Rafael Batista

Chapter 5:  The Feasts we are to Celebrate according to the Bible….. Continued

by Rafael Batista

In Chapter 4 we went into detail about how we should be keeping the feasts, how Jesus kept them, the Apostles and early christians observed them, and what they were. I also went into detail on the first 3 feasts Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. In this chapter i want to go over the last 4 feasts. Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles.

It is important to note that the feasts are usually divided into two categories. Spring feasts and Fall feasts. This is because the feasts are back to back. Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost are the Spring Feasts. They happen March/ April time frame and are each dependent on the other. Passover is the first night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Feast of Unleavened bread is a 7 day feast that starts with Passover. The feast of First Fruits is always the Sunday following the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And Pentecost is always 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits. So these are grouped together.

Now the fall Feasts fall around September timeframe. Starting with the Feast of Trumpets. 9 days later the Day of Atonement is celebrated. Then 5 days later the 7 day Feast of Tabernacles begins. So the feasts are thus grouped into two categories. The spring feasts and the fall feasts.

The Feast of Pentecost

This Feast is known as the Feast of Weeks in the bible. It is also known as the feast of Pentecost. This name is derived from the Greek which means 50. Because you count 50 days from the Feast of First Fruits to celebrate this day.

Leviticus 23:15-22

“From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off 50 days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord. Present with with this bread seven male lambs each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burn offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings – an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. Then sacrifice on male goat for a sin offering and two lambs each a year old, for a fellowship offering. The priest is to wave the two lambs before the Lord as a wave offering, together with the bread of the first fruits. They are a sacred offering to the Lord for the priest. On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. “

Now again our offerings equivalent in today’s day would be of monetary means. So some sort of money offering would be the replacement today since we do not use crops and animals as money. So the commandment is to gather into a sacred assembly (a service), do not work on this day (work you normally do for money or to support yourself), and to give an offering to God.

Biblical scholars believe this to be the day God came to his people after taking them from Egypt and gave his commandments. This takes place in Exodus 19 and 20. The reason for this is because Passover takes place in the middle of the first month of the Calendar God originally instituted. And the Feast of Unleavened Bread proceeds for 7 days. The feast of firstfruits landing on the first Sunday after the feast of Unleavened Bread.

Leviticus 23:5,6 The Lord’s Passover begins at the twilight of the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast.

Leviticus 23:11 He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the sabbath.

(This was in context of the feast of firstfruits outlined between Leviticus 23:9-14.)

This would put us near the end of the first month. Then we count 50 days. 40 days will easily put us past the second month and into the beginning of the third month. Which is why scholars believe this to be the day that God gave his commandments to the people. So essentially as a christian you are celebrating 2 things on the Feast of Pentecost. 1 The commandments given by God to his people and 2 The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. This is outlined in Acts chapter 2 when the followers of Jesus were gathered together on this day and the Holy Spirit filled all of them and they began to speak in tongues. People gathered around them and were amazed because all sorts of people from different nations could each distinguish on of the people speaking in tongues speaking in their language. So the miracle was of Jewish people speaking a variety of languages that many who witnessed could attest that they were in fact speaking in an actual language they recognized. Many of these Jews speaking in these languages were not educated men. As we can attest about Peter and John.

Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus.

So in conclucion the day of Pentecost is the day to Set apart for God. 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits. It is the day to not work, keep holy, gather with fellow brethren, give a special offering unto God, and celebrate that God gave to us his commandments showing us how to be holy and that he also gave us his Holy Spirit to help us to be holy.

The Feast of Trumpets

The Feast of Trumpets is today celebrated by Jews as Rosh Hoshana or “New Year”. They obtained this tradition of calling it the New Year when they were exiled living in babylon after Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah. So today you will usually hear of it as Rosh Hoshanah, but it is still celebrated as the bible instructs with the blowing of the Shofar (Trumpets made of Rams horn).

Leviticus 23:23 The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire”

Numbers 29:1 On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets.

This feast is the most mysterious of all. There is not much said about this feast or why it is celebrated. This leads to much speculation some of whom say this is the day when we will hear the final trumpet blast and Jesus will return.

Day of Atonement

Leviticus 23:26

The LORD said to Moses, The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.

The ritual for the day of Atonement is outlined in Leviticus 16.

In essence the High Priest prepared and consecreated himself. He took two goats. One which was sacrificed and the blood poured on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Thus making atonement for the sins of Israel. The other was sent into the mountains taking the sins of the people into the mountains never to be seen again. The Israelites had a tradition of conducting a symbolic casting off of their sins on the second goat.

Leviticus 16:7-10 Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats- one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. Aaro shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.s taking the sins of the people into the mountains never to be seen again. The Israelites had a tradition of conducting a symbolic casting off of their sins on the second goat.

Leviticus 16:7-10 Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats- one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. Aaro shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.

Leviticus 16:15-16 He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been.

Leviticus 16:20-22 When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and revellion of the Israelites- all their sins- and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.

These two goats are both symbolic of the Messiah. One is sacrificed in the most holy place for all the sins of mankind and the blood was atonement for all of Israel. The other was despised and rejected. Sin was placed upon him and he took our iniquities.

So do you see? These were depictions of Jesus the Messiah all along! Isaiah prophesied about this very thing speaking of Jesus prophetically. This way the world would know whom they rejected and that they rejected him due to hard hearts and not anything else.

Isaiah 53 1-7

Who has believed our Message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering,. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own wayl and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth;  he was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Just as the one goat was pierced and was sacrificed for the sins of Israel his people so was Jesus pierced and sacrificed for the sins of those who are his people. So as the other goat took the iniquity and sin of all of Israel so did Jesus take upon himself the sins of his people. This is the very thing that the book of Hebrews spoke of in Chapter 9:11-14

Hebrews 9:11-14

When Christ came as High Priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once and for all by his blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

So this day is now celebrated by most Jews not knowing this is about Jesus the Messiah. And Christians do not celebrate this very important feast neglecting one of the most important celebrations concerning the Messiah. This day was called Holy by God. It was to be set apart. No work was to be done on this day and no food was to be eaten. This was a holy day because it commemorates when his son died to cleanse the sins of mankind. And most christians today would rather celebrate holidays like Easter which was a fertility goddess, or Halloween which is accepted by everyone to be pagan, or Christmass which scholars accept to not have been the birth of Jesus. Furthermore pagan roots are evitdent in this holiday as it was the birthday of the Babylonian Sun God Tammuz. Incorporated by the Persians, and then passed onto the Greeks who conquered them, and then to the Romans who worshiped Mithra the God of the Sun and his birth on December 25th. So we choose to celebrate these days passed down to us. These days which the early settlers of the United States did not celebrate because they understood these holidays were of pagan origin and not of God. But at the same time we neglect the days God instructs us to set apart as holy.

We must turn from our ways and seek to live our lives as the bible teaches. As Jesus taught.

Feast of Tabernacles

Leviticus 23:39-43

“So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a dy of sabbath rest. On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees-from palms, willows and other leafy trees- and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in temporary shelters for seven days; All native born Israelites are to live in such shelters. So your descendants will know that i had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when i brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”

For the feast of Tabernacles we are to take off work for the first and the eight day as prescribed. Also the special thing about this celebration is that for seven days we are to sleep, eat and try to spend most of our time in tents, or temporary dwellings, outside of the comfort of our homes. This is to remind us that God took us out of Egypt and provided us with everything we have. In today’s day Egypt represents the life of sin God rescued us from. Living in the temporary dwellings helps us appreciate the many things God has given us throughout the years and the many things we take for granted. It is also a time to remove the distractions of the world (TV, Movies, Video Games, Cell Phones, etc.) and spend quality time with God. It is an awesome experience, and there is nothing like it. Many messianic and torah observant congregations gather for atleast 1 or 2 of the 7 days as a congregation and set up tents in one location.

Many have gone as far as to say that Jesus was born on the feast of tabernacles. In such a way he poured his spirit into a temporary dwelling (his flesh) and was tabernacled with his people.

This feast is oddly enough the only feast in which we have evidence for its existence after the judgement and establishment of new Jerusalem.

Zechariah 14:16-19 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.

In verses 12 through 15 Zechariah outlines the plagues spoken of. I personally do not wish to be caught in any of those so I think i will play it safe and start celebrating now.

Rafael Batista

Chapter 4: The Feasts we are to Celebrate according to the Bible

by Rafael Batista

We now know that Jesus, the Apostles, and the early christians kept the law. So in keeping the law they had to keep the feasts as well. Is there ever an example of them keeping the feasts? Well Jesus definetly celebrated the feasts, of that there is no doubt at it is all over the gospels. The Jewish,  law keeping, feast celebrating, old testament supporting picture of Jesus is very rarely depicted or taught today. If we are to be followers of Jesus Christ “Christians” we must learn from his example since he was a living example unto us with his life here on Earth. We can’t pick and choose which aspects of Jesus’s teachings and life we want to live. We must follow his WHOLE example.

Luke 2:41 Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover

John 5:1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews.

John 7:8 You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.

John 7:10 However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.

John 7:14 Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

John 12:12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.

This feast was held at Jerusalem.

Matthew 26

17On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”  18He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’ ”

19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

Today, Easter is celebrated instead of Passover. The King James bible even edited Acts 12:4 to include the word “Easter” and give it validity. No other translation dares to give the feast this name, since they were indeed celebrating Passover. The original greek word was Pascha which is clearly passover. Easter was instituted centuries later. It is important to note that Easter and Passover are not celebrated on the same day, are not celebrated in the same way, and contrary to misinformed opinion have nothing to do with each other. Easter claims to celebrate the resurection of Jesus. What they failed to realize is that Passover, instituted by YHWH almighty, already celebrates the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. If ever you get a chance, study this feast. I also encourage you to find a place where people are celebrating it and observe it, when it comes around time (late March, early April). It is the most beautiful and meaningful thing a christian can experience, because it is the prophetic prediction and ceremonial narration of Jesus’s death burial and resurrection. Yet the people who celebrate it (those who practice Judaism) fail to realize it is about Jesus and those who should be celebrating it (Christians) neglect to celebrate this very important feast.

To give you a minor illustration of the symbolism, what you see take place in the Lord’s supper is exactly what takes place in the celebration of passover. Wine and bread is ceremoniously eaten. For centuries this was done until Jesus came and explained that the bread symbolized his flesh and the wine his blood wich would be poured for the sins of mankind. An entire lamb is eaten on this night symbolic of not being partly like Jesus but trying to be entirely like him. Lastly a piece of unleavened bread is hidden in a piece of clean linen cloth somewhere around the house for the children to find. The piece of unleavened bread (matza) is striped and pierced when made, mind you. It is hidden in linen, and then found.

Isaiah 53:5

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Matthew 27:58-59

Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

The holiday we Christians have now come to celebrate is Easter or The feast of Ishtar. This is a feast originally meant to commemerate a Mesopotamian goddess. It is good to note that there are two goddesses in the bible itself that have the very root of this name. Asherah and Ashtoreth. These two Goddesses where the source of much of God’s wrath against Israel and yet christians today celebrate a feast in commomeration to her, in the same fashion even as they did in the Roman empire, with bunny’s and signs of fertility such as eggs. She was known as the fertility goddess. Just to provide two verses out of many.

