Chore Time
Non-fiction writing assignment
Institute of Children’s Literature
Submitted 1/18/99
[The object of this writing assignment was to learn to be observant of details and to use dialogue. I am very glad I completed this assignment and noted all these details that bring the memory of this day back to me in vivid colors. Word pictures mean more to me than snapshots with a camera.]
With an inquisitive look, Ariel responds to my movements across the room. “Where are you going?” she seems to be saying. “If you’re going outside, I hope you’ll take me with you.” As I reach for my raggedy blue barn coat and cobweb-laced acrylic hat, Ari paces back and forth. She tries a pleading look, then a long stretch and bow. Gutteral sounds are emitted. “Let’s go, let’s go.” Tail wagging, she knows she’s making her point. She touches me with her wet nose. “Ouch! Static electricity,” I exclaim. I’ve still got to pull on the green barn boots, so Ari lays down with front legs extended. Her haunches are ready to spring when I give the word. “OK, Ari, let’s go.” In a split second she’s on her feet.
Out into the frozen tundra we venture with a bucket of warm water for the shivering goats in the barn. The blizzard has ended, depositing eighteen inches of dazzling white snow, but the temperature has plummeted to zero or below. “Good thing Daddy shoveled us a path, Ari. These drifts would be over your head.” The rosy-cheeked man leaning wearily on a shovel smiles broadly, then gruffly quips, “You may be a b _ _ _ _ but I’m not a dog’s daddy!”
“C’mon, Ari, let’s get to the barn fast. It’s cold out here and you’re shivering too.” Leaping and bounding through the snow, ears flopping, the playful poodle ignores the path. With a sneeze and a patch of soft white snow on her coal black nose, she finally makes it to the shelter of the milk room. “Stay, Ari. I’ll be right back. I don’t want you in the barn with the cats, chickens, and goats.” The barn cats are purring, snuggled together for warmth, one face burrowed into the fur of the other. The goats appreciate the warm water on this frigid winter morning. I toss more bright yellow straw all over the goat pen for added warmth.
Chores accomplished, Ari greets me for the return trek to the house. This time she trots along the narrow path. The snow squeaks under my rubber boots. “Brrr, it’s cold.” A toasty warm kitchen greets us. The aroma of fresh coffee delights my senses. Off comes the coat, hat, gloves, boots. I’m ready for a cup of java, but Ari appears to want something too. There’s that pleading look again. “What now?”
“Er ruh, errr ruh,” comes the insistent request.
“Do you want a biscuit?”
“ER RUH,” comes the louder reply, tail wagging furiously.
“What can you do for it,” I tease. A rather runty-sized but appealing standard poodle, Ariel sits up like a trained circus performer. “Oh, what a pretty girl!” I exclaim, lavishing praise as I release the crunchy biscuit. In a moment the treat is devoured. Ari sniffs the carpet for one last missed morsel. Satisfied, she laps up some water from her bowl and scoots upstairs for nappy time – on my bed of course. How can I kick her off; she looks so comfy curled up by my pillow. Well, maybe I’ll join her for a few minutes and snuggle. Ari gently licks my nose affectionately, then my hands get a tongue bath. Her dark eyes express loyalty and devotion. I notice her wiry black coat looks pretty scruffy. “C’mon, Ari, we’ve got work to do.”
Grooming is quite a chore with poodles. Clippers are a necessity, along with a slicker brush and metal comb. But the rewards are worth the hassle. The standard poodle is an elegant, intelligent, protective, affectionate, personable pet. And they don’t come any sweeter than my sweet, sweet Ariel – companion dog extraordinaire.
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[This was written ten years ago when Ari was 6 years old. She died on December 13, 2009 at the age of 16]
12/15/2009
11/29/2009
Why We Don't Celebrate Christmas
WHY WE DON’T CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS
Patrick and Maureen LaFaive
(MOSS PATCH NEWSLETTER, Vol. 2, No. 7, November 1991)
As Christians, we gave up Christmas seven years ago when we became aware of the pagan roots of this celebration and diligently searched the Scriptures to see what the Bible had to say about it.
We learned that Christmas is essentially a pagan holiday with a thin Christian veneer. Jesus was not born on December 25th, but the pagans celebrated the Birth of the Unconquered Sun (Saturnalia) at this precise time of year, worshipping their gods with trees, yule logs, wassail, holly, mistletoe, and all the trimmings, right down to the Christmas goose. To make a long story short, in order to bring unconverted pagans into the Roman Catholic church long, long ago, the Church met them half way—letting them keep the pagan feasts that they enjoyed so much, and just “Christianizing” them. It doesn’t sound like a bad idea to Christianize paganism until it is discovered that the Word of God specifically forbids it over and over again throughout the Bible.
For example:
“Learn not the way of the heathen...for the customs of the people are vain...” (Jeremiah 10:2,3).
“Take heed...that thou inquire not after their gods saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise.” (Deut. 12:30)
“...Abstain from pollutions of idols” (Acts 15:20).
As Alexander Hislop brings out in The Two Babylons, “The tendency on the part of Christians to meet paganism half way was very early developed. Tertullian, about the year 230, bitterly lamented the inconsistency of the disciples of Christ in this respect and contrasted it with the strict fidelity of the pagans to their own superstition:
‘By us, says he, ‘who are strangers to (Jewish) Sabbaths, and new moons, and festivals, once acceptable to God, the Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the Brumalia, and Matronalia are now frequented, gifts are carried to and fro, new year’s day presents are made with din, and sports and banquets are celebrated with uproar; oh how much more faithful are the heathen to their religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians.’”
Charles Halff, of the Christian Jew Foundation, in his booklet, “The Truth About Christmas” reports:
“The pagan history of Christmas has been well known throughout history. In fact, at one time the celebration of this pagan custom was forbidden by law in England. In 1644, Parliament declared Christmas to be unlawful; and, consequently, it was abolished. The English Puritans looked upon the celebration of Christmas as the work of Satan. At one time in early American history the observance of Christmas was illegal. A law was adopted in the general court of Massachusetts about 1650 which required that those who celebrated Christmas were to be punished. The statute read, ‘Whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas...shall be subject to a fine of 5 shillings.’ The law’s preamble explained it’s purpose was ‘for preventing disorders...(by) observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other countries to the great dishonor of God and the offense of others.’ After the Mayflower pilgrims landed in 1620, the first December 25th was spent in labor and cutting down trees ‘in order to avoid any frivolity on the day sometimes called Christmas.’”
Nowhere in Scripture is there any indication that we are to celebrate the Lord’s birth. There are only two “birthday parties” mentioned in the Bible, Pharaoh’s (Genesis 40:20) and Herod’s (Matt. 14:6). Both were pagan celebrations and both had gruesome events associated with them—Pharaoh hung the chief baker, and Herod had John the Baptist beheaded!
Jesus said to remember His death (1 Corinthians 11:26) and look for His coming (Luke 12:37). Why do we add to His words in celebrating His birth? The Bible admonishes us not to add to the words of Scripture:
“Every word of God is pure...add thou not unto His Words, lest He reprove thee.” (Proverbs 30:5,6)
Some say, “Christmas is just a pleasant tradition. There’s no harm in it.” But Jesus says, “You make the Word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men. All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition,” (Mark, chapter 7).
The only way we can ever express gratefulness to the One who paid such a dear price to save our souls is to respect His Word and obey His commandments. We cannot do that if we participate in any way in a pagan tradition such as Christmas.
The Christmas tree is an abomination in the sight of God. There are many complex legends, but essentially the tree represents the slain god, Nimrod, reincarnated as Tammuz, the Babylonian messiah. Suffice to say that the Christmas tree is representative of a pagan idol, the very idol whose honoring is condemned as a great abomination in Ezekiel 8:14. We have heard well-meaning people remark, “So it has pagan roots; I do not worship the tree.” Yet what do they do with it. They drape it with garlands, just as the pagan priest honored his gods in Acts 14:13. They deck it with silver and gold, as the tree idol is decorated in Jeremiah 10:3,4. According to the dictionary, worship can simply mean “great honor and respect.” A plain little green tree seems to get the royal treatment during the Christmas season. It occupies the foremost place in the home where it will be noticed and admired even by passers-by from outside as it stands glistening in the window, bedecked with jewels and arrayed more gloriously than Solomon. If it’s not an idol, why are people so unwilling to give it up? It it’s not an idol, why do they sing “worshipful” songs to it? “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches.” The “green tree” is mentioned ten times in the Bible and in every instance it is associated with idolatry.
The exchanging of gifts is also a pagan custom. Statues of gods and other trinkets were exchanged during religious festivals in heathen lands. Yet, to quote Albert James Dager, who has written on the subject of Christmas traditions in Media Spotlight, “There is certainly nothing wrong with giving gifts to family and friends out of love and genuine appreciation for what they have meant throughout the year. But it would be far better if those gifts were given spontaneously rather than under pressure to meet the social requirements of a pagan holiday. Here it is important to examine our motives. A gift in itself is certainly not evil. A gift given under pressure is a compromise to one’s conscience and is little more than a bribe.”
Mr. Dager also observes, “The atmosphere of the world during Christmas is evidence of its incompatibility with Christ. The media are filled with advertising and programming that turns Christmas into a hedonistic celebration. Jesus is so rarely mentioned that it’s obvious He has little to do with the day anyhow.”
Why is it that the world, that hates Christ, loves Christmas? Multitudes will accept Jesus as a helpless babe in a manger while rejecting Him as Lord of their lives. We cringe when we hear of ministers of the Gospel, after preaching the “Christmas” sermon, extending invitations to sinners to “ask the baby Jesus to come into your heart.” There is no salvation in such a warped concept of surrender to the Living God.
To those who would say, “Let’s put Christ back in Christmas,” we would respond, He was never the “reason for the season” to begin with! Let the world have its tinseled, liquored up Christmas. “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
References:
“The Origin of Christmas Traditions,” Al Dager, Media Spotlight
“The Truth About Christmas,” Charles Halff, Christian Jew Foundation
The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop
Babylon Mystery Religion, Ralph Woodrow
World Book Encyclopedia
Addendum 4/17/07:
Rabbinical Judaism likes to put “fences” around commandments. Why are Messianics so de-fence-less against Christmas? We often hear, “As long as you don’t worship the tree, it’s OK to have it.” Yet the Second commandment tells us not only “Do not worship idols” but don’t even have them around. “Does it not concern you what God thinks about the “mystery forms” of imagery that you claim are harmless? They represent the enemy of our souls whether we see it that way or not. Did Yeshua redeem us so we could continue in the “chambers of imagery” that He abhors (Ezek. 8:12)? What is the difference between a marble statue of Zeus or a bedecked, gaudy tree prominently displayed in a room in your home? Can you exhibit a Buddha in your living room? As long as you don’t worship it, why not? How about a Mary statue? A Jesus picture on the wall? We knew a man who would gaze at his Jesus picture to keep him from sin. His wife was defending the practice, telling us that it was working. The man was an alcoholic. Yet he would not read the Bible or surrender his life to doing God’s will. Eventually he fell back to alcohol abuse and wife abuse. The picture did not deliver him. He forsook the Word of God for chambers of imagery. If you find holidays such as Christmas “neutral,” just what does comprise temptations to idolatrous practices in our generation? We are told to “flee from idolatry” (1 Cor. 10:14) but if there is no idolatry to flee from in our modern Christian/Jewish world, maybe these Scriptures are irrelevant?
Patrick and Maureen LaFaive
(MOSS PATCH NEWSLETTER, Vol. 2, No. 7, November 1991)
As Christians, we gave up Christmas seven years ago when we became aware of the pagan roots of this celebration and diligently searched the Scriptures to see what the Bible had to say about it.
We learned that Christmas is essentially a pagan holiday with a thin Christian veneer. Jesus was not born on December 25th, but the pagans celebrated the Birth of the Unconquered Sun (Saturnalia) at this precise time of year, worshipping their gods with trees, yule logs, wassail, holly, mistletoe, and all the trimmings, right down to the Christmas goose. To make a long story short, in order to bring unconverted pagans into the Roman Catholic church long, long ago, the Church met them half way—letting them keep the pagan feasts that they enjoyed so much, and just “Christianizing” them. It doesn’t sound like a bad idea to Christianize paganism until it is discovered that the Word of God specifically forbids it over and over again throughout the Bible.
For example:
“Learn not the way of the heathen...for the customs of the people are vain...” (Jeremiah 10:2,3).
“Take heed...that thou inquire not after their gods saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise.” (Deut. 12:30)
“...Abstain from pollutions of idols” (Acts 15:20).
As Alexander Hislop brings out in The Two Babylons, “The tendency on the part of Christians to meet paganism half way was very early developed. Tertullian, about the year 230, bitterly lamented the inconsistency of the disciples of Christ in this respect and contrasted it with the strict fidelity of the pagans to their own superstition:
‘By us, says he, ‘who are strangers to (Jewish) Sabbaths, and new moons, and festivals, once acceptable to God, the Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the Brumalia, and Matronalia are now frequented, gifts are carried to and fro, new year’s day presents are made with din, and sports and banquets are celebrated with uproar; oh how much more faithful are the heathen to their religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians.’”
Charles Halff, of the Christian Jew Foundation, in his booklet, “The Truth About Christmas” reports:
“The pagan history of Christmas has been well known throughout history. In fact, at one time the celebration of this pagan custom was forbidden by law in England. In 1644, Parliament declared Christmas to be unlawful; and, consequently, it was abolished. The English Puritans looked upon the celebration of Christmas as the work of Satan. At one time in early American history the observance of Christmas was illegal. A law was adopted in the general court of Massachusetts about 1650 which required that those who celebrated Christmas were to be punished. The statute read, ‘Whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas...shall be subject to a fine of 5 shillings.’ The law’s preamble explained it’s purpose was ‘for preventing disorders...(by) observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other countries to the great dishonor of God and the offense of others.’ After the Mayflower pilgrims landed in 1620, the first December 25th was spent in labor and cutting down trees ‘in order to avoid any frivolity on the day sometimes called Christmas.’”
Nowhere in Scripture is there any indication that we are to celebrate the Lord’s birth. There are only two “birthday parties” mentioned in the Bible, Pharaoh’s (Genesis 40:20) and Herod’s (Matt. 14:6). Both were pagan celebrations and both had gruesome events associated with them—Pharaoh hung the chief baker, and Herod had John the Baptist beheaded!
Jesus said to remember His death (1 Corinthians 11:26) and look for His coming (Luke 12:37). Why do we add to His words in celebrating His birth? The Bible admonishes us not to add to the words of Scripture:
“Every word of God is pure...add thou not unto His Words, lest He reprove thee.” (Proverbs 30:5,6)
Some say, “Christmas is just a pleasant tradition. There’s no harm in it.” But Jesus says, “You make the Word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men. All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition,” (Mark, chapter 7).
The only way we can ever express gratefulness to the One who paid such a dear price to save our souls is to respect His Word and obey His commandments. We cannot do that if we participate in any way in a pagan tradition such as Christmas.
The Christmas tree is an abomination in the sight of God. There are many complex legends, but essentially the tree represents the slain god, Nimrod, reincarnated as Tammuz, the Babylonian messiah. Suffice to say that the Christmas tree is representative of a pagan idol, the very idol whose honoring is condemned as a great abomination in Ezekiel 8:14. We have heard well-meaning people remark, “So it has pagan roots; I do not worship the tree.” Yet what do they do with it. They drape it with garlands, just as the pagan priest honored his gods in Acts 14:13. They deck it with silver and gold, as the tree idol is decorated in Jeremiah 10:3,4. According to the dictionary, worship can simply mean “great honor and respect.” A plain little green tree seems to get the royal treatment during the Christmas season. It occupies the foremost place in the home where it will be noticed and admired even by passers-by from outside as it stands glistening in the window, bedecked with jewels and arrayed more gloriously than Solomon. If it’s not an idol, why are people so unwilling to give it up? It it’s not an idol, why do they sing “worshipful” songs to it? “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches.” The “green tree” is mentioned ten times in the Bible and in every instance it is associated with idolatry.
The exchanging of gifts is also a pagan custom. Statues of gods and other trinkets were exchanged during religious festivals in heathen lands. Yet, to quote Albert James Dager, who has written on the subject of Christmas traditions in Media Spotlight, “There is certainly nothing wrong with giving gifts to family and friends out of love and genuine appreciation for what they have meant throughout the year. But it would be far better if those gifts were given spontaneously rather than under pressure to meet the social requirements of a pagan holiday. Here it is important to examine our motives. A gift in itself is certainly not evil. A gift given under pressure is a compromise to one’s conscience and is little more than a bribe.”
Mr. Dager also observes, “The atmosphere of the world during Christmas is evidence of its incompatibility with Christ. The media are filled with advertising and programming that turns Christmas into a hedonistic celebration. Jesus is so rarely mentioned that it’s obvious He has little to do with the day anyhow.”
Why is it that the world, that hates Christ, loves Christmas? Multitudes will accept Jesus as a helpless babe in a manger while rejecting Him as Lord of their lives. We cringe when we hear of ministers of the Gospel, after preaching the “Christmas” sermon, extending invitations to sinners to “ask the baby Jesus to come into your heart.” There is no salvation in such a warped concept of surrender to the Living God.
