Religion

Revival!? or repentance…

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I hear of many churches and Christians talking about revival. Prayer meetings are called just to pray for revival. And yet I rarely hear anyone calling for repentance.

But what is there to repent of?

Most churches and Christians will have an “unpublished” list of sins that one should repent of. Have you ever compared your church’s list to what God calls important. Take a look at Proverbs 6:16-19 and Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Even more importantly, take a look at your church and country. Should we, or even can we, repent on behalf of our churches and country? Look at Daniel 9:4-19, realizing that Daniel himself isn’t guilty of the sins he is listing. We have much to repent of – our churches throw out God’s law and our nation rejoices when laws are made that are against God’s ways.

So, what to repent of? Going against God’s law. I realize that talking of God’s law is taboo in many Christian circles, and even where it isn’t taboo, it is misunderstood. God’s laws aren’t things that He capriciously laid upon us, but it is His revelation of Himself to us (read the Exodus story which culminates in Him giving us His law and John 1). Also, realize two important facts: first, the law was never given as a means of salvation; and second, nowhere anywhere in the “New Testament” does Yeshua or any disciple say anything negative against anyone keeping God’s law.

His law is Him loving us. As such, whenever the opportunity arises to keep His law, don’t look at it as something that “has to be done,” but rather as an act of worship and to give love back to our God who wants us to have good lives.

So why does Paul seem to call the law an ‘instrument of death’ (and other such negative comments)? Consider the following. Shortly after the law was given, many people died when they disobeyed. For those who disobeyed, the law became the ‘instrument of death.’ Then, after Yeshua died and rose again, God poured out the Holy Spirit, and many thousands came to belief. To those who repented the spirit gives life!

God’s law is good – He is His law! But remember, one doesn’t obey because one has to, but out of love for God. Obeying His law doesn’t give salvation, nor does obeying His law make us better in His eyes. Anything and everything we are in God’s eyes is due to what Yeshua has done for us. It starts with repenting – turning from our own ideas as to what is righteousness, and simply listening to God. This is the beginnings of being holy.

  • Yosef

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Verses:

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NASB): 16 There are six things that the LORD hates,
Seven that are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who declares lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NASB):  This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

Daniel 9 (KJV): 4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. 8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; 10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. 12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. 14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. 18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Love Your Neighbor

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I often hear a comment that goes something like this, “Jesus fulfilled the law.” I hear this comment almost exclusively from those who are building a case as to why Christians don’t need to “follow the Law” (the “Law” being God’s law as given in the “Old Testament”). Does the word “fulfill” really mean “done away with”?

Paul writes in Romans 13:8-10 (NASB):

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.  For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

This is a beautiful definition of the word ‘fulfill’. It means that if you love your neighbor, you won’t do any of those things listed because you love your neighbor. In other words, if you focus on the “positive commands” from God you’ll end up doing the “negative commands” without even paying them attention. If you love your neighbor, you won’t even be thinking about murdering them or stealing from them or any other negative thing towards them.

God’s law is full of positive commands. “Love your neighbor.” “Love God with all your heart.” Help your fellow man. If we focus on those, we needn’t worry about the others that tell us what love is not.

Instead of looking at the “Law of God” as a list of commands regarding things we shouldn’t do or need to avoid, look at those things that are “commanding” positive behavior. Then bring that positive behavior into your life.

This is what Paul was trying to get across. Jesus (Yeshua) also told us the same. The example of him healing on the Sabbath comes to mind. The leaders were all concerned about their list of things to ‘not’ do, they forgot that there are good things that can and should be done on the day. Like helping other people. It is then that the Sabbath becomes the joy that it was meant to be.

The word ‘fulfill’ was never meant to mean ‘done away with.’ Rather, it is used to make a point. When we listen to and do the positive commands, then we won’t be going against the negative commands at all – we’ll be living the life God meant us to live, to its fullest. When we follow the positive commands, we will fulfill our lives and be smack in the middle of God’s will.

The law of God was given out of love. If we don’t know how to love, it will tell you. When we do love, we are following it.

Shalom! -Yosef

Censorship

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The USA used to be a country where free speech reigned. Seemingly, not any more. Now big corporations can censor even the President. (Sorry – this is a relatively long post).