Judges 3:7

7 So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their

God, and served the Baals and Asherahs.

Judges 10:6

Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals

and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of

the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.

There are examples of this Goddess althroughout the book of Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. If you are unsure, do simple study on the word Easter and the history of it.

During Passover Jewish people became extremely patriotic and many times caused rebellions around the time of this feast in the first and second centuries. They wanted to have their own country free of Roman rule once again. This caused anti-passover sentiment amongst gentile christians who no longer wanted to associate themselves with Jews who rebelled against the Roman empire. Gentiles who went to synagogues and served Jesus were punished for the rebellions of the Jews. Now the feast of Ishtar which many Romans celebrated gave birth to a new holiday, Non-Jewish, and supposedly celebrating the resurection of Jesus. It kept the pagan name, the pagan customs of rabbits and eggs and many today celebrate it without question claiming its fun for the kids. If I had kids, i personally would not like them involved in anything to do with the goddess that God over dozens of times exclaimed he detested.

So we are to throw off the yoke of Roman Catholocism and stay true to the bible let us celebrate the passover as God almighty has instructed us. It will bring the Lords supper into a whole new light and meaning. The correct meaning.

Did the early christians keep the feasts? If they did shouldn’t we?

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Acts 18:20-21

When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them saying “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but i will return again to you God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus

What are these feasts we are to keep?

There are 7 major biblical feasts.

Passover

Unleavened Bread

First Fruits

Pentecost

Trumpets

Day of Atonement

Tabernacles

The Feast of Passover

Passover should be the most prominent and well known of the 7 feasts. Passover is the feast to commemorate the day that God sent his angel to pass through Egypt. He had previously commanded the Israelites to place the blood of a lamb on their door posts, and remain inside their houses. God was sending the angel of death through all of Egypt. Pharaoh had disregarded the 9 plagues God had issued to the egyptians to let the Israelites go. So God decided to hit them with the most griveous of plagues, killing the first born of each Egyptian.

Exodus 12:12-13

12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

The thing to observe here is that this is no doubt the perfect picture of grace. The blood of the lamb being spilled for our sins. When sins come to account, God overlooks those with the blood of the lamb (a picture of messiah) and regards them as righteous, not bringing death to their house. What is interesting to note (credit for this interesting point will have to be attributed to my uncle) is that there are two major commands here. One is placing the blood on the door posts and the other is to remain inside the home. So in other words, the blood was not wholly sufficient. If someone placed the blood of the lamb on their door posts but was found outside (in disobedience) when the death angel came he would have surely died. Now if someone remained inside but did not have the blood of the lamb on their doorposts they would have also died. So grace and obedience work side by side. You need both the blood of the lamb and you also need to obey the words of God to avoid judgement.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Exodus 12:39

“With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.”

Exodus 13:6-8

“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with your, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. You shall tell your son on that day, It is because of what the Lord did for me when i came out of Egypt.”

One can say also that the first feast of the Hebrew year can symbolize the first stage in salvation. Acceptance of the blood of the lamb and submitting to God. If Passover symbolizes the first stage in salvation then Unleavened bread no doubt symbolizes the second stage. It first commemorates leaving the sinful lifestyle behind, in this case Egypt symbolizing sin. It more importantly symbolizes the process of the believer removing all sin from their life. In this second case sin being symbolized by the leaven that is instructed to be removed from your home.

This feast in celebrated in conjuction to Passover. Passover takes place at night, and unleavened bread starts the very day after and lasts for seven days.

Exodus 12

14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD -a lasting ordinance. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever

eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from

Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day.

Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat—that is all

you may do.

17 “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven

days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it

must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born. 20

Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”

In this feast you remove all the leaven from your house. Any grain product that has leaven. Generally this is believed to be any product made of wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and/or oats. Usually a special kind of bread is eaten on this day called Matzah bread. This is a flat, cracker like bread. The feast is symbolic of when the Jews left Egypt and had no time to leaven their bread. The act of removing it from your house is symbolic of removing sin from your life.

The Feast of First Fruits

Leviticus 23 9-14

The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil—an offering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine. You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the

very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.

Today we no longer have crops of our own and pretty much buy whatever food we need with money. In those times the equivalent to money would have been crops, animals, and whatever came out of those two such as milk or wine, etc. So today being a money driven society, those who keep the feasts generally keep this feast by giving an offering unto the Lord on this day. One custom is to give your first paycheck unto God, trusting that he will provide for you for the rest of the year. The first paycheck becomes symbolic of the “firstfruits” of your year’s harvest. This is generally celebrated the first Sunday after the Feast of Unleavened bread.

Leviticus 23:15

” ‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks.

This verse immediately follows the excerpt above it outlining the feast of first fruits. This verse is meant to indicate the next feast which is the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), but if you read carefully the beginning of this verse indicates the placement for the day to celebrate the feast outlined in verses 9-14. It says the day after the Sabbath and equates that day after the sabbath (Sabbath being Saturday so the day after is Sunday) with the day you brought your offering.

So Passover, Pentecost and Firstfruits all take place Late March, Early April timeframe. Back to back. It all depends on the Hebrew calendar. The hebrew calendar is a subject all on its own, since it is dependant on the cycles of the moon and the harvest. So since we cannot immediately tell when these will be since we do not have crops to indicate these to us, nor are we familiar with moon cycles, anyone wishing to celebrate these simply has to conduct minor research to find out which days in their respective year these feasts will be taking place. It used to be customary to ask the local rabbi about which days to celebrate. Or the local Rabbi would simply announce which days they would be celebrated to the entire congregation. Since most christians do not celebrate these days and you cannot simply ask your pastor which days to celebrate, the invention of the internet has made it even easier to find out which days these are to be celebrated. Or one can simply ask an observant Jew or Messianic Synagogue. Messianics are Jews who believe and worship Jesus the Messiah.

Rafael Batista

Chapter 3:  Should Christians keep God’s law on food?

by Rafael Batista

One day I was sitting in a church. The preacher was going back and forth getting the congregants excited. Then he preached from the pulpit that God does not care of such an insignificant of a thing as you stuffing a pork chop in your mouth at a family Bar-B-Q. That the notion of this is ridiculous and that Jesus cares for the condition of your heart, and your willingness to serve him only. That all who tell you otherwise are trying to trip you up in your relationship with Christ and trying to put you under the bondage of the law.

Noting the fact that I have expounded on the bondage of the law in earlier chapters, clearly demonstrating that the law that held people in bondage was not God’s law but manmade traditions. God makes things good and does not mess up. He is perfect therefore the laws he makes are perfect. Someone who believes keeping the Sabbath and keeping Kosher are bondage, should really evaluate what he will say to God when one day he appears before the entity who created those things. God does not create bondage he creates freedom. The constitution written by God is the precursor to all human rights documents and protects the well being of his people better than any other form of government. The weekend we now enjoy is one of the remnants left from God’s Sabbath law.

It is important to note that though U.S. law has more laws than almost any other country, it actually defends our freedoms and protects our rights more than any other country. So U.S. law is not bondage. It does not restrict you to driving a speed limit because it wants to remove your freedoms but rather protect the livelihood of the unsuspecting old lady, who has grandchildren in the backseat of her car, and who comes into your lane, having no idea you are going 120 MPH. And so understanding how U.S. law protects our rights and freedoms may help in understanding how God’s law does the same.

Upon study and reflection of the statement in the first paragraph, it is not difficult to identify the conundrum in such a statement as the preacher on that pulpit had made. God does not care about senseless rules (he created) he only cares that you want to serve him (even if you are disobeying). Also that people telling you to obey God, they are the bad ones and they are putting you under bondage (which God created).

Now when you are finished with your reflection at human rationalization of actions, let us continue with the verses used to support such a world-wide Christian accepted doctrine.

Mark 7:18-19

“Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)

Well there you have it. Jesus declared all foods clean. It’s in the bible. We can eat whatever we want.

What first bothered me about this is why would God make a set of food laws for one group of people and get rid of them for another group of people? Also one must take into account the fact that any prophet in whose words did not come true or whose words contradicted Torah (The first 5 books of the bible) according to Torah is deemed as a False Prophet. Most scriptures are easily resolved by reading them in context. Take this scripture for instance.

Luke 14:26

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.

If someone showed you this verse would you then proceed to hate your family? Doesn’t this contradict Love thy neighbor? The truth is in the context. What did Jesus mean when he said you must hate your family? In this chapter of Luke, Jesus was telling the parable of the banquet in which many were making excuses as to why they could not follow Jesus. Claiming they had a field to attend to, a yoke of oxen to check out or they had just married so could not follow Jesus. So Jesus was explaining that your love for him should surpass your love for earthly things and even people. In other words your love for Jesus should be so great that your love for men should seem as hate in comparison. In other words, if you wanted to follow Jesus and your spouse tried to convince you not to, it shouldn’t be an issue in Jesus’ eyes. You shouldn’t be contemplating your decision, wondering which way to go. Your answer should be immediate, shun the spouse’s opposition to you following Christ.

In the same way Mark 7:18-19 is an excerpt all too much used by the church but never in its true context. Let us read it in context and remember to key in on who is speaking, to whom he is speaking, what is being spoken of, and the point to the story.

Mark 7:1-23

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe any other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

They worship me in vain;

their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your other,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’ ”

After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)

He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ “

So who is doing the speaking? Jesus of Nazareth, a Jew from Galilee. Who is he speaking to? Jews in Israel. What is considered food to them? Everything outlined in Leviticus 11. Leviticus 11 says that all seafood that does not have fins and scales is not food. It also states that predator birds such as the eagles and owls are not foods as well and certain conditions for land animals. Pork for instance was not a food. So when Jesus declares all food clean, he was declaring all of what they considered food ceremonially clean. We nowadays for example do not eat rattlesnake, scorpion, grass, or leaves. We also don’t consider insects as food. These things simply are not food to us. Should we eat these now since Jesus declared all foods clean? Of course not. We will say that grass is obviously not food so that is not what Jesus was talking about. Grass can be eaten as food however, as we can see in Daniel 4:33 when Nebuchadnezzar was cursed by God and ate grass. His sanity was later restored. So grass can be eaten. It’s not very nutritious, but that’s another matter. The point, is that we can easily see that Jesus was not talking about grass. So now we must open our eyes and realize that Pork and shrimp were not considered food to the Jews. They did not even think it right to touch those animals much less eat them.

So when Jesus declared all foods clean, in context of the chapter you just read, you must understand that he was speaking of ritually clean. As you see in the chapter again the problem is people clinging to the Traditions of the Elders. The issue is ritual hand washing and purity of food as according to the Traditions of the Elders. And once again Jesus rebukes them and tells them to stop forsaking the commandments of God for their traditions. So did he then proceed (after just telling everyone to NOT break Gods commandments) instruct everyone to break Gods commandments outlined in Leviticus 11? I think such a thing would be a complete contradiction and would break the very point that Jesus is trying to make. God’s commands are most important, and no one should break them even for tradition or even if you have been so taught.

