel-good entertainment.
  • Don’t ever say anything life-impacting.
  • Never make the listeners feel bad about their sinfulness. Don’t even mention sin or repentance. The last thing they want is conviction that leads to obedience to the one they claim to worship.
  • People just need to feel good about themselves. Tell them Yahweh just wants them to be happy, and they deserve to have joy no matter what.
  • Live for today and have your best life now.

The prophets and apostles would be aghast at all this flim-flam, which is designed to pull in numbers and a full offering plate. Teachings about conversion and obedience never proceed from the speakers’ lips. Neither does the subject of sin and its destructive work.

Today we see rampant spiritual malpractice at the highest level. It was one of the hot topics that Yahshua and the apostles railed against. In the Scriptures, Israelites came to the temple for one thing: to worship Yahweh as He demands. They worshiped regularly and learned lessons in how far they had strayed from Him. It was all about discovering ever more of Him and serving Him, which is the most important purpose in our worship and life. Soon all will be obediently honoring Yahweh. Yahshua said, “But the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him,” John 4:23. Why would anyone waste their time subjected to teachings not based on the Word? Why would anyone want to go backward? Anything other than worship taught in the Scriptures is idolatry, whether it be a metal image or a vaunted self-image desirous of personal gain. Many ministries today just want to be social clubs, with watered down, low-impact, nonjudgmental teachings that have no connection with New Testament worship. What is Christianity? The modern church has ranged far afield from apostolic instruction and life. What changed? Was it the Bible?  Scripture says that both Yahweh and Yahshua are the same yesterday and today and forever. So it wasn’t they who turned aside. From the very days of their ministries in Acts, the apostles were confronted by those who deviated, having less than pure motives. Do as the New Testament writers did: follow the Word closely every day and you will never go wrong. Observe its teachings faithfully. A crown of everlasting life in a never-ending kingdom awaits those who have Yahweh at heart and are willing to live their lives for Him.

What is Christianity? What they don’t want you to know >>

 

Are we born immortal

Are You Immortal?

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Do People go to Heaven when they die?

Nearly every funeral sermon that is preached today claims that the “deceased” is now up in heaven. The notion is based on 2,000 years of tradition. But how accurate is that tradition?

The word soul is derived from the Hebrew nephesh. Here is how nephesh is defined in the Bible by usage: “self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, heart, body, living being, desire, emotion, passion, the breathing creature, the inner, living being of man (with life in the blood), seat of the appetite, seat of emotions and passions, activity of the will, activity of the character.” These are all synonyms for the biblical concept of soul.

None of these uses of nephesh describes a separate, misty, immortal part of man that wafts away at death. It simply expresses “being” in various ways.

“Soul” even applies to animals, all flesh-and-blood creatures. In fact, it predates man. Nephesh, or soul, is used of lower life forms prior to ever being used for man in the Bible. Read Genesis 1:20 where nephesh is rendered, “moving creature with life,” verse 21: “living creature,” and verses 24-25: “beast,” meaning all varieties of animals, including reptiles and sea animals. See Genesis 2:19.

How can a separate part of us called a soul waft off to heaven at death, when we ourselves are a soul? The news reported an explosion and said three souls died. (Apparently, they didn’t go to heaven!) Actually, these were simply people who died, referred to as “souls” even in today’s vernacular.

If the soul of man is immortal, then by the definition of nephesh, animals must also be immortal.

When the second angel pours out his vial on the sea, Revelation 16:3 says all the souls in the sea will die. Should we assume that immortal souls of people will be living in the sea? That’s absurd! Soul here means creatures that live in the sea.

In Numbers 19:20 we read of the unclean man who doesn’t purify himself.  That soul (that person, that individual) “will be cut off from the congregation.” In verse 22 we read that the soul that touches anything unclean will be unclean till dark. Imagine an immortal soul being banished from an assembly, or a soul that has become unclean till sundown!  Obviously, soul speaks of the person, not an immortal, ethereal vapor.

If souls are immortal, then they don’t die, and it’s either the immortal soul doctrine or the Bible that is not telling the truth. Ezekiel 18:4 reads, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” The same word nephesh or soul is rendered “dead body” in Numbers 9:6, 7, and 10.

In John 11 Mary and Martha summon Yahshua because their brother Lazarus had died four days previous. Popular teaching would aver that Lazarus had an immortal soul that wafted away to heaven. But Yahshua commanded, “Lazarus come forth,” not “Lazarus come down here and get back into your body.”

Paul tells us that when Yahshua returns He’s going to call the living and the dead from the earth, not heaven. He wrote in 1Thessalonians 4:15-17: “For this we say unto you by the word of Yahweh, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Master shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Master himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of Elohim: and the dead in Messiah shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Master in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Master.”

Here Paul calls death a sleep. The dead here “rise.” Nowhere do the dead ever descend from heaven. Yahshua descended from heaven, but we do not.

What about when Cain killed Abel? Yahweh said the voice of Abel cried out to me from the ground (Gen. 4:9-10). Yahweh didn’t say to Cain, “Your brother is up here in heaven with Me, and you should not have murdered him.”

The Greek equivalent to nephesh is psuche. Psuche is translated “soul” in the New Testament. You find psuche 105 times in the New Testament, and it is capable of nearly as many applications as is the Hebrew word nephesh, even used of man’s moods, passions, and feelings. Psuche’s basic meaning is the life force that animates the body. As in the Old Testament, nowhere is immortality associated with the soul in the New Testament.

Many are confused by soul and spirit. In the New Testament spirit is pneuma. Spirit is the breath of life that Yahweh breathed into Adam to make him come alive. It is the breath of life that goes back to Yahweh, not an immortal soul.

Paul in 1Timothy 6:16 said the Father Yahweh is the only one with immortality. We don’t have it naturally within us. If we at some point are granted immortality it is only because He gives it to us, just as He gave it to Yahshua. But that doesn’t happen until Yahshua returns and initiates the resurrection.

Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 shows us the universal nature of physical life: “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit [the breath of life] of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?”

By: Alan Mansager

Watch: “Were You Born Immortal?” below.

is God's name Yahweh or Jehovah?

Yahweh or Jehovah?

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Yahweh or Jehovah?

Yahweh or Jehovah?

What is the correct Name for the One we worship, Yahweh or Jehovah? According to Insight on the Scriptures, a Jehovah’s Witnesses publication, the name “ ‘Jehovah’ ” is the best-known English pronunciation of the divine name” (vol. 2, p. 5). However, this same source also states, “ ‘Yahweh’ is favored by most Hebrew scholars” (ibid). The fact that names are not translated but transliterated, therefore the statement, “ ‘Jehovah’ is the best-known English pronunciation,” is factually and grammatically incorrect. The words “translation” and “transliteration” are often confused. Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary defines translate as, “to change from one language into another,” 1967, p. 1939. This same reference states this in reference to transliterate: “To write or spell (words, etc.) in the alphabetical characters of another language that represent the same sound or sounds.” An example of a translation is when Jerome translated the Old Testament from Hebrew to Latin. An example of transliteration is the name “Benjamin Netanyahu,” the Prime Minister of Israel. No matter where Benjamin Netanyahu travels his name is always “Benjamin Netanyahu.” Names are not changed or translated but transliterated. This same concept applies to the Name of our Creator. His Name was never pronounced “Jehovah.” Our Heavenly Father’s Name derives from the Hebrew letters yod-hey- waw-hey.  These four letters are known as the Tetragrammaton (Greek “four letters”) and correspond to the English YHWH. Based on Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, the most accurate transliteration of YHWH is “Yahweh.”