Okay, now that I’ve got your attention, let’s look at what’s happening – at the root of the issue. The issue is people being blocked from saying what they want when they want.

But was this ever the case? Not really. Every culture has its rules about what can and can not be talked about. Even in the ‘olden days’ of the USA, if you talked openly about murdering a child you’d encounter a lot of difficulty. Some level of censorship has always been around and is actually good for society.

But who sets the rules as to what is good for society and what is not? We now live in a society where special interest groups (they started and are promulgating ‘political correctness’) and big corporations can decide on what is truth and what is not. Both are forms of censorship.

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and others have started banning persons from using their platforms if the person is, in their opinion, promoting falsehood. Right now its all about ‘making sure people know the truth about Covid-19 vaccines.’ But will it stop there? Is it really about truth?

That sounds like a good cause, doesn’t it? But who is deciding what is ‘true’ and what is ‘not true’? Apparently the corporations have taken it upon themselves to do so. Unknown people in their organizations are being allowed to tell millions of people what they can and can not think! And what are they being told to think? Whatever the corporations want them to think.

I wonder if it is even allowed to discuss whether or not the AstraZeneca jab is good for people over 65? Why? Some countries allow it and some don’t, both sides citing ‘science’. And yet, when Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram decide that the jab is okay, they can suddenly start censoring anyone that disagrees with them.

Here is a quote from Twitter’s Help Center (help.twitter.com/en/rule – general guidelines and policies) as to what grounds can be used to ban a person.

If a post promotes “The safety or efficacy of treatments or preventative measures that are not approved by health authorities…” it can be removed and the author banned.

Sounds good, but suddenly all those that hold to natural medicines and herbs could be found in violation of Twitter’s policies!

I can take just about any one of their ‘policies’ and easily extend it into broader areas such as I did in the above example. It shows that the issue isn’t actually about truth, but about the power of being able to tell millions what to think.

Why do I bring all this up? Well, besides the fact that it is a frightening precedent, it won’t stop at silencing unpopular political figures or people with concerns about the vaccine.

History has proved over and over that such movements grow unless there is an uprising of the people (Uh-oh – I used the word ‘uprising’! Am I now in danger of inciting violence?) Look at the political correctness issue. It started with just one issue, but as it became successful, political correctness started dictating what people can and can not say or do in just about every situation in life.

Truth is not the issue behind the censorship!

Why am I concerned? Because religious freedom is falling. Political correctness has already started battering at what Christians can and can not say, and soon they will be banned from social media sites if they hold to traditional values. Don’t believe me? The beginnings are already happening. Look to our learning institutions. Traditional moral values and belief in God are becoming unwanted and targeted. Look at the many law suits against various learning institutions that are currently in progress!

Soon it will be that to even name ‘Jesus’ will be considered a crime. I know this sounds extreme, but it is the logical progression of the various movements currently sweeping this country.

If, after reading this, you are thinking that such won’t happen, or that companies have the right to decide who and what to ban, or that it needs to be done because lives are at stake, then you are missing the point completely.

It will happen. Just read some recent history to see how the political correctness movement started and then progressed. The same type of thing will happen (and has already started) with this censorship.

Companies do and don’t have the right to block people based on the person’s beliefs. That is a legal battle going on in this country right now. One example is the recent case determining whether or not a small bakery has the right to refuse to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.

Lives are at stake? True, but the core issue is who decides what is truth and what is not. Do we want big companies deciding for us?

If the issue were anything but political, and it is political, there are better ways to ensure that ‘truth’ is available to all and easy to find. The IEEE organization (the group that sets communication standards that all phones and computers use) recently ran an article about how one could make a change to the operation of the internet that would make it far easier to verify the truth of an article.

But the issue isn’t truth.

Letting people decide for themselves is not wanted. Groups, corporations, and governments want power over people. It’s always been that way.

I fear for religious freedom in this country! Such forces as the special interest groups and large corporations have been battling against Christianity for several decades now, and this current trend of censorship will start battling Christianity very soon, if it hasn’t already.