The next excerpt often used for this wide accepted doctrine would have to come from

Acts 10:9-16

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

This would almost assure everyone that all foods are clean. Unless someone examines this scripture with a scholar’s eye. Peter a disciple of Jesus, whom had declared all foods clean, is refusing to eat the foods. Did Peter not hear Jesus when Jesus had cleaned all foods? Is Peter not the leader of the Christian church, a living example of Jesus? Why would he refuse these foods? Furthermore it is God commanding Peter the leader of the Christian church to eat these foods. Will you not do what God commands? Peter, even after being told 3 times to eat these foods by God Almighty, still refused. I would not have been so bold! I would have eaten upon command from God Almighty. So on what grounds did Peter refuse? It would appear that he was convinced that God would not contradict his Torah (First 5 books of the bible). This vision meant something, but he could not bring himself to eat these foods because in his mind and heart this could not be the meaning of this vision.

So what is the meaning of this vision? Again most answers lay in the context of the story.

Acts 10:17-20

While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

If you remember Joseph’s interpretations of dreams everything in a dream meant something. The things in the dream are symbols of real things. In one dream Pharaoh relayed of 7 fat cows and 7 thin cows. In his dream the 7 thin cows ate the 7 fat cows yet remained thin. Joseph told Pharaoh that the 7 fat cows represented 7 years of plenty while the 7 thin cows represented 7 years of famine. Now did this dream mean that one day the famine would be soo bad that 7 cows one day would decide to eat 7 other cows? Certainly not.

In the same way this dream had a number. 3 times did God speak to him about the vision and now notice in verse 19, how many men came to see Peter? Three. Let us continue.

Acts 10:24-29

The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

First it is important to not that there are about 26 different words for law in Hebrew. So when Peter speaks of it being against the law, he is not referring to Torah (The first five books of the bible). There is no law instructing an Israelite to not associate himself with a non Israelite. As a matter of fact there were laws God had made to protect foreigners and those of foreign birth from abuse of those of native birth. Laws God had created in Torah stating that you should treat the foreigner the same as the Native Born.

Leviticus 19:34

The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

So Peter was not referring to God’s law obviously. He was referring to man-made laws that contradicted God’s law. The Tradition of the Elders. Obviously not being able to associate with a foreigner completely contradicts Leviticus 19:34. So God corrected this injustice by giving Peter a dream. God had said “Do not call unclean what i have cleaned”. Jesus did not die on a cross so that man could eat pork. Pork is bad for you and that would be a wasted sacrifice on Jesus’ part. Jesus died to make all mankind sin free through belief in him. So he made all men who believe in him clean. Therefore he told Peter ‘Do not call unclean what God has called clean’. Peter realized this was the true meaning of the dream because in verse 28 he states “God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean”. How did God show Peter that he should not call any man impure or unclean? The dream he just had that prepared him for the visit from the servant of Cornelius.

So as you can see this had nothing to do with food. Christ did not die on the cross to allow you to eat something that is bad for you. Nor did he die on the cross that he may contradict his own commandments. He died on the cross so that we may be free from the penalty of our sins (some of which deserve stoning) through the blood of the sacrificial system instituted by God, but this time with blood that was good enough to clean all of mankind upon the condition of submission.

Hebrews 9:12-14

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Another objection usually stems from…

Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

The answer to this objection again lies in its context.

Colossians 2:21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules have to do with things that are destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.

One such example of such human teachings was a first century heresy that claimed that Adam and Eve only ate vegetables. Although that is in fact true, the surmised further that now being cleansed from our sin through Jesus, we should go back to eating vegetables, the way it was in the beginning. Paul addresses this false teaching in…

Romans 14:2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

In Matthew Chapter 5 Jesus boldly proclaims that not one jot or one tittle will by any means pass away from the law. And since the law is not destined to perish, it cannot be the law that Paul is talking about in this excerpt from Colossians chapter 2. He even specifies what rules and what things he is referring to in verse 21 “Human Commands and Teachings.”

Again Paul’s issue lies with doctrines of men and not doctrines of God.

Should someone pass judgment on you since you, a gentile, do not do these things? Of course not. It is against God’s word to pass judgment on someone and say they are going to hell because they aren’t following this or aren’t doing that. But exposing a friend’s sin out of love is not judgment. Let us be careful what we call judgment.

Matthew 18 15-17 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the congregation.

1 Corinthians 5:12 “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?”

Galatians 6:1 “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person Gently”

The last verse used to support the eating of all foods is found in…

1 Timothy 4 1-4

The spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if received with thanksgiving.

First, be careful when someone tells you that following the Old Testament is a doctrine taught by a demon or a deceiving spirit. The practice of eating according to Leviticus 11 is taught by the very mouth of God. Secondly, many who use this verse conveniently leave out verse 5 or place little emphasis on it.

1 Timothy 4:5

because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer

In other words there are two things that consecrate your food. Yes one is prayer. But the other is the word of God! Keep in mind, the New Testament had not yet been written when Paul wrote this to Timothy. So what word of God was Paul referring to? It would inevitably and irrefutably have to have been the Old Testament. Keeping that in mind, it is important to realize that every time “the word” “the word of God” or “scriptures” is used in the New Testament it is always referring to the Old Testament since the New Testament had not yet been compiled. If we read the New Testament with this realization, things said in the New Testament take on a whole new meaning then how they were originally taught.

2 Timothy 3:16

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

The scripture above would normally be taken as “The training manual for righteousness is all of the bible. 66 books”. But again taking into account what we just realized what this truly is saying is “The training manual for righteousness is all the books in the Old Testament. All 39).

Matthew 22:29

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God”

Mark 7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.

If you love Greek mythology, you will have a lot of problems with this film; however, if you choose to push aside your knowledge of Greek mythology, you will enjoy this film.

The plot of “Immortals” begins with a supposed bastard son refusing to join the army in defense of an empire building tyrant, but when his mother is killed, and he is taken prisoner by this tyrant, his anger is almost kindled. I say ‘almost kindled’ because it appears that he wants to die. It is a seer virgin who helps and motivates him to survive and defeat the tyrant who killed his mother that finally gets him going on his revenge. He is at best, a reluctant hero.

This film is less than loosely based on an actual Greek myth. Some Greek gods are used, but the portrayal of the Titans is very off. The background of Theseus, our reluctant hero, is incompatible with Greek myths as well as his life story. The film tries to incorporate one myth of Theseus killing the Minotaur, but other than a metal bull helmet on a man, there really is no correlation. As stated earlier, if you go wanting to see some of the great Greek myths played out on a large screen, you will be greatly disappointed.

If you go desiring some romance meshed in with violence, you will also be disappointed. The token romance, really isn’t even a romance. It is a virgin seer who logically decides to end her visions by losing her virginity.

Do I suggest going and seeing this film? Yes, I do. The production design, lighting, and fight scenes are brilliant. Although the acting isn’t well done, the visuals make it worthy of seeing on a large screen.

As the author of Secrets of the Immortal Nephilim, and one who stays closely with all mythologies of the world in piecing together its character backgrounds, it is difficult for me to respect such a dismissal of the actual myths, yet use Greek mythological characters. But I must say, I really enjoyed the fighting and visuals, so I would definitely go see it a second time. But I warn you, chuck your knowledge of Greek mythology before the movie begins. This is really the only way you will understand and enjoy the film (by allowing the narrator to create a whole new background based on the screenwriters preference). If you do not go in, chucking your knowledge, your mind will keep picking apart all the mythological inaccuracies. Relax and allow a visually stimulating film to entertain you during this hectic holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What many people do not know is that the Virginia Company made a law in 1619 that all colonists were to have a day of Thanksgiving to God every year in November.  President John F. Kennedy recognized this law and officially named Berkeley Plantation and Virginia as the Site of the Official First Thanksgiving in America.  Many presidents since then have come to the annual Thanksgiving Festival.  This last Sunday was the 50th Thanksgiving Festival.  Below are some pictures of the event and videos of the Chickahominy Tribe doing their ancestral dances.

If you are ever in Virginia, it would be a great place to stop in and visit.  Berkeley Plantation is open most every day of the year.

Chickahominy Tribe dances at Berkeley Plantation

Catch more videos of the Chickahominy at RebeccaEllenKurtz YouTube Channel.

Rafael Batista

Chapter 2: Unlearning Man’s teachings and relearning God’s teachings.

by Rafael Batista

If you a Christian you must be clothed in the Armor of Christ. What are the characteristics of Christ? The very characteristics listed in the excerpt of scripture listed in Ephesians 6:10-17 and also in Chapter 1. Truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, and the spirit which is the word of God.

So as we can see in Chapter 1, some may have a very narrow view of truth and righteousness. Let us look at the other element in the armor of God, the spirit, which is the word of God. In this people are divided. People accept that the study of the word is a good thing, but some put limits on how and with whom (for fear of having members falling into false doctrine usually). Other churches frown on free thought and discourage questions that dig too deep. Many want to maintain a simple Christianity free from complexity.

In my opinion it is good for a church to be cautious of theology that limits salvation to a particular thing. For example: you must be baptized a certain way or in a certain name to be saved, you must speak in tongues to be saved, you must follow church doctrine to be saved, you must go to church every service to be saved, you must believe in this particular aspect of Jesus’ teaching to be saved. It is exactly this kind of thinking that has separated Christians from other Christians for 2 millennia. Unity in Christ can only come by lessening the importance given to non-biblically based theology.

The bible is very clear on what is required for salvation.

John 3:3

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:35-36

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Romans 1:16

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Romans 10:9

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

In these verses we can see examples of the very things we were talking about. Firstly knowledge in believing that Jesus did, in fact, exist. This knowledge is in opposition to what atheists and skeptics believe, that Jesus was just an ordinary man. Jesus was the lamb offered for the sins of mankind. Believing in that truth leads you to salvation. Belief then leads to faith. So maintaining that belief is the power of faith. Note that the Hebrew word for faith (emunah) means to support and/or to persevere. Also note that the New Testament Greek word for believe is “peitho” and peitho carries a connotation of obedience. If you look it up in a concordance or study the Greek word it means “to follow, listen, and obey while having trust in”. So when you see the word “disobey” in the New Testament, the Greek word is often “apeitho”. The prefix “a” means “not”. In other words, to NOT follow, listen, or obey, or as usually translated to DISobey. So belief is not merely being assured, but also being faithful and obeying that assurance. So belief is not merely trusting, but also being faithful and obeying that trust.

Righteousness can be seen in the John 3:35 and 2 Corinthians 7:10 (in the verses shown above) where key words such as obey and repentance are evident. To obey the son of God is just as much a part to salvation as knowledge and faith. To discover truth you must be willing to seek knowledge to know if what you believe is reliable.

The Journey to Rediscovering your Christian Roots.

There are many who have written books on this subject and I encourage people to read these books to know why they believe what they believe. One great one I always encourage people to read is “The Case for Christ”. If you do not know why you believe what you believe then you are no different from the typical Orthodox Jew who follows the teachings of his rabbi blindly, not knowing what he does or the typical Muslim who follows the teachings of his Imam or Sheikh without question. If you are a Christian I feel it is of the utmost crucial importance to:

A. To try to the best of your ability to know Jesus whom you have chosen to serve for life and love.

B. To try to the best of your ability to learn what Jesus expects of you.

C. To understand who Jesus was in respect to whom he was prophesied to be.

Point A is the simplest. It is not good for someone to marry someone they do not know, because they may very much dislike the person they are marrying. It is not good for someone to adopt an older child they have never met, the child may be more than they can handle. When it comes to religion most people are in an “arranged marriage”. They receive most of what they believe from their parents. They may have a difference of opinion on certain topics but the framework was still inherited. The upside, to this, is that everyone has the ability to decide if they want to go through with the arranged marriage or not.