Scholarship, regardless of language, overwhelmingly supports this name. Consider the following references:

  • “The Lord. The Hebrew for his name is Yahweh (often incorrectly spelled ‘Jehovah’)” (NIV Study Bible, note at Exodus 3:15, 1998).
  • “The prophets commonly used Yahweh for God, English sometimes as Lord, sometimes as Jehovah, the latter being a hybrid form which should be written Yahweh (YHWH)” (Harper’s Bible Dictionary, 1973).
  • “Properly, the name should be pronounced; ‘Yahweh’ as it is spelled in many modern versions. In this paraphrase ‘Yahweh’ is translated either ‘Jehovah’ or ‘Lord’ ; (The Living Bible, note at Exodus 3:15, 1971).
  • “Jehovah, n. 1530 Iehoua, borrowing of the New Latin, an erroneous transliteration of the Hebrew name YHWH, often represented as Yahweh” (The Barnhart ConciseDictionary of Etymology, 1995).

These are only a few references confirming Yahweh’s Name. There are countless others that provide the same information. Knowing this, why would anyone choose to use the name “Jehovah”? This hybrid name arose from combining the vowel points of Adonai with the Tetragrammaton. Additionally, Since the Hebrew and Greek languages are without a “J” sound, the name “Jehovah” is an impossibility in these ancient languages. Interestingly, the letter “J” was also the last letter to be added to the English alphabet. The original 1611 KJV did not contain the letter J. Instead, it used the letter I. For example, the name of the Messiah was spelled “Iesus.” While this too is not right, it illustrates the missing “J” from the original KJV. Does it matter that Jehovah is a hybrid of the Hebrew YHWH? Yahweh’s Name appears nearly 7,000 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. In Exodus 20:7, we are told not to take His Name in vain. The word “vain” comes from the Hebrew shaw, meaning “worthlessness.” When we ignore His Name we are breaking this commandment. Also, according to the Old and New testaments, those who call upon Yahweh’s Name will be saved, Joel 2:32 and Acts 2:21. Beyond the scriptural significance, people prefer being called by their personal names and not by a replacement someone may randomly choose. Our Creator is no different. He too desires to be called by His personal revealed Name, Yahweh. If you are not already doing so, we encourage you to begin honoring your Heavenly Father by calling on His revealed personal Name Yahweh and not settle for substitute names or titles.

Learn more about Yahweh Name through our booklet, including why it matters whether we use Yahweh or Jehovah, Your Father’s Name.
For more info on the origins of Jehovah please check out our article: The Yehovah Deception.

 Watch: “The Yehovah or Yahweh Question” below.

What is God’s Name?

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God's Name (QA)     What is God’s Name?

aMany believe that God’s Name is God or the Lord. However, these are only titles. The revealed personal Name of our Heavenly Father is “Yahweh.” This Name derives from the four Hebrew letters: yod-hey-waw-hey. These four letters are known as the Tetragrammaton. Based on Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, the best known pronunciation is “Yahweh.” Consider the below:

  • “The Lord. The Hebrew for his name is Yahweh (often incorrectly spelled ‘Jehovah’; see note on Dt. 28:58). It means ‘He is” or ‘He will be’ and is the third-person from of the verb translated ‘I will be’ in v. 12 and ‘I am’ in v. 14” (NIV Study Bible, note at Exodus 3:15, 1998).
  • “The prophets commonly used Yahweh for God, English sometimes as Lord, sometimes as Jehovah, the latter being a hybrid form which should be written Yahweh (YHWH)” (Harper’s Bible Dictionary, 1973).
  • “Properly, the name should be pronounced ‘Yahweh’ as it is spelled in many modern versions. In this paraphrase ‘Yahweh’ is translated either ‘Jehovah’ or ‘Lord’ (The Living Bible, note at Exodus 3:15, 1971).
  • “Jehovah, n. 1530 Iehoua, borrowing of the New Latin, an erroneous transliteration of the Hebrew name YHWH, often represented as Yahweh” (The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, 1995).

Notice that the name “Jehovah” is a false hybrid of our Creator’s Name. This name arose from combining the Tetragrammaton with the vowel points of Adonai. The name Jehovah is also an impossibility based on the fact that neither Hebrew nor Greek contains a ‘J’ sound. Additionally, this was also the last letter to be added to the English alphabet. Rather than “Jesus,” the original 1611 JKV read, “Iesus.” The “v” is also improper, coming from the influence of the Ashkenazi Hebrew, originating in northern Europe. The original was the Hebrew “waw” or “w.”

There are many passages showing the importance of Yahweh’s Name. For example, we are not to take Yahweh’s Name in vain (Ex. 20:7); we are to bless His Name (Ps. 145:21); we are to call upon His Name (Ps. 80:18, 99:6); and we are to declare His Name (Ex. 9:16; Heb. 2:12). These are but a few of the examples showing the significance of our Father’s Name.  We encourage all believers to consider calling on the personal Name of their Creator, Yahweh!

Learn more about Yahweh’s Name through our booklet: Your Father’s Name.

Seventh Day Adventist and the Holy Days

Seventh-day Adventists Waking Up to Feast Days

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There has been a recent trend with members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church coming to the knowledge and acceptance of the biblical Feast days. Examples of these days include the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, a.k.a. Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Not only are many realizing that the Messiah and apostles observed these days in the New Testament (Mark 14:1; John 7:2, 37; Acts 2:1-4; 12:3; 20:6, 16; 1Cor. 5:8), but they also offer incredible insight into our Creator’s plan of salvation for mankind. For instance, not only did the Passover bring redemption to Israel through the death of the Passover lamb, but the Messiah through His death also brought salvation to mankind. A similar connection is found with the Feast of Weeks. This Feast represents the giving of the Law in the Old Testament and also the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.

Seventh-day Adventist ChurchEven though the Seventh-day Adventist Church does not officially recognize these days, Ellen G. White, a predominant founder of this movement, spoke to the value of these days: “Anciently the Lord instructed His people to assemble three times a year for His worship. To these holy convocations the children of Israel came, bringing to the house of God their tithes, their sin offerings, and their offerings of gratitude. They met to recount God’s mercies, to make known His wonderful works, and to offer praise and thanksgiving to His name. And they were to unite in the sacrificial service which pointed to Christ as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Thus they were to be preserved from the corrupting power of worldliness and idolatry. Faith and love and gratitude were to be kept alive in their hearts, and through their association together in this sacred service they were to be bound closer to God and to one another.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 39)

While Ellen G. White never officially endorsed the keeping of the annual Feasts, she nonetheless saw the value of these days. Perhaps with more time and study she would have come to this understanding, as she correctly did with the seventh-day Sabbath.