To those who would say, “Let’s put Christ back in Christmas,” we would respond, He was never the “reason for the season” to begin with! Let the world have its tinseled, liquored up Christmas. “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
References:
“The Origin of Christmas Traditions,” Al Dager, Media Spotlight
“The Truth About Christmas,” Charles Halff, Christian Jew Foundation
The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop
Babylon Mystery Religion, Ralph Woodrow
World Book Encyclopedia
Addendum 4/17/07:
Rabbinical Judaism likes to put “fences” around commandments. Why are Messianics so de-fence-less against Christmas? We often hear, “As long as you don’t worship the tree, it’s OK to have it.” Yet the Second commandment tells us not only “Do not worship idols” but don’t even have them around. “Does it not concern you what God thinks about the “mystery forms” of imagery that you claim are harmless? They represent the enemy of our souls whether we see it that way or not. Did Yeshua redeem us so we could continue in the “chambers of imagery” that He abhors (Ezek. 8:12)? What is the difference between a marble statue of Zeus or a bedecked, gaudy tree prominently displayed in a room in your home? Can you exhibit a Buddha in your living room? As long as you don’t worship it, why not? How about a Mary statue? A Jesus picture on the wall? We knew a man who would gaze at his Jesus picture to keep him from sin. His wife was defending the practice, telling us that it was working. The man was an alcoholic. Yet he would not read the Bible or surrender his life to doing God’s will. Eventually he fell back to alcohol abuse and wife abuse. The picture did not deliver him. He forsook the Word of God for chambers of imagery. If you find holidays such as Christmas “neutral,” just what does comprise temptations to idolatrous practices in our generation? We are told to “flee from idolatry” (1 Cor. 10:14) but if there is no idolatry to flee from in our modern Christian/Jewish world, maybe these Scriptures are irrelevant?
11/24/2009
The Water Ain't So Fine After All
The Water Ain't So Fine After All
By Banner Kidd
In most things I am a skeptic. I’m accused of some of being negative, but I don’t consider myself a negative thinker. I consider myself a positive thinker who wants to know the facts. There are things I believe for a certainty and there are things that I’m not sure about. The things I believe for a certainty trump the uncertain issues. That’s where I am positive in my outlook on life.
Most people who say they are positive thinkers, I believe, are not as positive as they let on. When I talk to them, or read things they’ve written, their lives are full of fear and reaction. This fear comes from an uncertainty about the things in life that we face on a daily basis. This fear-gripped society is tapped into and propagated by people who have money and power in order to make more money and increase power over the masses.
I watch the news and hear the fear-mongering about the latest crisis; H1N1. The World Health Organization, an arm of the United Nations, has named this a pandemic and people who live in fear hear the declaration and will do whatever the government tells them to do. The sad fact is that many will not take the time to see what is really going on in the world.
I call it the “Just give me my MTV generation.” What I mean is that people just want to have fun. We, as a society, have become so distracted by amusement with fast moving technology and free flowing cash. The pursuit of happiness has become the driving force in much of America. The merchandisers have tapped into this, providing more things to distract and keep people so busy that they pay no attention to what is going on around them. Even the drug companies have created pills to keep people happy. Meanwhile those who are profiting from this endeavor are doing more and more to create a mind-numbed citizenry that falls into more bondage everyday, while being totally unaware of it.
It’s the frog in the pot story. Frogs like the water. Put him in a pan of water, on the stove and turn the flame on low. The frog is a happy camper in this water. It gets a bit warmer and he’s even happier. But as the water gets hotter, and the flame is turned up, the frog doesn’t realize that he is going to be cooked to death! By the time he realizes he’s in trouble it’s too late to get out. I believe the same thing is going to happen with the majority of America.
I was a frog in the pot once. I began to hear another Voice telling me to wake up and look around me. I needed to see where I was at, who was turning up the heat, and how they were doing it. Those who are turning up the heat, and know what they’re doing, are all being influenced by one particular force in the world. There is a supreme liar who is the father of all liars. We are being lied to and have been for a long time. Most of the world is in the pan. They’re beckoning others to “Come on in, the water is fine.” But it’s a lie they’ve believed and they’re unwittingly propagating the lie. The Bible says that these are deceived and they are being used to deceive.
Because mankind refuses to recognize his death sentence he is destined to die. Because mankind refuses to acknowledge why he is under a death sentence he is destined to die. The liar has said from the beginning, “You shall not surely die!” Since then men who have believed this lie parrot the lie. In essence they’re saying, “Come on in, the water is fine.” But those who stay in the pot will die!
The lie begins with questioning the Word of God. The question is “Did God really say…?” And its power lies in the lying proclamation, “You shall surely not die.” The lying concept is that you will not die for rebellion and disobedience to the Commandments of the Creator. But the Commandments of God are in direct opposition to the carnal nature of mankind who are enjoying their quest for 24/7 happiness.
This quest for24/7 happiness is fueled by a power hungry group of people who propagate the lie. They themselves are deceived into believing they are an elite group that won’t suffer the wrath of God that will come upon the sons of disobedience – the sons of the liar, the serpent of old. These men are liars, just as their father is the supreme liar. They will be judged for this if they don’t repent. And those who believe their lies will likewise be judged for their lives of rebellion as well.
So today most of America and in fact the world is in fear of losing the happiness that they are deceived into believing they have. They are so distracted by gadgets and entertainment that they don’t feel the water getting hotter. When they start feeling depressed or anything that they deem “negative” comes into their life they begin to look for more distraction. They want to shut up the negative voices and they do it by looking for more distraction which is readily supplied by men who are profiting from it. The result is a mind-numbed, dumbed downed citizenry that is unwittingly complicit in their own demise.
Our drugged society that receives its fix from pharmaceuticals, rock and roll, movies, Ipods, video games, sex, illegal drugs, and alcohol is a direct result of rejecting the Commandments of God – the Truth of God. The Bible says that the LORD sends strong delusion to those who have not received a love for the Truth that they might believe the lie. Because people don’t love the Truth, which is the Word of God, the lie is easily believed.
When the professing church abandons the Truth society falls in lock step. The church is not reflecting the Light in the darkness. She ends up being those who say, “Come on in, the water is fine.”
This lie is from the beginning, as the church is from the beginning. The liar has always asked, “Did God really say we are to obey HIS Commandments of Torah?” And he has always followed it up with, “You shall not surely die” for disregarding HIS Torah. Yet the professing church has done just that. They have replaced the Truth with the lie.
Rejecting Torah it has become the doctrines of men. The Feasts of the LORD are now replaced by pagan holidays and the church in their arrogance says they’ve “redeemed” them for God. God has never redeemed paganism. HE condemned it and said that those who practice it will not inherit HIS kingdom. HIS Sabbath is replaced by observance of the day of the sun god, Mithra, and yet the church says, “Did God really say we have to observe HIS Sabbath? HE did away with it and we can choose any day we want for Sabbath. You will not surely die for disregarding HIS commanded Sabbath observance!”
Meanwhile the world believes the lie and they don’t see any Truth coming from the professing church. All they see is another part of the lie. The church is practicing the same thing as the world. The world goes after Christmas because it is not of God. The church believes the lie that she can use Christmas to reach people for God. It hasn’t worked because it is not of God. And then the professing church gets mad because the world is taking Christ out of Christmas. The truth is that the world is waking up to the truth that Christ has nothing to do with Christmas while the professing church hangs on to the lie with all she’s worth! She keeps calling out to those who she sees as on the outside saying, “Come on in, the water is fine!” She doesn’t realize that they are all in the same pan together!
There are those in the pan who are born again, and there are those who aren’t. I confess I don’t know how to separate them one from another. I can look at what their practices are and identify them as of being in keeping with Torah or not, but I don’t know which ones are really seeking the Truth and which ones are comfortably and irrevocably in the lie. Those who are truly seeking the Truth will begin to realize they need to get out of the pan. Those who aren’t seeking the Truth will tell anyone who speaks the Truth, “I don’t want to hear your negativity. You’re keeping people from the kingdom because of your divisiveness.” Since when is proclaiming the Truth of the Word divisive? But, in fact it is divisive, just as Yeshua (Jesus) said. HE said, “I did not come to bring peace, but to bring a sword.” This sword is HIS Word that divides even parents from children. It divides those who want to hear the Truth from those who are comfortable in remaining in the lie.
What I - and many more even you if you love the Truth - am called to do is proclaim the Truth. I pray that there are those who will hear the Truth and begin to come out. When you hear the Truth it means you must take action. You remain in the lie when you see and hear the Truth yet stay in the pan. You must realize that you are still believing the lie that says, “Surely you will not die!”
In Revelation Yeshua said, “Come out of her (Babylon) MY people.” His wrath is coming upon Babylon and those who follow after her lies. The professing church has set up residence and staked her claim for existence in Babylon! What she practices is Babylonian and the LORD she claims to follow is saying, “Come out of her!”
Our Creator is speaking the same thing HE has said from the beginning. Please shut out the voices of men, remove the distractions so that you might hear HIS Voice, and heed HIS exhortation before you can’t get out of the pan.
http://torahperspective.com/2009/11/water-aint-so-fine-after-all.html
By Banner Kidd
In most things I am a skeptic. I’m accused of some of being negative, but I don’t consider myself a negative thinker. I consider myself a positive thinker who wants to know the facts. There are things I believe for a certainty and there are things that I’m not sure about. The things I believe for a certainty trump the uncertain issues. That’s where I am positive in my outlook on life.
Most people who say they are positive thinkers, I believe, are not as positive as they let on. When I talk to them, or read things they’ve written, their lives are full of fear and reaction. This fear comes from an uncertainty about the things in life that we face on a daily basis. This fear-gripped society is tapped into and propagated by people who have money and power in order to make more money and increase power over the masses.
I watch the news and hear the fear-mongering about the latest crisis; H1N1. The World Health Organization, an arm of the United Nations, has named this a pandemic and people who live in fear hear the declaration and will do whatever the government tells them to do. The sad fact is that many will not take the time to see what is really going on in the world.
I call it the “Just give me my MTV generation.” What I mean is that people just want to have fun. We, as a society, have become so distracted by amusement with fast moving technology and free flowing cash. The pursuit of happiness has become the driving force in much of America. The merchandisers have tapped into this, providing more things to distract and keep people so busy that they pay no attention to what is going on around them. Even the drug companies have created pills to keep people happy. Meanwhile those who are profiting from this endeavor are doing more and more to create a mind-numbed citizenry that falls into more bondage everyday, while being totally unaware of it.
It’s the frog in the pot story. Frogs like the water. Put him in a pan of water, on the stove and turn the flame on low. The frog is a happy camper in this water. It gets a bit warmer and he’s even happier. But as the water gets hotter, and the flame is turned up, the frog doesn’t realize that he is going to be cooked to death! By the time he realizes he’s in trouble it’s too late to get out. I believe the same thing is going to happen with the majority of America.
I was a frog in the pot once. I began to hear another Voice telling me to wake up and look around me. I needed to see where I was at, who was turning up the heat, and how they were doing it. Those who are turning up the heat, and know what they’re doing, are all being influenced by one particular force in the world. There is a supreme liar who is the father of all liars. We are being lied to and have been for a long time. Most of the world is in the pan. They’re beckoning others to “Come on in, the water is fine.” But it’s a lie they’ve believed and they’re unwittingly propagating the lie. The Bible says that these are deceived and they are being used to deceive.
Because mankind refuses to recognize his death sentence he is destined to die. Because mankind refuses to acknowledge why he is under a death sentence he is destined to die. The liar has said from the beginning, “You shall not surely die!” Since then men who have believed this lie parrot the lie. In essence they’re saying, “Come on in, the water is fine.” But those who stay in the pot will die!
The lie begins with questioning the Word of God. The question is “Did God really say…?” And its power lies in the lying proclamation, “You shall surely not die.” The lying concept is that you will not die for rebellion and disobedience to the Commandments of the Creator. But the Commandments of God are in direct opposition to the carnal nature of mankind who are enjoying their quest for 24/7 happiness.
This quest for24/7 happiness is fueled by a power hungry group of people who propagate the lie. They themselves are deceived into believing they are an elite group that won’t suffer the wrath of God that will come upon the sons of disobedience – the sons of the liar, the serpent of old. These men are liars, just as their father is the supreme liar. They will be judged for this if they don’t repent. And those who believe their lies will likewise be judged for their lives of rebellion as well.
So today most of America and in fact the world is in fear of losing the happiness that they are deceived into believing they have. They are so distracted by gadgets and entertainment that they don’t feel the water getting hotter. When they start feeling depressed or anything that they deem “negative” comes into their life they begin to look for more distraction. They want to shut up the negative voices and they do it by looking for more distraction which is readily supplied by men who are profiting from it. The result is a mind-numbed, dumbed downed citizenry that is unwittingly complicit in their own demise.
Our drugged society that receives its fix from pharmaceuticals, rock and roll, movies, Ipods, video games, sex, illegal drugs, and alcohol is a direct result of rejecting the Commandments of God – the Truth of God. The Bible says that the LORD sends strong delusion to those who have not received a love for the Truth that they might believe the lie. Because people don’t love the Truth, which is the Word of God, the lie is easily believed.
When the professing church abandons the Truth society falls in lock step. The church is not reflecting the Light in the darkness. She ends up being those who say, “Come on in, the water is fine.”
This lie is from the beginning, as the church is from the beginning. The liar has always asked, “Did God really say we are to obey HIS Commandments of Torah?” And he has always followed it up with, “You shall not surely die” for disregarding HIS Torah. Yet the professing church has done just that. They have replaced the Truth with the lie.
Rejecting Torah it has become the doctrines of men. The Feasts of the LORD are now replaced by pagan holidays and the church in their arrogance says they’ve “redeemed” them for God. God has never redeemed paganism. HE condemned it and said that those who practice it will not inherit HIS kingdom. HIS Sabbath is replaced by observance of the day of the sun god, Mithra, and yet the church says, “Did God really say we have to observe HIS Sabbath? HE did away with it and we can choose any day we want for Sabbath. You will not surely die for disregarding HIS commanded Sabbath observance!”
Meanwhile the world believes the lie and they don’t see any Truth coming from the professing church. All they see is another part of the lie. The church is practicing the same thing as the world. The world goes after Christmas because it is not of God. The church believes the lie that she can use Christmas to reach people for God. It hasn’t worked because it is not of God. And then the professing church gets mad because the world is taking Christ out of Christmas. The truth is that the world is waking up to the truth that Christ has nothing to do with Christmas while the professing church hangs on to the lie with all she’s worth! She keeps calling out to those who she sees as on the outside saying, “Come on in, the water is fine!” She doesn’t realize that they are all in the same pan together!
There are those in the pan who are born again, and there are those who aren’t. I confess I don’t know how to separate them one from another. I can look at what their practices are and identify them as of being in keeping with Torah or not, but I don’t know which ones are really seeking the Truth and which ones are comfortably and irrevocably in the lie. Those who are truly seeking the Truth will begin to realize they need to get out of the pan. Those who aren’t seeking the Truth will tell anyone who speaks the Truth, “I don’t want to hear your negativity. You’re keeping people from the kingdom because of your divisiveness.” Since when is proclaiming the Truth of the Word divisive? But, in fact it is divisive, just as Yeshua (Jesus) said. HE said, “I did not come to bring peace, but to bring a sword.” This sword is HIS Word that divides even parents from children. It divides those who want to hear the Truth from those who are comfortable in remaining in the lie.
What I - and many more even you if you love the Truth - am called to do is proclaim the Truth. I pray that there are those who will hear the Truth and begin to come out. When you hear the Truth it means you must take action. You remain in the lie when you see and hear the Truth yet stay in the pan. You must realize that you are still believing the lie that says, “Surely you will not die!”
In Revelation Yeshua said, “Come out of her (Babylon) MY people.” His wrath is coming upon Babylon and those who follow after her lies. The professing church has set up residence and staked her claim for existence in Babylon! What she practices is Babylonian and the LORD she claims to follow is saying, “Come out of her!”
Our Creator is speaking the same thing HE has said from the beginning. Please shut out the voices of men, remove the distractions so that you might hear HIS Voice, and heed HIS exhortation before you can’t get out of the pan.
http://torahperspective.com/2009/11/water-aint-so-fine-after-all.html
11/21/2009
Beware of Ilan Pappe
David Pryce-Jones
RAUS MIT UNS
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
By Ilan Pappe (Oneworld Publications 313pp £16.99)
Ilan Pappe is an Israeli academic who has made his name by hating Israel and everything it stands for. In his view, expressed with obsession and a degree of paranoia, Jewish nationalism, that is to say Zionism, has been from its outset a deliberate tool for dispossessing the Palestinians; and therefore it is to be condemned root and branch. He reserves the Palestinian term of Nakba, meaning catastrophe, for describing what to Israelis is their war of independence of 1948. To him, Israeli politicians and soldiers, one and all, are so many murderers. Forests have been planted only to cover up the past. Houses are ‘monstrous villas and palaces for rich American Jews’. Everything Israeli is ugly, everything Palestinian is beautiful. One day, he supposes, the Israelis may well consummate their original crime with something even worse. The only possible alternative lies in the immediate return of every Palestinian to his original home, and that will mean the end of the state whose existence so offends Pappe. This, of course, is exactly the inflexible position taken by Hamas and the PLO.
The reader’s initial reaction must be one of pity. Poor man! What a strain it must be to belong to a nation whose members are so overwhelmingly unbearable that he longs for them to be overpowered by others. Yet there is more to it than that. Sad and creepy though it is, Pappe’s anger is open to rational analysis.
The doctrinal element pushing Pappe into anti-Zionism is his prominent involvement in the Israeli Communist Party, known as Hadash. An outcrop of pure Stalinism and always a marginal movement, Communism in Israel rejected Zionism in favour of internationalism, according to which Jews and Arabs were to form a state together. Events, indeed the whole thrust of history, have proven this to be a complete illusion, but Pappe remains one of a minute handful still in its grip.