Consider a teaching from Jesus.

Luke 14:28-31

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish”. Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

In layman’s terms, if you want to enter a relationship with Jesus, it is crucial for you to discover who it is that you are serving. How can someone claim to know Jesus and you’ve never even taken the time to really truly read about him? Jesus is not simply the little voice in your head telling you to do good. He is soo much more than that.

Point B Know what Jesus expects of you. Very close to point A. When you enter into a relationship with someone it really helps to know the person, their likes and dislikes. Even with a friend. If someone hates when you smack them in the back of the head and is willing to even fight you because you did it, it would be beneficial for you to know that about someone you call a friend. You would not want your friendship to end because playing around you decided to smack him in the back of the head and found yourself in a fight. If someone hates when you touch their face soo much so that they take great offense at you touching their face, it would be wise to know that. So friends get to know one another and so friendship successfully continues. In the same way people in a relationship get to know one another so that their relationship may flourish. In the same way should you get to know what Jesus expects of you so that your relationship with Jesus may be an ever-lasting relationship.

Point C This one requires more study but is nonetheless, very important. The mistake made today is that we look at Christianity from a perspective 2000 years modified. A Christianity that started with Jesus was passed successfully to his apostles, then to the earliest church fathers. Disagreement and contention arose with most of the church fathers we are familar with today. Anti-Semitism became very prominent due to Jewish rebellions in the Roman Empire and Catholicism eventually hi-jacked Christianity stripping away the Hebraic roots of the faith. Protestants eventually came about by breaking with the catholic church and as a result all the denominations we have today. After centuries of change and missionary work eventually you receive the religion from your parents.

I think as Christians we need to start looking at being a Christian from the perspective 2000 years ago. When we take a look at the New Testament there were no Catholics, Protestants, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, or Pentecostals. All they had were the Old Testament Scriptures. So anything new that could arise needed to be in accordance with those very scriptures. The sayings of Jesus were initially preserved verbally. If something came along that contradicted the divinely inspired scriptures and said it was “from God” the inevitable result would be that it would be rejected and not believed. Why? Because no one can contradict God. God was very clear in his scriptures as to what he wanted.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3

Complete Contradiction

The Importance of Agreement between scriptures.

There is a very big reason why the majority of Christians do not accept the book of Mormon as scripture. There are big reasons why the Gnostic gospels and the other writings were not accepted as scripture. For the most part (other than authenticity disputes) the reason why those scriptures are not accepted is because they do not agree with the scriptures we have and accept as divinely inspired. Many times it was prophesied in the New and Old Testament that many will come deceiving the people of God with lies.

How can we prevent people from deceiving us? By first praying, but not limiting ourselves there. We then need to study his scripture for ourselves and making sure we know what God has said he wants.

1 Samuel 15:22

But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

In other words prayer, praise, and worship has always been good, but God’s preference has always been obedience.

So for point C when I say it is important to know who Jesus was in respect to who he was prophesied to be, I proclaimed it is important to look at Christianity from an untainted perspective. What was the perspective of believers back then?

If Jesus taught what was in the scriptures

the scriptures prophesied about a messiah

Jesus fulfills all the messianic prophecies

then Jesus is the Messiah.

This statement cannot work a different way. If Jesus did not fulfill prophecies he is not the messiah. If a person as great as he was not even mentioned or prophesied about in the Old Testament then a messiah is not scriptural and he is just making stuff up. Who would believe a savior from God that God nor his prophets never spoke of nor mentioned? (This is why we do not believe in Mohammad or Joseph Smith). If Jesus contradicted scriptures this would be another clear indication that he was not the Messiah. Jesus in the New Testament constantly contradicted tradition. This is well known by all who study the gospels thoroughly. But Jesus never contradicted scriptures. He expounded on and explained scriptures.

Matthew 5:17-20

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

John 3:36

36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever does not obey the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Some translations have “but whoever does not believe the Son”. The reason for this is just like i stated earlier. The original word for believe in Greek “peitho” carries the connotation of obedience. In this verse the word used is “apeitho” which in Greek means to disobey. You can find this word in a Strong’s concordance under #544 along with its definition of “disobedience”.

So why where the Pharisees, Saducees, and Scribes of that time angry with Jesus? Well there were many who weren’t actually. Many met and spoke with Jesus and there are many scriptures to prove that. It would seem that those who really had knowledge of their scriptures and held them in higher regard than man-made traditions, clearly saw that Jesus did not speak against scripture. Unfortunately those who remained attached to their traditions, or those who did not like being corrected, these would quickly develop problems with Jesus. In other words ignorance can lead to a lack of revelation. In this case, people lost their salvation because they clung to what they had learned as opposed to what was actually true and in scripture.

So what happened? Why do we not follow many of God’s original commandments anymore? Did the apostles believe and teach the commandments? Actually they did. This is very evident in their writings. But unfortunately many do as Peter stated.

2 Peter 3:15-17

And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

Note that Peter says ignorant. In other words if you have not studied scripture (Jesus and the apostles always referred and taught from old testament scripture since it was all they had) then you are capable of misunderstanding what it is they were trying to say. In the same way ignorance also makes you susceptible to be incorrectly taught these very same doctrines.

Did Paul keep the law?

Acts 25:8

Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

Was Paul lying when he said he had done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews? What was the law of the Jews? The very same laws in the Old Testament! To say that Paul did not keep the law is to call Paul a liar. What did Paul teach?

Romans 3

31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Paul knew his teaching about the difference between law and grace was a very hard teaching. He also knew some people would read his teachings and pervert them saying you no longer had to keep the Old Testament law because Paul said so. So in this portion of scripture he sets the record straight. People take Paul’s writings and twist them as Peter spoke. Paul never spoke against the law. His quarrel was amongst those who said the law was their salvation. he also had an issue with those who told gentiles that they were not allowed to be Christians because they did not follow the law. This is wrong in many ways which is why Paul argued so ardently against it. Firstly, law cannot be your salvation. Law makes you conscious of your sin but your salvation is Jesus Christ. Are you saved because you do not murder, nor lie, nor steal? Of course not. Rather these are a secondary consequence and bear testimony to the fact that you are saved. Would you believe that someone who remains a murderer, slanderer, or thief will enter heaven? Of course not.

1 Corinthians 6:8-10

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

So by obeying God’s laws and refraining from doing these things are you saved? Of course not. You are saved through Jesus. But will you continue to do these things after you are saved? Of course not. Because of your relationship with Jesus you will try to obey. So then do we nullify the law by this faith? Not according to Paul. We uphold the law. Just remember that the observance of the law does not save you, but Jesus. But also take notice that most today keep the laws that are convenient to their lives and present day culture. But we cannot pick and choose which we want to keep. We must keep them all.

Now the second quarrel Paul had was with those that taught that Gentiles must keep the whole law to be saved. Why did he have a problem with this? Because, no one can make a complete turnaround immediately after they are saved. This requires work. The Jews were taught the law since childhood. It was very unreasonable to hold new converts of Christianity accountable to the law when they haven’t had time to learn the law, much less try to incorporate its teachings into their everyday life. It is important to realize therefore that not only did Paul keep the law himself (as Jesus did) but that he also taught that as Christians we should uphold the law. But he warned to not withhold people from converting to Christianity due to unreasonable expectations and to not consider their own righteousness as their salvation. Salvation comes from Christ and we follow the law because we love him, not because we are saving ourselves.

If Jesus followed the law and Paul followed the law, did the person who converted Paul follow the law?

Acts 22

12″A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.

Did Paul make it very evident (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that he indeed followed the law?

Acts 21 17-24

When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul:

“You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.”

In this text James the brother of Jesus and one of the leaders of the Christian church tells Paul to participate in a Nazarite vow. Why? The answer is in the very last verse. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. Would Paul teach a faith contrary to how he believed and practiced?

Were gentiles expected to keep the whole law right away? To that the New Testament would attest to the fact that this was definetly not the case. The early Christians formed a council in Acts 15 to decide what part of the law Christians should follow right away and what they will learn later on as they matured in their walk as a Christian. This was the verdict of the first Christian council recorded.

Acts 15:19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

Note the very last words there are very important. “And is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath”. In other words James was saying that all other laws they will have time to learn them since Moses is preached in every city in synagogues every Sabbath. If James did not care for them to learn the Law of Moses he would not have included this in his decision. This bears to say that James expected them to go to the synagogues and learn the law of Moses. I think it’s even more interesting to note that preaching and congregating took place on the SABBATH (Saturday) and not Sunday. So early Christians did not worship on Sunday, this is a theology taught by the Roman Catholic Church.

Sabbath or Sunday?

Acts 13:13-15

13From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. 15After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”

Acts 13:42

As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.

Acts 13:44-45

44On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.

Note that the Jews saw the crowds. So the crowds here weren’t Jews. So which people were congregating on the Sabbath if the Jews grew jealous at them? The only answer is gentiles. Gentile believers congregated on the Sabbath

Acts 17:2

As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

Note that it was Paul’s custom to congregate on Sabbaths.

After Catholicism, people began to read their scriptures and realize that the Catholic Church was incorrect in their interpretation of many things. But many of them still kept many of the traditions and teachings Catholocism perverted. One of the things Catholicism did, was change the Sabbath worship to Sunday. This was called the Council of Laodicea. In this Catholic council bishops outlawed Saturday worship stating “You shall not Judaize by worshiping on the Sabbath”. This took place in 345 a.d. showing that the majority of early Christians still worshiped on the Sabbath 300 years after Christ, so much so to the fact that it had to be outlawed! Why? This would be an entire lesson and maybe i will dedicate a chapter to this later on. But there is a history of anti-Jewish sentiment in the first, second and third centuries due to Jewish revolts in the Roman empire. This ultimately led to a rejection of all things Jewish. How could you identify a Jewish man? Simple, offer him a piece of pork to eat and see him squirm in his chair or the disgust in his face. Or ask him to help you do work on the Sabbath day, he will refuse. So Christianity eventually separated themselves from most similarities to the Jewish culture. Including biblical commandments themselves.

The following is an excerpt from a church at Constantinople and a perfect display of the severe Anti-Semitism that arose.

“I renounce all customs, rites, legalisms, unleavened bread & sacrifices of lambs of the Hebrews, and all other feasts of the Hebrews, sacrifices, prayers, aspersions, purifications, sanctifications, and propitiations and fasts, and new moons, and Sabbaths, and superstitions, and hymns and chants of observances and Synagogues, and the food and drink of the Hebrews, in one word, I renounce everything Jewish, every law, rite, custom and if afterwards I shall wish to deny and return to Jewish superstition, or shall be found eating with the Jews, or feasting with them, or secretly conversing and condemning the Christian religion instead of openly confuting them and condemning their vain faith, then let the trembling of Gehazi cleave to me, as well as the legal punishments to which I acknowledge myself liable. And may i be anathema in the world to come, and may my should be set down with Satan and the devils.”