While the Seventh-day Adventists offer many truths, there are more that they have yet to recognize, including the observance of the biblical Feasts, the use of Yahweh’s and Yahshua’s Names, and a correct understanding of who the Father and Son are as it pertains to the Trinity doctrine.

If you are a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and desire more truth, consider exploring these and many other insights that the Bible clearly teaches. Let us not be unprepared when our Savior returns by ignoring portions of His Word, but search out what He says with an open and unbiased mind. “But sanctify Yahweh Elohim in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear,” 1 Peter 3:15.

Learn more: The Amazing Biblical Feasts

 

Biblical Holydays

Redemption in Yahweh’s Feasts

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Biblical Holydays

Understanding the seven annual observances of the Bible is to grasp the plan of salvation. These appointed times offer a wealth of “insider” knowledge that includes keys to when Yahshua will return and who will be chosen for salvation.

These decreed observances are also a covenant promise between Yahweh and His people. They teach us of a coming heavenly Kingdom on earth, where the chosen will have positions of authority under Yahshua.

Our lives are a preparation to rule with the Messiah when He returns. His annual feasts are a time of gathering to rejoice, celebrate the blessings Yahweh has given us, and to focus on the awesomeness of eternity with the King. The Feasts unlock the future.

Yahweh’s holy times begin with Passover in the month of Abib when green ears of barley appear and the first fruit of the grains is harvested. Fifty days later is Pentecost, when the wheat harvest begins. In the seventh month are four High Sabbaths, which complete the harvest season and end with the Last Great Day of the Feast.

Yahweh’s plan of redemption is all about spiritual harvesting. Yahshua is the Firstfruits of the resurrection. Yahweh’s people are also a type of harvest, which is clear from James 1:18.

Passover commemorates the deliverance of His physical people Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians. The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us that Israel lived in tents or booths before they were brought into the Promised Land. As with Israel, we face a future of virtual slavery and tribulation before He steps in to deliver His people.

 

Duality of Harvest

Pentecost or Feast of Firstfruits points to the harvest of those called out of the world now to help Yahshua rule for a thousand years. Also known as the Feast of Weeks, this time commemorates the giving of the law at Sinai, which Israel ratified under the Old Covenant.

In the New Testament the Holy Spirit was sent to the earth to help us be obedient and keep the law. This became known as the New Covenant. On this day the called-out people entered the New Covenant.

In Acts 2:39 Peter confirms that the chosen will be heirs in the Kingdom. The ekklesia (improperly rendered “church”) is being called out of the world now to become a kingdom of priests under the coming rulership of the Messiah. We are not yet in the Kingdom, but those in the ekklesia are heirs of the Kingdom, joint heirs with Messiah, and are in training now to help rule in the righteous government of the heavens brought to earth.

Many prophets were given visions of the latter days and the future deliverance of Yahweh’s people, which will be far greater than the deliverance of the 2-3 million Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Jeremiah gives the reason:

“Wherefore has Yahweh pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our sin that we have committed against Yahweh our Elohim? Then shall you say unto them. Because your fathers have forsaken me, says Yahweh, and have walked after other deities, and have served them, and have worshiped them, and have forsaken Me, and have not kept My law; and you have done worse than your fathers; for behold, you walk everyone after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto Me,” Jeremiah 16:10-12.

 

The ‘Easy Way’ Teaching

When people today read Jeremiah’s prophecy they get the idea that it refers in the modern context to someone else. Christians do not realize this prophecy is directed against perverting Scriptures today and forsaking Yahweh by walking after other deities and serving mighty ones called G-d and L-rd (Baal, Jer. 23:27).

Most nominal churchgoers would declare that they indeed worship the Mighty One of the Bible. However, when clear, explicit verses are presented – such as Exodus 23:11-17, commanding Yahweh’s people to keep the Sabbatical years; to keep the seventh-day Sabbath; not to utter names of pagan deities; to keep the annual holy days – almost to a person they will quickly shrug it off and say that it does not mean me.

Seeking shortcuts is a common human failing. We tend to follow the path of least resistance. Preaching an easy road to salvation is a pastime of many ministries.

When it comes to pure worship, Yahweh does not offer shortcuts. His is a doctrine of self-discipline, of overcoming our sinful nature and viewing and living life from His perspective, no matter what the obstacles.

“Therefore thus says Yahweh, Elohim of hosts. O my people that dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian; he shall smite you with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against you, after the manner of Egypt,” Isaiah 10:24.

Hebrews 12:22-24 clearly shows that the true people of Yahweh are referred to as those dwelling in Zion. These saints will undergo a future persecution and tribulation under the hand of the Assyrian as did ancient Israel. They will be delivered with a mighty hand just as were the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. It is during this time that the saints will be living in tabernacles just before Yahweh intervenes.

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that Yahweh shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros and from Cush, and from Elam and from Shinar, and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth,’’ Isaiah 11:11-12. The gathering of His saints will be from the area around Jerusalem, and will include “the islands of the sea.”

And now read verse 16. “There shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt,” Isaiah 11:16. Note that it will be but a remnant of His people that will be left as He sets His hand to recover His people the second time. He will be known as the One who saved His people from the north country, not as the Elohim who saved His people from Egypt. This series of events will surpass anything that the world has ever seen prior to this time.

 

Disobedience Carries a Price

The world is not obediently keeping the feast days as Yahweh commands. The result is judgment. “Howl ye; for the day of Yahweh is at hand: it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty … Behold the day of Yahweh comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine,” Isaiah 13:6.9-10.

Yahshua Himself spoke of this time in the Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24:29. Notice that He begins verse 21 stating,               “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Verse 24 shows that the elect, or chosen people, will still be on the earth, for He speaks of false mcssiahs and false prophets who will show great signs and wonders that will be so astounding and real that if it were possible, even the elect would be deceived.

The Savior goes on to say in Matthew 24:29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.” This prophecy is also seen in Joel 2:31. It is a time of Yahweh’s wrath upon a lawless and defiant world.

Many times Isaiah refers to the end of the age when Yahweh’s wrath is poured out on a sick, sin-filled world. Isaiah 59:18 shows that Yalweh will repay the sins of His adversaries with fury.

“So shall they fear the Name of Yahweh from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of Yahweh shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgressions in Jacob, says Yahweh,” verses 19-20. Yahweh promises deliverance to His people who overcome and live for Him. But he does not promise a rapture from earth.