Wake up! Most people in this country don’t know what it means, or what it is like, to live in a country where speech is monitored closely. I hope we don’t go that far, but we’re certainly on the road there. Inevitably, this censorship moves into religion. Why?

The apostle Paul tells us that there are spiritual forces at work, and the battle we see is only a reflection of a spiritual truth. One of those truths is that Yeshua (Jesus) is returning to judge the living and the dead. Will he find you following and obeying his word?

A spillover from the spiritual battle of people coming to know Yeshua and the subsequent freedom and peace that brings, is the battle to suppress all things Biblical.

Let your voice be heard! Pray for your country! Respect one another!

Shalom, – Yosef

Are you a Democrat or a Republican?

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Voting is over for the 2020 election here in the USA, but the results aren’t yet final. Though I think everyone should exercise their privilege of being able to vote, this post is not actually about the election!

On voting day I was listening in to part of a 24 hour prayer meeting, called for people to pray for the election. At one point, one person started praying that people would repent for things this nation has done, but the moderator (gently) stopped him told people to keep the prayers on the topic of getting their candidate elected.

Yet what does God want?

Interestingly, people on both sides seem to think that God wants their particular candidate to be the next president of the USA. Yet no one seems to care about the state of this country from God’s perspective!

So what does this country stand for?

– Abortion: our international polices even require nations accepting help from us to offer abortion services! We push abortion on our own people and the nation! And our legislators applaud themselves when laws are passed that make abortion easier and more prevalent in this nation.

– Immorality: our entertainment industry thrives on sex; not wholesome sex, but sex outside God’s boundaries, making it seem normal to have sex between friends and with other married people.,

– Godlessness: Our nation (via entertainment and educational industries) is actively and forcefully promoting a Godless world view.

And Christianity has been turning a blind eye to all this. Worse, we’ve been actively supporting it! How? By throwing out God’s word. Churches somehow believe that God’s word needs to be ‘made relevant’, which is to say ‘changed’. It’s no wonder that churches are losing their relevancy in the eyes of the younger generations.

Of course, this whole issue feeds upon itself by all the wrong teaching out there. Everyone interprets God’s word in a way that supports their own ideas.

We need to REPENT! We need to repent on behalf of our country and our churches and our selves!

Let us return to simply following Yeshua (Jesus), and get rid of all the theology that so divides! Yeshua prayed to the Father, “Father, make them one.” He did not pray, “make them thousands of different denominations” as it would seem he did when one looks at the state of Christianity in the world.

Being ‘one’ does not mean ‘being the same.’ The apostle Shaul (Paul) writes about how their are different ‘vessels’ (different people with different roles and ideas) and different gifts, but all make up one body.

It is time to quite judging one another (have we forgotten Yeshua‘s words in the sermon on the mount: ‘do not judge lest you be judged’?).

James writes, ‘pure religion is this, to look out for the widows and orphans, and keep oneself unstained by the world.’ How many of us do that? Yah (the LORD) says, “‘I am Yehovah (the LORD) that exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things’ declares Yehovah (the LORD).” (Jer. 9:24).

So, let us repent on behalf of our nation, our churches, and ourselves, and return to Yeshua. Then lets discuss who should be president.

Shalom! – Yosef

Matthew 7

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I wrote this in response to someone’s query but it never got posted.  So here it is…

Matt. 7:21-23 became very important to me many years ago. As I began to recognize what was being said there, I was set on a life long journey of discovery and growing closer to God. There is much more behind Yeshua’s (Jesus’) words here then is initially apparent.

– We’d call the people being spoken to ‘Christians’, as you point out.
– Jesus does not say, “you don’t know me”, but “I never knew you!” This is backwards from most of our thinking.
– The word ‘evildoers’ is a very poor translation. The word there clearly means ‘lawless ones’.

This brings to the forefront some very important questions we should ask ourselves. First, why didn’t Yeshua (Jesus) “know” them when they were apparently “on fire” for God? They seemed to be even putting their faith into action (doing miracles and such). Why does Yeshua (Jesus) call them ‘lawless ones’?