Did Jesus oppose the Sabbath? Of course not. Why would Jesus oppose something his father instituted when he said he and his father are one? The truth is that Jesus opposed the things instituted on the Sabbath by the traditions of the elders. Things like not being able to heal on the Sabbath or for a poor paralytic man to not even be able to pick up his mat on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was intended to be a day of rest, not a day of strenuous laws making the Sabbath a difficult day.

So people create false doctrine, stating that they worship on Sunday because Jesus rose on this day. Is this what Jesus taught? Is this what the apostles taught or did? Be careful not to change the word of God for your traditions. Jesus strongly taught against this.

Mark 7:7-9

They worship me in vain;

their teachings are but rules taught by men. You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

I think we need to start drawing lines in the sand and say to ourselves. If God tells me that something is wrong, will I stop doing it? If God tells me something is right will I start doing it?

The Pharisees believed they were doing right by God in their traditions. But Jesus has a major issue with their tradition and it is simply this. It CONTRADICTED the commands of God! Sunday worship is in every fact a tradition. What is the command of God? Remember that in the day of Jesus and the apostles only the Old Testament existed. The Gospels and epistles of the New Testament had not yet been written. So what does the Old Testament say? What command are we contradicting?

Exodus 20

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Am I trying to remove the focus of Christ by supporting the Sabbath? Of course not. Is it removing the focus of Christ to teach men to give offerings and tithes? No because those offerings and tithes are holy unto the Lord. The Hebrew word for holy is “Hakodesh”. Hakodesh means “set apart for the Lord”. When you tithe you set apart one tenth of all your earnings and it becomes holy unto the lord. Because Holy means set apart. God teaches us that in the same way that he wants 10 percent of your earnings he also wants one day of your week set apart for him. One day that you will make a stand and not work for money. One day that you will pray, worship, and study his word. A day to spend with family and friends and talk and discuss about God and things of God. Also to reflect on him and meditate on him. A day where you will refuse to work for yourself.

Isaiah 56

1 This is what the LORD says:

“Maintain justice

and do what is right,

for my salvation is close at hand

and my righteousness will soon be revealed.

2 Blessed is the man who does this,

the man who holds it fast,

who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it,

and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

God does not make senseless rules. God makes things for a purpose. To say the Sabbath is not necessary is to say that God made a senseless rule. In the passages above, abstaining from work on the Sabbath is equated with righteousness just as abstaining from murder, theft, or adultery is equated with righteousness today. There is no distinction. God wants you to follow ALL his commands whether you understand why you are following them or not. But if you ask God, he usually provide you with the understanding.

Isaiah 58

13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight

and the LORD’s holy day honorable,

and if you honor it by not going your own way

and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,

and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land

and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”

The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

So if you read this and are a practicing (church-going) Christian, a key New Testament verse may come to mind. One that is taught from most pulpits. If you don’t know the verse, if you ask your teacher or pastor concerning our lack of keeping the Sabbath commandment, the answer will probably be.

Colossians 2:16

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

It is important to note that the Sabbath day was not the only Sabbath. There were special Sabbaths also known as High Holy Sabbaths. So when it speaks here about not judging over a Sabbath it is not referring to the normal Sabbath day because everyone worshipped on Sabbath. This was not changed until 300 years later. So the Sabbath days he is referring to are the High Holy Sabbaths.

Remember early Christians did not know about all of these things. They were untaught. So to expect them to celebrate days they have never heard of, Special Sabbaths or festivals they have never celebrated is like expecting an infant to solve an algebra problem. So the issue here is two things. One, that Christians were not raised as Jews so should not be judged for things in which they may have not yet learned. And two, that you should not judge.

The word “judge” is a very misused word today. It is believed that as soon as someone tells you that you did something wrong that they are “judging” you. The word judge means to pass sentence. By telling you about something they believe you did wrong, a person is not “judging” you. They are trying to help you. A perfect example of judgment would be when someone tells you that you are going to hell if you do not do what they say or what they believe. That is the true meaning of judgment. To pass sentence. Another judgment can be that you are not a true Christian unless you listen to them. This is another passing of sentence since they are calling you a non-Christian. A Christian is someone who follows the teachings of Jesus and that is a process. The process entails one over time learning what Jesus wants them to do and incorporating these teachings into their life. Read Chapter 3 for what the bible says about “judging”.

Back to The Law of God

Galatians 3:10

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

Paul in this chapter of Galatians goes on to explain that through knowledge of the law they became cursed. Why a curse? Didn’t Paul keep the law? Isn’t that what he stated in front of the court? Did he not say we should not make the law void and that we should uphold the law? Did James not say that the claims about Paul teaching people to break the law were untrue? Then why is it that now people who are under the law are under a curse?

Is a person with brain complications held accountable for his lack of knowledge? If a retarded person kills someone out of his ignorance and goes to heaven, will he not be allowed in? After all, the bible does say that murderers will not enter the kingdom of heaven. The truth is that because he is retarded and does not have sufficient knowledge to understand what murder is, and how it is wrong, his ignorance therefore saves him! He is not under the curse of understanding. Because if he did understand that murdering was wrong he would have been condemned by his sin and would not be allowed into heaven. So then the law “Do not Murder” becomes a curse to those who understand it. So then in knowing what sin is you are now condemned. You are under a curse.

So Paul was trying to explain to the Jews in Galatia that the law does not save. That it does not have the power to save. It only shows you what sin is. The only way to salvation is through Jesus.

Romans 3:20

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

So does this mean we can kill, steal, and commit adultery? Of course not. Because scripture shows us these things are sin. How do we know what sin is? Scripture. And since there was no New Testament scripture at the time, we must understand that they were referring to Old Testament scripture.

Let us imitate the original followers of Jesus. Who even for Jesus’ own burial refused to break commandments.

Luke 23:56

Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

1 John 5 1-3

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.

Luke 11:28

Blessed are they who hear the word of God and obey.

Remember again. At the time of Jesus saying this, there was no new testament in existence. So what word of God was he referring to? The Old Testament. If Jesus where to walk into your church today, would he teach any different?

Rafael Batista

Chapter 1: Knowledge: A Key Element in the Armor of God

by Rafael Batista

Questions for Christianity

Many in the Christian church today question why Christians do things a certain way. To understand the differences in the different sects of Christianity, a brief look at history and certain scriptures can shed light on the variations in belief. Some of the most heated Christian debates can be separated into 10 categories which divide into several sub-categories. The outline below is a simplified version of these contentions. One cannot compile every single contention in a book and dedicate equal scriptural and historical attention to every one, so i have consolidated them into this simple outline. I may not discuss each individual topic in great detail and may not discuss some at all. But this is more to delineate the vast differences in the sects of Christianity.

1. Once saved always saved.

a. Can one lose their salvation?

b. Was a “backslider”, ever truly saved?

c. Can you be a Christian and live a non Christian lifestyle?

d. If you die in the act of sin, will you lose salvation?

2. Is there a literal heaven and hell?

a. What is Hell?

b. What is Heaven?

c. Are these metaphorical references to life situations or are these real places?

d. Is Hell forever?

3. Predestination

a. How much free will do you have?

b. Did/do you have a choice in your salvation?

c. How much control does God enforce on human decision?

4. Spiritual Authority

a. How much power should a pastor, priest or rabbi exercise over those they are in authority over?

b. Should you trust your authorities’ interpretations without question?

c. Should you trust your religious beliefs without personal investigation?

5. Should we tithe?

a. Is it right for a church to ask for tithes?

b. Is it right for a church to pass an offering plate?

c. How should the tithe be used?

6. Baptism

a. Should you be submerged or sprinkled on?

b. In the name of The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost or simply in the name of Jesus?

c. Is baptism needed for Salvation?

d. Should you be baptized in living water (ocean, lake, bay, etc.) or inside of a church?

e. At what age should you be baptized?

7. Trinity

a. Is Jesus God or was he simply the son of God?

b. If Jesus is God, is there a distinction?

c. Who is the Holy Spirit? Is he God too?

8. Gifts of the Holy spirit

a. Do you need to speak in tongues to be saved?

b. Is speaking in tongues for every believer?

c. Does speaking in tongues mean you are closer to God than non speakers?

d. Were the gifts of the Holy spirit only for the Apostolic Age?

9. Holidays and Holy Days.

a. Easter

b. Christmas

c. Biblical Feasts

10. Is the law abolished?

a. Homosexuality in Christianity

b. Sabbath Saturday or Lord’s day Sunday?

c. Did Jesus abolish kosher law?

d. What about those other less spoken of laws such as the tzitzit and clothing made of two fabrics?

I think it essential (before confronting some of these topics) to emphasize the importance of Knowledge and it’s effect on your walk as a Christian.

Proverbs 1:28-30

Then they will call to me but I will not answer;

they will look for me but will not find me.

Since they hated knowledge

and did not choose to fear the LORD,

________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1

Knowledge a key element in the Armor of God.

As a Christian, these ten issues and their subcategories define what you believe. Even if you go to a non-denominational church, these issues are still present. The best way to confront these is with spirit led knowledge. Knowledge can help many to open their minds to a greater God, and not a God who we intellectually constrain to a box.

It is crucial to not downplay the role of knowledge in Christianity. We know that there are some considered equally important virtues such as the condition of the heart, saving souls, faith, going to church, giving to the poor, and giving offerings. But to downplay a piece of Christianity that has been as important as the others (since the foundation of scripture itself) can sometimes limit one’s perspective of the divine creator. This is sadly the reason why (when concluding a conversation with Muslims, Jews, and Atheists in a logical or theological sense concerning scripture) many Christians can find themselves questioning their faith. Some Christians then fall away from the faith this way, questioning everything they have been taught, spiritually sapped, and with a lack of motivation to research any further. One reasonable explanation for this is because they have not been properly equipped for the battle that comes with being a Christian. One must ask themselves, what is needed to be equipped in the army of God? As a Christian you may be familiar with the following excerpt of scripture

Ephesians 6:10-17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

In other words (according to verse 11) if you are not properly equipped, then the assumption can be made that you probably will not be able to stand against the schemes of the Devil. It is interesting to note that the word Satan derives its origin from “the adversary” or “the accuser”. So it wouldn’t be far-fetched to claim that lack of being properly equipped makes you prey not only to the Devil but also to the schemes of those who come against you using scripture or even the one who accuses you of sin.

Notice the items in which one should be clothed. Truth, Righteousness, Readiness, Faith, Salvation, Spirit which is the Word of God. Many are quick to clothe themselves in Faith, Salvation, and some even some form of Readiness. But many neglect the other pieces of armor, Truth, Righteousness, and the Word of God.

I have heard many variations of the following sentence. “Well, Jesus is the truth! The Gospel is simple. Jesus died for your sins so that you may be saved. That’s all you need to know”.

The bible is composed of more than the 4 Gospels. The Bible is composed of 66 books, which are often neglected, except for small excerpts people use to give birth to irrational doctrines. If there is no emphasis in reading scripture inspired by God, then it gives the impression that it is not important to know the truth, rather simply for it to exist. Truth that exists and is not made known is worthless to man until it is made known. Here is an example.

Salvation is a gift Jesus gave to world, but there is a catch. The catch – To obtain salvation a person must first come to the knowledge of Jesus so that they may believe in him.