 

Fall Festivals Unfulfilled

Isaiah 60 tells of the re-gathering of His people from around the world. He promises untold glory for those who remain steadfast. In Isaiah 61 we find the same verse that Yahshua quoted when He began His public ministry.

“The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of Yahweh,” Luke 4:18-19.

Yahshua stopped in the middle of the second verse. But it is obvious that He was speaking of the sabbatical year in this prophecy. Yahweh always brings events about according to His timetable. Passover has been fulfilled twice, as has Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks. But the Feasts of the seventh month have never been fulfilled. Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles are awaiting fulfillment and Yahweh un-doubtedly will be right on schedule.

His feast days help us remember His plan of redemption, which we are reminded of at three harvest times during the year. The fall moedim begin a time of tribulation and foreshadow the deception of the false prophet and the iron grip of the man of sin. These festivals go on to remind us of the coming Kingdom of Yahweh where His law and government will rule the world.

Temporarily dwelling in succoth or shelters, as we are commanded of Yahweh at Tabernacles, reminds us that we are but sojourners and travelers in this world. Our real goal is to be in that Kingdom wherein is righteousness and where the entire world will be keeping His Sabbaths and His laws, Isaiah 66:23. We are merely passing through this present veil of tears, knowing that a tabernacle represents our temporary dwelling on earth.

“For the leaders of this people cause them to err: and they that are led of them are destroyed,” Isaiah 9:16.

We today have the greatest opportunity ever to worship Yahweh in spirit and in truth. We have more study resources to prove the truth of the Bible than did any generation before us.

In spite of these advantages, most are more ignorant of the Scriptures than those of Jeremiah’s time. Few desire to search out the truth of the Bible as they should. The difficulty comes when they ignore or work their way around the plain statements of obedience.

Almighty Yahweh is not pleased with His creation of humans when they refuse to do what He expects. What a disappointment man must be to Him –defiantly insisting that he doesn’t need to obey the precepts Yahweh established for man’s own protection and happiness.

Knowing and loving Yahweh means doing what He asks, just as a child shows love and respect to his parents by obeying them – and they love him all the more in return.

By obeying Yahweh’s commands, including the observance of the seventh-month festivals, we show that we indeed want His awesome blessings. We want the awesome promises of rulership with Him in His Kingdom that come only by proving that we first will obey Him.

John wrote. “But whoso keeps His word, in him verily is the love of Elohim perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him,” John 2:5.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a taste of the Kingdom on earth. You can have a foretaste of that joyous Kingdom today. Decide right now to be closer to your Heavenly Father. Join us for the Feast of Tabernacles. Find out what happiness comes in living for Yahweh, rather than just talking about it!

Yahweh has a different plan for the planet, which will begin with the return of Yahshua to wrest global control from a Beast empire that will be in power for only a few years.

The perennial prize, Jerusalem, will not be his for long before Yahshua returns, which is exactly where He will return to: “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives…” (Zech. 14:4). Once He takes control, Yahshua will immediately implement His righteous rule and Yahweh’s holy laws will be enforced from Jerusalem.  Notice the first thing that is required of all people everywhere on earth once He takes the earthly throne: “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles” (14:16).

 

Feast or Famine – the Coming Choice

But what if the world’s masses refuse to comply, just as vast millions today choose not to keep Yahweh’s Feasts in obedience? “And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain” (v. 17).

Those who resist the command­ment to keep His Feasts will soon discover that Yahweh will, by force, change attitudes. “And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith Yahweh will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.” Everyone, including the heathen, will be required to attend His Feasts!

Yahweh could not be more serious. He is so adamant that we observe His Feasts that He is willing to punish with starvation and death those who refuse.

Yahshua’s first millennial act as earthly King is to enforce the keeping of Yahweh’s Feasts. Clearly His Feasts are not optional now and will not be optional when He is in control. His directive is not a casual one. He expects us to put Him first and make time for His Feasts! He expects us to put aside a tithe in order to attend His Feasts, (Deut. 14:23). He expects us to take off work and school to attend His Feasts. He expects us, His people, to be examples of true obedience to the rest of the world.

Yahweh’s Feasts are part of His royal laws, and are just as obligatory as the Ten Commandments. Law is law. We don’t decide which laws of His we will keep and which we will ignore, anymore than we decide which laws of society we will abide by and which ones we will not obey. All laws are in full force and effect at all times. In the same way all of Yahweh’s commands are obligatory for those who seek life everlasting. In Matthew 19:17 Yahshua said, “But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”

 

Break One, Break Them All

Believers faithfully keep the weekly Sabbath holy because it is part of the law. For some reason, however, they don’t see that the Feasts are just as binding as His Fourth Command­ment. They were all given at Sinai! They have not come to terms with the fact that the Feasts are just as essential as the clean food laws and just as important as revering and calling on His revealed, true Name.

Implicit in the Sabbath command is the command to keep ALL Sabbaths – weekly and annual.

Because with Yahweh there is no difference when it comes to His laws, ignoring the Feast commands is no different from working on the Sabbath. This means that even fastidious weekly Sabbath keeping can be voided out by nonobservance of the Feasts.

Knowing the Truth means living the Truth or else it means nothing. We are not given to understand His great statutes and judgments and then not apply what we know.

Yahshua reminded us, “Many will say to me in that day, Master, Master, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity,” Matthew 7:22-23. Iniquity is anomia and means “the condition of being without law.”

Imagine the utter shock on the faces of those who thought that they had an automatic “in” with Yahweh because they thought they were blessed in their lives as believers – only to find out that their lacka­daisical attitude when it came to Yahweh’s laws barred them from the Kingdom!

 

Yahweh’s Feasts, Not Jewish Feasts

We live in the time of the great falling away when all of Yahweh’s commandments and laws are being cast aside wholesale. Only a few, known as the Chosen, will be obedi­ent to all commanded observances.

In an attempt to excuse themselves from keeping His com­manded days, many will call His Sabbath and Feasts “Jewish.” Yet, Yahweh defined these observances in Leviticus 23 as “My Feasts.” They transcend every religion and race because they don’t belong to any one people. They are Yahweh’s and therefore are commanded for all people on earth in every era of man’s entire history.

Yahshua knew all of this, of course, and kept the Feasts all His days on earth. In John 7:14-16 we find Yahshua observing the Feast of Tabernacles. His example is for us. He said in John 12:26, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”

Just as ancient Israel was called out of Egypt to keep His Feast in the wilderness (Ex. 3:18; 5:1; Hosea 11:1), so Yahweh is calling out a people from the world today to observe His Feast days. He has grand plans for those who obey. We read of them in Revelation 1:6, “And has made us kings and priests unto Yahweh his Father.”

For those who still think His Feasts are optional, Yahshua gave a pointed lesson about His own expectations in the parable of five wise and five foolish virgins in Matthew 25. The wise had oil in their lamps and were prepared for the Bridegroom when He came for the wedding Feast. The five others were foolish because they were not ready. They didn’t take their responsibility seriously. Obedient preparation meant little to them initially.