The further emotional element pushing Pappe towards his hatred of Zionism is best elucidated by J L Talmon in his profound book, The Myth of the Nation and the Vision of Revolution. Among the ‘horribly charged and tormenting questions’ Talmon asks is why so many Jews have adopted identities that seemingly allow them to deny their Jewishness. Uncountable numbers of Jews have followed the example of the Karl Marxes, Trotskys and Rosa Luxemburgs who sought identities as Communists and revolutionaries in the hope that this would allow them to merge with those who otherwise would be their persecutors. Some Communists – like Lazar Kaganovich, and many in the KGB as well as leaders in the Soviet satellites – set about the deliberate destruction of the Jewish religion and culture. Talmon speaks openly of the neurosis and ‘morbid masochism’ motivating such unhappy people.
In Nazi Germany a few Jews tried to camouflage themselves in a similar manner. Felix Jacoby opened his Kiel University lectures in 1933 by comparing Hitler to the Emperor Augustus. Dr Hans-Joachim Schoeps and Max Naumann even formed a movement of Jews for Hitler. With gallows humour, other Jews replied that this movement’s slogan was Raus mit Uns, or Out with Us. In Israel today, Neturei Karta, a sect of ultra-Orthodox Jews, believes that the Messiah alone should bring about a Jewish state, and that Israel is therefore an impiety fit for destruction. In New York they have a branch called Jews Against Zionism, and recently they welcomed President Ahmedinejad in person there, supporting his call for genocide in Israel. Pappe is the secular and political version of these sectarians. As often happens, extremists have come from opposing poles only to reach the same conclusion.
Zionism, in Pappe’s conventional Marxist view, had nothing to do with the need for Jews to survive persecution by Europeans or Arabs, but was only a settler and colonialist movement cynically directed by British imperialists and their greedy Jewish collaborators. He characterises David Ben-Gurion, the driving personality in the latter stages of the foundation of the state of Israel, as someone who always intended to expel Palestinians from the land. To bring this about, he assembled a body which Pappe refers to as the Consultancy, but the details of who these people were, and what they really did, he fails to give us, instead preferring to conjure an aura of sinister conspiracy. The Israelis were always the stronger party and knew that they would win out at the end of the British Mandate in 1948, Pappe says. In contrast, the Palestinians were defenceless and hardly violent at all, designated victims whose villages were mercilessly overrun and many of the inhabitants butchered.
A huge literature exists in British, Arab and Israeli archives to reveal the multiple reasons for the flight of the Palestinians at the time, ranging from a belief that invading Arab armies were about to rescue them, and they should move out of harm’s way, to a cultural reflex that they could not accept Jews in positions of authority, an escapism on the part of some leaders and delusions of power on the part of others, and of course fear. Savage things were certainly perpetrated by both sides – à la guerre comme à la guerre – but Pappe will have none of that, completely ignoring the context in all its complexity and local variation. His technique is to list towns and villages as though their capture involved always and only simple brutality and expulsion. No mention of the Jewish need to survive in an existential struggle in the aftermath of the Holocaust; no mention of the 6,000 Jews killed, which was 1 per cent of the population; no mention of Azzam Pasha of the Arab League promising a massacre of Jews on the scale of the Mongols; no mention of Arab radio propaganda and disinformation; no proper account of Arab military successes, brushing over Arab atrocities and the destruction of Jewish settlements; no mention of the countervailing expulsion and expropriation of a million Jews in Arab countries.
As history, the book is worthless. In interviews Pappe regularly explains: ‘We do [historiography] because of ideological reasons, not because we are truth seekers.’ For him, as a Marxist and anti-nationalist, ‘there is no such thing as truth, only a collection of narratives’. To substantiate his particular ideological narrative, Pappe puts the worst possible interpretation on any Jewish deed or word, while validating anything said or done by Palestinians. For evidence of Israeli monstrosity, he relies on quotations from his own previous works or from Palestinian polemicists, and above all on the oral testimonies of Palestinian refugees. Over half a century of military and ideological conflict has passed since their exodus, but Pappe declares his faith that whatever they now say is true. This might all seem too pathological to matter much, but Arab and Muslim extremists are making huge efforts to contest the legitimacy of Israel, and many of their allies on the international Left will lean on Pappe for purposes of ‘pilgering’ and ‘fisking’.
The final element contributing to Pappe’s mindset lies in the sphere of psychology and fashion. Contemporary intellectuals have long been accustomed to glorying in an adversarial stance towards their own society, preening themselves as men of nobler spirits than the dull indifferent masses around them, and isolated not because they are foolish but because they are brave. It is a form of snobbery – moral snobbery – which is why intellectuals of this kind are so widely resented.
There is a fatal contradiction at the heart of Pappe’s advocacy of the immediate return of all Palestinian refugees as the necessary condition of peace. If Israelis are really as vicious as Pappe presents them, then Palestinians could not possibly want to live among them. Are Palestinians to return only to wipe out Israelis or to be wiped out themselves? Poor Palestinians, poor Israelis, to be mobilised for such fates. And should Hamas, the PLO or President Ahmadinejad make good on threats to eliminate Israel, there will not be time to rescue Pappe from the consequences of his moral snobbery and his Marxism, or to discover whether he really applauds his own Raus mit Uns demise.
http://www.literaryreview.co.uk/pryce-jones_11_06.html
RAUS MIT UNS
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
By Ilan Pappe (Oneworld Publications 313pp £16.99)
Ilan Pappe is an Israeli academic who has made his name by hating Israel and everything it stands for. In his view, expressed with obsession and a degree of paranoia, Jewish nationalism, that is to say Zionism, has been from its outset a deliberate tool for dispossessing the Palestinians; and therefore it is to be condemned root and branch. He reserves the Palestinian term of Nakba, meaning catastrophe, for describing what to Israelis is their war of independence of 1948. To him, Israeli politicians and soldiers, one and all, are so many murderers. Forests have been planted only to cover up the past. Houses are ‘monstrous villas and palaces for rich American Jews’. Everything Israeli is ugly, everything Palestinian is beautiful. One day, he supposes, the Israelis may well consummate their original crime with something even worse. The only possible alternative lies in the immediate return of every Palestinian to his original home, and that will mean the end of the state whose existence so offends Pappe. This, of course, is exactly the inflexible position taken by Hamas and the PLO.
The reader’s initial reaction must be one of pity. Poor man! What a strain it must be to belong to a nation whose members are so overwhelmingly unbearable that he longs for them to be overpowered by others. Yet there is more to it than that. Sad and creepy though it is, Pappe’s anger is open to rational analysis.
The doctrinal element pushing Pappe into anti-Zionism is his prominent involvement in the Israeli Communist Party, known as Hadash. An outcrop of pure Stalinism and always a marginal movement, Communism in Israel rejected Zionism in favour of internationalism, according to which Jews and Arabs were to form a state together. Events, indeed the whole thrust of history, have proven this to be a complete illusion, but Pappe remains one of a minute handful still in its grip.
The further emotional element pushing Pappe towards his hatred of Zionism is best elucidated by J L Talmon in his profound book, The Myth of the Nation and the Vision of Revolution. Among the ‘horribly charged and tormenting questions’ Talmon asks is why so many Jews have adopted identities that seemingly allow them to deny their Jewishness. Uncountable numbers of Jews have followed the example of the Karl Marxes, Trotskys and Rosa Luxemburgs who sought identities as Communists and revolutionaries in the hope that this would allow them to merge with those who otherwise would be their persecutors. Some Communists – like Lazar Kaganovich, and many in the KGB as well as leaders in the Soviet satellites – set about the deliberate destruction of the Jewish religion and culture. Talmon speaks openly of the neurosis and ‘morbid masochism’ motivating such unhappy people.
In Nazi Germany a few Jews tried to camouflage themselves in a similar manner. Felix Jacoby opened his Kiel University lectures in 1933 by comparing Hitler to the Emperor Augustus. Dr Hans-Joachim Schoeps and Max Naumann even formed a movement of Jews for Hitler. With gallows humour, other Jews replied that this movement’s slogan was Raus mit Uns, or Out with Us. In Israel today, Neturei Karta, a sect of ultra-Orthodox Jews, believes that the Messiah alone should bring about a Jewish state, and that Israel is therefore an impiety fit for destruction. In New York they have a branch called Jews Against Zionism, and recently they welcomed President Ahmedinejad in person there, supporting his call for genocide in Israel. Pappe is the secular and political version of these sectarians. As often happens, extremists have come from opposing poles only to reach the same conclusion.
Zionism, in Pappe’s conventional Marxist view, had nothing to do with the need for Jews to survive persecution by Europeans or Arabs, but was only a settler and colonialist movement cynically directed by British imperialists and their greedy Jewish collaborators. He characterises David Ben-Gurion, the driving personality in the latter stages of the foundation of the state of Israel, as someone who always intended to expel Palestinians from the land. To bring this about, he assembled a body which Pappe refers to as the Consultancy, but the details of who these people were, and what they really did, he fails to give us, instead preferring to conjure an aura of sinister conspiracy. The Israelis were always the stronger party and knew that they would win out at the end of the British Mandate in 1948, Pappe says. In contrast, the Palestinians were defenceless and hardly violent at all, designated victims whose villages were mercilessly overrun and many of the inhabitants butchered.
A huge literature exists in British, Arab and Israeli archives to reveal the multiple reasons for the flight of the Palestinians at the time, ranging from a belief that invading Arab armies were about to rescue them, and they should move out of harm’s way, to a cultural reflex that they could not accept Jews in positions of authority, an escapism on the part of some leaders and delusions of power on the part of others, and of course fear. Savage things were certainly perpetrated by both sides – à la guerre comme à la guerre – but Pappe will have none of that, completely ignoring the context in all its complexity and local variation. His technique is to list towns and villages as though their capture involved always and only simple brutality and expulsion. No mention of the Jewish need to survive in an existential struggle in the aftermath of the Holocaust; no mention of the 6,000 Jews killed, which was 1 per cent of the population; no mention of Azzam Pasha of the Arab League promising a massacre of Jews on the scale of the Mongols; no mention of Arab radio propaganda and disinformation; no proper account of Arab military successes, brushing over Arab atrocities and the destruction of Jewish settlements; no mention of the countervailing expulsion and expropriation of a million Jews in Arab countries.
As history, the book is worthless. In interviews Pappe regularly explains: ‘We do [historiography] because of ideological reasons, not because we are truth seekers.’ For him, as a Marxist and anti-nationalist, ‘there is no such thing as truth, only a collection of narratives’. To substantiate his particular ideological narrative, Pappe puts the worst possible interpretation on any Jewish deed or word, while validating anything said or done by Palestinians. For evidence of Israeli monstrosity, he relies on quotations from his own previous works or from Palestinian polemicists, and above all on the oral testimonies of Palestinian refugees. Over half a century of military and ideological conflict has passed since their exodus, but Pappe declares his faith that whatever they now say is true. This might all seem too pathological to matter much, but Arab and Muslim extremists are making huge efforts to contest the legitimacy of Israel, and many of their allies on the international Left will lean on Pappe for purposes of ‘pilgering’ and ‘fisking’.
The final element contributing to Pappe’s mindset lies in the sphere of psychology and fashion. Contemporary intellectuals have long been accustomed to glorying in an adversarial stance towards their own society, preening themselves as men of nobler spirits than the dull indifferent masses around them, and isolated not because they are foolish but because they are brave. It is a form of snobbery – moral snobbery – which is why intellectuals of this kind are so widely resented.
There is a fatal contradiction at the heart of Pappe’s advocacy of the immediate return of all Palestinian refugees as the necessary condition of peace. If Israelis are really as vicious as Pappe presents them, then Palestinians could not possibly want to live among them. Are Palestinians to return only to wipe out Israelis or to be wiped out themselves? Poor Palestinians, poor Israelis, to be mobilised for such fates. And should Hamas, the PLO or President Ahmadinejad make good on threats to eliminate Israel, there will not be time to rescue Pappe from the consequences of his moral snobbery and his Marxism, or to discover whether he really applauds his own Raus mit Uns demise.
http://www.literaryreview.co.uk/pryce-jones_11_06.html
11/10/2009
Divine Intervention
Divine intervention
By Sitiveni Rabuka (Sunday, October 26, 2008)
Miracles on the battlefield ... Israeli soldiers talked of divine intervention in their six-day war
Ni sa bula. On 14 May (!) 1948, against all odds, having been dispersed all over the world for two millennium, Israel was re-birthed as a nation fulfilling prophecies in the Old Testament Books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah.
This re-birth astounded the world. Never before had an entire race of people, widely scattered around the world, without a homeland, re-establish itself as a nation and in one single day, as well! Israel is the only nation with this unique, historical experience.
Historians and theologians before this event were generally of the view that God's Word in the Old Testament on gathering and restoring His people as a nation back on the land He promised them, were not to be literally taken, because it simply was just not possible. When a race of people is scattered among nations, they usually are assimilated into other cultures and communities, which renders their coming together as a nation virtually impossible.
This view was demolished when Israel was re-born as a nation in 1948 and generated great interest in Biblical prophecy as realisation grew that God means exactly what He says! Jeremiah 31:10, the prophet says" Hear the word of the Lord, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over His flock like a shepherd."
No sooner had Israel proclaimed its independence on Friday 14 May 1948, five Arab nations, Egypt, Syria, Trans-Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq launched an attack against the newly re-born and tiny nation, on the same day! They were out to destroy the new state, and reclaim the land for the setting up of another Arab state. The Arab states far outnumbered and out-gunned the Jews. They had troops, artillery and other military hardware that the Jews did not have. Azzam Pasha, Secretary General of the Arab League at the time, confidently declared; "This will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades."
Given the clear superiority of the Arab states in heavy arms, fire power and troops, an Arab victory was expected and boldly predicted. Very few felt that Israel would survive the onslaught.
But Israel bravely fought back, and won what they called their war of independance and liberation against Arab aggression. They gained more territory, and when the war was over the Arabs were left with less territory and more wounded. Had the Secretary General, Azzam Pasha known Jeremiah 31:10 in which God promises to watch over His people, having returned them to the promised land, like a shepherd over his flock, one wonders whether he would have still been so confident of Israel's destruction.
The Israeli-Arab conflict, however, did not end. Israel went on to survive, the 1956 Suez Canal crisis; the 1967 six day war; and the 1973 Yom Kippur war. In every war and conflict, reports of supernatural and angelic interventions on Israel's behalf came from both the Israelis and the Arabs. The prophet Zechariah had foretold that in the end times, God will defend Israel and send His angels to fight for and with His people. Zechariah 12:8 "In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the House of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them."
A story is told of a small Jewish community, Pekiin under siege by Arabs who were determined to wipe them out. However, they encountered huge strange beings with flaming swords, and they ran away in great fear, as the astonished village rabbi watched them.
During the 1967 six day war, Gershon Saloman lay badly wounded and saw Syrian soldiers moving into their area shooting wounded Israeli soldiers. They were about to shoot him, when all of a sudden they fled the area leaving their weapons behind. The Syrian soldiers later reported to UN officers that they saw "thousands of angels" surrounding the wounded soldier and that was why they ran away.
An Israeli military historian recorded that during the 1973 Yom Kippur war, an Israeli soldier in the Sinai took captive an Egyptian column and led them to where the Israeli troops were. The Egyptian commander was asked why he and his men gave themselves up to the lone Israeli soldier. He responded with surprise; "One soldier? There were thousands of them." He said that as they neared the Israeli lines, the "soldiers" began disappearing. The Israeli soldier reported that he was by himself when the Egyptian commander and his men surrendered to him. He was totally unaware of the "thousands of soldiers" the Egyptian soldiers saw with him, since he himself did not see them. Psalm 91:10-11 promises that "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling, For He shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways."
Bill McKay, a film producer who investigated miracles surrounding Israel's existence and has produced a documentary called In search of a miracle- Against all Odds, said that military experts are puzzled as to how the Israelis won wars they should have lost. Israel's victories just do not make any sense to them.
The documentary shows an eye witness account; Commander David Yinni, during the 1973 Yom Kippur war, preparing to retreat from the Syrian army, when he realised that he and his men were trapped in the middle of a minefield. He ordered his men to clear the mines using their bayonets, crawl on the ground and dig 30 inches deep, carefully disengaging the mines. The slightest mistake and they were in peril of being blown up. One of his men prayed. Suddenly, a windstorm came upon them. It was so strong that it lifted up their tanks and rocked them. By the time the storm moved on, it had literally blown 30 inches of topsoil off. The Israeli soldiers could see every single mine and quickly made their escape.
God's protection over Israel is also for nations and people who believe in Him and worship Him as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Fiji was brought out of a dark history of cannibalism, tribal wars and ancestor worship, thanks to the early pioneering missionaries who brought the Bible and the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ into the lives of our forefathers.
We thank God our Father, for the Light of Christ in this land, and if we remain faithful God will do the "impossible" in our personal lives and in this nation. The nation of Israel is living testimony of the God of the impossible. He did it for Israel, so will He also move on behalf of those who believe, obey and love Him, in this nation.
When I look back at the dates I write about in this article, I can admit that for me 14 May was the only convenient day for my plan in 1987. That the day coincided with Israel's Independence Day, and the first arrival of Indian workers into Fiji - I have often wondered - whether it really was a coincidence and not divine design.
I made the Declaration of our Republic at midnight on 6 October 1987 to coincide with the date of the Yom Kippur War and for Fiji to start its new journey on October 7, '7' being the number serious students of theology and God associate with our Creator.