1 Timothy 2:3-5

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”

In other words, it is not enough that Jesus died on the cross. People need to come to that knowledge so that they can believe in Jesus. It is obvious that no one can believe in a person they have never heard or learned about. This is why missionaries go around the world, building churches in different countries. To bring those who have not heard the Gospel (good news) to the knowledge of Jesus. So knowledge is important, not for it to simply exist, but to be made known.

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;

because you have rejected knowledge,

I reject you from being a priest to me.

What this verse is saying is that God is stating his people (be it Israelites at the time, in the future, or the church prophetically) are stumbling and not following God’s ways. The reason specifically stated in this verse is because of a “lack of knowledge”. So here God specifically states that lack of knowledge can lead you to stumble. How can people know to do right unless they are taught to do right? Societal laws are easy because society teaches them: Don’t do drugs, don’t steal, don’t murder. But some things as Christians have to be taught. I know when i was not a Christian, i never felt guilty of not tithing or of not giving offerings to God. This just did not bother me in any way and I felt no conviction because of it. Why not? Because it simply wasn’t taught to me so it was not relevant. It was not until taught, that i saw this was the just and right thing to do.

What about righteousness? Some say “We need not concern ourselves with being righteous because Jesus is our righteousness. As long as we do what we know to be right then God knows our heart.” If we give ourselves the time to scrutinize this statement in our mind, it is not difficult to find the fault in this line of thinking. “As long as we do what we know is right”. Many have placed this concept into a term called conviction. “If God does not convict me then I am fine.”

What do we know? The truth is that we do not know as much as we think we know. That is why we study our scriptures to find out what it is God wants from our life. Be careful when man-made doctrine discourages the study of God’s word. Doctrine should never take place over the study of the Holy Word of God. The bible is here for a reason. God inspired men and led to its formation so that man would know his will and not be lead astray by other men. If God wanted you to simply believe everything your teacher, rabbi, or pastor told you then there would be no reason for his written word. Why the written word? So that every man would be held accountable for their own sins. If you attended a church where it was taught that it was ok to commit sexual immorality, on judgment day you may be held accountable for what you allowed others to teach you. Therefore let the Spirit of God show you (through scripture) what he wants from you.

Ignorance Isn’t Bliss

In the days of Jesus, many allowed themselves to be led astray by the Pharisees. The Pharisees contradicted the teachings of Jesus with their doctrines known in the New Testament as “Traditions of the Elders”. The common misconception is that the Pharisees were strict law observers, and that is where their fault lay. They were legalistic.

Let’s take a second and give that some thought. God gives man divinely inspired scriptures. Take note that at that time the New Testament did not exist. Only Old testament scriptures. God gives men divinely inspired scriptures and tells them to be careful to obey all his commandments laws and decrees. Exodus 15:26, Leviticus 18:4, Leviticus 25:18, Deuteronomy 4:6

So people have this notion that the Pharisees followed it soo well that they were legalistic and therefore wrong in being so “caught up” in the law. They followed what God stated soo well that they were legalistic and became corrupt because of God’s law. Yet we cannot deny that what God makes is for the well being of his people. He doesn’t make something that (if you try your best to follow) you will become a worse person for it. What were the issues that Jesus had with the Pharisees? A more careful look at what Jesus constantly argues with them about, will reveal that he actually had no problem with observance of God’s law. What he had a problem with was their man made traditions and how they contradicted the laws God had put in place. Not only that, but some complicated man made traditions actually made it much more difficult to follow God’s simple laws.

One example for this is the Sabbath day. The Sabbath day was originally meant to be a day of rest.

Exodus 16:23

“He said to them, “This is what the LORD commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD”

Exodus 20:8-11

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

The Pharisees made this law difficult, placing all kinds of restrictions that actually worked against the purpose of the day. You almost couldn’t do anything at all! They became angry with Jesus even for healing on the Sabbath! This “law” of not being able to heal on the Sabbath is not found anywhere in scripture. Furthermore the Torah (the first 5 books of the bible) contains many commandments about helping your brother in need.

Then after Jesus heals a paralytic and he picks up his mat to go home, they get angry at the poor paralytic for picking up his mat. In their twisted mind, picking up your mat was considered work. This has no scriptural basis as now they are making man made doctrines believing that a poor or paralytic man, who carries the mat (that he lays on to beg for money), is breaking the Sabbath. Nowhere in scripture does it state that a man cannot pick up his mat. The laws concerning the Sabbath were specific. Work you do on a daily basis to earn your income. “You shall do no ordinary work” or “you shall do no servile work.”

Leviticus 23:25.

New American Standard Bible

‘You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.’”

King James Bible

Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

In other words it is clear that the work God was referring to was all day work!

Luke 13:14-16 (New International Version)

14Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

15The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

In other words, if they can see that it isn’t incorrect to untie your ox or donkey, why couldn’t they see that God was referring to laborious, servile, or all-day work? It was not work for Jesus to heal her, just like it was not work for the Pharisees to untie their Oxen or Donkeys to lead them out and give them water.

This is why Jesus rebuked the Pharisees when they tried to correct his disciples on picking heads of grain to eat.

Luke 6

1One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 3Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

In other words David was known to everyone to be a righteous man and if he didn’t sin when he took the consecrated bread (1 Kings 15:5 says David never sinned except for in the case of Uriah the hittite) and the priests didn’t sin when they gave David the consecrated bread, what does this mean?

Simply that the Pharisees had created man-made doctrines that didn’t agree with scripture. Scripture refers to all day work, and the Pharisees made it so that someone could not even be healed, pick a few heads of grain to eat, or even pick up their own mat on the Sabbath! The rules of the Sabbath were very clear in scripture, but men twisted the laws and taught them incorrectly. Jesus came to correct them about many of their misconceptions of law interpretation, and he did that throughout his ministry.

Can you think of any man made doctrines that exist today? I can name a few restrictions some churches place on its members.

Women not being able to pierce their ears. (Proverbs 25:12 and Ezekiel 16:12 show this is not biblical.)

Women not being able to wear pants because they’re are “man’s clothing”.

Women not being able to cut their hair or change the natural color of it.

Not being able to wear a necklace, chain or other pieces of jewelry.( Ezekiel 16:11 shows this is not biblical)

A requirement to have to speak in tongues to be saved or be considered “spiritual”.

A requirement of the Pastor being the final authority on changes to most matters of life.

Not being allowed to go to the beach, Movie Theater, or ball park.

And many others.

It is important to understand that many of the things said by Jesus, Peter, Paul, John, James, and other New Testament writers, are actually quotations from the Old Testament. They learned, studied, and taught Old Testament. The New Testament did not exist at that time. So if one reads the New Testament by itself, it will be difficult to understand exactly what they are talking about, never having read what portion of scripture they are quoting out of. Here’s a fictional example

If in the book of Leviticus it had stated that all sick cows were to be killed and pushed away from the city into a valley and stoned. The rational ideology for this commandment would probably be to stop the spread of disease. This intent could easily be lost if knowledge of this law is lost. Let’s say the Pharisees come and say that the cows can be eaten after they are pushed into the valley and stoned because they have fulfilled the scriptural requirement of pushing the cow into the valley and stoning them. Now they can reclaim the cow and eat it. A sensible person can see how this will be a problem because the sick cow might infect the people with disease. So in making man made doctrines these fictional Pharisees are capable of bringing disease to God’s people since they are disobeying the word of God and using doctrines they made up instead.

Now let’s take this one step further and say we are in the New Testament. Now Jesus comes on the scene and corrects this bad teaching of the Pharisees by saying “Cows should not be rescued from the valley”. What does that tell the New Testament reader? If not studied in conjunction with its Old Testament Source, it can be taken to mean that no one under any circumstance should rescue a cow from a valley. So if someone has a cow that ran away into a valley under a new doctrine it would be sin to run after that cow and rescue that cow from the valley. After all, didn’t Jesus say “Cows should not be rescued from the valley?” The idea of it pertaining to sick cows is lost and now quoting only from the New Testament it can be taken to apply to all cows. The context is lost.

The root problem is that one must look into what Jesus was referring to. The solution is to look at the Old Testament and review the reference to the cows and what he was quoting and one would quickly find that the cows Jesus was referring to were the sick cows. So scriptural knowledge exposes false doctrine.

False Doctrine (contrary to common misconception) is not simply the doctrine that opposes what you have been personally taught. To deny the slight possibility that you may have been taught incorrectly, or may have learned it incorrectly is to be close-minded (or as the bible says “stiff-necked). In the same way the Pharisees were taught that the “Tradition of the Elders” was the path to righteousness and Jesus had to correct them. The Pharisees could not conceive that they might in the least way be wrong. So since they could not accept that they could possibly be wrong they rejected their own Messiah. Be careful you do not fall in the same trap of the Pharisees.

Matthew 16:6

Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Rafael Batista

Why Believers are Starting to Follow the Law of the Old Testament

by Rafael Batista

STEP 1 REALIZING WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST

Exodus 12:49

“The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you.”

Numbers 9:14

“And if a stranger sojourns among you and will keep the Passover to YHVH according to the statute of the Passover and according to its ordinance, so shall he do, you shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native.”

Numbers 15:15

“One ordinance shall be for you of the assembly and for the stranger who dwells with you, an ordinance FOREVER throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD. 16 One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger who dwells with you.”

Notice the word FOREVER! Not just until the Messiah comes. FOREVER.

Careful of those who teach that there is a different statute. One for the Jew and one for the Gentile. There are no two statutes according to the bible. Only one.

Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Exodus 12:24

24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons FOREVER.

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus

Romans 10:12

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him.

Ephesians 2:17-19

And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one spirit to the father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

You are NOT a gentile! Because of Jesus you are now a fellow citizen of Israel! If you feel you are not a part of Israel and don’t have to be this causes an issue. Because believers are under a covenant that was prophesied about. A covenant that has us justified from our sins by the blood of the messiah. This covenant was prophesied about in

Jeremiah 31:31

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD “when i will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah”

According to this verse the New covenant or the “Jesus” Covenant is with the people of Israel. In other words, if you are not part of the house of Israel you cannot partake in the covenant, since the covenant is not for you. The covenant is not for the whole world but for the people of Israel. If you reject Israel you reject the covenant that was promised to Israel and can no longer be a part of that covenant.

Exodus 20:5

…for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.

How do you love God? Exodus 20:5 says you display that love not just by saying you love him. But keeping his commandments. Even Jesus states this is how you show him love.

John 14:15

If you love me, keep My commandments.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

13 Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

For this is the sole duty of man.

STEP 2 CLEARING THE MYTHS ABOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT ABOLISHING THE LAW

Let us remember that Catholicism hi-jacked Christianity for a long time; and unfortunately some things were lost. But through the centuries God has begun to reveal his word to man, allowing it to be translated into every language for everyone to be able to read.

It is a common teaching in Christianity that Christ fulfilled the law so we no longer have to do it. But when did Christ say he came to fulfill the law? This idea is derived from Matthew 5:17. Not only does fulfill never mean to make void or do away with, but this idea is taken out of context. If we read that verse in context it is easy to see the correct picture.