But when it finally dawned on them that the Bridegroom was really coming they begged oil of the five wise virgins. Suddenly it became very important to them that they be ready and found worthy because they realized it meant the difference between being accepted and being rejected by the Bridegroom.

Will you be prepared? Will He reward you with a position in His Kingdom because you proved your worthiness by your obedience to His commands? Only you can answer that question. Rest assured, though, that question is being answered for you right now in whether you honor His commands to obey and follow the Savior’s examples, including joining the saints each year at His commanded Feasts. (Biblical Holydays)

by: Donald R. Mansager

Modern Church traditions

When Worship Went Wrong

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Modern Worship

At Yahweh’s Restoration Ministry we spend a great deal of time and energy debunking error, both from the pulpit, on television, and in this magazine and literature. We aren’t alone by any means. This effort has been ongoing by others for 1500 years. Still, most of the world remains steeped in fourth century heresies and 15th century Reformation deviations from the Scriptures. A huge challenge for us is that most of churchianity doesn’t know any better. They blindly trust in clerics and in traditional dogmas. And they don’t bother to test what they are told against Scripture. Once the resistance from unbelieving relatives and friends is overcome, tradition is the next barrier for the new truth seeker. The vast majority are not even looking for truth. They blindly accept the beliefs they grew up with, thinking there is no need to go further. In their minds their inherited belief system has to be right because “Mom and Dad believed it, and that’s good enough for me.”

We read inProverbs 14:12: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Do you not agree that testing the veracity of your faith against Yahweh’s Word is serious business? Incredibly, the vast majority leave the most crucial part of life – their personal salvation – up to someone else. If I planned to climb a 10,000-foot mountain peak and someone gave me an old rope to use, I would be crazy not to check that rope for integrity first before I trusted it with my life.   Yahweh won’t accept willful indif-ference to the Truth that’s right there in plain sight. He demands that we examine our beliefs and then make necessary changes. “Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good,” 1Thessalonians 5:21. Any minister who refuses to take questions from the congregation about doctrinal teachings is playing with their salvation. He is guilty of malfeasance for violating a clear, biblical directive. Today we will zero in on the most widespread and popular of traditional errors. We at YRM test all of our teachings against Scripture, as well as anyone else’s teachings. In fact, we welcome inquiries about what we believe and teach. A prime purpose for publishing the Restoration Study Bible was to answer the many questions people have about certain passages. How else will anyone discover what they may have missed unless they critically test what they believe against Scripture? How else can we come to the Truth unless we separate out error through diligent inquiry? Because of a refusal to put their teachings to the test, a tangled mishmash of error runs deep in today’s church culture.Conflict with the Word is why so many are turned  off by traditional belief systems.

A Failed Reformation

Many of today’s popular deviations from Scripture began in the Reformation, driven by a desire to get as far away from the Roman Church as possible, just as the Roman Church itself turned away from the Hebraic roots of the New Testament and developed their own teachings.   We can cite their inventing of Easter to replace Passover and Sunday to replace the Sabbath and a myriad of other serious deviations. Where the Bible commands that we honor Yahweh by His real Name, the church manufactured a name and turned titles into names that are still used today. The reformers didn’t do any better by taking off on their own tangents and not dealing with gross errors. Beginning in the 1300s the Reformers themselves threw one baby after another out with the bathwater. until there wasn’t much left of the Apostolic faith. They thought they were cleaning up the church when all they did was whitewash it and overlay more aberrations that proved just as far off from Scripture.

Instead of following the Word as it is written, the 14th century reformers created their own doctrines by twisting the Word and eliminating fundamental teachings of Yahshua that bind the Scriptures into a harmonious unit, as Yahweh designed it. The first big leap into their apostasy was to eliminate the Old Testament as the foundation of truth.

This is news to many today. Because they never looked into the Scriptures and compared church teachings diacritically with the Word, they just assume everything is okay. They believe that their faith flowed seamlessly from the apostles into their church pulpit.

Apostasy was prophesied. Age-old sacrilege was not lost on the apostles in the New Testament era. They saw what was happening, and what was coming.

The brother of James wrote in Jude 4: “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, wicked men, turning the grace of our Elohim into lasciviousness, and denying the only Sovereign Yahweh, and our Master Yahshua Messiah.”

They denied Yahshua by ignoring what He taught about obeying the Father. And then there was GRACE. They turned grace into an excuse for lawless living. Quite reminiscent of what we hear today! “Grace over obedience, grace covers all. Just rely on His grace,” no obedience necessary. This is the main problem with modern worship.

They reasoned that the more sin you commit the more grace you get in a corruption of the true purpose of grace and forgiveness.

To show how corrupt things can get, one of Martin Luther’s key objections to the Roman Church was its selling of indulgences to get souls released from purgatory, as if the church had such powers. But the belief degenerated further into the practice of paying the church to absolve you of your sin even BEFORE you committed the sin!

Luther railed against the church’s arrogation of Yahweh’s authority. The world’s way of thinking is to compromise your beliefs, find a work-around. In the case of the Roman Catholic Church, just make your own rules and authority. The mindset of the church for centuries has been to change for expediency, back away from truth for the sake of numbers.

No one, including the biggest church in the world, has the right to fiddle with Yahweh’s ordinances and usurp His authority.

Peter prophesied, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of,” 2Peter 2:1-2.

At one time or another, every believer has been criticized for following the Scriptures as commanded. Yahweh will turn such criticism on its head. Those who will not follow the Word are in for some big surprises.

The Protestant reformers missed the mark by failing to follow all the Bible’s teachings.

Often when people leave a group because of a serious doctrinal disagreement they also start believing teachings other than those for which they left.

Luther fit this dynamic. He made a left turn after his original grievances with the Roman church and he struck at the heart of the biblical teaching of obedience itself. He reinterpreted the Bible’s teaching on justification and called it “the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.” He said the church stands or falls on it. Luther maintained that justification by grace alone through faith alone in Yahshua’s righteousness alone is the gospel, the core on which all other Christian doctrines stand. Luther added the word “alone” to the Bible’s teaching on grace and justification.

Calvin: Organizer, Consolidator

Along comes John Calvin, a latecomer to the Reformation. He took Reformation teachings to a new level. His doctrines permeate most Protestant denominations today. Calvin systemized the doctrines of Protestantism and organized its ecclesiastical discipline. He consolidated the scattered forces of the Reformation.

 Whenever someone claims to be saved by faith alone, believes it is impossible for a believer to be eternally lost, and believes in salvationary predestination, he is reflecting Calvinist teachings.

Ironically, Calvin and other reformers based their teachings on the supposed principle that the Scriptures are the sole source of truth. The problem is, they didn’t teach the Scriptures. They totally missed the mark. That led to more controversies, which in turn led to more than 33,000 distinct groups and denominations in the world, according to the World Christian Encyclopedia.