But, we still celebrate the day the chiefs surrendered their sovereignty in 1874 and the date we partly got it back in 1970, as our national day. Most people do not know the date we became a Republic!
But, stay encouraged - the Lord thy God is near thee. Shalu Shlom Yerushalayim! Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! And pray for the peace of our beloved nation! Have a great and blessed week.
Copyright © 2009, Fiji Times Limited. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=104343
By Sitiveni Rabuka (Sunday, October 26, 2008)
Miracles on the battlefield ... Israeli soldiers talked of divine intervention in their six-day war
Ni sa bula. On 14 May (!) 1948, against all odds, having been dispersed all over the world for two millennium, Israel was re-birthed as a nation fulfilling prophecies in the Old Testament Books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah.
This re-birth astounded the world. Never before had an entire race of people, widely scattered around the world, without a homeland, re-establish itself as a nation and in one single day, as well! Israel is the only nation with this unique, historical experience.
Historians and theologians before this event were generally of the view that God's Word in the Old Testament on gathering and restoring His people as a nation back on the land He promised them, were not to be literally taken, because it simply was just not possible. When a race of people is scattered among nations, they usually are assimilated into other cultures and communities, which renders their coming together as a nation virtually impossible.
This view was demolished when Israel was re-born as a nation in 1948 and generated great interest in Biblical prophecy as realisation grew that God means exactly what He says! Jeremiah 31:10, the prophet says" Hear the word of the Lord, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over His flock like a shepherd."
No sooner had Israel proclaimed its independence on Friday 14 May 1948, five Arab nations, Egypt, Syria, Trans-Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq launched an attack against the newly re-born and tiny nation, on the same day! They were out to destroy the new state, and reclaim the land for the setting up of another Arab state. The Arab states far outnumbered and out-gunned the Jews. They had troops, artillery and other military hardware that the Jews did not have. Azzam Pasha, Secretary General of the Arab League at the time, confidently declared; "This will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades."
Given the clear superiority of the Arab states in heavy arms, fire power and troops, an Arab victory was expected and boldly predicted. Very few felt that Israel would survive the onslaught.
But Israel bravely fought back, and won what they called their war of independance and liberation against Arab aggression. They gained more territory, and when the war was over the Arabs were left with less territory and more wounded. Had the Secretary General, Azzam Pasha known Jeremiah 31:10 in which God promises to watch over His people, having returned them to the promised land, like a shepherd over his flock, one wonders whether he would have still been so confident of Israel's destruction.
The Israeli-Arab conflict, however, did not end. Israel went on to survive, the 1956 Suez Canal crisis; the 1967 six day war; and the 1973 Yom Kippur war. In every war and conflict, reports of supernatural and angelic interventions on Israel's behalf came from both the Israelis and the Arabs. The prophet Zechariah had foretold that in the end times, God will defend Israel and send His angels to fight for and with His people. Zechariah 12:8 "In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the House of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them."
A story is told of a small Jewish community, Pekiin under siege by Arabs who were determined to wipe them out. However, they encountered huge strange beings with flaming swords, and they ran away in great fear, as the astonished village rabbi watched them.
During the 1967 six day war, Gershon Saloman lay badly wounded and saw Syrian soldiers moving into their area shooting wounded Israeli soldiers. They were about to shoot him, when all of a sudden they fled the area leaving their weapons behind. The Syrian soldiers later reported to UN officers that they saw "thousands of angels" surrounding the wounded soldier and that was why they ran away.
An Israeli military historian recorded that during the 1973 Yom Kippur war, an Israeli soldier in the Sinai took captive an Egyptian column and led them to where the Israeli troops were. The Egyptian commander was asked why he and his men gave themselves up to the lone Israeli soldier. He responded with surprise; "One soldier? There were thousands of them." He said that as they neared the Israeli lines, the "soldiers" began disappearing. The Israeli soldier reported that he was by himself when the Egyptian commander and his men surrendered to him. He was totally unaware of the "thousands of soldiers" the Egyptian soldiers saw with him, since he himself did not see them. Psalm 91:10-11 promises that "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling, For He shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways."
Bill McKay, a film producer who investigated miracles surrounding Israel's existence and has produced a documentary called In search of a miracle- Against all Odds, said that military experts are puzzled as to how the Israelis won wars they should have lost. Israel's victories just do not make any sense to them.
The documentary shows an eye witness account; Commander David Yinni, during the 1973 Yom Kippur war, preparing to retreat from the Syrian army, when he realised that he and his men were trapped in the middle of a minefield. He ordered his men to clear the mines using their bayonets, crawl on the ground and dig 30 inches deep, carefully disengaging the mines. The slightest mistake and they were in peril of being blown up. One of his men prayed. Suddenly, a windstorm came upon them. It was so strong that it lifted up their tanks and rocked them. By the time the storm moved on, it had literally blown 30 inches of topsoil off. The Israeli soldiers could see every single mine and quickly made their escape.
God's protection over Israel is also for nations and people who believe in Him and worship Him as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Fiji was brought out of a dark history of cannibalism, tribal wars and ancestor worship, thanks to the early pioneering missionaries who brought the Bible and the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ into the lives of our forefathers.
We thank God our Father, for the Light of Christ in this land, and if we remain faithful God will do the "impossible" in our personal lives and in this nation. The nation of Israel is living testimony of the God of the impossible. He did it for Israel, so will He also move on behalf of those who believe, obey and love Him, in this nation.
When I look back at the dates I write about in this article, I can admit that for me 14 May was the only convenient day for my plan in 1987. That the day coincided with Israel's Independence Day, and the first arrival of Indian workers into Fiji - I have often wondered - whether it really was a coincidence and not divine design.
I made the Declaration of our Republic at midnight on 6 October 1987 to coincide with the date of the Yom Kippur War and for Fiji to start its new journey on October 7, '7' being the number serious students of theology and God associate with our Creator.
But, we still celebrate the day the chiefs surrendered their sovereignty in 1874 and the date we partly got it back in 1970, as our national day. Most people do not know the date we became a Republic!
But, stay encouraged - the Lord thy God is near thee. Shalu Shlom Yerushalayim! Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! And pray for the peace of our beloved nation! Have a great and blessed week.
Copyright © 2009, Fiji Times Limited. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=104343
9/22/2009
My Poor Neglected Blog
It has been a “facebook summer” filled with enjoyable, not always wasted hours (although plenty of time wasting as well). What is so fascinating about facebook that drives us to check “the Wall” ten times a day for updates about what somebody is having for lunch or other mundane news? Well, for one thing, one can learn new vocabulary, such as chrysocarpophagist, or find out that ferrets can swim like otters, or other fascinating factoids. Facebook has unlimited potential to connect family, friends, and like-minded people, and mingle those who would otherwise never meet. It becomes a community, fulfilling a social need to connect.
Meanwhile, though, the blogosphere is falling by the wayside. People are neglecting to update their blogs, myself included. Facebook has become my one-liner journal rather than taking the sweet time to write out my thoughts here or post an important article. I miss blogging, and I miss the blogs of others who no longer share their deeper or amusing thoughts.
There are things I don’t like about facebook.....it is glitchy, shallow, a time waster, full of dumb quizzes and goofy applications, contributes to mind clutter, annoys with cryptic drama, etc. It is addictive, though. Got to get another fix at least ten times a day. Something is wrong with this habit. I think I need to fast from facebook for a period of time...maybe at least on Sabbath to break the bondage.
Well, enough for now, dear Ponderings blog. I am accustomed to short sound bites now. Got to check the Wall for the latest updates, lest I miss something of earth-shattering importance, like how Suzie’s raspberry pie turned out.
Meanwhile, though, the blogosphere is falling by the wayside. People are neglecting to update their blogs, myself included. Facebook has become my one-liner journal rather than taking the sweet time to write out my thoughts here or post an important article. I miss blogging, and I miss the blogs of others who no longer share their deeper or amusing thoughts.
There are things I don’t like about facebook.....it is glitchy, shallow, a time waster, full of dumb quizzes and goofy applications, contributes to mind clutter, annoys with cryptic drama, etc. It is addictive, though. Got to get another fix at least ten times a day. Something is wrong with this habit. I think I need to fast from facebook for a period of time...maybe at least on Sabbath to break the bondage.
Well, enough for now, dear Ponderings blog. I am accustomed to short sound bites now. Got to check the Wall for the latest updates, lest I miss something of earth-shattering importance, like how Suzie’s raspberry pie turned out.
7/05/2009
Endorsing Palestinian Apartheid
Endorsing Palestinian Apartheid
Why does world accept notion of Palestinian state free of Jews?
Jonathan Dahoah-Halevi
YNET News
Aharon Barak, Israeli Supreme Court president, in a speech on June 25 before a meeting of the New Israel Fund touched an exposed nerve regarding the identity and existence of Israel as a Jewish state and a democracy. He burned his candle at both ends when he unequivocally expressed his support for a democratic Jewish state on the one hand and complete fealty to the idea of a country for all its citizens on the other.
His notions were amazing. If Israel is supposed to be a country for all its citizens, why discriminate against non-Jews and give Jews priority in immigration? If he were really faithful to the principle of equality, why did he find it necessary to insist that Israel was a Jewish state and not one determined democratically by “all its citizens?” In a situation of equality, why should the Law of Return not apply to Israel’s Arab population, since “the rights (of the Jews) must be equal those of the Arabs?”
The State of Israel is undergoing a serious identity crisis. The schism between Jews and Arabs grows worse and the Arabs regard themselves as Palestinians rather than Israelis. It also grows worse between those who are faithful to the Zionist idea of a democratic Jewish state and the post-Zionists who want to eradicate the Jewish nature of the state and establish one for all the citizens living within the borders of the State of Israel as it is today, or within the land of Israel-Palestine.
Both solutions are problematic. A democratic Jewish state can provide equality for all its citizens as long as it does not endanger its Jewish nature, and in effect it negates the right of groups which are not Jewish (or Jews who do not agree with its mindset) to change the face of the state in a democratic majority process.
On the other hand, the implication of a state for all its citizens includes within it destroying the unique Jewishness of the state, which was founded as a sanctuary for the Jewish people returning to its historical homeland, as well as including the demand to deny the right of the Jewish people and the Jews living in Israel to their own land.
There is an inherent imbalance in the proposed political arrangement. The Palestinians have won international recognition for their demand to establish a Palestinian state from which all Jews will be expelled. The basic law of the Palestinian Authority, which is the state in the making, expressly states that “Islam is the official religion of Palestine” and that “the principles of Islamic law (Sharia) are the primary source of lawmaking.”
Palestinians demand ‘just agreement’
The international community has permitted the Palestinians what it tries to keep from Israel, that is, the Palestinians are within their rights to establish a country based on the religion of the majority of its citizens, and a Christian minority, even if it should become the majority, will not be entitled to change the nature of the state but at most to be allowed freedom of worship.
Human rights champions in shining armor endlessly preach morality to Israel and demand a country for all its citizens while accepting the morality of establishing an apartheid, racist, Palestinian state which openly and proudly states its intention of being Judenrein.
The foundations of the peace process of the Oslo Accords of 1993 (rapprochement between the sides through interim agreements) crumbled during the al-Aqsa intifada and the united Palestinian front, from Fatah to Hamas, which unequivocally rejects a compromise with Israel and demands a “just arrangement,” based on demands for the right to return of millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendents to what is currently the State of Israel. Those ideas were mentioned again and again in speeches given by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal.
No one contests the right of the Palestinians to a national state even if it is based on racism and it is liable to be an extremist theocracy like Iran, a foretaste of which can be seen in the Gaza Strip since the Hamas takeover. Even the government of Israel headed by Benjamin Netanyahu recognizes that right and demands that the Palestinian state be demilitarized, among other things.
The Palestinian problem, it is assumed, will be solved when the Palestinian state comes into being. The arrangement, lacking in political symmetry based on a genuine compromise, will leave the gates of conflict wide open and the demand for the “return” of millions of Palestinians, which would mean the expulsion of Jews to make room for the refugees, would raise again the wish for self determination of the Jews of Israel.
International politics will no longer have to deal with the “Palestinian problem,” but rather, with the “Jewish problem” in Palestine.
Why does world accept notion of Palestinian state free of Jews?
Jonathan Dahoah-Halevi
YNET News
Aharon Barak, Israeli Supreme Court president, in a speech on June 25 before a meeting of the New Israel Fund touched an exposed nerve regarding the identity and existence of Israel as a Jewish state and a democracy. He burned his candle at both ends when he unequivocally expressed his support for a democratic Jewish state on the one hand and complete fealty to the idea of a country for all its citizens on the other.
His notions were amazing. If Israel is supposed to be a country for all its citizens, why discriminate against non-Jews and give Jews priority in immigration? If he were really faithful to the principle of equality, why did he find it necessary to insist that Israel was a Jewish state and not one determined democratically by “all its citizens?” In a situation of equality, why should the Law of Return not apply to Israel’s Arab population, since “the rights (of the Jews) must be equal those of the Arabs?”
The State of Israel is undergoing a serious identity crisis. The schism between Jews and Arabs grows worse and the Arabs regard themselves as Palestinians rather than Israelis. It also grows worse between those who are faithful to the Zionist idea of a democratic Jewish state and the post-Zionists who want to eradicate the Jewish nature of the state and establish one for all the citizens living within the borders of the State of Israel as it is today, or within the land of Israel-Palestine.
Both solutions are problematic. A democratic Jewish state can provide equality for all its citizens as long as it does not endanger its Jewish nature, and in effect it negates the right of groups which are not Jewish (or Jews who do not agree with its mindset) to change the face of the state in a democratic majority process.
On the other hand, the implication of a state for all its citizens includes within it destroying the unique Jewishness of the state, which was founded as a sanctuary for the Jewish people returning to its historical homeland, as well as including the demand to deny the right of the Jewish people and the Jews living in Israel to their own land.
There is an inherent imbalance in the proposed political arrangement. The Palestinians have won international recognition for their demand to establish a Palestinian state from which all Jews will be expelled. The basic law of the Palestinian Authority, which is the state in the making, expressly states that “Islam is the official religion of Palestine” and that “the principles of Islamic law (Sharia) are the primary source of lawmaking.”
Palestinians demand ‘just agreement’
The international community has permitted the Palestinians what it tries to keep from Israel, that is, the Palestinians are within their rights to establish a country based on the religion of the majority of its citizens, and a Christian minority, even if it should become the majority, will not be entitled to change the nature of the state but at most to be allowed freedom of worship.
Human rights champions in shining armor endlessly preach morality to Israel and demand a country for all its citizens while accepting the morality of establishing an apartheid, racist, Palestinian state which openly and proudly states its intention of being Judenrein.
The foundations of the peace process of the Oslo Accords of 1993 (rapprochement between the sides through interim agreements) crumbled during the al-Aqsa intifada and the united Palestinian front, from Fatah to Hamas, which unequivocally rejects a compromise with Israel and demands a “just arrangement,” based on demands for the right to return of millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendents to what is currently the State of Israel. Those ideas were mentioned again and again in speeches given by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal.
No one contests the right of the Palestinians to a national state even if it is based on racism and it is liable to be an extremist theocracy like Iran, a foretaste of which can be seen in the Gaza Strip since the Hamas takeover. Even the government of Israel headed by Benjamin Netanyahu recognizes that right and demands that the Palestinian state be demilitarized, among other things.
The Palestinian problem, it is assumed, will be solved when the Palestinian state comes into being. The arrangement, lacking in political symmetry based on a genuine compromise, will leave the gates of conflict wide open and the demand for the “return” of millions of Palestinians, which would mean the expulsion of Jews to make room for the refugees, would raise again the wish for self determination of the Jews of Israel.
International politics will no longer have to deal with the “Palestinian problem,” but rather, with the “Jewish problem” in Palestine.
6/28/2009
FFOZ Controversy
A LETTER FROM TIM HEGG...................
The time has come for me to make clear my relationship with First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ). In the past I have been closely associated with that ministry as an author, seminar speaker, and a regular contributor to and theological editor of "Messiah Magazine." I must now state openly that I am no longer associated with that ministry. Sadly, I must further state that I strongly disagree with recent changes they have made in important aspects of their teaching. These changes were confirmed to me this week in a face-to-face meeting I had with Boaz Michael, the Director and Founder of FFOZ.
These changes relate to 1) their teaching that Jews and Gentiles have a different relationship to the Torah, 2) their intention to lead messianic communities to define themselves within "normative Judaism," 3) their encouragement for messianics to appreciate and accept a Kabbalistic approach to spirituality, and thus 4) their willingness to employ a mystical hermeneutic as a valid means for interpreting the Scriptures.
While each of these shifts in the teaching of FFOZ touch vital aspects of our faith and community life, I believe that the most important issue is that of biblical authority, because the Bible forms the foundation upon which all other matters of faith and practice rest. I am therefore very concerned by the fact that in their recently published Commentary and Study Guide to Paul Levertoff's Love and the Messianic Age, they embrace a kabbalistic hermeneutic as a valid method for interpreting the Scriptures.
The purpose for publishing Levertoff's work and the accompanying Commentary is not merely to help us appreciate Chasidic thought, philosophy, and theology. It is much more than that. In the Foreword of the Commentary and Study Guide, the work is described not only as a commentary on Levertoff's writing but also that "it is a plunge into the deepest waters of New Testament mysticism and apostolic theosophy" (p. 9). This is a significant statement, because the only way a person could find such "mysticism and apostolic theosophy" in the Bible, akin to that which Levertoff extols, is to employ a kabbalistic hermeneutic. Such a hermeneutic very often undermines the clear meaning of the biblical text itself.