Matthew 5:18-20

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

In others words,

1. Some take this to say that you will make it to heaven; you will simply be called least in heaven. I believe you will be called least on judgment day in heaven. I draw this conclusion from Verse 20 “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

2. Even if that doesn’t convince you, You still have to admit that Jesus plainly tells you here to not break the commandments NOR teach others to do so. Because this is a BAD THING. Why would you be called “least” in heaven if the law was “fulfilled”? Does that make sense? People stretch “fulfilled” to mean something the word “fulfilled” never means. They teach that he followed God’s laws and now you don’t have to follow the law. The word “fulfill” by definition means to make greater, make more, or give richness and meaning to. Jesus did this in many ways by fulfilling prophecies that were in that law and explaining how to follow it.

Jesus died and shed his blood to take the penalty for your sin. Not so you can keep sinning. This means you no longer have to be stoned for grievous sins or cast out of the nation of Israel. Because Jesus paid your debt.

Romans 7:6-8

7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”

In other words he didn’t identify sin with disobedience to Jesus or Peter or James. He identified sin with breaking God’s law. You cannot covet because Jesus fulfilled God’s law. You also cannot continuously steal, murder, rape, commit adultery, and many other things that were mentioned in God’s law and expect to make it into heaven. So why do we pick and choose which laws stay and which go? Here is another verse.

Romans 3

20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

What is the definition of sin? If we can’t be justified by the law does that mean we don’t have to listen to it anymore? Let’s see the biblical definition of sin.

1 John 3:4-5

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, SIN IS LAWLESSNESS. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

And so there is a fundamental difference between trying to justify yourself by the law and obeying God because you love him. We don’t expect God’s mercy, grace, and salvation because we haven’t murdered, raped, and stolen. We follow these things BECAUSE he saved us. So it is not justification by the law which Paul preached against, but obedience. We must make sure to keep verses in context and obtain the true message portrayed in each chapter. We heard what Jesus had to say on the matter. What did Paul say? I will provide 5 translations to make Paul’s opinion on this clear.

Romans 3:31 (NKJV)

Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Romans 3:31 (HCSB)

Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Romans 3:31 (NIV)

Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Romans 3:31 (Amplified)

Do we then by [this] faith make the Law of no effect, overthrow it or make it a dead letter? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law.

Romans 3:31 (New American Standard Bible) 31Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

The problem with the first believers is that they were holding the law more important than Jesus. Before having Jesus the law was all they had so it was elevated to an almost God-like status. Then when people turned to Jesus they began condemning new believers who had not been fully educated in the law but were in fact saved by the blood of the messiah. Jesus is the point of the law. So he is most important. So Paul tried desperately to get the new Christians to understand that it is Jesus first. Then everything else in the bible second. This leads me to a mistranslated verse in Romans 10:4 that supports this claim.

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

We must understand that people did not speak English two thousand years ago. The oldest version we have of the New Testament scriptures were written in Greek. English unfortunately shows no distinction between different words that the Greek uses for “end”. The Greek word for “end” in this verse is Telos. “Tello” if you look up the Greek word means to set out for a definite point or goal. So this verse should appropriately be read

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the goal of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

This makes sense since Paul was trying to teach the new believers that Jesus was the whole point of the law. Christ was not the end of laws such as “thou shall not murder, thou shall not steal, thou shall not commit adultery, etc.” But those laws spoke of Jesus’s character, and we who bear his name are to behave as Jesus behaved.

What did James an apostle and one of the top leaders of the Christian church think?

James 1:22-25

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the PERFECT LAW that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.

Remember at the time of this writing the New Testament did not exist. The reason it did not exist is because it had not been written yet. Only the Old Testament was in circulation. So what “word” was James referring to? It would undoubtedly have to be the Old Testament.

Romans 6:1-4 15-18

1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Step 3 THE CORROBORATING EVIDENCE (IN CASE YOU ARE STILL NOT CONVINCED)

It is important to note that in the New Testament there are many references to law, yet there are many types of law. Jewish Pharisee law, Jewish Sadducee law, Jewish Essene law, Jewish Samaritan law, Roman law, Biblical law and various others are some among the many types of law the bible can be referring to. So it is important to keep the scripture in context to understand which law the bible is referring to.

Going back to Romans 10:4 and Christ being the Goal of the law, below is the context in which Romans 10:4 is found in to better understand why Christ is the goal of the law and not the end.

Romans 10 1-3

1Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is NOT BASED ON KNOWLEDGE. 3Since they did not know the RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT COMES FROM GOD and sought to establish THEIR OWN, they did not submit to GOD’s righteousness.

What is the Righteousness that comes from God? We only have one source. The bible. At the time this was written they only had Torah (The first 5 books of the bible) as a how-to guide for being righteous. What does it mean when it says that due to a lack of knowledge they sought to establish their own righteousness? It is important to note that when the bible speaks of knowledge it is almost always talking about knowledge of God’s Word. It is obviously not referring to knowledge of astronomy, physics, philosophy, or mathematics. And if they have no knowledge of God’s Word yet sought to establish their own righteousness one can only assume this is the equivalent to manmade traditions. Things men teach as requirements for righteousness that are not found in the bible like traditions, dogmas and doctrines. It is important to guard yourself (from manmade tradition and teachings) with knowledge of the Word of God. When tradition contradicts the Word of God, the Word should always take precedence.

What about the Christian that healed Paul’s sight after Paul had his first encounter with Jesus? Did the Christian, who healed Paul, follow the law?

Acts 22:12-13

“A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

Did the Christians in Paul’s time follow the law? Did Paul teach people to break the law?

Acts 25:8

Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

Acts 21:21-24

When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and ALL OF THEM ARE ZEALOUS FOR THE LAW. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know THERE IS NO TRUTH IN THESE REPORTS about you, but that YOU yourself are living in OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW.

This begs to question, if Paul says he is not under the law why is he obedient to it? This is because this is a misunderstanding on what it means to be “under” the law. When you are under the law you are judged on your standard of righteousness as it compares with obedience to the law. When Jesus came he died and now became our righteousness. We are no longer saved because of how obedient we are but because Christ died for our sins. But this does not mean since Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, that we have free license to sin (break God’s law). Because according to Acts 21:24 Paul was obedient to God’s law. Therefore, showing that Paul obeyed God’s law proves that although he was not under the law (but under grace) he still obeyed God’s law.

Why did Peter tell the Gentiles they only had to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood? Because Gentiles do not know God’s laws. Jews learn it from childhood. The law is a process and takes time to learn and to study. Let scripture speak to you for itself. So the question is why did Peter tell the Gentiles to follow simply these 4 rules to start being Christians? The answer lies at the very end of those instructions.

Acts 15:21

For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

I like most non-English translations of this because they actually read “BECAUSE Moses…”, in other words “This is why i make this judgment”. If you look up the first word “for” in a concordance or an interlinear bible you will find it means “because”. The word “for” in Greek is “gar” which means “assigning a reason”.

So what was the reason? Because the law is taught every Sabbath. They will get to learn God’s laws. They can’t possibly obey them all right away. They don’t even know them yet. They just got saved.

So Ananias who converted Paul was a follower of the Law, James asserted that Paul follows the law as shown in Acts 21. The early Christians were zealous for the law. What about John whom above stated that the definition of sin is lawlessness (to be without following the law) in 1 John 3:4 as sighted above? John has more to say on the matter.

1 John 2:3-7

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

Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.

What did Jesus have to say about it?

Matthew 19:16-17

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”

Mark 7 5-9

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

” ‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

They worship me in vain;

their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

Meditate on this verse for a little bit. Are you 100 percent sure you are following Gods commands as opposed to the traditions of rules and regulations laid out by your church? The Pharisees and Sadducees used to use the bible, recite it, and teach from it. But Jesus told them that they did not follow the bible but hung to their traditions. Are you sure you are not doing the same?

Luke 16:17

17It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

Matthew 22:36-40

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This comes from the Old Testament. Just like Jesus recited Old Testament to the devil so he always taught from the Old Testament. What does it mean to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind according to the Old Testament?

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

It tells you plainly! This is what it means to Love the Lord your God! To place his commandments on your heart, to talk about them and think about them. Not to forget about them and think they are done away with. God called Israel constantly because they refused to obey him turning away to their own philosophies, religions, ideas, and traditions. Do not be stiff necked like Israel. Turn to the Lord your God!

Deuteronomy 10:12-16

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.

Is it a burden to follow his commandments? Is this a yoke as many teach? The yoke and burden was the traditions of the men. Things men teach are righteous but the bible does not.  Let the bible speak for itself!

Deuteronomy 30:10:11-14

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

If God says the law is not hard, and God cannot lie. Was God lying when he said the law was easy to keep? Think on this.

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

Delight in the law!

Jeremiah 31:33 “This is the covenant i will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people.

When God’s law is within your heart, this does not mean it is no longer found in written form. When God writes his commandments on your heart this means that you will have a desire to follow his laws as David did.

Psalm 40:8

I delight to do your will, O my God, And your law is within my heart.”

If you really want to know how David felt about God’s law, read Psalms 119. He goes on for pages and pages about how great the law is. Doesn’t sound like a burden at all.

Proverbs 6:23

For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

Proverbs 7:2

Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye.

Proverbs 28:9

One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

Isaiah 24:5

The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the EVERLASTING covenant.

Hosea 4:5-7

5 Therefore you shall stumble in the day;

The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;

And I will destroy your mother.

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

Read 2 Kings 22 when you get the chance. Write this chapter down on a piece of paper 2 Kings 22. This is a very interesting story of a man just like you and me. He tried to be righteous according to his heart, what he knew and was taught. And then he discovered that God wanted more from him and his people.

Deuteronomy 13 :3 You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

Do you have a question about a verse that seems to say that the law is no more? I’ll be more than happy to answer your question. Because the bible does not contradict itself. Make sure to check the word law in the verse in Greek and see it is referring to Torah, Tradition, or something else because a lot of confusion has come to pass because of this. Also make sure to read any verses presented to you in context.

Malachi 3:6

“For I YHVH do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Revelation 14:12

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

This blog is not about one particular sin, but about the general abuse of being “loving” to override obedience to God.  The Book of Revelation warns of being lukewarm, and many are confused on how to love the sinner but hate the sin, so we will look at Jesus’ teaching and not lean on the understanding of men because Jesus himself taught (Matthew 27:8) “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.”  This is made very important because no man’s teachings should ever override Jesus’ teachings.  Women are supposed to submit to their husbands, but Jesus warns his disciples to test the teachings of the teachers to make sure their teachings do not override God’s commands. (reference given below)

When I was attending Goshen College (a Mennonite College) a Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay Alliance club was asking to be recognized and financially supported by the college.  A firestorm of controversy hit the college mainly from the liberal side.  The argument was that Jesus taught us to love and not judge.  That we were to be loving and accepting.  That we were to be understanding and empathizing.  That we were to look past the sin, reach out to them in their need, and be loving to them.

The majority of the college believed what the Bible teaches – that homosexuality is a sin and should not be condoned, and definitely not financially supported.  However, many would not stand up and speak their convictions because the liberal students were mean.  In all honesty, they were very, very mean and used it as an intimidation tactic to keep the conservatives quiet.  But the Holy Spirit weighed heavily on me and burdened me to stand up.  Alone.  Against over a hundred in presenting the case to President Showalter.  But Elohim also gave me an incredible peace and joy throughout the event which gave me the strength to continue.  And my spirit stopped grieving when I started obeying the Word of God and trusting in God’s counsel, not man’s.