Calvin differed with Luther over the nature of communion. And Calvin could not tolerate Spanish theologian Michael Servetus’ teaching against the Trinity, so Calvin testified against him at a Catholic inquisition and Servetus was then burned at the stake in 1553.

The central idea of Calvinism is the sovereignty of Yahweh. Calvin did not discover the sovereignty of Yahweh. He isolated it as an idea. He exalted the sovereignty of Yahweh to override all other truths of Scripture.

Now, we have no problem with Yahweh’s sovereignty. But Calvin twisted the idea to say that if Yahweh is absolutely sovereign, then it follows that salvation depends entirely on Him and not on man. Exit teachings of obedience. Exit the law. Enter total, supreme grace.

Calvinism Creates More Error

Calvin said Yahshua died only for the ones Yahweh had unconditionally chosen to save. This flies in the very face of the most quoted passage in all the Bible, John 3:16. Yahshua said that anyone can accept the truth and conform their lives to it.

We are saved only at the resurrection. Before that we are subject at any time to falling away. Yahshua clearly tells us in Matthew 10:22: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Paul corroborates that in Hebrews 3:14: “For we are made partakers of Messiah, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.”

Calvin taught that we are saved now, and once we are converted there is no way we can change our destiny. I discussed this with a Calvinist once and I quoted Hebrews 6:6, saying we surely can fall away once we have been converted. He had no answer, except that maybe those who fall away never were really converted, an argument that contradicts the very definition of being converted.

Calvin said that because Yahweh is supreme and salvation comes only through Him, and because man can do nothing but evil, then when He saves us we need do nothing to remain saved. Two points here:

First, the whole biblical teaching of obedience is turned on its head if we believe Calvin. In Matthew 7:21, Yahshua said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Master, Master, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Hebrews 5:9 reads: “And being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”

Paul wrote to the Romans in 2:13: “For not the hearers of the law are just before Elohim, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

And we find in 1John 2:5-6, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of Elohim perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”

Eternal Security Not Secure

Calvin also taught the doctrine of once saved, always saved, or eternal security. That means that you cannot fall from grace once you have been called by Yahweh, because that would be resisting the power of Yahweh.

This teaching does not take into account that calling does not mean choos-ing. Yahshua said many are called, but few are chosen. Yahweh doesn’t want robots or He would have created automatons instead of humans with free will.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1Corinthians 9:27: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Another major teaching of Calvinism is irresistible grace. It is also called ef-ficacious grace or invincible grace.

Calvinists believe that those who have been unconditionally elected to eternal life cannot resist Yahweh’s grace and His determination to save them. Just as those elected to damnation can do nothing about it, those who are elected to salvation can do nothing to resist it.

Again, their timing is way off. Yahweh chooses us at the resurrection. Until then we are merely called. Elect means chosen. Calvinists say those being called are already chosen.

Titus 2:11 says that the grace of Elohim that brings salvation has appeared to all people (Titus 2:11) and yet millions have rejected it. Each person is accountable for his own life, according to John 12:47-48. Those who reject the teachings of Yahshua are held accountable.

Personal accountability is the central teaching of the Scripture. If we have no accountability, if we are simply on salvational auto pilot and there is nothing we can do one way or the other to be ultimately saved or lost, then the whole plan of salvation of honing a people for Yahweh’s service is irrelevant.

The message of conforming to the image of Yahshua and the will of Yahweh is rendered meaningless by many major doc-trines today as well. Yahshua’s teachings tell us to obey the Father and not the will of man just as He did.

Salvation Based on Obedience, Not Talk

Nowhere in Yahweh’s Word can we find that salvation is instantly guaranteed in a believer’s life based on a mere confession or pronouncement. The Apostle Paul talked about having a “hope” of salvation in 1Thessalonians 5:8-9. He explained in 2Corinthians 2:15 that being saved is a process that is not completed until the end.

In 1Corinthians 3:15 he describes sal-vation and being saved as a state no one automatically possesses and is not instantly achieved upon conversion. He wasn’t even sure of his own future but he simply had the “hope” that he might attain the resurrection.

He said in Philippians 3:11-12: “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after…”

If this apostle who was taught by the mouth of the resurrected Savior Himself (Gal. 1:11-12) and who wrote much of the New Testament was not certain of his own salvation, how can anyone today say they are already saved? Yet you hear well-meaning evangelists ask, “Are you saved?” and then tell you just to pronounce a few words to accept the Savior and you are permanently home free.

Those who think they have salvation may then live any kind of life they please and still be assured an eternal reward.

Repentance from Sin

You don’t hear much about repentance these days, yet the act of repentance is essential to being a converted child of Almighty Yahweh in the process of becoming saved. Many have missed this key part of conversion in the New Testament. Without understanding repentance and changing of your life, you cannot know what it means to be saved.

Before we can repent of sin we need to comprehend what sin is.

Everyone knows what crime is. A crime is like a sin. Webster defines a crime as an act that violates a law. The same is true for sin. In the clearest and most precise definition in the Bible, 1John 3:4 says that sin is a violation of Biblical law: Here is the Bible’s fundamental definition of sin:  “Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” That’s crystal clear.

If sin is breaking of law, then NOT breaking of law means obedience to the law. We can break a law in ignorance because we did not know about it. That doesn’t mean that sin is not imputed to us simply because we were unaware of it. We are still a violator.

We can speed down a highway not knowing what the speed limit is and still be charged with a traffic violation. Ignorance is no excuse.

Everyone has broken Biblical law and therefore all humans are sinners whether they know it or not. The law includes the Ten Commandments. Lying, stealing, killing – these are all acts of sin by Biblical definition. The Bible also gives other laws that Yahweh commands to be observed, and violation of any one of them is also sin by the simple definition of sin. Sin leads to eternal death.

If we are guilty as charged of a lifetime of unrepented, intentional, premeditated sin, our hope of salvation will be dashed.

The Scriptures tell us that unless we confess our sins, seek forgiveness, and turn completely around to live a different life, we are spiritually lost. There is no hope beyond this earthly life unless we change and conform to the Scriptures in how we live.

James 4:4 tells us that the ways of the world make one the enemy of the Heavenly Father Yahweh, and those ways lead to death. On the other hand, Proverbs 12:28 reveals, “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.”

And that is where repentance is pivotal. Repentance moves us away from sin and toward righteousness.

Almighty Yahweh will not allow an unrepentant sinner to sit on a throne in His coming Kingdom. The Messiah Yahshua instructed His followers in Matthew 18:3, “Except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Conversion requires change and it begins with repentance.

Repentance Is a Transformation

In Luke 13 we read that there were some murdered Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. In verse 3 our Savior said, “Except you repent, you shall likewise perish.”

Repentance is fundamental. Our sins have separated us from our Father in Heaven. Those sins must be forgiven as the first step to salvation.