Being made aware of these doctrinal changes in the teaching of FFOZ may be discouraging for many. I know that it has been for me. It gives me no pleasure to disagree so openly with former colleagues I still hold in high regard. Yet we must strive for the truth and be encouraged in the eternal promises of God given to us in the unchanging, inspired words of Scripture. Even as the Apostles themselves battled against a growing Gnosticism that threatened to waylay the followers of Yeshua with "vain philosophy and empty deception" (Col 2:8), so we must be on our guard to bring all things under the scrutiny of the Scriptures.
I have written an 11 page paper focusing primarily upon the present crisis we are facing within the messianic movement regarding the issue of Biblical Authority. I hope you will take the time to read it and share it with others.
Are the Scriptures Alone our Sure Foundation
or Do We Need Something More?
A Growing Crisis in the Messianic Movement
--------------------------
Tim Hegg • June 2009
Perhaps, after reading the title of this essay, you’re asking yourself, “Is there really a crisis within the Messianic movement over the sufficiency of the Scriptures?” Yes, there is, and I hope to alert you to it in this essay. Remember that in the March Newsletter, I wrote about this issue because I was alarmed when I read how Mark Kinzer, a major voice in the UMJC, openly denies the sufficiency of Scripture as the means by which we may know God and obey His commandments.[1] He boldly affirms that in addition to the Scriptures, we must also rely upon the cumulative teachings of the Rabbis (the Oral Torah) as a necessary partner to the Scriptures. As the current President of the Messianic Jewish Theological Institute, Kinzer’s position on the insufficiency of the Bible will doubtlessly be urged upon the students who attend his Institute.
But there is something even more subtle that undermines the sufficiency of Scripture, and this relates to the method some are embracing for interpreting the Bible, or what we call hermeneutics. I have been concerned as I have watched recent doctrinal shifts within the teachings of FFOZ. Setting aside for now their new position on the relationship of Gentiles to the Torah, their recent republication of Paul Philip Levertoff’s Love and the Messianic Age and (even more) their Commentary and Study Guide on Levertoff's book, makes a clear statement about their willingness to embrace a kabbalistic hermeneutic as a valid method for interpreting Scripture. If you’re wondering why I think this signals a crisis, read on.
[1] This does not mean that Kinzer denies the trustworthiness of Scripture. It means that he aligns himself with a basic tenet of rabbinic Judaism, that the Written Torah by itself is incomplete because apart from the Oral Torah, it cannot be fully understood or implemented.
http://www.torahresource.com/Hermeneutic_Crisis.html
---------------
The time has come for me to make clear my relationship with First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ). In the past I have been closely associated with that ministry as an author, seminar speaker, and a regular contributor to and theological editor of "Messiah Magazine." I must now state openly that I am no longer associated with that ministry. Sadly, I must further state that I strongly disagree with recent changes they have made in important aspects of their teaching. These changes were confirmed to me this week in a face-to-face meeting I had with Boaz Michael, the Director and Founder of FFOZ.
These changes relate to 1) their teaching that Jews and Gentiles have a different relationship to the Torah, 2) their intention to lead messianic communities to define themselves within "normative Judaism," 3) their encouragement for messianics to appreciate and accept a Kabbalistic approach to spirituality, and thus 4) their willingness to employ a mystical hermeneutic as a valid means for interpreting the Scriptures.
While each of these shifts in the teaching of FFOZ touch vital aspects of our faith and community life, I believe that the most important issue is that of biblical authority, because the Bible forms the foundation upon which all other matters of faith and practice rest. I am therefore very concerned by the fact that in their recently published Commentary and Study Guide to Paul Levertoff's Love and the Messianic Age, they embrace a kabbalistic hermeneutic as a valid method for interpreting the Scriptures.
The purpose for publishing Levertoff's work and the accompanying Commentary is not merely to help us appreciate Chasidic thought, philosophy, and theology. It is much more than that. In the Foreword of the Commentary and Study Guide, the work is described not only as a commentary on Levertoff's writing but also that "it is a plunge into the deepest waters of New Testament mysticism and apostolic theosophy" (p. 9). This is a significant statement, because the only way a person could find such "mysticism and apostolic theosophy" in the Bible, akin to that which Levertoff extols, is to employ a kabbalistic hermeneutic. Such a hermeneutic very often undermines the clear meaning of the biblical text itself.
Being made aware of these doctrinal changes in the teaching of FFOZ may be discouraging for many. I know that it has been for me. It gives me no pleasure to disagree so openly with former colleagues I still hold in high regard. Yet we must strive for the truth and be encouraged in the eternal promises of God given to us in the unchanging, inspired words of Scripture. Even as the Apostles themselves battled against a growing Gnosticism that threatened to waylay the followers of Yeshua with "vain philosophy and empty deception" (Col 2:8), so we must be on our guard to bring all things under the scrutiny of the Scriptures.
I have written an 11 page paper focusing primarily upon the present crisis we are facing within the messianic movement regarding the issue of Biblical Authority. I hope you will take the time to read it and share it with others.
Are the Scriptures Alone our Sure Foundation
or Do We Need Something More?
A Growing Crisis in the Messianic Movement
--------------------------
Tim Hegg • June 2009
Perhaps, after reading the title of this essay, you’re asking yourself, “Is there really a crisis within the Messianic movement over the sufficiency of the Scriptures?” Yes, there is, and I hope to alert you to it in this essay. Remember that in the March Newsletter, I wrote about this issue because I was alarmed when I read how Mark Kinzer, a major voice in the UMJC, openly denies the sufficiency of Scripture as the means by which we may know God and obey His commandments.[1] He boldly affirms that in addition to the Scriptures, we must also rely upon the cumulative teachings of the Rabbis (the Oral Torah) as a necessary partner to the Scriptures. As the current President of the Messianic Jewish Theological Institute, Kinzer’s position on the insufficiency of the Bible will doubtlessly be urged upon the students who attend his Institute.
But there is something even more subtle that undermines the sufficiency of Scripture, and this relates to the method some are embracing for interpreting the Bible, or what we call hermeneutics. I have been concerned as I have watched recent doctrinal shifts within the teachings of FFOZ. Setting aside for now their new position on the relationship of Gentiles to the Torah, their recent republication of Paul Philip Levertoff’s Love and the Messianic Age and (even more) their Commentary and Study Guide on Levertoff's book, makes a clear statement about their willingness to embrace a kabbalistic hermeneutic as a valid method for interpreting Scripture. If you’re wondering why I think this signals a crisis, read on.
[1] This does not mean that Kinzer denies the trustworthiness of Scripture. It means that he aligns himself with a basic tenet of rabbinic Judaism, that the Written Torah by itself is incomplete because apart from the Oral Torah, it cannot be fully understood or implemented.
http://www.torahresource.com/Hermeneutic_Crisis.html
---------------
I urge my readers to carefully consider Tim's essay. I saw this coming almost three years ago.....and I am sorry that the pleas of many of us for FFOZ to reconsider its direction, its off-balance rabbinic enamorement, went unheeded. Many of us are looking for sound, Biblical teaching. We left the churches because of unbiblical, syncretistic doctrines and practices and had high hopes of discovering the restoration of the true, apostolic faith in the Messianic/Hebrew Roots movement. Overall, while I am glad for what I have gleaned, it has been a disappointment and has led to many defections from the faith. The rest of us are like scattered sheep in search of shepherds who will feed and care for us in our wilderness wanderings. Although I do not always agree with Tim (are there any two believers who agree these days?!?!), I very much appreciate his remarks in this essay, which closely reflect my own views in this matter. Comments welcome.
6/25/2009
Life Lessons From Job's Trials
Today's Bible Pathway devotional was especially insightful. Here is an excerpt:
Read Job 41 -- 42
Highlights In Today's Reading:
God elaborates on the power and strength of just one of His creations (chap. 41). In contrast, the powerlessness of man is evident to Job who repents (42:1-6). The Lord rebukes Job's friends for their errors. Read whose prayers God accepts (42:8-9). God rewards Job for his faithfulness through the entire ordeal! Check out his blessings (42:10-17).
Much has been revealed in Job concerning the suffering of the righteous, but there are still many unanswered questions. But, through Job, we learn it is not meant for us to know the answers to all of life's problems.
Through a series of two cycles of discussion with Job, over 80 questions, God gloriously revealed Himself and caused Job to realize his own unworthiness. Note Job's answer: Behold, I am vile (unworthy) . . . I will lay mine hand upon my mouth (40:4). I know that Thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from Thee. . . . I uttered (things) that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. . . . Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes (42:2-6). He still did not understand, but now he did not question what God did or permitted.
Those who know God best are most conscious of their imperfections and unworthiness. When the godly Isaiah saw himself in contrast to the Holy God, he fell upon his face, crying: I am a man of unclean lips (Is. 6:5). This was also true of Daniel by the River Hiddekel (Dan. 10:9) and of John on the Isle of Patmos (Rev. 1:17). The Apostle Paul testified: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing (Rom. 7:18).
Job recognized a far deeper revelation of God, understanding more of His ways than he had known before: I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee (Job 42:5).
Job finally realized he did not need to know why. There is a revelation of God and His Word that goes beyond just believing the Truth and doctrines of the Bible. Those who have faith in God, as Job did, do not search for answers to all life's problems but simply trust our loving Creator. All fears and frustrations will vanish as we truly trust in His loving care. No one, through human reasoning, is able to understand why the godly suffer.
Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Heb. 13:5).
Thought for Today:
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18).
http://biblepathway.org/
Read Job 41 -- 42
Highlights In Today's Reading:
God elaborates on the power and strength of just one of His creations (chap. 41). In contrast, the powerlessness of man is evident to Job who repents (42:1-6). The Lord rebukes Job's friends for their errors. Read whose prayers God accepts (42:8-9). God rewards Job for his faithfulness through the entire ordeal! Check out his blessings (42:10-17).
Much has been revealed in Job concerning the suffering of the righteous, but there are still many unanswered questions. But, through Job, we learn it is not meant for us to know the answers to all of life's problems.
Through a series of two cycles of discussion with Job, over 80 questions, God gloriously revealed Himself and caused Job to realize his own unworthiness. Note Job's answer: Behold, I am vile (unworthy) . . . I will lay mine hand upon my mouth (40:4). I know that Thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from Thee. . . . I uttered (things) that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. . . . Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes (42:2-6). He still did not understand, but now he did not question what God did or permitted.
Those who know God best are most conscious of their imperfections and unworthiness. When the godly Isaiah saw himself in contrast to the Holy God, he fell upon his face, crying: I am a man of unclean lips (Is. 6:5). This was also true of Daniel by the River Hiddekel (Dan. 10:9) and of John on the Isle of Patmos (Rev. 1:17). The Apostle Paul testified: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing (Rom. 7:18).
Job recognized a far deeper revelation of God, understanding more of His ways than he had known before: I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee (Job 42:5).
Job finally realized he did not need to know why. There is a revelation of God and His Word that goes beyond just believing the Truth and doctrines of the Bible. Those who have faith in God, as Job did, do not search for answers to all life's problems but simply trust our loving Creator. All fears and frustrations will vanish as we truly trust in His loving care. No one, through human reasoning, is able to understand why the godly suffer.
Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Heb. 13:5).
Thought for Today:
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18).
http://biblepathway.org/
6/15/2009
Netanyahu Speech
"Honoured guests, citizens of Israel.
Peace has always been our people's most ardent desire. Our prophets gave the world the vision of peace, we greet one another with wishes of peace, and our prayers conclude with the word peace.
We are gathered this evening in an institution named for two pioneers of peace, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, and we share in their vision.
Two and half months ago, I took the oath of office as the Prime Minister of Israel. I pledged to establish a national unity government – and I did. I believed and I still believe that unity was essential for us now more than ever as we face three immense challenges – the Iranian threat, the economic crisis, and the advancement of peace.
The Iranian threat looms large before us, as was further demonstrated yesterday. The greatest danger confronting Israel, the Middle East, the entire world and human race, is the nexus between radical Islam and nuclear weapons. I discussed this issue with President Obama during my recent visit to Washington, and I will raise it again in my meetings next week with European leaders. For years, I have been working tirelessly to forge an international alliance to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Confronting a global economic crisis, the government acted swiftly to stabilise Israel's economy. We passed a two-year budget in the government – and the Knesset will soon approve it.
And the third challenge, so exceedingly important, is the advancement of peace. I also spoke about this with President Obama, and I fully support the idea of a regional peace that he is leading.
I share the President's desire to bring about a new era of reconciliation in our region. To this end, I met with President Mubarak in Egypt, and King Abdullah in Jordan, to elicit the support of these leaders in expanding the circle of peace in our region.
I turn to all Arab leaders tonight and I say: "Let us meet. Let us speak of peace and let us make peace. I am ready to meet with you at any time. I am willing to go to Damascus, to Riyadh, to Beirut, to any place- including Jerusalem. I call on the Arab countries to co-operate with the Palestinians and with us to advance an economic peace. An economic peace is not a substitute for a political peace, but an important element to achieving it. Together, we can undertake projects to overcome the scarcities of our region, like water desalination or to maximise its advantages, like developing solar energy, or laying gas and petroleum lines, and transportation links between Asia, Africa and Europe.
The economic success of the Gulf States has impressed us all and it has impressed me. I call on the talented entrepreneurs of the Arab world to come and invest here and to assist the Palestinians – and us – in spurring the economy.
Together, we can develop industrial areas that will generate thousands of jobs and create tourist sites that will attract millions of visitors eager to walk in the footsteps of history – in Nazareth and in Bethlehem, around the walls of Jericho and the walls of Jerusalem, on the banks of the Sea of Galilee and the baptismal site of the Jordan. There is an enormous potential for archeological tourism, if we can only learn to co-operate and to develop it.
I turn to you, our Palestinian neighbours, led by the Palestinian Authority, and I say: Let's begin negotiations immediately without preconditions. Israel is obligated by its international commitments and expects all parties to keep their commitments.
We want to live with you in peace, as good neighbours. We want our children and your children to never again experience war: that parents, brothers and sisters will never again know the agony of losing loved ones in battle; that our children will be able to dream of a better future and realise that dream; and that together we will invest our energies in ploughshares and pruning hooks, not swords and spears.
I know the face of war. I have experienced battle. I lost close friends, I lost a brother. I have seen the pain of bereaved families. I do not want war. No one in Israel wants war.
If we join hands and work together for peace, there is no limit to the development and prosperity we can achieve for our two peoples – in the economy, agriculture, trade, tourism and education – most importantly, in providing our youth a better world in which to live, a life full of tranquillity, creativity, opportunity and hope.
If the advantages of peace are so evident, we must ask ourselves why peace remains so remote, even as our hand remains outstretched to peace? Why has this conflict continued for more than sixty years?
In order to bring an end to the conflict, we must give an honest and forthright answer to the question: What is the root of the conflict?
In his speech to the first Zionist Conference in Basel, the founder of the Zionist movement, Theodore Herzl, said about the Jewish national home "This idea is so big that we must speak of it only in the simplest terms." Today, I will speak about the immense challenge of peace in the simplest words possible.
Even as we look toward the horizon, we must be firmly connected to reality, to the truth. And the simple truth is that the root of the conflict was, and remains, the refusal to recognise the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own, in their historic homeland.
In 1947, when the United Nations proposed the partition plan of a Jewish state and an Arab state, the entire Arab world rejected the resolution. The Jewish community, by contrast, welcomed it by dancing and rejoicing. The Arabs rejected any Jewish state, in any borders.
Those who think that the continued enmity toward Israel is a product of our presence in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, is confusing cause and consequence.
The attacks against us began in the 1920s, escalated into a comprehensive attack in 1948 with the declaration of Israel's independence, continued with the fedayeen attacks in the 1950s, and climaxed in 1967, on the eve of the six-day war, in an attempt to tighten a noose around the neck of the State of Israel.
All this occurred during the fifty years before a single Israeli soldier ever set foot in Judea and Samaria. Fortunately, Egypt and Jordan left this circle of enmity. The signing of peace treaties have brought about an end to their claims against Israel, an end to the conflict. But to our regret, this is not the case with the Palestinians. The closer we get to an agreement with them, the further they retreat and raise demands that are inconsistent with a true desire to end the conflict.
Many good people have told us that withdrawal from territories is the key to peace with the Palestinians. Well, we withdrew. But the fact is that every withdrawal was met with massive waves of terror, by suicide bombers and thousands of missiles.
We tried to withdraw with an agreement and without an agreement. We tried a partial withdrawal and a full withdrawal. In 2000 and again last year, Israel proposed an almost total withdrawal in exchange for an end to the conflict, and twice our offers were rejected.
We evacuated every last inch of the Gaza strip, we uprooted tens of settlements and evicted thousands of Israelis from their homes, and in response, we received a hail of missiles on our cities, towns and children.
The claim that territorial withdrawals will bring peace with the Palestinians, or at least advance peace, has up till now not stood the test of reality.
In addition to this, Hamas in the south, like Hizbollah in the north, repeatedly proclaims their commitment to "liberate" the Israeli cities of Ashkelon, Beersheba, Acre and Haifa. Territorial withdrawals have not lessened the hatred, and to our regret, Palestinian moderates are not yet ready to say the simple words: Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, and it will stay that way.
Achieving peace will require courage and candour from both sides, and not only from the Israeli side. The Palestinian leadership must arise and say: "Enough of this conflict. We recognise the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own in this land, and we are prepared to live beside you in true peace." I am yearning for that moment, for when Palestinian leaders say those words to our people and to their people, then a path will be opened to resolving all the problems between our peoples, no matter how complex they may be.