I submit that as we learn to walk in His way (His law), He comes to know us and our hearts. The people Jesus is rebuking did not regard His law as something to be considered. They were making up their own rules and traditions, just as so many denominations do today. It’s interesting to note that of all the things the people listed as things they have done, none are in God’s law as something that He wants us to learn. They are fruits of the Spirit living in us, given to us through the grace of God through Yeshua (Jesus). Yet those people were looking not at God’s will, but at ‘neat fruit’! They thought that they could come to God anyway they wanted to (without obedience).

You point out that we need to be obedient. You are so correct! In the Hebrew language, the word for ‘hear’ is an action word, not just meaning to listen. In Hebrew thought, if you don’t ‘do’ what you heard, then you didn’t listen.

– Yosef

Compromise, compromise, over the Cliff Edge: “10 Commandments – Do Not Murder” continued…

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I’m starting this post with a joke.  Not because the topic is humorous, but because it helps illustrate a point.  (I don’t know who the original author of the joke is.  I first heard it more then 30 years ago.  If I find out who the author is, I’ll post the  credit.)  Here’s the joke as well as I remember it:

A Catholic priest, an evangelical Pastor, and a Jewish Rabbi were discussing when life begins.  The priest states unequivocally that life begins at the moment of conception, and that there is no discussion about it.  The Pastor states that he sees the issue a little less strictly, and that life begins when the heart starts beating.  The Rabbi states, “You two know nothing!  Life begins when the dog dies and the kids move out!”

Yes, this blog post is about abortion.  And the above joke alludes to a problem in the church that has been around for some time.  As soon as Christians entered the discussion as to when ‘life begins’, it lost the battle.  Such a discussion is only about making a compromise.  Once one compromise is made, no matter how seemingly innocuous, eventually more will be required.  As is now happening.

States are passing or seriously considering passing laws allowing abortion up to the moment of birth, and allowing people other then doctors perform the procedure.

This occurrence shouldn’t be surprising.  That this would eventually occur was obvious.  Once abortions were allowed under some circumstances, then the call for compromising on other circumstances would never end.  And it will continue.  And over the cliff we go.

We are now stating that life, up to birth (and possibly shortly thereafter), has no value.  This devaluation of life will continue.  What’s next?  Babies that have defects can be killed?  Unthinkable you say?  This is exactly what happened not so long ago in a modern society!  (Don’t remember? – think Nazi Germany and their indiscriminate killing of handicapped people.)

God states that He abhors the ‘offering’ [sacrificing] of babies and children to foreign gods.

You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.  Leviticus 18:21 (ESV)

Why did the people sacrifice their children to other gods?  The basic reason can be stated as this: they wanted a better life for themselves.

Are abortions today any different?  Why are the vast majority of abortions done today?  Because the mom thinks her life will be better without the child.

No difference!  In times past, the babies were offered directly to a god in exchange for a better life for the parents.  Today the babies are offered to some nebulous idea in exchange for the mom having a better life!

We need to repent on behalf of this nation!  We also need to start supporting those groups that are helping the moms find alternatives to abortion!

Today, Feb. 23rd, 2019, a call has gone out nationwide (USA) for prayer and repentance.  It’s about time!   (www.dayofmourning.org – best viewed with Google Chrome).

Yes, God’s command ‘do not kill’ includes the unborn.

P.S.

If you want to argue against this stance by bringing up cases such as when the mother’s life is in danger, I say to you, “You hypocrite!  If you were really concerned about the life of the mother, you wouldn’t be supporting these laws that will allow people without medical degrees to perform the abortion!  That type of thing took many, many women’s lives!”

  • Yosef

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10 Commandments Series – 6: “Do Not Murder” Exodus 20:13

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Now we are getting into the easier to repeat, oft quoted, rarely taken at more then face value, commandments.  At the top of the list is this one,

“You shall not murder.”  Exodus 20:13  (ESV)

It’s really simple.  Don’t murder.  Yet for all its simplicity, there is a bit of controversy around it, and it is often ignored.

First some controversy.  I won’t spend much time on this.  The Hebrew word used clearly means, and is used for, ‘murder’, not ‘kill’.  A different Hebrew word would have been used if the command had been ‘You shall not kill,’ or it had meant both.  Unfortunately, many of the older English translations use the word ‘kill’, and some people then take this and form theology and social norms from it.  But the word is ‘murder.’  You can easily verify this if you want.