One Greek word translated repent in the New Testament is metanoeo. It is a verb that includes a realization that one is a sinner. But it goes beyond just realization. It means to change one’s very perception or view of sin and to understand that sin is death. Sin that is practiced in one’s life ultimately ends in spiritual death.

A related word for repent in the New Testament is the Greek noun metanoia. This word signifies a real change in one’s entire attitude toward sin itself, which affects the whole life. It means a change in how we live. It amounts to a complete turnaround, not just to be sorry for sin but to make a 180-degree reverse course in how we live. It means a renouncement of sin and its destructive ways and to practice it no more.

Too often, however, is the more common and erroneous understanding of repentance, signified by the Greek metamelomai. It simply means that I regret what I did because I got caught. It is the kind of regret children often have when their parents punish them for doing something wrong.

In the Bible, it is also the kind of regret that Judas Iscariot felt for betraying the Savior Yahshua. But this is a false regret that lacks the power and force to effect permanent change in one’s life. It is shallow and  easily reversed. As soon as the punishment stops, the person is back to his sin again.

Genuine, scriptural repentance is the person who admits his sin, seeks forgiveness, and then makes a complete turnaround – permanently stopping what he or she had been doing, never to repeat it. True repentance leads to true conversion. Nothing less will do.

Just to say I’m sorry is not enough. Just apologizing for your sin but failing to turn from sinful behavior is not repentance. If I steal your car, then tell you I am sorry but I still keep the car, I have not repented.  A change must take place in the heart. I must make everything right again by a complete heart transformation

In the New Testament, which in most doctrinal respects is simply a mirror of the Old Testament, we read from Acts 17:30: “And the times of this ignorance Elohim winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent.”

Ezekiel 18:21 gives us the proper perspective on repentance. The prophet writes: “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he has committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?  says Yahweh Elohim: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”

For all its efforts, the Reformation only scratched the surface in church cleanup.It missed the real mark. The reformers, in reaction to what they rightfully saw as a plethora of man-made dos and don’ts in a man-made religion, made a radical turn that derailed truth even further.

By: Alan Mansager

 

Watch: “What Happened to Worship?” from Discover the Truth TV below.

Haloween pagan origins

Unhallowed Halloween

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The annual rite of Halloween is bigger than ever  –  especially among adults. But it’s lots of harmless fun, they say. Harmless? Let’s look below the surface of Halloween to see what lurks there in this age-old mask-erade.

Every October 31 children across the land learn how extortion works through one of the world’s most popular of ancient pagan festivals.

We know it as Halloween, which is a contraction of the words “Hallowed” and “evening” (Halloween). But there is nothing hallowed about this night.

“Trick or treat!” the bantam, masked marauders cry as they go from door to door coercing goodies from mostly compliant residents. Along with blackmail, the chance to deface private property and get away with it is also a part of the “hallowed evening.”

Not Just for Children Anymore

Visit many office buildings and department stores on October 31 and you’ll see adult employees dressed in silly or grotesque costumes sporting painted faces and hair.

They are psyching up for the Hal­loween party that night – when they’ll have a chance to act foolishly with impunity. This high holy day of the ancient heathens has zoomed to the top of the holiday charts.

But is Halloween just a harmless time of frolic and fun for the whole family, where everyone can don hideous costumes and glorify blood, gore, and thinly veiled murder? Actually, it tacks another nail in the coffin of wholesomeness and decency in an increasingly decadent society. The popularity of this holiday should concern anyone who professes a belief in the Scriptures.

Night of the Walking Dead

Rooted in Druidic demon worship 2,000 years old, Halloween continues to cast its noxious spell on modern society.

The ritual was not known as Hal-loween when the Celts of pre-Christian Ireland and Scotland observed it on November 1. For them it was the Feast of Samhain (pronounced Sa-ween), Lord of the Dead. This was also the beginning of the Celtic new year, a time to give thanks to the sun god for the harvest.

But it was also a foreboding time when the ancients believed the souls of the dead walked abroad, mingling with the living and playing malicious tricks. The Celts thought that the sinful souls who died during the year had been transferred to the bodies of animals. Samhain judged these souls and decreed the form in which their existence was to continue – as animal or human. Through gifts and sacrifices these souls could be freed to claim a heavenly reward.

The ghosts of the dead that were thought to collect around houses of the living were greeted with banquet-laden tables to feed the spirits. When the feast was over, villagers donned masks and costumes to represent the souls of the dead and paraded to the outskirts of town to lead the ghosts away to avoid any calamities the roving ghosts may cause them in the event they were displeased by a lack of sufficient sustenance.

Such calamities included the death of livestock, souring milk, and spoiling food.

Often food was set outside for the spirits so that they would leave the house untouched. The trick-or-treat custom re-enacts these ancient superstitions.

Amid all of this the Druids were offering sacrifices to the sun god. “It was common for horses to be sacrificed since they were sacred to the Sun god. There were also human sacrifices. Men, mostly criminals, were imprisoned in wicker and thatch cages shaped like animals or giants. The Druid priests set fire to the tindery cages and the men were burned to death. “In the Middle Ages in Europe black cats were still being thrown to the flames in wicker cages, for they were thought to be the friends of witches or even transformed witches,” Celebrations, The Complete Book of American Holidays, p. 258.

From Samhain to All Saints’ Day

So how did “Halloween” fit with the church? The celebration in the Roman Catholic Church that was later to merge with Samhain was known as All Saints’ Day. All Saints’ Day originated in the 7th century when the Pantheon at Rome was wrested from the barbarians, made into a cathedral, and renamed the Church of the Blessed Virgin and All Martyrs.

Thus, from honoring all gods (which is the meaning of the Greek word “pantheon”) the Pantheon became the center for glorifying all saints. (Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia, vol. 1, p. 363).

This day that honored all the “hallowed” or holy saints was first observed on the evening of May 13, and was known as the Allhallows festival. The day was officially sanctioned in 835 by Pope Gregory IV after it was moved to Novem­ber 1 to coincide with Samhain. It began on the evening of October 31, and therefore was called All Hallows Eve.

Without forcing the pagans to drop their pagan practices and accept the Bible, the Roman church simply made room for the barbarians and their heathen rites.

Just as it confiscated the pagan Pantheon for its own use, the Roman church incorporated the customs of Samhain to further its mission of converting the known world to Catholicism. The merged celebrations made strange bedfellows: one in respect of evil spirits, the other honoring so-called saints.

One writer noted, “The three days between October 31 and November 2 see pagan and Christian celebrations intertwined in a fascinating way. All Hallows Eve, usually called Halloween, is followed by All Hallow’s Day, which is also All Saints Day, and the three-day period is a perfect example of superstition struggling with religious belief,” Year of Festivals, p. 76.

Can we mix light with darkness? “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to dev­ils, and not to Elohim; and I would not that you have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Mas­ter, and the cup of devils: you cannot be partakers of the Master’s table, and of the table of devils,” 1Corinthians 10:20-21.