Therefore, a fundamental prerequisite for ending the conflict is a public, binding and unequivocal Palestinian recognition of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. To vest this declaration with practical meaning, there must also be a clear understanding that the Palestinian refugee problem will be resolved outside Israel's borders. For it is clear that any demand for resettling Palestinian refugees within Israel undermines Israel's continued existence as the state of the Jewish people.
The Palestinian refugee problem must be solved, and it can be solved, as we ourselves proved in a similar situation. Tiny Israel successfully absorbed tens of thousands of Jewish refugees who left their homes and belongings in Arab countries. Therefore, justice and logic demand that the Palestinian refugee problem be solved outside Israel's borders. On this point, there is a broad national consensus. I believe that with goodwill and international investment, this humanitarian problem can be permanently resolved.
So far I have spoken about the need for Palestinians to recognise our rights. In a moment, I will speak openly about our need to recognise their rights. But let me first say that the connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel has lasted for more than 3500 years. Judea and Samaria, the places where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, David and Solomon, and Isaiah and Jeremiah lived, are not alien to us. This is the land of our forefathers.
The right of the Jewish people to a state in the land of Israel does not derive from the catastrophes that have plagued our people. True, for 2000 years the Jewish people suffered expulsions, pogroms, blood libels, and massacres which culminated in a Holocaust – a suffering which has no parallel in human history. There are those who say that if the Holocaust had not occurred, the state of Israel would never have been established. But I say that if the state of Israel would have been established earlier, the Holocaust would not have occurred. This tragic history of powerlessness explains why the Jewish people need a sovereign power of self-defence. But our right to build our sovereign state here, in the land of Israel, arises from one simple fact: this is the homeland of the Jewish people, this is where our identity was forged. As Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion proclaimed in Israel's Declaration of Independence: "The Jewish people arose in the land of Israel and it was here that its spiritual, religious and political character was shaped. Here they attained their sovereignty, and here they bequeathed to the world their national and cultural treasures, and the most eternal of books."
But we must also tell the truth in its entirety: within this homeland lives a large Palestinian community. We do not want to rule over them, we do not want to govern their lives, we do not want to impose either our flag or our culture on them. In my vision of peace, in this small land of ours, two peoples live freely, side-by-side, in amity and mutual respect. Each will have its own flag, its own national anthem, its own government. Neither will threaten the security or survival of the other.
These two realities – our connection to the land of Israel, and the Palestinian population living within it – have created deep divisions in Israeli society. But the truth is that we have much more that unites us than divides us. I have come tonight to give expression to that unity, and to the principles of peace and security on which there is broad agreement within Israeli society. These are the principles that guide our policy.
This policy must take into account the international situation that has recently developed. We must recognise this reality and at the same time stand firmly on those principles essential for Israel. I have already stressed the first principle – recognition. Palestinians must clearly and unambiguously recognise Israel as the state of the Jewish people. The second principle is: demilitarisation. The territory under Palestinian control must be demilitarised with ironclad security provisions for Israel. Without these two conditions, there is a real danger that an armed Palestinian state would emerge that would become another terrorist base against the Jewish state, such as the one in Gaza. We don't want Kassam rockets on Petach Tikva, Grad rockets on Tel Aviv, or missiles on Ben-Gurion airport. We want peace.
In order to achieve peace, we must ensure that Palestinians will not be able to import missiles into their territory, to field an army, to close their airspace to us, or to make pacts with the likes of Hizbollah and Iran. On this point as well, there is wide consensus within Israel.
It is impossible to expect us to agree in advance to the principle of a Palestinian state without assurances that this state will be demilitarised.
On a matter so critical to the existence of Israel, we must first have our security needs addressed.
Therefore, today we ask our friends in the international community, led by the United States, for what is critical to the security of Israel: Clear commitments that in a future peace agreement, the territory controlled by the Palestinians will be demilitarised: namely, without an army, without control of its airspace, and with effective security measures to prevent weapons smuggling into the territory – real monitoring, and not what occurs in Gaza today. And obviously, the Palestinians will not be able to forge military pacts.
Without this, sooner or later, these territories will become another Hamastan. And that we cannot accept.
I told President Obama when I was in Washington that if we could agree on the substance, then the terminology would not pose a problem. And here is the substance that I now state clearly: If we receive this guarantee regarding demilitirization and Israel's security needs, and if the Palestinians recognise Israel as the State of the Jewish people, then we will be ready in a future peace agreement to reach a solution where a demilitarised Palestinian state exists alongside the Jewish state.
Regarding the remaining important issues that will be discussed as part of the final settlement, my positions are known: Israel needs defensible borders, and Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel with continued religious freedom for all faiths.
The territorial question will be discussed as part of the final peace agreement. In the meantime, we have no intention of building new settlements or of expropriating additional land for existing settlements.
But there is a need to enable the residents to live normal lives, to allow mothers and fathers to raise their children like families elsewhere. The settlers are neither the enemies of the people nor the enemies of peace. Rather, they are an integral part of our people, a principled, pioneering and Zionist public.
Unity among us is essential and will help us achieve reconciliation with our neighbours. That reconciliation must already begin by altering existing realities. I believe that a strong Palestinian economy will strengthen peace.
If the Palestinians turn toward peace – in fighting terror, in strengthening governance and the rule of law, in educating their children for peace and in stopping incitement against Israel – we will do our part in making every effort to facilitate freedom of movement and access, and to enable them to develop their economy. All of this will help us advance a peace treaty between us.
Above all else, the Palestinians must decide between the path of peace and the path of Hamas. The Palestinian Authority will have to establish the rule of law in Gaza and overcome Hamas. Israel will not sit at the negotiating table with terrorists who seek their destruction. Hamas will not even allow the Red Cross to visit our kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who has spent three years in captivity, cut off from his parents, his family and his people. We are committed to bringing him home, healthy and safe.
With a Palestinian leadership committed to peace, with the active participation of the Arab world, and the support of the United States and the international community, there is no reason why we cannot achieve a breakthrough to peace. Our people have already proven that we can do the impossible. Over the past 61 years, while constantly defending our existence, we have performed wonders. Our microchips are powering the world's computers. Our medicines are treating diseases once considered incurable. Our drip irrigation is bringing arid lands back to life across the globe. And Israeli scientists are expanding the boundaries of human knowledge. If only our neighbours would respond to our call – peace too will be in our reach.
I call on the leaders of the Arab world and on the Palestinian leadership, let us continue together on the path of Menahem Begin and Anwar Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein. Let us realise the vision of the prophet Isaiah, who in Jerusalem 2700 years ago said: "nations shall not lift up sword against nation, and they shall learn war no more."
With God's help, we will know no more war. We will know peace."
Peace has always been our people's most ardent desire. Our prophets gave the world the vision of peace, we greet one another with wishes of peace, and our prayers conclude with the word peace.
We are gathered this evening in an institution named for two pioneers of peace, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, and we share in their vision.
Two and half months ago, I took the oath of office as the Prime Minister of Israel. I pledged to establish a national unity government – and I did. I believed and I still believe that unity was essential for us now more than ever as we face three immense challenges – the Iranian threat, the economic crisis, and the advancement of peace.
The Iranian threat looms large before us, as was further demonstrated yesterday. The greatest danger confronting Israel, the Middle East, the entire world and human race, is the nexus between radical Islam and nuclear weapons. I discussed this issue with President Obama during my recent visit to Washington, and I will raise it again in my meetings next week with European leaders. For years, I have been working tirelessly to forge an international alliance to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Confronting a global economic crisis, the government acted swiftly to stabilise Israel's economy. We passed a two-year budget in the government – and the Knesset will soon approve it.
And the third challenge, so exceedingly important, is the advancement of peace. I also spoke about this with President Obama, and I fully support the idea of a regional peace that he is leading.
I share the President's desire to bring about a new era of reconciliation in our region. To this end, I met with President Mubarak in Egypt, and King Abdullah in Jordan, to elicit the support of these leaders in expanding the circle of peace in our region.
I turn to all Arab leaders tonight and I say: "Let us meet. Let us speak of peace and let us make peace. I am ready to meet with you at any time. I am willing to go to Damascus, to Riyadh, to Beirut, to any place- including Jerusalem. I call on the Arab countries to co-operate with the Palestinians and with us to advance an economic peace. An economic peace is not a substitute for a political peace, but an important element to achieving it. Together, we can undertake projects to overcome the scarcities of our region, like water desalination or to maximise its advantages, like developing solar energy, or laying gas and petroleum lines, and transportation links between Asia, Africa and Europe.
The economic success of the Gulf States has impressed us all and it has impressed me. I call on the talented entrepreneurs of the Arab world to come and invest here and to assist the Palestinians – and us – in spurring the economy.
Together, we can develop industrial areas that will generate thousands of jobs and create tourist sites that will attract millions of visitors eager to walk in the footsteps of history – in Nazareth and in Bethlehem, around the walls of Jericho and the walls of Jerusalem, on the banks of the Sea of Galilee and the baptismal site of the Jordan. There is an enormous potential for archeological tourism, if we can only learn to co-operate and to develop it.
I turn to you, our Palestinian neighbours, led by the Palestinian Authority, and I say: Let's begin negotiations immediately without preconditions. Israel is obligated by its international commitments and expects all parties to keep their commitments.
We want to live with you in peace, as good neighbours. We want our children and your children to never again experience war: that parents, brothers and sisters will never again know the agony of losing loved ones in battle; that our children will be able to dream of a better future and realise that dream; and that together we will invest our energies in ploughshares and pruning hooks, not swords and spears.
I know the face of war. I have experienced battle. I lost close friends, I lost a brother. I have seen the pain of bereaved families. I do not want war. No one in Israel wants war.
If we join hands and work together for peace, there is no limit to the development and prosperity we can achieve for our two peoples – in the economy, agriculture, trade, tourism and education – most importantly, in providing our youth a better world in which to live, a life full of tranquillity, creativity, opportunity and hope.
If the advantages of peace are so evident, we must ask ourselves why peace remains so remote, even as our hand remains outstretched to peace? Why has this conflict continued for more than sixty years?
In order to bring an end to the conflict, we must give an honest and forthright answer to the question: What is the root of the conflict?
In his speech to the first Zionist Conference in Basel, the founder of the Zionist movement, Theodore Herzl, said about the Jewish national home "This idea is so big that we must speak of it only in the simplest terms." Today, I will speak about the immense challenge of peace in the simplest words possible.
Even as we look toward the horizon, we must be firmly connected to reality, to the truth. And the simple truth is that the root of the conflict was, and remains, the refusal to recognise the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own, in their historic homeland.
In 1947, when the United Nations proposed the partition plan of a Jewish state and an Arab state, the entire Arab world rejected the resolution. The Jewish community, by contrast, welcomed it by dancing and rejoicing. The Arabs rejected any Jewish state, in any borders.
Those who think that the continued enmity toward Israel is a product of our presence in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, is confusing cause and consequence.
The attacks against us began in the 1920s, escalated into a comprehensive attack in 1948 with the declaration of Israel's independence, continued with the fedayeen attacks in the 1950s, and climaxed in 1967, on the eve of the six-day war, in an attempt to tighten a noose around the neck of the State of Israel.
All this occurred during the fifty years before a single Israeli soldier ever set foot in Judea and Samaria. Fortunately, Egypt and Jordan left this circle of enmity. The signing of peace treaties have brought about an end to their claims against Israel, an end to the conflict. But to our regret, this is not the case with the Palestinians. The closer we get to an agreement with them, the further they retreat and raise demands that are inconsistent with a true desire to end the conflict.
Many good people have told us that withdrawal from territories is the key to peace with the Palestinians. Well, we withdrew. But the fact is that every withdrawal was met with massive waves of terror, by suicide bombers and thousands of missiles.
We tried to withdraw with an agreement and without an agreement. We tried a partial withdrawal and a full withdrawal. In 2000 and again last year, Israel proposed an almost total withdrawal in exchange for an end to the conflict, and twice our offers were rejected.
We evacuated every last inch of the Gaza strip, we uprooted tens of settlements and evicted thousands of Israelis from their homes, and in response, we received a hail of missiles on our cities, towns and children.
The claim that territorial withdrawals will bring peace with the Palestinians, or at least advance peace, has up till now not stood the test of reality.
In addition to this, Hamas in the south, like Hizbollah in the north, repeatedly proclaims their commitment to "liberate" the Israeli cities of Ashkelon, Beersheba, Acre and Haifa. Territorial withdrawals have not lessened the hatred, and to our regret, Palestinian moderates are not yet ready to say the simple words: Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, and it will stay that way.
Achieving peace will require courage and candour from both sides, and not only from the Israeli side. The Palestinian leadership must arise and say: "Enough of this conflict. We recognise the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own in this land, and we are prepared to live beside you in true peace." I am yearning for that moment, for when Palestinian leaders say those words to our people and to their people, then a path will be opened to resolving all the problems between our peoples, no matter how complex they may be.
Therefore, a fundamental prerequisite for ending the conflict is a public, binding and unequivocal Palestinian recognition of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. To vest this declaration with practical meaning, there must also be a clear understanding that the Palestinian refugee problem will be resolved outside Israel's borders. For it is clear that any demand for resettling Palestinian refugees within Israel undermines Israel's continued existence as the state of the Jewish people.
The Palestinian refugee problem must be solved, and it can be solved, as we ourselves proved in a similar situation. Tiny Israel successfully absorbed tens of thousands of Jewish refugees who left their homes and belongings in Arab countries. Therefore, justice and logic demand that the Palestinian refugee problem be solved outside Israel's borders. On this point, there is a broad national consensus. I believe that with goodwill and international investment, this humanitarian problem can be permanently resolved.
So far I have spoken about the need for Palestinians to recognise our rights. In a moment, I will speak openly about our need to recognise their rights. But let me first say that the connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel has lasted for more than 3500 years. Judea and Samaria, the places where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, David and Solomon, and Isaiah and Jeremiah lived, are not alien to us. This is the land of our forefathers.
The right of the Jewish people to a state in the land of Israel does not derive from the catastrophes that have plagued our people. True, for 2000 years the Jewish people suffered expulsions, pogroms, blood libels, and massacres which culminated in a Holocaust – a suffering which has no parallel in human history. There are those who say that if the Holocaust had not occurred, the state of Israel would never have been established. But I say that if the state of Israel would have been established earlier, the Holocaust would not have occurred. This tragic history of powerlessness explains why the Jewish people need a sovereign power of self-defence. But our right to build our sovereign state here, in the land of Israel, arises from one simple fact: this is the homeland of the Jewish people, this is where our identity was forged. As Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion proclaimed in Israel's Declaration of Independence: "The Jewish people arose in the land of Israel and it was here that its spiritual, religious and political character was shaped. Here they attained their sovereignty, and here they bequeathed to the world their national and cultural treasures, and the most eternal of books."
But we must also tell the truth in its entirety: within this homeland lives a large Palestinian community. We do not want to rule over them, we do not want to govern their lives, we do not want to impose either our flag or our culture on them. In my vision of peace, in this small land of ours, two peoples live freely, side-by-side, in amity and mutual respect. Each will have its own flag, its own national anthem, its own government. Neither will threaten the security or survival of the other.
These two realities – our connection to the land of Israel, and the Palestinian population living within it – have created deep divisions in Israeli society. But the truth is that we have much more that unites us than divides us. I have come tonight to give expression to that unity, and to the principles of peace and security on which there is broad agreement within Israeli society. These are the principles that guide our policy.
This policy must take into account the international situation that has recently developed. We must recognise this reality and at the same time stand firmly on those principles essential for Israel. I have already stressed the first principle – recognition. Palestinians must clearly and unambiguously recognise Israel as the state of the Jewish people. The second principle is: demilitarisation. The territory under Palestinian control must be demilitarised with ironclad security provisions for Israel. Without these two conditions, there is a real danger that an armed Palestinian state would emerge that would become another terrorist base against the Jewish state, such as the one in Gaza. We don't want Kassam rockets on Petach Tikva, Grad rockets on Tel Aviv, or missiles on Ben-Gurion airport. We want peace.
In order to achieve peace, we must ensure that Palestinians will not be able to import missiles into their territory, to field an army, to close their airspace to us, or to make pacts with the likes of Hizbollah and Iran. On this point as well, there is wide consensus within Israel.
It is impossible to expect us to agree in advance to the principle of a Palestinian state without assurances that this state will be demilitarised.
On a matter so critical to the existence of Israel, we must first have our security needs addressed.
Therefore, today we ask our friends in the international community, led by the United States, for what is critical to the security of Israel: Clear commitments that in a future peace agreement, the territory controlled by the Palestinians will be demilitarised: namely, without an army, without control of its airspace, and with effective security measures to prevent weapons smuggling into the territory – real monitoring, and not what occurs in Gaza today. And obviously, the Palestinians will not be able to forge military pacts.
Without this, sooner or later, these territories will become another Hamastan. And that we cannot accept.
I told President Obama when I was in Washington that if we could agree on the substance, then the terminology would not pose a problem. And here is the substance that I now state clearly: If we receive this guarantee regarding demilitirization and Israel's security needs, and if the Palestinians recognise Israel as the State of the Jewish people, then we will be ready in a future peace agreement to reach a solution where a demilitarised Palestinian state exists alongside the Jewish state.
Regarding the remaining important issues that will be discussed as part of the final settlement, my positions are known: Israel needs defensible borders, and Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel with continued religious freedom for all faiths.