My spirit is grieving again.

A couple of years ago, Elohim brought my attention to many things.  I was greatly convicted and shook for 24 hours in repentance.  The problem was not that I was a bad person and went out and committed lots of sins, but that I had continued on with traditions and church doctrines and never stopped too much to question why it was different than what the Bible said, nor why the things we did were not even present in the Bible.  And then Elohim led me to the research of the eight pagan holidays and how the church had incorporated them into their religious practices.  This may not sound that bad because – as some would say – the pagan days were claimed for Christ, but this is not how Elohim or Jesus said to do with pagan days – AT ALL.  It was a way for believers to still enjoy the fun pagan traditions that they loved.  To still be able to join in with the sin – with a clear conscious.  And over the past thousand or so years, most believers are completely unaware of what they are celebrating or doing.  But does this make them innocent?  According to the Bible, and God’s teaching, not man’s, the answer is no.

Since many Christians rely heavily on the New Testament over the Old Testament, we will take a walk through the New Testament concerning these topics.

Most people believe that salvation comes from simply believing as John 3:16 states, however, if one continues to read everything in context and continues reading to John 3:36 they will see that it states:  “Whoever trusts in the Son has eternal life.  But whoever disobeys the Son will not see that life but remains subject to God’s wrath.”

Now, this will make one stop and say……. disobey Jesus?  How do we obey Jesus?  We obey by obeying his teachings.  Did Jesus teach that loving others will override any sin that we commit in order to be loving to them?  Did Jesus teach to join in the sin?  Most will say that Jesus taught that the most important commandment was to love the LORD your God with all your heart, your soul and your mind.  Then, to love your neighbor as yourself.  But the greatest commandment was not to love your neighbor or your family above loving God.  As Jesus said…..

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their execution stake and follow me is not worthy of me. — Matthew 10:34-38

This definitely is in direct conflict with the teaching of man that we are to embrace sin and love others more than being obedient to God.

Jesus taught from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)….

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you……..  Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven…..  Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.  Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves……  Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers/lawbreakers!

– Matthew 15:3-9

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?…….  Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition….  “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’

Matthew 19:16-17

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”

At the Feast of Tabernacles (a feast ordained by Elohim to be celebrated) Jesus teaches that anyone who obeys man-made traditions and teachings over God’s commands is a child of Satan, not God’s child.  That a child of God will obey God’s commandments.  Many Christians see this teaching and point fingers at Jews, but many Christians do the same exact thing.  God’s laws and commands are in the first five books of the Bible.  The Levitical laws do not apply to nonLevites and should not be confused as to what nonLevites should be obeying.  But there were many rabbis who created rules to help people obey the commands, and these were burdensome.  For example, in modern times if a church says that women must wear skirts and men pants, that is a man-made teaching/rule because it is not in the Bible.  Back then everyone wore robes which would be like a dress.  If a pastor teaches that homosexuality is not a sin and should be embraced, then that is a man-made teaching because the Bible teaches the exact opposite.  The Serpent taught in the Garden of Eden to sit in judgment of God’s laws and decide what would be the wisest (and may I say…. loving) thing to do….. even if it opposes God’s law.  This is a teaching of the Serpent.  So Jesus is asking everyone, in past and present, do you obey God’s commands or do you obey the Serpent’s teachings that permit you to nullify God’s commands?

a quote from Jesus and the Feast of Tabernacles……

Children of Abraham, Who is your father?  Satan or God?  Obey My teachings (John 8:37-59)

Spiritual Blindness: “If you say you see yet do not follow Torah but man-made traditions then you are blind.” (John 9:39-41)

Then during the week of Passover, just days before Jesus’ execution.  Jesus teaches the parable of the Wedding Banquet.  Yes, everyone is invited.  That is important to note.  All we have to do is accept as John 3:16 states.  But pay close attention to the second half of the parable which corresponds to John 3:36 and the Sermon on the Mount on many who call on the Lord, but the Lord does not grant them entry into heaven:

Matt 22:1-1411″But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes (not obeying the King’s commands). ’Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.  ”Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  ”For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Jesus gave a reason why so many people go astray.  He states:

Matt 22: 29  The reason you go astray is because you are ignorant of the Tanakh (Torah and writings of the Prophets in the Old Testament)

Many believers focus on the New Testament.  Is this why so many go astray?  Are they unknowing of God’s commands?  Most Christians have a Bible, so choosing not to study God’s commands or the bulk of the Bible (Old Testament) does not make one innocent in the eyes of God as Jesus stated above.

In Biblical times, many would read the Talmud and various teachings of the rabbis (teachers).  Just like today, many Christians read books by religious teachers.  I am not saying that reading religious writings is wrong, but if one focuses on religious writings and does not take the time to study the Bible, there is a problem.  A Christian is putting himself in jeopardy of being led astray.  For Jesus teaches that we are to test the teachings of elders to make sure they do not conflict with God’s teachings and commands because if they do then they are a false teacher.  And if one does not know God’s teachings and commands, how will they be able to identify a false teaching or false teacher?  And Jesus says that if you stay in a house of Beezebub (under the teachings of Satan) then you are just as responsible as the teacher for teaching or encouraging others to disobey God in the name of love.

Matthew 10:24-25 The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”……. Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. — Matthew 16:6-12

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. — Matthew 18:15-17

This is Jesus speaking.  He is not telling people to ignore the sin of your spiritual brothers and sisters.  He is not telling them to join in with the sin to be loving either.  Jesus says to confront and if they continue to sin to treat them as a nonbeliever.  Jesus says to confront, not to disregard the sin and join in or encourage others to be disobedient to God in the name of love.  As in the scripture below, Jesus commands us to go and make disciples and to teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded.

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” — Matthew 28:19-20

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. — John 14:23-25

²¹ you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴ As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” ^— Romans 2:21-24

If you say that you love (obey) God, yet do not obey his teachings, then you cause many to stumble in their spiritual walk or coming to know the Lord.  If you do not obey your own Savior, why would anyone accept your Savior?  If you give reasons (in love) why it is acceptable to disobey God’s commands or Jesus’ teachings, then your teaching is not of God and you make yourself false.  The Serpent perverts.  It is a perversion of love to encourage others to disobey God for the sake of love.  That is not loving.  That is selfish.  It may make your life easier, but it is not loving.  The Book of Revelations is a warning to Church.  It warns of being lukewarm.  It warns of teachings inside the Church which teach to disobey God for one reason or another.  Heaven is given to those who overcome.  Overcome the false teachings of religious leaders and obey only God and Jesus, overcome the spiritual realm who wants us to stumble, and overcome to love God more than we love anyone else for Jesus himself said above, if you love your family more than you love God, you are not worthy of God.

2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Revelation 2:14
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.

Revelation 2:15
Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Revelation 2:20
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.  Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, ²⁵ except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ — Revelation 2:23-25

So I ask, and I pray, that you will study the Bible.  Study God’s commands.  Study Jesus’ teachings.  Test teachings and spirits as God instructs.  We are to test the spirits as well.  If a spirit nudges you to disobey God, it is not the Holy Spirit, nor a spirit of God.  Test everything to show yourself approved.  And if you are a pastor or religious teacher, please, for your own sake, be very cautious of your teachings and words.  It is very difficult to hear the pain of your congregants, and just like Paul, you want to empathize with them and end their suffering.  But be very, very careful that you do not encourage them to disobey God or it will fall on your own head.  God will hold you responsible.  Please don’t take the easy way out.  That is not loving.

If your heart empathizes with the pain of another, do as Paul did.  Separate your advice from God’s.  Because to encourage someone to disobey God makes you a false teacher even though your heart is breaking for the pain of someone else.  To protect yourself from becoming a false teacher, you must always say what God commands even if it pains you to do so.  For Paul’s example….. I Corinthians 7:10-12….. ¹⁰” To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. ¹¹ But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.  ¹² To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.”

I know your heart must hurt.  My heart hurts too when people pour out their griefs, but none of us must ever encourage people to disobey God.  We must separate our human advice and wisdom from God’s commands, or we are responsible for being a stumbling block ourselves.

Many quote the scripture of John 3:16, “For G-d so loved the world that he gave his only and unique son so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.” But many stop reading and do not continue to the end of that passage – John 3:36, “Whoever trusts in the Son has eternal life. But whoever disobeys the Son will not see that life but remains subject to G-d’s wrath.”

So what did Yeshua command?

Yeshua warned his disciples to be wary of the teachings of religious leaders and to constantly test them on what they teach. If they taught anyone to disobey G-d’s commands, then they were false teachers. As children, we are to humbly obey G-d’s commandments, not question, rationalize, and philosophize a way out of them as the serpent instructed in the Garden of Eden. Has God really changed so much that the great deception that the Serpent used on Eve is now God’s truth?

From Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount… “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law… Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20)” He continues in the Sermon on the Mount to warn about the narrow and wide gates, proclaiming that many will prophesy in his name, heal in his name, and cast out demons in his name, but they will not be given access to heaven because of their unlawfulness (Matthew 7:13-23 – Greek word is lawbreakers but some translations have changed it to evil doers which is not specific and promotes confusion on what would keep someone from entering the narrow gates into heaven).

Theology lesson: The Nicolaitans are spoken of in the Book of Revelations that God hates:

Nicolaitans: One of the heretical sects that plagued the churches at Ephesus and at Pergamum. The doctrine of the Nicolaitans was a form of antinomianism. Antinomianism: A belief that is based upon a recognition of the mercy of God as the ground of salvation, but it makes the fatal mistake that man can freely partake in sin because the Law of God is no longer binding.

Reminder:  In the Book of Revelations it states that those who are lukewarm will be spit out….. just as Jesus says on the Sermon on the Mount. (Rev 3 Church in Laodicia – the city of betrayal)

“For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have wormed their way in, secretly slipping in among you. They are godless men, who pervert God’s grace into a license for immorality and unlawfulness… (Book of Jude 1:4, Jesus’ brother and one of the apostles)”

Paul himself states in Romans 3: “Do we then make void the law through faith? God Forbid: Yea, We Establish the Law.” -Romans 3:31

All four disciples (James, Jude, John, and Peter) wrote epistles supporting Paul’s epistles but denouncing those who twisted it…

From John, the Beloved, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him………I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray…… remain united in him through the laws and the spirit……… Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. Everyone who continues sinning, violates Torah – indeed sin is the violation of Torah………Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world…..They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood……..This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,” I John – collected verses throughout the whole short book)

“… just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, things which the uninstructed and unstable distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, guard yourselves so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.” — 2 Peter 3

“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect Law which gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” — James 1

So we return to Romans 8:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:1-2

Romans 8 continues with….. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” (v7-8)

So, the question is… do you have a sinful mind?  For the Bible states that a sinful mind refuses to submit to God’s law.

Do you submit to God’s law?

Or do you do as the Serpent in the garden instructed?  Decide for yourself which laws you will keep and which ones you will rationalize out of?

It is the heart and mind of the matter.  One does not need to be perfect.  But a repentant heart yearns to be obedient to please God.  A sinful mind philosophizes and searches for scriptures that can be twisted that will allow them to continue to please themself.