But how is this command ignored?  Most of us haven’t murdered anyone or even want to… or have we?

Yeshua (Jesus) said:

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” Matthew 5:22 (ESV)

Yeshua pointed out that the commandment is deeper then just physically murdering someone.  He pointed out that it can be done with words also!

To take this a bit further, what about when we choose to not help someone or to not encourage someone when the need is right in front of us.  There are many passages in the Bible exhorting us to help and encourage others.

So, flip this command around and look at it from a positive viewpoint.  If ‘do not murder’ is stating the command from the “don’t do” perspective, how would it be stated from the “do this” perspective?  By the way, looking at a command from a ‘positive’ viewpoint is a very Jewish way of looking at the commands of God.

Help to live; encourage; assist; have positive words and deeds.

When we pass up opportunities to help someone to live; to encourage or assist someone; or to have positive words or deeds, then we are, in a way, helping to ‘murder’ the person who otherwise would have benefited.

So, look at the command to ‘not murder’ from Yeshua’s (Jesus’) viewpoint, and act accordingly.  It’ll bring joy to both you and the one being helped, and Yehovah (the LORD) will smile!

Shalom!  – Yosef

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What’s all this about Blood in the Bible?

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Just a cursory reading of the Bible and you’ll eventually read something about blood.

“…The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.” Genesis 4:10 (ESV) [God talking to Cain after Cain killed his brother Abel.]

“But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, the blood.”  Genesis 9:4 (ESV) [God telling Noah how to eat meat after the great flood.]

“Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin.”  Exodus 12:22 (ESV) [God’s telling the Israelites to kill a lamb or goat and put its blood on their doorposts prior to God going through Egypt and freeing the Israelites.]

“But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.” Deuteronomy 12:16 (NIV)

“and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7 (NIV)

It seems Yehovah (God / the LORD) puts importance on blood and gave people rules concerning it.

But what does this have to do with Christians, for, as I hear often, “we are no longer under the law!”?

Well, consider the following:

– Three of the above quotes are from before the “Law” was given (on mount Sinai).

– The apostles, including Paul, and the early Jerusalem church leaders, considered the issue of blood of fundamental importance to Gentile believers.

In Acts 15 we find what is called the “Jerusalem Council.”  They wrote to all Gentile churches the following, expecting all believers to obey:

“…that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.”  Acts 15:29 (ESV)

So what? you may ask.  This doesn’t affect my walk with Jesus (Yeshua).

Our walk with Yeshua (Jesus), and his knowing us, is deepened when we do as He asks.  When we do as He asks, we are humbling ourselves and saying to him, “your way is the right way; not my way.”

What better way to get to know Yeshua (Jesus) better, and be known by him, then to walk as he walked and do what pleases him!

And obeying is training in righteousness.  How can we say that we will listen to Him when the spirit speaks to us when we won’t listen when His words are in black and white before us!  As we learn to do the easy things, and listen to the easy to hear words, we will grow nearer to Him and hear Him clearer in all things!

After this you may also ask, “what does it mean to abstain from blood?”  That is an important question as the Bible does not clearly spell it out.  Looking into this opens up a huge discussion on what it means, and what it implies.  But that is for a later post….

Shalom!  -Yosef

Zechariah, Elizabeth, Christmas, and the Law of God

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It’s Christmas time!  (No, I don’t observe Christmas, but the telling of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) birth in the gospels is always fun to read!)

The gospel of Luke tells of the priest Zechariah, his wife Elizabeth, and how they became the parents of the one called “John the Baptist.”  (See Luke 1:5-24).  At the beginning of the story this comment is made about them.

“And they [Zechariah and Elizabeth] were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.”  Luke 1:6 (ESV), [parenthetical comment mine].

I’ll admit that I had read this verse many times over the years before it hit me what it was saying.  ‘Blameless’ under “the law”???  That’s not possible, is it?  At least it isn’t possible according to most teachings.  But there isn’t any confusion about what the verse means.  They were walking blamelessly.