The territorial question will be discussed as part of the final peace agreement. In the meantime, we have no intention of building new settlements or of expropriating additional land for existing settlements.
But there is a need to enable the residents to live normal lives, to allow mothers and fathers to raise their children like families elsewhere. The settlers are neither the enemies of the people nor the enemies of peace. Rather, they are an integral part of our people, a principled, pioneering and Zionist public.
Unity among us is essential and will help us achieve reconciliation with our neighbours. That reconciliation must already begin by altering existing realities. I believe that a strong Palestinian economy will strengthen peace.
If the Palestinians turn toward peace – in fighting terror, in strengthening governance and the rule of law, in educating their children for peace and in stopping incitement against Israel – we will do our part in making every effort to facilitate freedom of movement and access, and to enable them to develop their economy. All of this will help us advance a peace treaty between us.
Above all else, the Palestinians must decide between the path of peace and the path of Hamas. The Palestinian Authority will have to establish the rule of law in Gaza and overcome Hamas. Israel will not sit at the negotiating table with terrorists who seek their destruction. Hamas will not even allow the Red Cross to visit our kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who has spent three years in captivity, cut off from his parents, his family and his people. We are committed to bringing him home, healthy and safe.
With a Palestinian leadership committed to peace, with the active participation of the Arab world, and the support of the United States and the international community, there is no reason why we cannot achieve a breakthrough to peace. Our people have already proven that we can do the impossible. Over the past 61 years, while constantly defending our existence, we have performed wonders. Our microchips are powering the world's computers. Our medicines are treating diseases once considered incurable. Our drip irrigation is bringing arid lands back to life across the globe. And Israeli scientists are expanding the boundaries of human knowledge. If only our neighbours would respond to our call – peace too will be in our reach.
I call on the leaders of the Arab world and on the Palestinian leadership, let us continue together on the path of Menahem Begin and Anwar Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein. Let us realise the vision of the prophet Isaiah, who in Jerusalem 2700 years ago said: "nations shall not lift up sword against nation, and they shall learn war no more."
With God's help, we will know no more war. We will know peace."
5/31/2009
Israel's New Covenant
ISRAEL'S NEW COVENANT
A Hebraic Perspective
by Renah
Shofar-Tekiah, Vol. 1, No 1, Aviv/Spring 2004
[Tekiah: one long blast with a clear tone]
Updated May 2009
Introduction
A CUP OF COLD WATER
Many messengers emphasize the love of God – His loving-kindness, mercy, and grace. Yet, at times, in an effort to be gentle and loving, messages fail to convincingly and convictingly tell the stark truth. This writer tends to stress clear and simple truth and hopes this treatise is conveyed to the reader in the spirit of love and concern in which it is written. If it is deemed too harsh, I would appreciate receiving a critique, teaching me how to re-phrase the message in a more loving way. I tend to write in a “shofar” manner, hence the name of the publication. The shofar does not make a soothing sound. Rather, it sounds an alarm. I am alarmed at what is happening within Christianity today and how far it has strayed from its Hebrew roots. Friends and family members are not walking with the LORD as they should and are oblivious to their true condition. Who can return to the LORD who does not know he needs to return? Who can come back to the LORD who trusts that his “sinner’s prayer” will take him all the way to the Kingdom, though he has lost all interest in God’s Word, walks in weakness and failure, and could care less about the ways of the Lord and learning more about them. As for those who walk in sincerity with pure hearts before the LORD, who can return to their rich, Hebraic heritage who do not realize how warped Christianity has become over the centuries?
There are other resources that share the truths that I touch on more thoroughly, yet in a gentler, more palatable manner. They are like a refreshing cup of cold water to truth-seekers and Christians of open minds. My treatise is more like a cup of cold water thrown in your face. It may be unpleasant, but if it succeeds in waking the Remnant like a shrill alarm clock, it will have served its purpose. In any event, I don’t seem to know how to write any other way. Maybe this is my gift. I am a shofar, not a flute. May the LORD by His Spirit continue to bring the promised Restoration of the true faith in these Last Days, and may His people rise up to their destiny in the difficult yet awesome days ahead.
ISRAEL’S NEW COVENANT
THE SHOCKING AND CONTROVERSIAL TRUTH
Christians claim to embrace the New Covenant. Yet many deny everything that defines the New Covenant! The New Covenant is made with Israel. Yet they deny they are Israelites subject to the promises and responsibilities of being Israelites. The New Covenant is made with the two houses of Israel. Yet they deny that there are two houses of Israel and claim that Israel is just Jews. They claim that “the Church” is a distinct entity from Israel with different rules and different promises altogether. Where is that in Scripture? The New Covenant is a covenant in which God’s laws are written in the hearts of those born again. Yet, Christians deny that God’s laws have any place in their lives and declare them obsolete! So, in effect, by “accepting Jesus,” yet rejecting the “New Covenant,” they have not entered into covenant status with the LORD at all! Please read this paragraph prayerfully again, comparing it with the verses above, and let it sink in.
WHO IS THE REAL JESUS?
What “Jesus” have Christians accepted when they do not accept His words, His ways, His covenant? The Bible speaks of “another Jesus,” one who Paul did not preach (2 Cor. 11:4). This is the “Jesus” that many have accepted as their “savior.” He is an imposter, a devil in disguise, an idol, a counterfeit, an antichrist. Those who truly accept the LORD Jesus Christ as their Saviour are accepting a Jewish Messiah, whose Hebrew name is YESHUA. They are grafted in to the Olive Tree, and become “chosen people,” adopted sons and citizens of the Israel of God (see Romans 11 and Galatians 6:16). They may, unbeknownst to them, be descended from the tribes of Israel scattered throughout the nations (see Hosea 1, Ezekiel 36, Romans 9, and James 1:1), or they may be Gentiles, or they may be Jews. All must enter through the same Door. All must be branches of the same Tree. There is One Shepherd, one flock, one faith (Jer. 23:3; Eph. 4:5; Jude 3-4).
The New Covenant is a renewed covenant. The Old Covenant, summarized in Ten Commandments on stone tablets, is now renewed, with these same commandments engraved in our hearts, giving us the inner motivation to obey them. Now we love His commandments. They are no longer grievous burdens. With “Jesus in our heart” we can do what once seemed too difficult (Phil. 4:13; Matt. 19:26). This is why the New Covenant is better than the Old (Hebrews 8:6-10).
Yeshua came to save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). If Christians continue to practice a lifestyle of sin, rejecting God’s ways, can this be called salvation from sin? Is it “faith” to believe in Jesus but not believe in His power to deliver from iniquity?
HELLFIRE INSURANCE ONLY?
Many Christians only want a “Get out of hell free” card. They want to continue to live a self-directed life in conformity to the ways of the world, the culture around them. They do not want to be a peculiar people (Deut. 14:2; Deut. 26:18; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9). They do not want to be ostracized from others. They do not want persecution, even though that is exactly what is promised to true disciples (2 Tim. 3:12). They think obedience is optional. They think commandment keeping is a relic from the past that is no longer relevant. What a rude awakening awaits them at the Judgment, when they will be judged by their works, whether they did good or evil (2 Cor. 5:10; Romans 14:10-12). It is evil to reject the Covenant of the LORD God of Heaven, who sent His only begotten Son to make the ultimate sacrifice and atonement for sin, that we might be born again, grafted in to the Commonwealth of Israel (Eph. 2:12-13), partakers of the blessings of God, able to glorify God by living a lifestyle that honors Him with obedience to the wisdom of His ways (torah submission), not dishonoring Him with a lifestyle of debauchery and/or worldly-mindedness.
THE TEST OF PSALM 119
Let us examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the Faith (2 Cor. 13:5). Have we actually entered into the New Covenant? We must ask ourselves these pertinent questions:
• Do I love God’s law? (Hebrew: torah, i.e., instruction) “Oh how love I thy law; it is my meditation all the day.” (Psalm 119:97)
• Do I keep God’s law? “Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.” (Psalm 119:129)
• Do I rejoice in God’s law? “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.” (Psalm 119:14)
• Have I chosen the way of truth? “I have chosen the way of truth...” (Psalm 119:30)
• Do I delight in God’s commandments? “Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.” (Psalm 119:36)
• Do I hate every false way? “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119:104)
• Do I have peace? “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalm 119:165)
• Do I believe God’s Word is true and that His commandments are not obsolete? “Thy Word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.” (Psalm 119:160)
FALSE START?
It is possible that some Christians have been led astray by the rampant deceptions that Yeshua warned about (Mark 13:5,6) and have never entered in to the New Covenant. No wonder they are weak, with no love of the Scriptures, no love of God’s law, no power to obey. It is possible that the “Jesus” they accepted was the counterfeit. This “spirit” would have us believe that:
• Torah keeping is bondage and legalism (Refutation: Psalm 19:7-11; Ps.1:1-3).
• We cannot help willfully sinning every day (Refutation: Romans 6:1-2; Hebrews 10:26).
• God accepts our weaknesses and failures and does not expect us to be overcomers by His strength and grace (Refutation: Romans 1:17; 1 John 5:4-5; Rev. 3:5; 21:7).
• The Ten Commandments are obsolete and no longer in force for Christians (Refutation: Matt. 5:17-20; Romans 3:31).
• The only two commandments for Christians are to love God and one another, with no specifics on how to do that; it is just a feeling or emotion (Refutation: 1 John 3:18; Titus 1:16).
• Christians should just blend in with the world and be no different (Refutation: 1 John 2:15; James 1:27; 4:4).
• Jews are no longer God’s chosen people; they are going to hell unless they accept the paganized, antinomian “Jesus” and stop with the kosher and Sabbath keeping, etc. (Refutation: Romans 1:16; Romans 9-11).
• Salvation means we can keep on sinning because Jesus paid for our sins (Refutation: Romans 6:1-2).
• We can keep pagan holidays and traditions if we choose. God is no longer a jealous God (Refutation: Exodus 34:14; Deut. 4:16-24; 7:25-26; 12:29-32; 1 John 5:21; Acts 15:19-21).
• We do not need to spend time with God each day in His Word to be overcomers and successful in life (Refutation: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1; Rev. 2-3).
• Blessings and curses have nothing to do with obedience and disobedience (Refutation: Deut. 28; Col. 3:25).
• There is no literal Millennial Kingdom of God on Earth that is coming soon (Refutation: Ezekiel 37; Zechariah 14; Rev. 19:11-20:6)
BACKSLIDERS
It is also possible that some Christians have accepted the true Jesus and His covenant and were born again, but have subsequently become backslidden, deceived, and on the wrong path at the present time. This is the test question:
• Do I remember God’s commandments even while backslidden? “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.” (Psalm 119:76)
Does the truth of God’s Word continue to haunt you? Are you running, but finding no place to hide? You are still His, and He never stops seeking His lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7). Your life is probably quite tempestuous, full of the loving chastisement of the LORD (Jonah; Rev. 3:19). The scary part is, He has given you free will. You could in your rebellion go too far, and not find a place of repentance. I do not know where that line is crossed; I would not want to be too close to it (Pro. 24:16; Romans 1:18-32; 2 Cor. 13:5; 2 Tim. 3:8; Heb. 6:4-6; Heb. 10:26-29, 38, 39).
This earthly life is the time of second chances. This life is a proving ground for eternity. Your life is a testimony to others, for better or worse. Even if it is a bungled mess now, if the change comes, and others see it, your life can be a testimony to the saving power and forgiveness that Yeshua brings and may be the catalyst that someone else needs to get right with God.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
There is a battle for your soul between the real Jesus and the counterfeit, the devil himself, who has many disguises and many deceptions. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve (Joshua 24:15). If Baal is God (paganized, counterfeit, lawless “jesus”), serve him. If the LORD (YHVH/YESHUA) is God, serve Him (1 Kings 18:21). Your lifestyle and beliefs will tell you whom you have been serving. It is true that in our own strength we can do nothing, yet we can choose the fear of the LORD (Pro. 1:29). We can choose to be made righteous. We can allow the LORD to do the transforming work in our lives. This is not a passive activity but a conscious choice day by day. Choose the way of the LORD, forsaking your own way. Choose life! (Deut. 30:19).
DISPENSATIONALISM
Another group of Christian believers are those who go only so far in their appreciation of the Scriptures and the commandments of God. They have been indoctrinated in dispensationalism, and, as a result, have a blind spot. They love the LORD, but “see through a glass darkly” regarding Torah and the Commonwealth of Israel. They think the “law of liberty” is freedom from Torah rather than understanding that Torah is liberty (freedom) from the bondage of sin (James 1:25; 2:8-12). In other words, the commandments of God are liberating when properly understood and practiced by grace through faith, in newness of spirit, “for the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). These sincere believers just need to take a closer look at what the Scriptures clearly say, without looking through a dispensationalist prism that distorts the truth. They need to study the Scriptures from a Hebraic perspective, which will open up to them a wealth of new understanding and insight.
MISSING LINK
Life in the New Covenant is a wonderful life. There is joy unspeakable and peace that passes all understanding (1 Peter 1:18; Phil. 4:7). Torah is not bondage, but blessing, wisdom, and “all her paths are peace” (Pro. 3:13-18). It is the missing link in living the Christian life as it is meant to be lived. The enemy of our souls has stolen Torah from us and given us an emaciated Christianity. We fault Jews for rejecting Jesus....and they fault us for rejecting Torah. Both are essential (Rev. 12:17; 14:12). Yeshua taught that we must keep the commandments and follow Him (John 14:15; 15:10; Matt. 4:4; 19:16-26; Luke 6:46).
The path that leads unto life is not one way for Jews (Torah) and another way for Christians (Jesus). It is one way for all. Yeshua is THE Way, the Word (Torah) made flesh (John 1). Someone may say, “The Hebraic way is too foreign.” Yet it is our ways that are foreign to the LORD. The word “Hebrew” means “one who crossed over” (the Euphrates River from Babylon). Our father Abraham was the first Hebrew. We become Hebrews by leaving Babylon behind (the world/paganism), crossing over completely from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light. When we “straddle the river” with one foot in Babylon and one foot in the Kingdom of God, we go nowhere. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). No wonder the double-minded and wavering do not receive anything from the LORD and do not experience transcendence (see James 1:5-8).
RESTORATION
To those who seek restoration, read prayerfully all of Psalm 119. You just may find a place of repentance as you meditate in these inspired Scriptures. Many times understanding comes after obedience, so do not let lack of understanding keep you from stepping out in faith and embracing Torah. Please do not say you are not convicted if you are not spending at least one hour a day looking in the mirror of God’s Word (Joshua 1:8; Matt. 26:40-41; Hebrews 4:12; James 4:7-10). Have you read God’s Word from cover to cover more than once and from year to year? If not, Bible Pathway has an excellent Bible reading plan and daily devotional. This resource is a good starting place and is not antinomian (lawless) in its tone and commentary.
FINAL THOUGHTS
God allowed terror and tragedy to strike America on 9-11. Many said it was a wake-up call. Just what message were we supposed to get out of this horrific event? One thought that comes to mind is to turn those numbers around (Hebrew is read from right to left) and take certain Scriptures to heart that American Christians have ignored for far too long. 911 reversed is 119, as in Psalm 119. It is curious that Psalm 1 and Psalm 19 also exalt Torah.
Has the original, apostolic faith been “hijacked” since about the 2nd century? Have we been following the wrong religion? Have we been following the teachings and practices of the Church Fathers rather than our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Are we going to “crash and burn” as a result? I have not seen much evidence of soul searching and repentance in this nation since 9/11/01. If, God forbid, further terrorist acts are carried out in America and our enemies triumph over us, will it be said as in Jeremiah’s day:
See Jeremiah 7 for a comparison of Judah’s transgressions with those of America today and the chastisement that ensued. Does God change? (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8). See also 2 Kings 18:11-12 regarding Israel’s Assyrian captivity for their transgressions.
If God-fearing Americans would truly repent, we can count on this promise:
We have become outraged with the wicked ways of those who make no profession of faith, yet have failed to acknowledge our own transgressions against the God we claim to love and serve. Let us start with our “I”dolatry -- the “I will believe and do whatever I please” syndrome.
Torah is foundational. It is quoted throughout the New Testament. Deuteronomy alone is quoted 80 times. The phrase, “it is written” occurs 66 times in the Bible, 63 times in the New Testament. It could not be clearer that, far from being obsolete, Torah is vital. We ignore it at our own peril. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law (Torah), even his prayer shall be abomination” (Pro. 28:9). Paul, “the apostle to the Gentiles,” declared the (Old Testament) Scriptures profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). He continued to keep Torah, including sabbaths and feasts, and urged Gentile believers to “be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). When are we going to realize that God gave us One Bible, a continuing, non-contradictory story from Genesis to Revelation. Man divided it into “Old Testament” and “New Testament” as if they are two separate Bibles, one for Jews and one for Christians. Does it make sense that God would require faithfulness of some people (Jews, tribulation saints) and let other people (“the church in the age of grace”) get a free pass to Heaven no matter how wicked, unbelieving, or backslidden they are? I have heard some say that in this dispensation we do not have to endure to the end to be saved, and that we will be raptured out before any severe testing (tribulation). Does God change? How unfair of Him to require of others what He does not require of this last, Laodicean, lukewarm generation! We must repent of wrongly dividing the Word of Truth, especially the kind of “I am of Paul/Somebody else’s mail” hyper-dispensationalism that slices, dices, and chops up the Scriptures to oblivion, even the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ, destroying His authority in our life! What kind of a twisted Gospel message would negate the teachings of Jesus Himself!?