The joining of the two celebrations spawned an odd hybrid of beliefs about what was supposed to happen in the spirit world. Souls in purgatory appeared as witches and toads to persons who had wronged them. Halloween fires now were used to comfort souls in purgatory and people prayed for them while holding burning straw in the air.

Even the idea of trick-or-treating by evil spirits took on an acceptable church flavor: costumed children went around on All Souls’ Day offering to fast for the departed souls in return for money or an offering.

As the Celts converted to the new religion, they did not forget their stories of the dead traveling to the afterworld on Halloween. Rather, exhibitions of this night became more evil and the observance adopted even more malicious overtones.

That Leering Jack-o-lantern

In America it’s a pumpkin, but in Europe it was often a turnip, large beet, potato, rutabaga or even a skull with a candle in it. The fearsome face of the fat jack-o-lantern represented the god of the dead, Samhain, who would drive off less powerful evil spirits abroad that night.

As glimmering lights flickered over an English marsh or an Irish bog, people imagined dead souls had returned to earth. They would place the jack-o-lantern on posts and in windows to ward off the spirits of the dead on Halloween.

The word is an abbreviation of “Jack of the Lantern.” Jack is another name for joker or Satan. In the Irish tale, a man named Jack was fond of playing tricks on the devil. Annoyed, the devil tossed Jack a burning coal from hell and with that in his lantern Jack was forever condemned to wander the earth. The jack-o-lantern keeps alive demonic superstition.

Witches and Black Cats

Witches were thought to be possessors of magic. The word “witch” comes from the Old English wicce (feminine of wicca), or “sorceror.” Witches, who worship the deities of nature, have living talismans or symbols through which they derive their dark powers. They invoke evil spirits to enter the bodies of their talismans. Some witches have dogs, owls, snakes or swine for their talismans, but the most common are cats.

Cats have been closely associated with mystery religion from the Egyptians to the Norse. Celts had a particular fear of cats, believing they were humans who had been changed into feline form by evil powers. The black cat particularly was connected to demonic powers.

Black cats are the chief idol of the goddess of Wicca, Diana. In legend, she turns into a black cat to commit incest with her brother, Lucifer.

Eventually the Druids themselves came to be regarded as witches. Witch hunting during Halloween became al­most a national pastime in the colonial years of our nation. Today Halloween is regarded as the highest “sabbath” for practicing witches.

Witchcraft is demonic worship in diametric opposition to the worship of Yahweh. Yahweh minces no words about it. He told Israel through Moses, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” (Ex. 22:18). He says in Deuteronomy 18:10, “There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son of his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.”

How can a True Worshiper allow his son or daughter to dress up in imitation of a witch or warlock, knowing how Yahweh condemns witchcraft? We are commanded to avoid even the appearance of evil (1Thes. 5:22).

Why Witches Fly

The broomstick is a symbol of the male organ, on which the witch mounts and leaps high around the fields to “teach” the crops how high to grow (ABC’S of Witchcraft, pp. 48-49). The notion of flying witches relates to the fact that witches believed they could fly great distances to their feasts by smearing their bodies with ointments containing drugs. The drugs gave them psychedelic “trips” making them think they flew. (Ibid., pp. 142-146).

Shrouded in Blackness

“Orange, black, and red, the devil’s colors, are the colors associated with Halloween…,” so says the Good Housekeeping Book of Entertainment on page 168. Black prefigures black magic and demonic influence. The black of night is when these forces of evil are busiest, using the cover of darkness for their sinister works.

Yahweh warns, “Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from Yahweh, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who sees us? and who knows us?” (Isa. 29:15)

In John 3:19-20 Yahshua said, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

How much time should any Bible believer give to a rite that is observed in the dark and that revels in the colors, symbols, and practices of Yahweh’s adversary, Satan the devil?

Of Skulls and Skeletons

The skeleton is a form of the god of the dead, or the witches’ “horned god.” The Dictionary of Satanism by Wade Baskin says under “skull worship”: “Skulls play an important role as sacred relics and as objects of worship among primitives. “Among Polynesians and Melanesians, skulls of ancestors are worshiped in order to establish connections with the spirits of the dead. Like the head of Osiris in Egypt, the skulls of ancestors may also serve as titular deities. The head or its parts, each of which may stand for the whole, can be used as magical food or as a means of increasing the fertility of the soil.”

Isaiah tells us what Yahweh thinks of courting death and the dead: “When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their Elohim? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” (Isa. 8:19-20, NIV).

Fire Rites… and Wrongs

Being that Halloween is a Celtic new year’s festival, many of its surviving rituals trace to the Celtic feast. The fire rite was practiced in many areas around the world on the night before the new year. The old fire was allowed to go out and a new one was kindled – usually a sacred fire from which the fires of the village were relit. The fires were thought to rejuvenate the waning sun and aid in banishing evil spirits. The Druids built hilltop fires to celebrate important festivals. (Celebrations, the Complete Book of American Holidays, pp. 258-259).

Ghosts and witches feared fire, it was thought, and so fire became the best weapon against evil spirits. Witchcraft was punished by burning at the stake, fire being used as a means of purification. The light that fires gave off was a sign of sacredness.

Apple Bobbing

Popular at Halloween parties is apple bobbing. It was a means of divination with the Druids and survives in cultures influenced by the Celts.

Because the apple is also a common love charm, the practice of apple bobbing seems to have been associated with the selection of a lover (see The Folklore of American Holidays).

Selling Out to Sin

People have always been tempted to compromise their faith by selling out to the dominant culture and its practices. For those who are satisfied with less than total truth, the concessions come easier.

Today we witness Easter egg hunts on church lawns, Christmas trees in church vestibules, and Halloween parties in church basements (on the pretext of keeping the children off unsafe streets and away from tainted Halloween candy).

“But it’s for the children,” goes the argument. “We really just do it for them.” What children practice they also learn. Why would we introduce pagan falsehoods to them? How can we instill in them a desire for righteousness if we let them revel in ancient customs of evil on Halloween and pass them on to their children?

How can we promote healthy, decent values while allowing children to don hideous masks of vile creatures or deformed humans – with the underlying themes of murder, mayhem, and death?

Can we live a lie? Can we mix the holy with the profane and expect Yahweh to bless us? “Learn not the way of the heathen!” He thunders in Jeremiah 10:2. Come out from among them and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing, Paul writes in 2Corinthians 6:17.

Halloween has no redeeming value. It is one huge trick on an ignorant and indifferent society, and another victory for the forces of darkness.

Almighty Yahweh gives us a final warning about demonism and witchcraft: “For all that do these things are an abomination unto Yahweh… You shall be perfect with Yahweh your Elohim” (Deut. 18:12-13).

Become right before Yahweh. Drop the empty, senseless, heathen observances of man and resolve to begin keeping the true Holy Days our Father has commanded in His Word. Discover what true blessings and deep fulfillment can be when you begin to comply with His will and live your life His way.

by: Alan Mansager