The confusion stems from a false idea that the law of God was given so that people could attain salvation.  But nowhere in the Bible is any such comment made or alluded to.  The law of God defines God’s standard of righteousness, and details His grace, mercy, loving kindness, and forgiveness.

Zechariah and Elizabeth could walk blamelessly because they walked according to how God said to live, and when they messed up, they sought His forgiveness and, if required, offered a sacrifice.

They were ‘blameless’ not because of perfection, but because they adhered to what God said in all aspects of life, including doing what He said when they did something intentionally or inadvertently wrong.

We need to get rid of this idea that the law of God can’t be followed.  That idea has been eroding the foundations of the church for long enough!

We can walk blamelessly, and Yeshua (Jesus) opened up that possibility to all people.  But to do so one has to first commit to completely following God and His ways.

I don’t mean that everyone has to suddenly learn and follow all the law of God upon “accepting Yeshua (Jesus) as Lord and savior.”  Paul addresses this in most of his letters, as does the council of Jerusalem (see Acts 15:1-35).

The walk in righteousness is a process.  Paul understood that to suddenly require someone to follow the entire law of God will lead to legalism every time.  (Legalism is the thought that one needs to follow God’s law to acquire salvation).

God’s law is perfect and is His unchanging standard of righteousness.  But there are really only 5 fundamental things required of new (gentile) believers.  Yes, I said ‘required.’  They are listed in the letter written to the gentiles by those at the council in Acts 15:1-35.  Well, they list 4 things, abstain from: blood; meat from animals strangled; from food offered to idols; and from fornication.  The fifth thing is assumed from the context: the regular hearing of God’s word.

So, walk can walk blamelessly.  And with joy knowing that Yeshua (Jesus) walks with.

Shalom!  – Yosef

 

Peter and the Floating Pig

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Most Christians have heard the story (in Acts chapter 10) about Peter having a vision of a large sheet being lowered from heaven; it being full of all sorts of animals and birds; and he being told to ‘rise and eat.’  And most Christians have heard that the vision was given to show Peter that he could eat anything, including pork.  And that is the end of the discussion.

But is that what the vision is really about?  Let’s look at the whole story.  (By the way, the vision itself is in Acts 10:9-16).

First, note that the story of Peter’s vision is given in the middle of the story about the Roman centurion Cornelius, and his vision.   In Biblical literature, this is a clue that the two stories have something to do with one another.

Next, take a look at Peter’s initial reaction to the vision.  Peter exclaimed, “By no means, Lord: for I have never eaten anything this is common or unclean.” Acts 10:14 (ESV).   Apparently, Peter was either never told he could eat anything, or he never understood that he had been told.

And what was Peter’s immediate reaction after the vision was over.  It’s written, “Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision … might mean.” Acts 10:17 (ESV).  In other words, he wasn’t immediately thinking that the vision had anything to do with food.

The Biblical narrative then relates that the servants sent by Cornelius are at the door.  This is another hint that the two stories are interrelated.

Then Peter, in talking with Cornelius and the people with him, states,

“You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.”  Acts 10:28 (ESV)

When did God show Peter this?  The whole context of the story points to Peter’s vision.  Add to that the realization that the ‘law’ Peter is referring to is not one of God’s laws!

Lastly, take a look at Acts 11:1-18.  The other apostles and brothers in Christ had heard what had happened, that Peter had visited with, and even eaten with, Gentiles, and they asked Peter about it.  Peter then related the vision he had seen.

And what happens next?  Acts 11:18 states,

“When they heard these things they fell silent.  And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.’ “

Not one of them thought the vision had anything to do with calling unclean animals now fit to be eaten.  It didn’t even occur to them that the vision had anything to do with food!

So why did God use all manner of unclean animals to show Peter that no person is to be called unclean?  I don’t know. Why does God so often compare people to sheep, or even sheep and goats?

Perhaps it is a subtle reminder that He is the one that has created all things, and He is the one who dictates which things are to be considered clean and which are to be considered unclean.

It is also a strong reminder to not put words in God’s mouth.   God said clearly,

“You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it…” Deuteronomy 4:2 (ESV)

God gave Peter a very graphic reminder through this vision.   God never called gentiles (as a whole group) unclean!

Shalom.  – Yosef