CLOSING PRAYER
May the LORD continue to have mercy and patience with His wayward children. May the prophesied “spirit of Elijah” turn our hearts back to our true fathers, the Biblical patriarchs (Malachi 4:5-6) and may we remember the words of the prophet Zechariah:
Like a lilac breeze in the month of Ziv, may the Spirit of the LORD breathe on us, and renew us, and restore us in the path of righteousness for His Name’s sake ....In Yeshua our Messiah
Comments, questions, and critique of this treatise are welcome. Let us dialogue.
In response to inquiries:
Permission for reproducing this treatise for free distribution will be granted upon request, providing there are no alterations and a link to this blog is included. “Renah” is my pen-name. This is original writing, not copied and pasted from another website as my critics have falsely charged. The treatise was approved by my husband, editor-in-chief of our publications. All rights reserved for the protection of the overall message, which I believe the LORD has given and directed us to share.
http://tandi-1964.blogspot.com/
A Hebraic Perspective
by Renah
Shofar-Tekiah, Vol. 1, No 1, Aviv/Spring 2004
[Tekiah: one long blast with a clear tone]
Updated May 2009
Introduction
A CUP OF COLD WATER
Many messengers emphasize the love of God – His loving-kindness, mercy, and grace. Yet, at times, in an effort to be gentle and loving, messages fail to convincingly and convictingly tell the stark truth. This writer tends to stress clear and simple truth and hopes this treatise is conveyed to the reader in the spirit of love and concern in which it is written. If it is deemed too harsh, I would appreciate receiving a critique, teaching me how to re-phrase the message in a more loving way. I tend to write in a “shofar” manner, hence the name of the publication. The shofar does not make a soothing sound. Rather, it sounds an alarm. I am alarmed at what is happening within Christianity today and how far it has strayed from its Hebrew roots. Friends and family members are not walking with the LORD as they should and are oblivious to their true condition. Who can return to the LORD who does not know he needs to return? Who can come back to the LORD who trusts that his “sinner’s prayer” will take him all the way to the Kingdom, though he has lost all interest in God’s Word, walks in weakness and failure, and could care less about the ways of the Lord and learning more about them. As for those who walk in sincerity with pure hearts before the LORD, who can return to their rich, Hebraic heritage who do not realize how warped Christianity has become over the centuries?
There are other resources that share the truths that I touch on more thoroughly, yet in a gentler, more palatable manner. They are like a refreshing cup of cold water to truth-seekers and Christians of open minds. My treatise is more like a cup of cold water thrown in your face. It may be unpleasant, but if it succeeds in waking the Remnant like a shrill alarm clock, it will have served its purpose. In any event, I don’t seem to know how to write any other way. Maybe this is my gift. I am a shofar, not a flute. May the LORD by His Spirit continue to bring the promised Restoration of the true faith in these Last Days, and may His people rise up to their destiny in the difficult yet awesome days ahead.
ISRAEL’S NEW COVENANT
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt:which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD; But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the LORD; I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people....” Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8:7-10; 10:16
THE SHOCKING AND CONTROVERSIAL TRUTH
Christians claim to embrace the New Covenant. Yet many deny everything that defines the New Covenant! The New Covenant is made with Israel. Yet they deny they are Israelites subject to the promises and responsibilities of being Israelites. The New Covenant is made with the two houses of Israel. Yet they deny that there are two houses of Israel and claim that Israel is just Jews. They claim that “the Church” is a distinct entity from Israel with different rules and different promises altogether. Where is that in Scripture? The New Covenant is a covenant in which God’s laws are written in the hearts of those born again. Yet, Christians deny that God’s laws have any place in their lives and declare them obsolete! So, in effect, by “accepting Jesus,” yet rejecting the “New Covenant,” they have not entered into covenant status with the LORD at all! Please read this paragraph prayerfully again, comparing it with the verses above, and let it sink in.
WHO IS THE REAL JESUS?
What “Jesus” have Christians accepted when they do not accept His words, His ways, His covenant? The Bible speaks of “another Jesus,” one who Paul did not preach (2 Cor. 11:4). This is the “Jesus” that many have accepted as their “savior.” He is an imposter, a devil in disguise, an idol, a counterfeit, an antichrist. Those who truly accept the LORD Jesus Christ as their Saviour are accepting a Jewish Messiah, whose Hebrew name is YESHUA. They are grafted in to the Olive Tree, and become “chosen people,” adopted sons and citizens of the Israel of God (see Romans 11 and Galatians 6:16). They may, unbeknownst to them, be descended from the tribes of Israel scattered throughout the nations (see Hosea 1, Ezekiel 36, Romans 9, and James 1:1), or they may be Gentiles, or they may be Jews. All must enter through the same Door. All must be branches of the same Tree. There is One Shepherd, one flock, one faith (Jer. 23:3; Eph. 4:5; Jude 3-4).
The New Covenant is a renewed covenant. The Old Covenant, summarized in Ten Commandments on stone tablets, is now renewed, with these same commandments engraved in our hearts, giving us the inner motivation to obey them. Now we love His commandments. They are no longer grievous burdens. With “Jesus in our heart” we can do what once seemed too difficult (Phil. 4:13; Matt. 19:26). This is why the New Covenant is better than the Old (Hebrews 8:6-10).
Yeshua came to save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). If Christians continue to practice a lifestyle of sin, rejecting God’s ways, can this be called salvation from sin? Is it “faith” to believe in Jesus but not believe in His power to deliver from iniquity?
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Luke 6:46
HELLFIRE INSURANCE ONLY?
Many Christians only want a “Get out of hell free” card. They want to continue to live a self-directed life in conformity to the ways of the world, the culture around them. They do not want to be a peculiar people (Deut. 14:2; Deut. 26:18; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9). They do not want to be ostracized from others. They do not want persecution, even though that is exactly what is promised to true disciples (2 Tim. 3:12). They think obedience is optional. They think commandment keeping is a relic from the past that is no longer relevant. What a rude awakening awaits them at the Judgment, when they will be judged by their works, whether they did good or evil (2 Cor. 5:10; Romans 14:10-12). It is evil to reject the Covenant of the LORD God of Heaven, who sent His only begotten Son to make the ultimate sacrifice and atonement for sin, that we might be born again, grafted in to the Commonwealth of Israel (Eph. 2:12-13), partakers of the blessings of God, able to glorify God by living a lifestyle that honors Him with obedience to the wisdom of His ways (torah submission), not dishonoring Him with a lifestyle of debauchery and/or worldly-mindedness.
It is time for thee, LORD to work; For they have made void thy law Psalm 119:126
THE TEST OF PSALM 119
Let us examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the Faith (2 Cor. 13:5). Have we actually entered into the New Covenant? We must ask ourselves these pertinent questions:
• Do I love God’s law? (Hebrew: torah, i.e., instruction) “Oh how love I thy law; it is my meditation all the day.” (Psalm 119:97)
• Do I keep God’s law? “Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.” (Psalm 119:129)
• Do I rejoice in God’s law? “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.” (Psalm 119:14)
• Have I chosen the way of truth? “I have chosen the way of truth...” (Psalm 119:30)
• Do I delight in God’s commandments? “Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.” (Psalm 119:36)
• Do I hate every false way? “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119:104)
• Do I have peace? “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalm 119:165)
• Do I believe God’s Word is true and that His commandments are not obsolete? “Thy Word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.” (Psalm 119:160)
FALSE START?
It is possible that some Christians have been led astray by the rampant deceptions that Yeshua warned about (Mark 13:5,6) and have never entered in to the New Covenant. No wonder they are weak, with no love of the Scriptures, no love of God’s law, no power to obey. It is possible that the “Jesus” they accepted was the counterfeit. This “spirit” would have us believe that:
• Torah keeping is bondage and legalism (Refutation: Psalm 19:7-11; Ps.1:1-3).
• We cannot help willfully sinning every day (Refutation: Romans 6:1-2; Hebrews 10:26).
• God accepts our weaknesses and failures and does not expect us to be overcomers by His strength and grace (Refutation: Romans 1:17; 1 John 5:4-5; Rev. 3:5; 21:7).
• The Ten Commandments are obsolete and no longer in force for Christians (Refutation: Matt. 5:17-20; Romans 3:31).
• The only two commandments for Christians are to love God and one another, with no specifics on how to do that; it is just a feeling or emotion (Refutation: 1 John 3:18; Titus 1:16).
• Christians should just blend in with the world and be no different (Refutation: 1 John 2:15; James 1:27; 4:4).
• Jews are no longer God’s chosen people; they are going to hell unless they accept the paganized, antinomian “Jesus” and stop with the kosher and Sabbath keeping, etc. (Refutation: Romans 1:16; Romans 9-11).
• Salvation means we can keep on sinning because Jesus paid for our sins (Refutation: Romans 6:1-2).
• We can keep pagan holidays and traditions if we choose. God is no longer a jealous God (Refutation: Exodus 34:14; Deut. 4:16-24; 7:25-26; 12:29-32; 1 John 5:21; Acts 15:19-21).
• We do not need to spend time with God each day in His Word to be overcomers and successful in life (Refutation: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1; Rev. 2-3).
• Blessings and curses have nothing to do with obedience and disobedience (Refutation: Deut. 28; Col. 3:25).
• There is no literal Millennial Kingdom of God on Earth that is coming soon (Refutation: Ezekiel 37; Zechariah 14; Rev. 19:11-20:6)
BACKSLIDERS
It is also possible that some Christians have accepted the true Jesus and His covenant and were born again, but have subsequently become backslidden, deceived, and on the wrong path at the present time. This is the test question:
• Do I remember God’s commandments even while backslidden? “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.” (Psalm 119:76)
Does the truth of God’s Word continue to haunt you? Are you running, but finding no place to hide? You are still His, and He never stops seeking His lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7). Your life is probably quite tempestuous, full of the loving chastisement of the LORD (Jonah; Rev. 3:19). The scary part is, He has given you free will. You could in your rebellion go too far, and not find a place of repentance. I do not know where that line is crossed; I would not want to be too close to it (Pro. 24:16; Romans 1:18-32; 2 Cor. 13:5; 2 Tim. 3:8; Heb. 6:4-6; Heb. 10:26-29, 38, 39).
This earthly life is the time of second chances. This life is a proving ground for eternity. Your life is a testimony to others, for better or worse. Even if it is a bungled mess now, if the change comes, and others see it, your life can be a testimony to the saving power and forgiveness that Yeshua brings and may be the catalyst that someone else needs to get right with God.
O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; But in Me is thy help..... O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; For thou hast fallen by thy iniquity....I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; For mine anger is turned away from him. Hosea 13:9; 14:1,4
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
There is a battle for your soul between the real Jesus and the counterfeit, the devil himself, who has many disguises and many deceptions. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve (Joshua 24:15). If Baal is God (paganized, counterfeit, lawless “jesus”), serve him. If the LORD (YHVH/YESHUA) is God, serve Him (1 Kings 18:21). Your lifestyle and beliefs will tell you whom you have been serving. It is true that in our own strength we can do nothing, yet we can choose the fear of the LORD (Pro. 1:29). We can choose to be made righteous. We can allow the LORD to do the transforming work in our lives. This is not a passive activity but a conscious choice day by day. Choose the way of the LORD, forsaking your own way. Choose life! (Deut. 30:19).
DISPENSATIONALISM
Another group of Christian believers are those who go only so far in their appreciation of the Scriptures and the commandments of God. They have been indoctrinated in dispensationalism, and, as a result, have a blind spot. They love the LORD, but “see through a glass darkly” regarding Torah and the Commonwealth of Israel. They think the “law of liberty” is freedom from Torah rather than understanding that Torah is liberty (freedom) from the bondage of sin (James 1:25; 2:8-12). In other words, the commandments of God are liberating when properly understood and practiced by grace through faith, in newness of spirit, “for the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). These sincere believers just need to take a closer look at what the Scriptures clearly say, without looking through a dispensationalist prism that distorts the truth. They need to study the Scriptures from a Hebraic perspective, which will open up to them a wealth of new understanding and insight.
MISSING LINK
Life in the New Covenant is a wonderful life. There is joy unspeakable and peace that passes all understanding (1 Peter 1:18; Phil. 4:7). Torah is not bondage, but blessing, wisdom, and “all her paths are peace” (Pro. 3:13-18). It is the missing link in living the Christian life as it is meant to be lived. The enemy of our souls has stolen Torah from us and given us an emaciated Christianity. We fault Jews for rejecting Jesus....and they fault us for rejecting Torah. Both are essential (Rev. 12:17; 14:12). Yeshua taught that we must keep the commandments and follow Him (John 14:15; 15:10; Matt. 4:4; 19:16-26; Luke 6:46).
He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:4
The path that leads unto life is not one way for Jews (Torah) and another way for Christians (Jesus). It is one way for all. Yeshua is THE Way, the Word (Torah) made flesh (John 1). Someone may say, “The Hebraic way is too foreign.” Yet it is our ways that are foreign to the LORD. The word “Hebrew” means “one who crossed over” (the Euphrates River from Babylon). Our father Abraham was the first Hebrew. We become Hebrews by leaving Babylon behind (the world/paganism), crossing over completely from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light. When we “straddle the river” with one foot in Babylon and one foot in the Kingdom of God, we go nowhere. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). No wonder the double-minded and wavering do not receive anything from the LORD and do not experience transcendence (see James 1:5-8).
RESTORATION
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With a whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:9-11
To those who seek restoration, read prayerfully all of Psalm 119. You just may find a place of repentance as you meditate in these inspired Scriptures. Many times understanding comes after obedience, so do not let lack of understanding keep you from stepping out in faith and embracing Torah. Please do not say you are not convicted if you are not spending at least one hour a day looking in the mirror of God’s Word (Joshua 1:8; Matt. 26:40-41; Hebrews 4:12; James 4:7-10). Have you read God’s Word from cover to cover more than once and from year to year? If not, Bible Pathway has an excellent Bible reading plan and daily devotional. This resource is a good starting place and is not antinomian (lawless) in its tone and commentary.
FINAL THOUGHTS
God allowed terror and tragedy to strike America on 9-11. Many said it was a wake-up call. Just what message were we supposed to get out of this horrific event? One thought that comes to mind is to turn those numbers around (Hebrew is read from right to left) and take certain Scriptures to heart that American Christians have ignored for far too long. 911 reversed is 119, as in Psalm 119. It is curious that Psalm 1 and Psalm 19 also exalt Torah.
Has the original, apostolic faith been “hijacked” since about the 2nd century? Have we been following the wrong religion? Have we been following the teachings and practices of the Church Fathers rather than our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Are we going to “crash and burn” as a result? I have not seen much evidence of soul searching and repentance in this nation since 9/11/01. If, God forbid, further terrorist acts are carried out in America and our enemies triumph over us, will it be said as in Jeremiah’s day:
This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction.....the land shall be desolate.
See Jeremiah 7 for a comparison of Judah’s transgressions with those of America today and the chastisement that ensued. Does God change? (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8). See also 2 Kings 18:11-12 regarding Israel’s Assyrian captivity for their transgressions.
If God-fearing Americans would truly repent, we can count on this promise:
If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
We have become outraged with the wicked ways of those who make no profession of faith, yet have failed to acknowledge our own transgressions against the God we claim to love and serve. Let us start with our “I”dolatry -- the “I will believe and do whatever I please” syndrome.
In those days there was no king in Israel: Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25
Torah is foundational. It is quoted throughout the New Testament. Deuteronomy alone is quoted 80 times. The phrase, “it is written” occurs 66 times in the Bible, 63 times in the New Testament. It could not be clearer that, far from being obsolete, Torah is vital. We ignore it at our own peril. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law (Torah), even his prayer shall be abomination” (Pro. 28:9). Paul, “the apostle to the Gentiles,” declared the (Old Testament) Scriptures profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). He continued to keep Torah, including sabbaths and feasts, and urged Gentile believers to “be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). When are we going to realize that God gave us One Bible, a continuing, non-contradictory story from Genesis to Revelation. Man divided it into “Old Testament” and “New Testament” as if they are two separate Bibles, one for Jews and one for Christians. Does it make sense that God would require faithfulness of some people (Jews, tribulation saints) and let other people (“the church in the age of grace”) get a free pass to Heaven no matter how wicked, unbelieving, or backslidden they are? I have heard some say that in this dispensation we do not have to endure to the end to be saved, and that we will be raptured out before any severe testing (tribulation). Does God change? How unfair of Him to require of others what He does not require of this last, Laodicean, lukewarm generation! We must repent of wrongly dividing the Word of Truth, especially the kind of “I am of Paul/Somebody else’s mail” hyper-dispensationalism that slices, dices, and chops up the Scriptures to oblivion, even the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ, destroying His authority in our life! What kind of a twisted Gospel message would negate the teachings of Jesus Himself!?
CLOSING PRAYER
May the LORD continue to have mercy and patience with His wayward children. May the prophesied “spirit of Elijah” turn our hearts back to our true fathers, the Biblical patriarchs (Malachi 4:5-6) and may we remember the words of the prophet Zechariah:
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. Zechariah 8:23
Like a lilac breeze in the month of Ziv, may the Spirit of the LORD breathe on us, and renew us, and restore us in the path of righteousness for His Name’s sake ....In Yeshua our Messiah
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Permission for reproducing this treatise for free distribution will be granted upon request, providing there are no alterations and a link to this blog is included. “Renah” is my pen-name. This is original writing, not copied and pasted from another website as my critics have falsely charged. The treatise was approved by my husband, editor-in-chief of our publications. All rights reserved for the protection of the overall message, which I believe the LORD has given and directed us to share.
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